----My father, as I told you, was a philosopher in grain, --speculative, --systematical; --and my aunt _Dinah's_ affair was a matter of as much consequence to him, as the retrogradation of the planets to _Copernicus_: --The backslidings of _Venus_ in her orbit fortified the _Copernican_ system, called so after his name; and the backslidings of my aunt _Dinah_ in her orbit, did the same service in establishing my father's system, which, I trust, will for ever hereafter be called the _Shandean System_, after this.
In any other family dishonour, my father, I believe, had as nice a sense of shame as any man whatever; ----and neither he, nor, I dare say, _Copernicus_, would have divulged the affair in either case, or have taken the least notice of it to the world, but for the obligations they owed, as they thought, to truth. --_Amicus Plato_, my father would say, construing the words to my uncle _Toby_, as he went along, _Amicus Plato_; that is, DINAH was my aunt; --_sed magis amica veritas_----but TRUTH is my sister.
This contrariety of humours betwixt my father and my uncle, was the source of many a fraternal squabble. The one could not bear to hear the tale of family disgrace recorded, ----and the other would scarce ever let a day pass to an end without some hint at it.

My father, as I told you, was a philosopher; and my aunt Dinah's affair was a matter of as much consequence to him, as the movements of the planets in their systems. Just as Venus's orbit fortified the Copernican system, so the backslidings of my aunt Dinah in her orbit, did the same service in establishing my father's system of names, which, I trust, will for ever hereafter be called the Shandean System.
In any other family dishonour, my father would not have revealed the affair to the world; but he felt he owed an obligation to truth. My father would say to my uncle Toby, 'Dinah was my aunt; - but Truth is my sister.'
These contrasting tempers of my father and my uncle were the source of many a fraternal squabble. The one could not bear to hear the tale of family disgrace, and the other would scarce let a day pass without some hint at it.
