out stopping a moment to settle it first in his
mind, whether the Jews had it from the Egyptians, or the Egyptians
from the Jews,--he rose up, and rubbing his forehead two or three times
across with the palm of his hand, in the manner we rub out the footsteps
of care, when evil has trod lighter upon us than we foreboded,--he shut
the book, and walked down stairs.--Nay, said he, mentioning the name of
a different great nation upon every step as he set his foot upon it--if
the Egyptians,--the Syrians,--the Phoenicians,--the Arabians,--the
Cappadocians,--if the Colchi, and Troglodytes did it--if Solon and
Pythagoras submitted,--what is Tristram?--Who am I, that I should fret
or fume one moment about the matter?

Chapter 3.XXVIII.

Dear Yorick, said my father smiling (for Yorick had broke his rank with
my uncle Toby in coming through the narrow entry, and so had stept first
into the parlour)--this Tristram of ours, I find, comes very hardly by
all his religious rites.--Never was the son of Jew, Christian, Turk, or
Infidel initiated into them in so oblique and slovenly a manner.--But he
is no worse, I trust, said Yorick.--There has been certainly, continued
my father, the deuce and all to do in some part or other of the
ecliptic, when this offspring of mine was formed.--That, you are a
better judge of than I, replied Yorick.--Astrologers, quoth my father,
know better than us both:--the trine and sextil aspects have jumped
awry,--or the opposite of their ascendents have not hit it, as they
should,--or the lords of the genitures (as they call them) have been at
bo-peep,--or something has been wrong above, or below with us.

'Tis possible, answered Yorick.--But is the child, cried my uncle
Toby, the worse?--The Troglodytes say not, replied my father. And your
theologists, Yorick, tell us--Theologically? said Yorick,--or speaking
after the manner of apothecaries? (footnote in Greek Philo.)--statesmen?
(footnote in Greek)--or washer-women? (footnote in Greek Bochart.)

--I'm not sure, replied my father,--but they tell us, brother Toby,
he's the better for it.--Provided, said Yorick, you travel him into
Egypt.--Of that, answered my father, he will have the advantage, when he
sees the Pyramids.--

Now every word of this, quoth my uncle Toby, is Arabic to me.--I wish,
said Yorick, 'twas so, to half the world.

--Ilus, (footnote in Greek Sanchuniatho.) continued my father,
circumcised his whole army one morning.--Not withou