by the by, was ridiculous enough—yet at the very same time he did it, he collected every book and treatise which had been systematically wrote upon noses, with as much care as my honest uncle Toby had done those upon military architecture.⸺’Tis true, a much less table would have held them—but that was not thy transgression, my dear uncle.—
Here⸺but why here⸺rather than in any other part of my story⸺I am not able to tell:⸻but here it is⸻my heart stops me to pay to thee, my dear uncle Toby , once for all, the tribute I owe thy goodness.⸺Here let me thrust my chair aside, and kneel down upon the ground, whilst I am pouring forth the warmest sentiment of love for thee, and veneration for the excellency of thy character, that ever virtue and nature kindled in a nephew’s bosom.⸺Peace and comfort rest forevermore upon thy head!—Thou enviedst no man’s comforts⸺insultedst no man’s opinions⸺Thou blackenedst no man’s character—devouredst no man’s bread: gently, with faithful Trim behind thee, didst thou amble round the little circle of thy pleasures, jostling no creature in thy way:—for each one’s sorrow thou hadst a tear,—for each man’s need, thou hadst a shilling.
Whilst I am worth one, to pay a weeder—thy path from thy door to thy bowling-green shall never be grown up.⸺Whilst there is a rood and a half of land in the Shandy family, thy fortifications, my dear uncle Toby , shall never be demolish’d.