Page:The life and opinions of Tristram Shandy (Volume 3).pdf/39

 it, replied Dr. Slop.—They are like sparrow shot, quoth my uncle Toby, (suspending his whistling) fired against a bastion.—They serve, continued my father, to stir the humours—but carry off none of their acrimony:—for my own part, I seldom swear or curse at all—I hold it bad—but if I fall into it, by surprize, I generally retain so much presence of mind (right, quoth my uncle Toby) as to make it answer my purpose—that is, I swear on, till I find myself easy. A wise and a just man however would always endeavour to proportion the vent given to these humours, not only to the degree of them stirring within himself—but to the size and ill intent of the offence upon which they are to fall.—"Injuries come only from the heart,"—quoth my uncle Toby. For this reason, continued my father, with the most Cer-