up with
a project of knitting my father a pair of large worsted breeches--(the
thing is common sense)--and she not caring to be put out of her way,
she staid at home, at Shandy Hall, to keep things right during the
expedition; in which, I say, my father stopping us two days at Auxerre,
and his researches being ever of such a nature, that they would have
found fruit even in a desert--he has left me enough to say upon Auxerre:
in short, wherever my father went--but 'twas more remarkably so, in
this journey through France and Italy, than in any other stages of his
life--his road seemed to lie so much on one side of that, wherein all
other travellers have gone before him--he saw kings and courts and silks
of all colours, in such strange lights--and his remarks and reasonings
upon the characters, the manners, and customs of the countries we pass'd
over, were so opposite to those of all other mortal men, particularly
those of my uncle Toby and Trim--(to say nothing of myself)--and to
crown all--the occurrences and scrapes which we were perpetually meeting
and getting into, in consequence of his systems and opiniotry--they were
of so odd, so mix'd and tragi-comical a contexture--That the whole put
together, it appears of so different a shade and tint from any tour of
Europe, which was ever executed--that I will venture to pronounce--the
fault must be mine and mine only--if it be not read by all travellers
and travel-readers, till travelling is no more,--or which comes to the
same point--till the world, finally, takes it into its head to stand
still.--

--But this rich bale is not to be open'd now; except a small thread or
two of it, merely to unravel the mystery of my father's stay at Auxerre.

--As I have mentioned it--'tis too slight to be kept suspended; and when
'tis wove in, there is an end of it.

We'll go, brother Toby, said my father, whilst dinner is coddling--to
the abbey of Saint Germain, if it be only to see these bodies, of which
Monsieur Sequier has given such a recommendation.--I'll go see any body,
quoth my uncle Toby; for he was all compliance through every step of the
journey--Defend me! said my father--they are all mummies--Then one need
not shave; quoth my uncle Toby--Shave! no--cried my father--'twill be
more like relations to go with our beards on--So out we sallied, the
corporal lending his master his arm, and bringing up the rear, to the
abbey of Saint Germain.

Every thing is very fine, and very r