XXIV
With two or three other trinkets, small in themselves, but of great regard, which poor Tom, the corporalвАЩs unfortunate brother, had sent him over, with the account of his marriage with the JewвАЩs widowвБ†вЄЇвБ†there was
A Montero-cap and two Turkish tobacco-pipes.
The Montero-cap I shall describe by and bye.вБ†вЄЇвБ†The Turkish tobacco-pipes had nothing particular in them, they were fitted up and ornamented as usual, with flexible tubes of Morocco leather and gold wire, and mounted at their ends, the one of them with ivory,вБ†вАФthe other with black ebony, tippвАЩd with silver.
My father, who saw all things in lights different from the rest of the world, would say to the corporal, that he ought to look upon these two presents more as tokens of his brotherвАЩs nicety, than his affection.вБ†вЄЇвБ†Tom did not care, Trim, he would say, to put on the cap, or to smoke in the tobacco-pipe of a Jew.вБ†вЄЇвБ†God bless your honour, the corporal would say, (giving a strong reason to the contrary)вБ†вАФhow can that be?
The Montero-cap was scarlet, of a superfine Spanish cloth, dyed in grain, and mounted all round with fur, except about four inches in the front, which was faced with a light blue, slightly embroidered,вБ†вАФand seemed to have been the property of a Portuguese quartermaster, not of foot, but of horse, as the word denotes.
The corporal was not a little proud of it, as well for its own sake, as the sake of the giver, so seldom or never put it on but upon Gala-days; and yet never was a Montero-cap put to so many uses; for in all controverted points, whether military or culinary, provided the corporal was sure he was in the right,вБ†вАФit was either his oath,вБ†вАФhis wager,вБ†вАФor his gift.
вЄЇвАЩTwas his gift in the present case.
IвАЩll be bound, said the corporal, speaking to himself, to give away my Montero-cap to the first beggar who comes to the door, if I do not manage this matter to his honourвАЩs satisfaction.
The completion was no further off than the very next morning; which was that of the storm of the counterscarp betwixt the Lower Deule, to the right, and the gate St.¬†Andrew,вБ†вАФand on the left, between St.¬†MagdalenвАЩs and the river.
As this was the most memorable attack in the whole war,вБ†вАФthe most gallant and obstinate on both sides,вБ†вАФand I must add the most bloody too, for it cost the allies themselves that morning above eleven hundred men,вБ†вАФmy uncle Toby prepared himself for it with a more than ordinary solemnity.
The eve which preceded, as my uncle Toby went to bed, he ordered his ramallie wig, which had laid inside out for many years in the corner of an old compaigning trunk, which stood by his bedside, to be taken out and laid upon the lid of it, ready for the morning;вБ†вАФand the very first thing he did in his shirt, when he had stepped out of bed, my uncle Toby, after he had turned the rough side outwards,вБ†вАФput it on:вБ†вЄЇвБ†This done, he proceeded next to his breeches, and having buttoned the waistband, he forthwith buckled on his sword-belt, and had got his sword halfway in,вБ†вАФwhen he considered he should want shaving, and that it would be very inconvenient doing it with his sword on,вБ†вАФso took it off:вБ†вЄЇвБ†In assaying to put on his regimental coat and waistcoat, my uncle Toby found the same objection in his wig,вБ†вАФso that went off too:вБ†вАФSo that what with one thing and what with another, as always falls out when a man is in the most haste,вБ†вАФвАЩtwas ten oвАЩclock, which was half an hour later than his usual time, before my uncle Toby sallied out.