FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   183   184   185   186   187   188   189   190   191   192   193   194   195   196  
197   198   199   200   201   202   203   204   205   206   207   208   209   210   211   212   213   214   215   216   217   218   219   220   221   >>   >|  
Shandy, with his syllogisms and his hypotheses, his "close reasoning upon the smallest matters"; Yorick, the witty parson, whose epitaph, _Alas! Poor Yorick!_ expresses so tenderly the amiable faults for which he suffered; Captain Shandy, that combination of simplicity, gentleness, humanity, and modesty, are all creations which deserve to rank with the most individual and happily conceived of fictitious personages. Sterne makes a character known to the reader by a succession of delicate touches rather than by description. He seems to enter into an individual, and make him betray his peculiarities by significant actions and phrases. Thus Mr. Shandy exposes at once the nature of his mind and the vigor of his "hobby-horse," when he exclaims to his brother Toby: "What is the character of a family to an hypothesis?" The combination of sentiment, pathos, and humor which Sterne sometimes reached with remarkable success, is particularly apparent in every incident which concerns the celebrated Captain Toby Shandy, for the creation of which character this author may most easily be forgiven his indecencies and his literary thefts. Uncle Toby's sympathy with Lefevre, a poor army officer, on his way to join his regiment, who died in an inn near Shandy's house, is exquisitely painted throughout, and the colloquy between the captain and his faithful servant, Corporal Trim, when the death of the officer is imminent, is probably the finest passage which ever fell from the skilful pen of Laurence Sterne: A sick brother-officer should have the best quarters, Trim; and if we had him with us,--we could tend and look to him.--Thou art an excellent nurse thyself, Trim: and what with thy care of him, and the old woman's, and his boy's, and mine together, we might recruit him again at once, and set him upon his legs. --In a fortnight or three weeks, added my uncle Toby, smiling, he might march.--He will never march, an' please your Honour, in this world, said the Corporal.--He _will_ march, said my uncle Toby, rising up from the side of the bed with one shoe off.--An' please your Honour, said the Corporal, he will never march but to his grave. He _shall_ march, cried my uncle Toby, marching the foot which had a shoe on, though without advancing an inch,--he _shall_ march to his regiment.--He cannot stand it, said the Corporal.--He shall be supported, said my uncle Toby.--He'll drop at
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   183   184   185   186   187   188   189   190   191   192   193   194   195   196  
197   198   199   200   201   202   203   204   205   206   207   208   209   210   211   212   213   214   215   216   217   218   219   220   221   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Shandy

 

Corporal

 

character

 

Sterne

 

officer

 

Honour

 

regiment

 

brother

 

combination

 
Yorick

Captain

 
individual
 
excellent
 

thyself

 
quarters
 

finest

 

passage

 

imminent

 
servant
 

tenderly


expresses

 

skilful

 

epitaph

 
Laurence
 
syllogisms
 

marching

 

hypotheses

 

supported

 

advancing

 

fortnight


faithful

 
parson
 

rising

 

reasoning

 

smallest

 

smiling

 

matters

 

recruit

 
exposes
 

modesty


nature
 
significant
 

actions

 

phrases

 

simplicity

 

family

 

hypothesis

 
gentleness
 

exclaims

 
humanity