Explore "The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman" by Laurence Sterne on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
"What prodigious armies you had in Flanders! " -- -- -Brother Toby, quoth my father, I do believe thee to be as honest a man, and with as good and as upright a heart as ever God created; -- nor is it thy fault, if all the children which have been, may, can, shall, will, or ought to be begotten, come with their heads foremost into the world: -- -- -but believe me, dear Toby, the accidents which unavoidably waylay them, not only in the article of our begetting 'em -- -- -though these, in my opinion, are well worth considering, -- -- -but the dangers and difficulties our children are beset with, after they are got forth into the world, are enow -- little need is there to expose them to unnecessary ones in their passage to it.
-- -- -Are these dangers, quoth my uncle Toby, laying his hand upon my father's knee, and looking up seriously in his face for an answer, -- -- -are these dangers greater now o' days, brother, than in times past? Brother Toby, answered my father, if a child was but fairly begot, and born alive, and healthy, and the mother did well after it, -- our forefathers never looked farther.