“ I could not tread these perilous paths in safety, if I did not keep a saving sense of humor. ”
No captain can do very wrong if he places his ship alongside that of the enemy.
~ Horatio Nelson
First gain the victory and then make the best use of it you can.
Something must be left to chance nothing is sure in a sea fight.
Duty is the great business of a sea officer; all private considerations must give way to it, however painful it may be.