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nydus/The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, GentlemanPublic

A man describes his birth and upbringing through the adventures of his family.

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Table of Contents

The Author’s Preface

is a total and an absolute saving⁠—for as not one spark is wanted⁠—so not one spark is given. Angels and ministers of grace defend us! what a dismal thing would it have been to have governed a kingdom, to have fought a battle, or made a treaty, or run a match, or wrote a book, or got a child, or held a provincial chapter there, with so plentiful a lack of wit and judgment about us! For mercy’s sake, let us think no more about it, but travel on as fast as we can southwards into Norway ⁠—crossing over Swedeland , if you please, through the small triangular province of Angermania to the lake of Bothnia ; coasting along it through east and west Bothnia , down to Carelia , and so on, through all those states and provinces which border upon the far side of the Gulf of Finland , and the northeast of the Baltick , up to Petersbourg , and just stepping into Ingria ;⁠—then stretching over directly from thence through the north parts of the Russian empire⁠—leaving Siberia a little upon the left hand, till we got into the very heart of Russian and Asiatick Tartary .

Now throughout this long tour

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