Downton Abbey Season 1 quotes

Mr. Bates

You can change your life if you want to. Sometimes you have to be hard on yourself, but you can change it completely. I know.

Mrs. Hughes

Mr. Bates, what's the matter?

Mr. Bates

Nothing, not a thing. I'm fine.

Mrs. Hughes

Let me help you.

Mr. Bates

I'm perfectly alright. Thank you, Mrs. Hughes.

Mrs. Hughes

Are you sure? You're as white as a sheet.

Mr. Bates

It's my wonderful complexion, inherited from my Irish mother.

Oh, my dears! Is it really true? I can't believe it. Last night he looked so well! Of course, it would happen to a foreigner. It's typical.

Lady Mary Crawley

Don't be ridiculous!

I'm not being ridiculous. No Englishman would dream of dying in someone else's house, especially someone they didn't even know.

Oh, Granny, even the English aren't in control of everything.

Well I hope we're in control of something, if only ourselves.

You are my darling daughter, and I love you, hard as it is for an Englishman to say the words...If I had made my own fortune and bought Downton for myself, it should be yours without question. But I did not. My fortune is the work of others, who labored to build a great dynasty. Do I have the right to destroy their work, or impoverish that dynasty? I am a custodian, my dear, not an owner. I must strive to be worthy of the task I have been set.

Mrs. Crawley tells me she's recommended nitrate of silver and tincture of steel.

Why, is she making a suit of armour?

Daisy

I was only trying to help.

Oh, Judas was only trying to help I suppose, when he brought the Roman soldiers to the Garden!

You are quite wonderful, the way you see room for improvement wherever you look. I never knew such reforming zeal.

Isobel Crawley

I take that as a compliment.

I must have said it wrong.

Lady Mary Crawley

How many times am I to be ordered to marry the man sitting next to me at dinner?

As many times as it takes.

Anna

I love you, Mr Bates. I know it’s not ladylike to say it, but I’m not a lady, and I don’t pretend to be.

Mr. Bates

You are a lady to me. And I never knew a finer one.

Gwen, may I ask why you are sitting on Lady Sybil's bed?

Well, you see, I had a turn, like a burst of sickness, just sudden-like. I had to sit down.

Anna

It's true.

Well, you'd better go and lie down. I'll tell Mrs. Hughes.

No, I don't need to interrupt her morning. I'm sure I'll be fine if I could just put my feet up.

How many bedrooms have you still got to do?

Anna

Just one. Lady Edith's.

And you can manage on your own.

Anna

Well, she's no use to man or beast in that state. Go on. Shoo.

Daisy, may I ask why you are holding Lady Sybil's biscuit jar?

Daisy

Em...I was just...Polishing it...Before I put it back.

See that you do.

Politicians often can't recognize the changes that are inevitable.

What, are you canvassing, too?

Lady Mary Crawley

I was only going to say that Sybil is entitled to her opinions.

No, she isn't until she is married--then her husband will tell her what her opinions are.

But it's Sybil's first season.

Robert, believe me. Sybil is not your problem now. We got to support Mary this year. It's time Mary was settled. High time.

Poor old Edith; we never seem to talk about her.

I'm afraid Edith will be the one to care for us in our old age.

What a ghastly prospect.

How dare you! How dare you obey in this way!

Robert can we do this in the morning? Sybil needs rest.

Are you so knowledgeable about the great world that my instructions are to be set as nothing!

Lady Sybil Crawley

Papa, I'm sorry I disobeyed you! But I'm interested! I'm political! I have opinions!

Of course I blame Branson!

Lady Mary Crawley

I don't think that's fair.

We had none it! None of it until he set foot in our house! I suppose I should thank God he hasn't burned the place down over our heads!

Lady Sybil Crawley

Branson didn't know anything about it until we arrived there!

He leaves tonight!

Lady Sybil Crawley

If you punish Branson, I'll never speak to you again- Never!

Lady Mary Crawley

I really don't think this is Branson's fault, truly, Papa.

Lady Sybil Crawley

Blame me.

I do blame you!

There's nothing like an English summer, is there?

Lady Mary Crawley

Except an English winter.