II
Though the corporal had been as good as his word in putting my uncle TobyвАЩs great ramallie-wig into pipes, yet the time was too short to produce any great effects from it: it had lain many years squeezed up in the corner of his old campaign trunk; and as bad forms are not so easy to be got the better of, and the use of candle-ends not so well understood, it was not so pliable a business as one would have wished. The corporal with cheery eye and both arms extended, had fallen back perpendicular from it a score times, to inspire it, if possible, with a better airвБ†вЄЇвБ†had spleen given a look at it, вАЩtwould have cost her ladyship a smileвБ†вЄЇвБ†it curlвАЩd everywhere but where the corporal would have it; and where a buckle or two, in his opinion, would have done it honour, he could as soon have raised the dead.
Such it wasвБ†вЄЇвБ†or rather such would it have seemвАЩd upon any other brow; but the sweet look of goodness which sat upon my uncle TobyвАЩs, assimilated everything around it so sovereignly to itself, and Nature had moreover wrote Gentleman with so fair a hand in every line of his countenance, that even his tarnishвАЩd gold-laced hat and huge cockade of flimsy taffeta became him; and though not worth a button in themselves, yet the moment my uncle Toby put them on, they became serious objects, and altogether seemвАЩd to have been picked up by the hand of Science to set him off to advantage.
Nothing in this world could have cooperated more powerfully towards this, than my uncle TobyвАЩs blue and goldвБ†вЄЇвБ†had not Quantity in some measure been necessary to Grace: in a period of fifteen or sixteen years since they had been made, by a total inactivity in my uncle TobyвАЩs life, for he seldom went further than the bowling-greenвБ†вАФhis blue and gold had become so miserably too strait for him, that it was with the utmost difficulty the corporal was able to get him into them; the taking them up at the sleeves, was of no advantage.вБ†вЄЇвБ†They were laced however down the back, and at the seams of the sides, etc., in the mode of King WilliamвАЩs reign; and to shorten all description, they shone so bright against the sun that morning, and had so metallick and doughty an air with them, that had my uncle Toby thought of attacking in armour, nothing could have so well imposed upon his imagination.
As for the thin scarlet breeches, they had been unrippвАЩd by the tailor between the legs, and left at sixes and sevensвБ†вЄЇвБ†
вЄЇвБ†Yes, Madam,вБ†вЄЇвБ†but let us govern our fancies. It is enough they were held impracticable the night before, and as there was no alternative in my uncle TobyвАЩs wardrobe, he sallied forth in the red plush.
The corporal had arrayвАЩd himself in poor Le FeverвАЩs regimental coat; and with his hair tuckвАЩd up under his Montero-cap, which he had furbishвАЩd up for the occasion, marchвАЩd three paces distant from his master: a whiff of military pride had puffвАЩd out his shirt at the wrist; and upon that in a black leather thong clippвАЩd into a tassel beyond the knot, hung the corporalвАЩs stickвБ†вЄЇвБ†My uncle Toby carried his cane like a pike.
вЄЇвБ†It looks well at least; quoth my father to himself.