CodalSearch this book — or all of Codal…⌘K
nydus/The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, GentlemanPublic

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

Page 638 of 810
Table of Contents

XXIX

no, said I, shaking my head sideways⁠—Would Monsieur choose to sell it? rejoined the undertaker.⁠—With all my soul, said I⁠—the iron work is worth forty livres⁠—and the glasses worth forty more⁠—and the leather you may take to live on.

What a mine of wealth, quoth I, as he counted me the money, has this post-chaise brought me in? And this is my usual method of bookkeeping, at least with the disasters of life⁠—making a penny of every one of ’em as they happen to me⁠⸺⁠

⸺⁠Do, my dear Jenny , tell the world for me, how I behaved under one, the most oppressive of its kind, which could befall me as a man, proud as he ought to be of his manhood⁠⸺⁠

’Tis enough, saidst thou, coming close up to me, as I stood with my garters in my hand, reflecting upon what had not pass’d⁠⸺’Tis enough, Tristram , and I am satisfied, saidst thou, whispering these words in my ear, * ** *** *;⁠— ** ⁠⸺⁠any other man would have sunk down to the center⁠⸺⁠

⸺⁠Everything is good for something, quoth I.

⸺⁠I’ll go into Wales for six weeks, and drink goat’s whey⁠—and I’ll gain seven years longer life for the accident. For which reason I think myself inexcusable, for blaming fortune so often as I have done, for pelting me all my life long, like an ungracious duchess, as I call’d her, with so many small evils: surely, if I have any cause to be angry with her, ’tis that she has not sent me great ones⁠—a score of good cursed, bouncing losses, would have been as good as a pension to me.

⸺⁠One of a hundred a year, or so, is all I wish⁠—I would not be at the plague of paying land-tax for a larger.

638