Captian Jack Aubrey

‘Ain’t you got no respect for learning?’ said Plaice. ‘Four books at once I seen him read. Nay, with these very eyes, here in my head,’ - pointing to them - 'I seen him whip a man’s skull off, rouse out his brains, set 'em to rights, stow 'em back again, clap on a silver plate, and sew up his scalp, which it was drooling over one ear, obscuring his dial, with a flat-seam needle and a pegging-awl, as neat as the sail-maker of a King’s yacht.’