XII
When my uncle Toby had turned everything into money, and settled all accounts betwixt the agent of the regiment and Le Fever, and betwixt Le Fever and all mankind,вБ†вЄЇвБ†there remained nothing more in my uncle TobyвАЩs hands, than an old regimental coat and a sword; so that my uncle Toby found little or no opposition from the world in taking administration. The coat my uncle Toby gave the corporal;вБ†вЄЇвБ†Wear it, Trim, said my uncle Toby, as long as it will hold together, for the sake of the poor lieutenantвБ†вЄЇвБ†And this,вБ†вЄЇвБ†said my uncle Toby, taking up the sword in his hand, and drawing it out of the scabbard as he spokeвБ†вЄЇвБ†and this, Le Fever, IвАЩll save for thee,вБ†вАФвАЩtis all the fortune, continued my uncle Toby, hanging it up upon a crook, and pointing to it,вБ†вАФвАЩtis all the fortune, my dear Le Fever, which God has left thee; but if he has given thee a heart to fight thy way with it in the world,вБ†вАФand thou doest it like a man of honour,вБ†вАФвАЩtis enough for us.
As soon as my uncle Toby had laid a foundation, and taught him to inscribe a regular polygon in a circle, he sent him to a public school, where, excepting Whitsontide and Christmas, at which times the corporal was punctually dispatched for him,вБ†вАФhe remained to the spring of the year, seventeen; when the stories of the emperorвАЩs sending his army into Hungary against the Turks, kindling a spark of fire in his bosom, he left his Greek and Latin without leave, and throwing himself upon his knees before my uncle Toby, begged his fatherвАЩs sword, and my uncle TobyвАЩs leave along with it, to go and try his fortune under Eugene.вБ†вАФTwice did my uncle Toby forget his wound and cry out, Le Fever! I will go with thee, and thou shalt fight beside meвБ†вЄЇвБ†And twice he laid his hand upon his groin, and hung down his head in sorrow and disconsolation.вБ†вЄЇвБ†
My uncle Toby took down the sword from the crook, where it had hung untouched ever since the lieutenantвАЩs death, and delivered it to the corporal to brighten up;вБ†вЄЇвБ†and having detained Le Fever a single fortnight to equip him, and contract for his passage to Leghorn,вБ†вАФhe put the sword into his hand.вБ†вЄЇвБ†If thou art brave, Le Fever, said my uncle Toby, this will not fail thee,вБ†вЄЇвБ†but Fortune, said he (musing a little),вБ†вЄЇвБ†Fortune mayвБ†вЄЇвБ†And if she does,вБ†вАФadded my uncle Toby, embracing him, come back again to me, Le Fever, and we will shape thee another course.
The greatest injury could not have oppressed the heart of Le Fever more than my uncle TobyвАЩs paternal kindness;вБ†вЄЇвБ†he parted from my uncle Toby, as the best of sons from the best of fathersвБ†вЄЇвБ†both dropped tearsвБ†вЄЇвБ†and as my uncle Toby gave him his last kiss, he slipped sixty guineas, tied up in an old purse of his fatherвАЩs, in which was his motherвАЩs ring, into his hand,вБ†вЄЇвБ†and bid God bless him.