The sea hath no king but God alone.

A fair complexion is unbecoming to a sailor: he ought to be swarthy from the waters of the sea and the rays of the sun.

And to our age’s drowsy blood / Still shouts the inspiring sea.

All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full.

The sole business of a seaman onshore who has to go to sea again is to take as much pleasure as he can.

The sea hath fish for every man.

Why is a ship under sail more poetical than a hog in a high wind? The hog is all nature, the ship is all art.

The most advanced nations are always those who navigate the most.

Anyone can hold the helm when the sea is calm.

The legislator is like the navigator of a ship on the high seas. He can steer the vessel on which he sails, but he cannot alter its construction, raise the wind, or stop the waves from swelling beneath his feet.

The Mediterranean has the colors of a mackerel, changeable I mean. You don’t always know if it is green or violet—you can’t even say it’s blue, because the next moment the changing light has taken on a tinge of pink or gray.

Seaward ho! Hang the treasure! It’s the glory of the sea that has turned my head.

He who commands the sea has command of everything.