Explore "The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman" by Laurence Sterne on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
I would not give a groat for that man's knowledge in pencraft, who does not understand this, -- -- -That the best plain narrative in the world, tacked very close to the last spirited apostrophe to my uncle Toby -- -- -would have felt both cold and vapid upon the reader's palate; -- therefore I forthwith put an end to the chapter, though I was in the middle of my story.
-- -- -Writers of my stamp have one principle in common with painters. Where an exact copying makes our pictures less striking, we choose the less evil; deeming it even more pardonable to trespass against truth, than beauty. This is to be understood cum grano salis; but be it as it will, -- as the parallel is made more for the sake of letting the apostrophe cool, than anything else, -- 'tis not very material whether upon any other score the reader approves of it or not.