• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

By Root 1872 0

ou il le fit voir à Jerôme Bardi & à d’autres Medecins du lieu. On trouva qu’il ne lui manquoit rien d’essentiel a la vie; & son pere pour faire voir un essai de son expérience, entreprit d’achever l’ouvrage de la Nature, & de travailler a la formation de l’Enfant avec le même artifice que celui dont on se sert pour faire éclorre les Poulets en Egypte. Il instruisit une Nourisse de tout ce qu’elle avoit à faire, & ayant fait mettre son fils dans un four proprement accommodè, il reuissit à l’élever et a lui faire prendre ses accroissemens necessaires, par l’uniformité d’une chaleur étrangére mesurée éxactement sur les dégrés d’un Thermométre, ou d’un autre instrument équivalent. (Vide Mich. Giustinian, ne gli Scritt. Liguri á Cart. 223. 488.)

On auroit toujours été très-satisfait de l’industrie d’un Pere si experimenté dans l’Art de la Generation, quand il n’auroit pû prolonger la vie a son fils que pour quelques mois, ou pour peu d’années.

Mais quand on se represente que l’Enfant a vecu pres de quatre-vingts ans, & que il a composé quatre-vingts Ouvrages differents tous fruits d’une longue lecture,—il faut convenir que tout ce qui est incroyable n’est pas toujours faux, & que la Vraisemblance n’est pas toujours du coté de la Veritè.

Il n’avoit que dix-neuf ans lors qu’il composa Gonopsychanthropologia de Origine Animæ humanæ.

(Les Enfans celebres, revûs & corriges par M. De la Monnoye de l’Academie Françoise.)

CHAP. XI

We shall bring all things to rights, said my father, setting his foot upon the first step from the landing——This Trismegistus, continued my father, drawing his leg back, and turning to my uncle Toby—was the greatest (Toby) of all earthly beings—he was the greatest king—the greatest lawgiver—the greatest philosopher—and the greatest priest——and engineer—said my uncle Toby.—

—In course, said my father.

CHAP. XII

—And how does your mistress? cried my father, taking the same step over again from the landing, and calling to Susannah, whom he saw passing by the foot of the stairs with a huge pin-cushion in her hand—how does your mistress? As well, said Susannah, tripping by, but without looking up, as can be expected—What a fool am I, said my father! drawing his leg back again—let things be as they will, brother Toby, ’tis ever the precise answer—And how is the child, pray?—No answer. And where is doctor Slop? added my father, raising his voice aloud, and looking over the ballusters—Susannah was out of hearing.

Of all the riddles of a married life, said my father, crossing the landing, in order to set his back against the wall, whilst he propounded it to my uncle Toby—of all the puzzling riddles, said he, in a marriage state,—of which you may trust me, brother Toby, there are more asses loads than all Job’s stock of asses1 could have carried—there is not one that has more intricacies in it than this—that from the very moment the mistress of the house is brought to bed, every female in it, from my lady’s gentlewoman down to the cinder-wench, becomes an inch taller for it; and give themselves more airs upon that single inch, than all their other inches put together.

I think rather, replied my uncle Toby, that ’tis we who sink an inch lower.——If I meet but a woman with child—I do it—’tis a heavy tax upon that half of our fellow-creatures, brother Shandy, said my uncle Toby—’tis a piteous burden upon ’em, continued he, shaking his head.—Yes, yes, ’tis a painful thing—said my father, shaking his head too—but certainly since shaking of heads came into fashion, never did two heads shake together, in concert, from two such different springs.

God bless

Duce take

’em all—said my uncle

Toby and my father, each to himself.2

CHAP. XIII

Holla!—you chairman!1—here’s sixpence—do step into that bookseller’s shop, and call me a day-tall critick.2 I am very willing to give any one of ’em a crown to help me with his tackling, to get my father and my uncle Toby off the stairs, and to put them to bed.—

—’tis even high time; for except a short nap, which they both got whilst Trim was boring the jack-boots