Captain Sir Horatio Hornblower, Knight of the Bath

Hornblower is a naval captain of long accomplishment. As a lieutenant, he carried the Castilla by boarding; as a captain he defeated Natividad with the smaller Lydia; he escaped from French prison, capturing Witch of Endor in the process. He is wealthy, married to a second wife whom he adores, and landed as a gentleman ought to be. He is decorated with the ribbon and star of an order of chivalry and held in the highest esteem by the Lords of the Admiralty and the common man in the streets. Hornblower has received a knighthood for gallant action in command of Sutherland. Hornblower is about thirty-six years of age during the principle actions described in the novel. He recounts his naval career as spanning nineteen years, sixteen of which have been aboard ship. He served four years as a midshipman, six...