IX + 

Great wits jump: for the moment Dr.¬†Slop cast his eyes upon his bag (which he had not done till the dispute with my uncle Toby about midwifery put him in mind of it)вБ†вАФthe very same thought occurred.вБ†вАФвАЩTis GodвАЩs mercy, quoth he (to himself) that Mrs.¬†Shandy has had so bad a time of it,вБ†вЄЇвБ†else she might have been brought to bed seven times told, before one half of these knots could have got untied.вБ†вЄЇвБ†But here you must distinguishвБ†вАФthe thought floated only in Dr.¬†SlopвАЩs mind, without sail or ballast to it, as a simple proposition; millions of which, as your worship knows, are every day swimming quietly in the middle of the thin juice of a manвАЩs understanding, without being carried backwards or forwards, till some little gusts of passion or interest drive them to one side. + 

A sudden trampling in the room above, near my motherвАЩs bed, did the proposition the very service I am speaking of. By all thatвАЩs unfortunate, quoth Dr.¬†Slop, unless I make haste, the thing will actually befall me as it is. + 