----Five years with a bib under his chin;
Four years in travelling from Christ-cross-row to _Malachi_;
A year and a half in learning to write his own name;
Seven long years and more -ing it, at Greek and Latin;
Four years at his _probations_ and his _negations_--the fine statue still lying in the middle of the marble block, --and nothing done, but his tools sharpened to hew it out! --'Tis a piteous delay! --Was not the great _Julius Scaliger_ within an ace of never getting his tools sharpened at all? ------Forty-four years old was he before he could manage his Greek; --and _Peter Damianus_, lord bishop of _Ostia_, as all the world knows, could not so much as read, when he was of man's estate. --And _Baldus_ himself, as eminent as he turned out after, entered upon the law so late in life, that everybody imagined he intended to be an advocate in the other world: no wonder, when _Eudamidas_, the son of _Archidamas_, heard _Xenocrates_ at seventy-five disputing about _wisdom_, that he asked gravely, --_If the old man be yet disputing and enquiring concerning wisdom, --what time will he have to make use of it?_
_Yorick_ listened to my father with great attention; there was a seasoning of wisdom unaccountably mixed up with his strangest whims, and he had sometimes such illuminations in the darkest of his eclipses, as almost atoned for them: --be wary, Sir, when you imitate him.
I am convinced, _Yorick_, continued my father, half reading and half discoursing, that there is a North-west passage to the intellectual world; and that the soul of man has shorter ways of going to work, in furnishing itself with knowledge and instruction, than we generally take with it. ----But, alack! all fields have not a river or a spring running besides them; --every child, _Yorick_, has not a parent to point it out.
----The whole entirely depends, added my father, in a low voice, upon the _auxiliary verbs_, Mr. _Yorick_.
Had _Yorick_ trod upon _Virgil's_ snake, he could not have looked more surprised. --I am surprised too, cried my father, observing it, --and I reckon it as one of the greatest calamities which ever befel the republic of letters, That those who have been entrusted with the education of our children, and whose business it was to open their minds, and stock them early with ideas, in order to set the imagination loose upon them, have made so little use of the auxiliary verbs in doing it, as they have done ----So that, except _Raymond Lullius_, and the elder _Pelegrini_, the last of which arrived to such perfection in the use of 'em, with his topics, that, in a few lessons, he could teach a young gentleman to discourse with plausibility upon any subject, _pro_ and _con_, and to say and write all that could be spoken or written concerning it, without blotting a word, to the admiration of all who beheld him. --I should be glad, said _Yorick_, interrupting my father, to be made to comprehend this matter. You shall, said my father.
The highest stretch of improvement a single word is capable of, is a high metaphor, ----for which, in my opinion, the idea is generally the worse, and not the better; ----but be that as it may, --when the mind has done that with it--there is an end, --the mind and the idea are at rest, --until a second idea enters; ----and so on.
Now the use of the _Auxiliaries_ is, at once to set the soul a-going by herself upon the materials as they are brought her; and by the versability of this great engine, round which they are twisted, to open new tracts of enquiry, and make every idea engender millions.
You excite my curiosity greatly, said _Yorick_.
For my own part, quoth my uncle _Toby_, I have given it up. ----The _Danes_, an' please your honour, quoth the corporal, who were on the left at the siege of _Limerick_, were all auxiliaries. ----And very good ones, said my uncle _Toby_. --But the auxiliaries, _Trim_, my brother is talking about, --I conceive to be different things.----
----You do? said my father, rising up.
'- Five years with a bib under his chin;
'Four years in learning the alphabet;
'A year and a half in learning to write his own name;
'Seven long years working at Greek and Latin;
'Four years at his probations and negations - with the fine statue still lying in the middle of the marble block, and nothing done, except his tools sharpened to hew it out! 'Tis a piteous delay! Was not the great Julius Scaliger within an ace of never getting his tools sharpened at all? Forty-four years old was he before he could manage Greek; and Peter Damianus, bishop of Ostia, as all the world knows, could not read even when he was full-grown. Baldus entered the law so late in life, that everybody imagined he intended to be an advocate in the other world.
'No wonder that, when Eudamidas heard Xenocrates at seventy-five discussing wisdom, he asked gravely, "If the old man is still disputing wisdom, what time will he have to make use of it?"'
Yorick listened to my father with great attention; there was a seasoning of wisdom mixed up with his strangest whims, and he had sometimes such illuminations in the darkest of his eclipses, as almost atoned for them.
'I am convinced, Yorick,' continued my father, 'that there is a North-west passage to the intellectual world; and that the soul of man has shorter ways of acquiring knowledge, than we generally take. But, alack! Not every child, Yorick, has a parent to point it out.
'It entirely depends,' added my father in a low voice, 'upon the auxiliary verbs.'
Yorick could not have looked more surprised.
'I am surprised too,' cried my father, observing it. 'I think it one of the greatest calamities, that those who have been entrusted with our children's education, and whose business it was to open their minds, and stock them early with ideas, have made so little use of the auxiliary verbs. - So that, except Raymond Lullius, and the elder Pelegrini, who used them so perfectly that, in a few lessons, he could teach a young gentleman to discuss any subject, pro and con, to the admiration of all-'
'I should be glad,' said Yorick, interrupting, 'to understand this matter.'
'You shall,' said my father. 'The greatest improvement a single word is capable of, is a high metaphor, - for which, in my opinion, the idea is generally the worse - but be that as it may - when the mind has done that, there is an end; the mind is at rest, until a second idea enters; and so on.
'Now the use of the Auxiliaries is to set the soul a-going by herself upon the word; and by twisting them round this great engine, to open new areas of enquiry, and make every idea engender millions.'
'You excite my curiosity greatly,' said Yorick.
'For my own part,' quoth my uncle Toby, 'I have given up.'
'The Danes who were on the left at the siege of Limerick,' quoth corporal Trim, 'were all auxiliaries.'
'And very good ones,' said my uncle Toby. 'But the auxiliaries my brother is talking about, I imagine to be different things.'
'You do?' said my father, rising up.
Book 5 - Chapter 42