There is an accent of humanity in an enquiry of this kind which lulls Suspicion to rest⸺and I am half persuaded the serpent got pretty near it, in his discourse with Eve; for the propensity in the sex to be deceived could not be so great, that she should have boldness to hold chat with the devil, without it⸺But there is an accent of humanity⸺how shall I describe it?—’tis an accent which covers the part with a garment, and gives the enquirer a right to be as particular with it, as your body-surgeon.
“⸺Was it without remission?—
“⸺Was it more tolerable in bed?
“⸺Could he lie on both sides alike with it?
“—Was he able to mount a horse?
“—Was motion bad for it?” et cetera, were so tenderly spoke to, and so directed towards my uncle Toby’s heart, that every item of them sunk ten times deeper into it than the evils themselves⸺but when Mrs. Wadman went round about by Namur to get at my uncle Toby’s groin; and engaged him to attack the point of the advanced counterscarp, and pêle mêle with the Dutch to take the counterguard of St. Roch sword in hand—and then with tender notes playing upon his ear, led him all bleeding by the hand out of the trench, wiping her eye, as he was carried to his tent⸺Heaven! Earth! Sea!—all was lifted up—the springs of nature rose above their levels—an angel of mercy sat besides him on the sofa—his heart glow’d with fire—and had he been worth a thousand, he had lost every heart of them to Mrs. Wadman .
—And whereabouts, dear Sir, quoth Mrs. Wadman , a little categorically, did you receive this sad blow?⸺In asking this question, Mrs. Wadman gave a slight glance towards the waistband of my uncle Toby’s red plush breeches, expecting naturally, as the shortest reply to it,