⸺Here are two senses, cried Eugenius , as we walk’d along, pointing with the forefinger of his right hand to the word Crevice , in the one hundred and seventy-eighth page of the first volume of this book of books;⸻here are two senses—quoth he—And here are two roads, replied I, turning short upon him⸺a dirty and a clean one⸺which shall we take?—The clean, by all means, replied Eugenius . Eugenius , said I, stepping before him, and laying my hand upon his breast⸺to define—is to distrust.⸺Thus I triumph’d over Eugenius ; but I triumph’d over him as I always do, like a fool.⸺’Tis my comfort, however, I am not an obstinate one: therefore
I define a nose as follows—intreating only beforehand, and beseeching my readers, both male and female, of what age, complexion, and condition soever, for the love of God and their own souls, to guard against the temptations and suggestions of the devil, and suffer him by no art or wile to put any other ideas into their minds, than what I put into my definition—For by the word Nose , throughout all this long chapter of noses, and in every other part of my work, where the word Nose occurs—I declare, by that word I mean a nose, and nothing more, or less.