Explore "The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman" by Laurence Sterne on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
It is about an hour and a half's tolerable good reading since my uncle Toby rung the bell, when Obadiah was ordered to saddle a horse, and go for Dr. Slop, the man-midwife; -- so that no one can say, with reason, that I have not allowed Obadiah time enough, poetically speaking, and considering the emergency too, both to go and come; -- -- -though, morally and truly speaking, the man perhaps has scarce had time to get on his boots.
If the hypercritick will go upon this; and is resolved after all to take a pendulum, and measure the true distance betwixt the ringing of the bell, and the rap at the door; -- and, after finding it to be no more than two minutes, thirteen seconds, and three fifths, -- should take upon him to insult over me for such a breach in the unity, or rather probability of time; -- I would remind him, that the idea of duration, and of its simple modes, is got merely from the train and succession of our ideas, -- -- -and is the true scholastic pendulum, -- -- -and by which, as a scholar, I will be tried in this matter, -- abjuring and detesting the jurisdiction of all other pendulums whatever.