ngle
moment; he had set out bare-headed, having, since he pull'd off his
Montero-cap in the latter end of the last chapter, left it lying beside
him on the ground.

--The eye of Goodness espieth all things--so that before the corporal
had well got through the first five words of his story, had my
uncle Toby twice touch'd his Montero-cap with the end of his cane,
interrogatively--as much as to say, Why don't you put it on, Trim? Trim
took it up with the most respectful slowness, and casting a glance of
humiliation as he did it, upon the embroidery of the fore-part, which
being dismally tarnish'd and fray'd moreover in some of the principal
leaves and boldest parts of the pattern, he lay'd it down again between
his two feet, in order to moralize upon the subject.

--'Tis every word of it but too true, cried my uncle Toby, that thou art
about to observe--

'Nothing in this world, Trim, is made to last for ever.'

--But when tokens, dear Tom, of thy love and remembrance wear out, said
Trim, what shall we say?

There is no occasion, Trim, quoth my uncle Toby, to say any thing else;
and was a man to puzzle his brains till Doom's day, I believe, Trim, it
would be impossible.

The corporal, perceiving my uncle Toby was in the right, and that it
would be in vain for the wit of man to think of extracting a purer moral
from his cap, without further attempting it, he put it on; and passing
his hand across his forehead to rub out a pensive wrinkle, which the
text and the doctrine between them had engender'd, he return'd, with the
same look and tone of voice, to his story of the king of Bohemia and his
seven castles.

The Story of the King of Bohemia and His Seven Castles, Continued.

There was a certain king of Bohemia, but in whose reign, except his own,
I am not able to inform your honour--

I do not desire it of thee, Trim, by any means, cried my uncle Toby.

--It was a little before the time, an' please your honour, when giants
were beginning to leave off breeding:--but in what year of our Lord that
was--

I would not give a halfpenny to know, said my uncle Toby.

--Only, an' please your honour, it makes a story look the better in the
face--

--'Tis thy own, Trim, so ornament it after thy own fashion; and take
any date, continued my uncle Toby, looking pleasantly upon him--take any
date in the whole world thou chusest, and put it to--thou art heartily
welcome--

The corporal bowed; for of every century, and of