uncle Toby's
opinion, 'That mayhap his sister might not care to let such a Dr. Slop
come so near her....' But it was the Argumentum ad hominem; and if my
uncle Toby was not very expert at it, you may think, he might not care
to use it.--No; the reason was,--'twas not his nature to insult.

Dr. Slop's presence at that time, was no less problematical than the
mode of it; tho' it is certain, one moment's reflexion in my father
might have solved it; for he had apprized Dr. Slop but the week before,
that my mother was at her full reckoning; and as the doctor had heard
nothing since, 'twas natural and very political too in him, to have
taken a ride to Shandy-Hall, as he did, merely to see how matters went
on.

But my father's mind took unfortunately a wrong turn in the
investigation; running, like the hypercritick's, altogether upon
the ringing of the bell and the rap upon the door,--measuring their
distance, and keeping his mind so intent upon the operation, as to have
power to think of nothing else,--common-place infirmity of the greatest
mathematicians! working with might and main at the demonstration, and so
wasting all their strength upon it, that they have none left in them to
draw the corollary, to do good with.

The ringing of the bell, and the rap upon the door, struck likewise
strong upon the sensorium of my uncle Toby,--but it excited a very
different train of thoughts;--the two irreconcileable pulsations
instantly brought Stevinus, the great engineer, along with them, into
my uncle Toby's mind. What business Stevinus had in this affair,--is
the greatest problem of all:--It shall be solved,--but not in the next
chapter.

Chapter 1.XXXVI.

Writing, when properly managed (as you may be sure I think mine is) is
but a different name for conversation. As no one, who knows what he is
about in good company, would venture to talk all;--so no author, who
understands the just boundaries of decorum and good-breeding, would
presume to think all: The truest respect which you can pay to the
reader's understanding, is to halve this matter amicably, and leave him
something to imagine, in his turn, as well as yourself.

For my own part, I am eternally paying him compliments of this kind, and
do all that lies in my power to keep his imagination as busy as my own.

'Tis his turn now;--I have given an ample description of Dr. Slop's
sad overthrow, and of his sad appearance in the back-parlour;--his
imagination must now go