The Works of Laurence Sterne: M.A. in Seven Volumes ...

Front Cover
Thomas Armitage Dublin, 1776

From inside the book

Other editions - View all

Common terms and phrases

Popular passages

Page 214 - I would go fifty miles on foot, for I have not a horse worth riding on, to kiss the hand of that man whose generous heart will give up the reins of his imagination into his author's hands — be pleased he knows not why, and cares not wherefore.
Page 30 - Yorick had an invincible dislike and opposition in his nature to gravity;— not to gravity as such;— for where gravity was wanted, he would be the most grave or serious of mortal men for days and weeks together;— but he was an enemy to the affectation of it, and declared open war against it, only as it appeared a cloak for ignorance, or for folly: and then, whenever it fell in his way, however sheltered and protected, he seldom gave it much quarter.
Page 84 - Digressions, incontestably, are the sunshine;— they are the life, the soul of reading;— take them out of this book for instance,— you might as well take the book along with them;— one cold eternal winter would reign in every page of it; restore them to the writer;— he steps forth like a bridegroom;— bids All hail; brings in variety, and forbids the appetite to fail.
Page 62 - College in *»**, — it was a matter of just wonder with my worthy tutor, and two or three fellows of that learned society, — that a man who knew not so much as the names of his tools, should be able to work after that fashion •with them.
Page 4 - Pray, my Dear,' quoth my mother, 'have you not forgot to wind up the clock?' 'Good G — !' cried my father, making an exclamation, but taking care to moderate his voice at the same time, ' Did ever woman, since the creation of the world, interrupt a man with such a silly question ? ' Pray, what was your father saying ? Nothing.
Page 213 - And what of this new book the whole world makes such a rout about ? Oh ! 'tis out of all plumb, my Lord ; quite an irregular thing ! not one of the angles at the four corners was a right angle, I had my rule and compasses, &c., my Lord, in my pocket.
Page 207 - May the holy and eternal Virgin Mary, mother of God, curse him. May St. Michael, the advocate of holy souls, curse him. May all the angels and archangels, principalities and powers, and all the heavenly armies, curse him.
Page 31 - Gravity was an arrant scoundrel, and he would add, — of the most dangerous kind too, — because a sly one ; and that he verily believed, more honest, well-meaning people were bubbled out of their goods and money by it in one twelvemonth, than by pocket-picking and shop-lifting in seven.
Page 254 - The palm of his right hand, as he fell upon the bed, receiving his forehead, and covering the greatest part of both his eyes, gently sunk down with his head (his elbow giving way backwards) till his nose...
Page 67 - Tis to rebuke a vicious taste, which has crept into thousands besides herself, — of reading straight forwards, more in quest of the adventures, than of the deep erudition and knowledge which a book of this cast, if read over as it should be, would infallibly impart with them...

Bibliographic information