Now my uncle Toby had one evening laid down his pipe upon the table, and was counting over to himself upon his finger ends (beginning at his thumb) all Mrs. Wadman’s perfections one by one; and happening two or three times together, either by omitting some, or counting others twice over, to puzzle himself sadly before he could get beyond his middle finger⸺Prithee, Trim! said he, taking up his pipe again,⸺bring me a pen and ink: Trim brought paper also.
Take a full sheet⸺ Trim! said my uncle Toby , making a sign with his pipe at the same time to take a chair and sit down close by him at the table. The corporal obeyed⸺placed the paper directly before him⸺took a pen, and dipp’d it in the ink.
—She has a thousand virtues, Trim! said my uncle Toby ⸺
Am I to set them down, an’ please your honour? quoth the corporal.
⸺But they must be taken in their ranks, replied my uncle Toby ; for of them all, Trim , that which wins me most, and which is a security for all the rest, is the compassionate turn and singular humanity of her character—I protest, added my uncle Toby , looking up, as he protested it, towards the top of the ceiling⸺That was I her brother, Trim , a thousand fold, she could not make more constant or more tender enquiries after my sufferings⸺though now no more.
The corporal made no reply to my uncle Toby’s protestation, but by a short cough—he dipp’d the pen a second time into the inkhorn; and my uncle Toby , pointing with the end of his pipe as close to the top of the sheet at the left hand corner of it, as he could get it⸺the corporal wrote down the word humanity - - - - thus.