With two or three other trinkets, small in themselves, but of great regard, which poor _Tom_, the corporal's unfortunate brother, had sent him over, with the account of his marriage with the _Jew's_ widow----there was
A _Montero_-cap and two _Turkish_ tobacco-pipes.
The _Montero_-cap I shall describe by and bye. ----The _Turkish_ tobacco-pipes had nothing particular in them, they were fitted up and ornamented as usual, with flexible tubes of _Morocco_ leather and gold wire, and mounted at their ends, the one of them with ivory, --the other with black ebony, tipp'd with silver.
My father, who saw all things in lights different from the rest of the world, would say to the corporal, that he ought to look upon these two presents more as tokens of his brother's nicety, than his affection. ----_Tom_ did not care, _Trim_, he would say, to put on the cap, or to smoke in the tobacco-pipe of a _Jew_. ----God bless your honour, the corporal would say, (giving a strong reason to the contrary)--how can that be?
The Montero-cap was scarlet, of a superfine _Spanish_ cloth, dyed in grain, and mounted all round with fur, except about four inches in the front, which was faced with a light blue, slightly embroidered, --and seemed to have been the property of a _Portuguese_ quartermaster, not of foot, but of horse, as the word denotes.
The corporal was not a little proud of it, as well for its own sake, as the sake of the giver, so seldom or never put it on but upon GALA-days; and yet never was a Montero-cap put to so many uses; for in all controverted points, whether military or culinary, provided the corporal was sure he was in the right, --it was either his _oath_, --his _wager_, --or his _gift_.
----'Twas his gift in the present case.
I'll be bound, said the corporal, speaking to himself, to _give_ away my Montero-cap to the first beggar who comes to the door, if I do not manage this matter to his honour's satisfaction.
The completion was no further off than the very next morning; which was that of the storm of the counterscarp betwixt the _Lower Deule_, to the right, and the gate _St. Andrew_, --and on the left, between St. _Magdalen's_ and the river.
As this was the most memorable attack in the whole war, --the most gallant and obstinate on both sides, --and I must add the most bloody too, for it cost the allies themselves that morning above eleven hundred men, --my uncle _Toby_ prepared himself for it with a more than ordinary solemnity.
The eve which preceded, as my uncle _Toby_ went to bed, he ordered his ramallie wig, which had laid inside out for many years in the corner of an old compaigning trunk, which stood by his bedside, to be taken out and laid upon the lid of it, ready for the morning; --and the very first thing he did in his shirt, when he had stepped out of bed, my uncle _Toby_, after he had turned the rough side outwards, --put it on: ----This done, he proceeded next to his breeches, and having buttoned the waistband, he forthwith buckled on his sword-belt, and had got his sword half way in, --when he considered he should want shaving, and that it would be very inconvenient doing it with his sword on, --so took it off: ----In assaying to put on his regimental coat and waistcoat, my uncle _Toby_ found the same objection in his wig, --so that went off too: --So that what with one thing and what with another, as always falls out when a man is in the most haste, --'twas ten o'clock, which was half an hour later than his usual time, before my uncle _Toby_ sallied out.
Poor Tom, the corporal's unfortunate brother who married the Jew's widow, had sent him over some trinkets, amongst which there was
A Montero-cap and two Turkish tobacco-pipes.
The Turkish tobacco-pipes were ornamented with flexible tubes of Morocco leather and gold wire, and mounted at their ends, one with ivory, the other with black ebony, tipped with silver.
The Montero-cap was scarlet, of a superfine Spanish cloth, mounted all round with fur, except about four inches in the front, which was faced with a light blue embroidered cloth. It seemed to have been the property of a Portuguese quartermaster.
The corporal was proud of it, for its own sake as well as for the sake of the giver, so he seldom wore it; and yet never was a Montero-cap put to so many uses; for in all disputed points, provided the corporal was sure he was in the right, it was either his oath, his wager, or his gift.
- 'Twas his gift in the present case.
'I'll be bound,' said the corporal to himself, 'to give away my Montero-cap to the first beggar who comes to the door, if I do not manage this matter to his honour's satisfaction.'
He completed it the very next morning; which was that of the storm of the counterscarp betwixt the Lower Deule and St Andrew's Gate; and on the left, between St. Magdalen's and the river.
As this was the most memorable, gallant and bloody attack in the whole war, my uncle Toby prepared himself for it with more than ordinary solemnity.
The evening before, as my uncle Toby went to bed, he ordered his ramallie wig, which had laid inside out for many years in the corner of an old campaigning trunk, to be taken out, ready for the morning; - and the first thing he did, when he had stepped out of bed, was to put it on.
He proceeded next to his breeches, and buckled on his sword-belt. He had got his sword half way in, when he considered he should want shaving, and that it would be very inconvenient doing it with his sword on, so took it off. He then found the same objection in his wig - so that went off too. So that what with one thing and another, 'twas ten o'clock, half an hour later than his usual time, before my uncle Toby sallied out.
Book 6 - Chapter 24