d me.

In the case of these knots then, and of the several obstructions, which,
may it please your reverences, such knots cast in our way in getting
through life--every hasty man can whip out his pen-knife and cut through
them.--'Tis wrong. Believe me, Sirs, the most virtuous way, and which
both reason and conscience dictate--is to take our teeth or our fingers
to them.--Dr. Slop had lost his teeth--his favourite instrument, by
extracting in a wrong direction, or by some misapplication of it,
unfortunately slipping, he had formerly, in a hard labour, knock'd
out three of the best of them with the handle of it:--he tried his
fingers--alas; the nails of his fingers and thumbs were cut close.--The
duce take it! I can make nothing of it either way, cried Dr. Slop.--The
trampling over head near my mother's bed-side increased.--Pox take the
fellow! I shall never get the knots untied as long as I live.--My mother
gave a groan.--Lend me your penknife--I must e'en cut the knots at
last--pugh!--psha!--Lord! I have cut my thumb quite across to the very
bone--curse the fellow--if there was not another man-midwife within
fifty miles--I am undone for this bout--I wish the scoundrel hang'd--I
wish he was shot--I wish all the devils in hell had him for a
blockhead--!

My father had a great respect for Obadiah, and could not bear to hear
him disposed of in such a manner--he had moreover some little respect
for himself--and could as ill bear with the indignity offered to himself
in it.

Had Dr. Slop cut any part about him, but his thumb--my father had pass'd
it by--his prudence had triumphed: as it was, he was determined to have
his revenge.

Small curses, Dr. Slop, upon great occasions, quoth my father (condoling
with him first upon the accident) are but so much waste of our strength
and soul's health to no manner of purpose.--I own it, replied Dr.
Slop.--They are like sparrow-shot, quoth my uncle Toby (suspending his
whistling) fired against a bastion.--They serve, continued my father,
to stir the humours--but carry off none of their acrimony:--for my own
part, I seldom swear or curse at all--I hold it bad--but if I fall into
it by surprize, I generally retain so much presence of mind (right,
quoth my uncle Toby) as to make it answer my purpose--that is, I swear
on till I find myself easy. A wife and a just man however would always
endeavour to proportion the vent given to these humours, not only to the
degree of them stirring wit