XL
I am now beginning to get fairly into my work; and by the help of a vegetable diet, with a few of the cold seeds, I make no doubt but I shall be able to go on with my uncle TobyвАЩs story, and my own, in a tolerable strait line. Now,
These were the four lines I moved in through my first, second, third, and fourth volumes.вБ†вАФIn the fifth volume I have been very good,вБ†вЄЇвБ†the precise line I have described in it being this:
By which it appears, that except at the curve, marked A, where I took a trip to Navarre,вБ†вАФand the indented curve B, which is the short airing when I was there with the Lady Baussiere and her page,вБ†вАФI have not taken the least frisk of a digression, till John de la CasseвАЩs devils led me the round you see marked D.вБ†вАФfor as for c c c c c they are nothing but parentheses, and the common ins and outs incident to the lives of the greatest ministers of state; and when compared with what men have done,вБ†вАФor with my own transgressions at the letters A B DвБ†вАФthey vanish into nothing.
In this last volume I have done better stillвБ†вАФfor from the end of Le FeverвАЩs episode, to the beginning of my uncle TobyвАЩs campaigns,вБ†вАФI have scarce stepped a yard out of my way.
If I mend at this rate, it is not impossibleвБ†вЄЇвБ†by the good leave of his grace of BeneventoвАЩs devilsвБ†вЄЇвБ†but I may arrive hereafter at the excellency of going on even thus:
which is a line drawn as straight as I could draw it, by a writing-masterвАЩs ruler (borrowed for that purpose), turning neither to the right hand or to the left.
This right line,вБ†вАФthe pathway for Christians to walk in! say divinesвБ†вЄЇвБ†
вЄЇвБ†The emblem of moral rectitude! says CiceroвБ†вЄЇвБ†
вЄЇвБ†The best line! say cabbage plantersвБ†вЄЇвБ†is the shortest line, says Archimedes, which can be drawn from one given point to another.вБ†вЄЇвБ†
I wish your ladyships would lay this matter to heart, in your next birthday suits!
вЄЇвБ†What a journey!
Pray can you tell me,вБ†вАФthat is, without anger, before I write my chapter upon straight linesвБ†вЄЇвБ†by what mistakeвБ†вЄЇвБ†who told them soвБ†вЄЇвБ†or how it has come to pass, that your men of wit and genius have all along confounded this line, with the line of gravitation?