to throw down his
compasses, and in stooping to take the compasses up, with his sleeve he
threw down his case of instruments and snuffers;--and as the dice took
a run against him, in his endeavouring to catch the snuffers in
falling,--he thrust Monsieur Blondel off the table, and Count de Pagon
o'top of him.

'Twas to no purpose for a man, lame as my uncle Toby was, to think
of redressing these evils by himself,--he rung his bell for his man
Trim;--Trim, quoth my uncle Toby, prithee see what confusion I have here
been making--I must have some better contrivance, Trim.--Can'st not thou
take my rule, and measure the length and breadth of this table, and
then go and bespeak me one as big again?--Yes, an' please your Honour,
replied Trim, making a bow; but I hope your Honour will be soon well
enough to get down to your country-seat, where,--as your Honour takes so
much pleasure in fortification, we could manage this matter to a T.

I must here inform you, that this servant of my uncle Toby's, who went
by the name of Trim, had been a corporal in my uncle's own company,--his
real name was James Butler,--but having got the nick-name of Trim, in
the regiment, my uncle Toby, unless when he happened to be very angry
with him, would never call him by any other name.

The poor fellow had been disabled for the service, by a wound on his
left knee by a musket-bullet, at the battle of Landen, which was two
years before the affair of Namur;--and as the fellow was well-beloved
in the regiment, and a handy fellow into the bargain, my uncle Toby took
him for his servant; and of an excellent use was he, attending my uncle
Toby in the camp and in his quarters as a valet, groom, barber, cook,
sempster, and nurse; and indeed, from first to last, waited upon him and
served him with great fidelity and affection.

My uncle Toby loved the man in return, and what attached him more to him
still, was the similitude of their knowledge.--For Corporal Trim, (for
so, for the future, I shall call him) by four years occasional attention
to his Master's discourse upon fortified towns, and the advantage of
prying and peeping continually into his Master's plans, &c. exclusive
and besides what he gained Hobby-Horsically, as a body-servant, Non
Hobby Horsical per se;--had become no mean proficient in the science;
and was thought, by the cook and chamber-maid, to know as much of the
nature of strong-holds as my uncle Toby himself.

I have but one more str