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The King of Bohemia, an' please your honour, replied the corporal,
was unfortunate, as thus--That taking great pleasure and delight in
navigation and all sort of sea affairs--and there happening throughout
the whole kingdom of Bohemia, to be no sea-port town whatever--

How the duce should there--Trim? cried my uncle Toby; for Bohemia being
totally inland, it could have happen'd no otherwise--It might, said
Trim, if it had pleased God--

My uncle Toby never spoke of the being and natural attributes of God,
but with diffidence and hesitation--

--I believe not, replied my uncle Toby, after some pause--for being
inland, as I said, and having Silesia and Moravia to the east; Lusatia
and Upper Saxony to the north; Franconia to the west; and Bavaria to the
south; Bohemia could not have been propell'd to the sea without ceasing
to be Bohemia--nor could the sea, on the other hand, have come up to
Bohemia, without overflowing a great part of Germany, and destroying
millions of unfortunate inhabitants who could make no defence against
it--Scandalous! cried Trim--Which would bespeak, added my uncle Toby,
mildly, such a want of compassion in him who is the father of it--that,
I think, Trim--the thing could have happen'd no way.

The corporal made the bow of unfeign'd conviction; and went on.

Now the King of Bohemia with his queen and courtiers happening one fine
summer's evening to walk out--Aye! there the word happening is right,
Trim, cried my uncle Toby; for the King of Bohemia and his queen might
have walk'd out or let it alone:--'twas a matter of contingency, which
might happen, or not, just as chance ordered it.

King William was of an opinion, an' please your honour, quoth Trim,
that every thing was predestined for us in this world; insomuch, that
he would often say to his soldiers, that 'every ball had its billet.' He
was a great man, said my uncle Toby--And I believe, continued Trim, to
this day, that the shot which disabled me at the battle of Landen,
was pointed at my knee for no other purpose, but to take me out of his
service, and place me in your honour's, where I should be taken so
much better care of in my old age--It shall never, Trim, be construed
otherwise, said my uncle Toby.

The heart, both of the master and the man, were alike subject to sudden
over-flowings;--a short silence ensued.

Besides, said the corporal, resuming the discourse--but in a gayer
accent--if it had not been for that single s