Auxerre : in short, wherever my father went⸺but ’twas more remarkably so, in this journey through France and Italy , than in any other stages of his life⸺his road seemed to lie so much on one side of that, wherein all other travellers have gone before him—he saw kings and courts and silks of all colours, in such strange lights⸺and his remarks and reasonings upon the characters, the manners, and customs, of the countries we pass’d over, were so opposite to those of all other mortal men, particularly those of my uncle Toby and Trim —(to say nothing of myself)—and to crown all—the occurrences and scrapes which we were perpetually meeting and getting into, in consequence of his systems and opiniatry—they were of so odd, so mix’d and tragicomical a contexture—That the whole put together, it appears of so different a shade and tint from any tour of Europe , which was ever executed—that I will venture to pronounce—the fault must be mine and mine only—if it be not read by all travellers and travel-readers, till travelling is no more,—or which comes to the same point—till the world, finally, takes it into its head to stand still.⸺
⸺But this rich bale is not to be open’d now; except a small thread or two of it, merely to unravel the mystery of my father’s stay at Auxerre .
⸺As I have mentioned it—’tis too slight to be kept suspended; and when ’tis wove in, there is an end of it.
We’ll go, brother Toby , said my father, whilst dinner is coddling—to the abby of Saint Germain , if it be only to see these bodies, of which Monsieur Sequier has given such a recommendation.⸺I’ll go see anybody, quoth my uncle Toby ; for he was all compliance through every step of the journey⸺Defend me! said my father—they are all mummies⸺Then one need not shave; quoth my uncle Toby ⸺Shave! no—cried my father—’twill be more like relations to go with our beards on—So out we sallied, the corporal lending his master his arm, and bringing up the rear, to the abby of Saint Germain .