It is curious to observe the triumph of slight incidents over the mind: ----What incredible weight they have in forming and governing our opinions, both of men and things----that trifles, light as air, shall waft a belief into the soul, and plant it so immoveably within it----that _Euclid's_ demonstrations, could they be brought to batter it in breach, should not all have power to overthrow it.
_Yorick_, I said, picked up the chesnut which _Phutatorius's_ wrath had flung down----the action was trifling ----I am ashamed to account for it--he did it, for no reason, but that he thought the chesnut not a jot worse for the adventure--and that he held a good chesnut worth stooping for. ------But this incident, trifling as it was, wrought differently in _Phutatorius's_ head: He considered this act of _Yorick's_ in getting off his chair and picking up the chesnut, as a plain acknowledgment in him, that the chesnut was originally his--and in course, that it must have been the owner of the chesnut, and no one else, who could have played him such a prank with it: What greatly confirmed him in this opinion, was this, that the table being parallelogramical and very narrow, it afforded a fair opportunity for _Yorick_, who sat directly over against _Phutatorius_, of slipping the chesnut in----and consequently that he did it. The look of something more than suspicion, which _Phutatorius_ cast full upon _Yorick_ as these thoughts arose, too evidently spoke his opinion----and as _Phutatorius_ was naturally supposed to know more of the matter than any person besides, his opinion at once became the general one; ----and for a reason very different from any which have been yet given----in a little time it was put out of all manner of dispute.
When great or unexpected events fall out upon the stage of this sublunary world----the mind of man, which is an inquisitive kind of substance, naturally takes a flight behind the scenes to see what is the cause and first spring of them. --The search was not long in this instance.
It was well known that _Yorick_ had never a good opinion of the treatise which _Phutatorius_ had wrote _de Concubinis retinendis_, as a thing which he feared had done hurt in the world----and 'twas easily found out, that there was a mystical meaning in _Yorick's_ prank--and that his chucking the chesnut hot into _Phutatorius's_ ***----*****, was a sarcastical fling at his book--the doctrines of which, they said, had enflamed many an honest man in the same place.
This conceit awaken'd _Somnolentus_----made _Agelastes_ smile----and if you can recollect the precise look and air of a man's face intent in finding out a riddle------it threw _Gastripheres's_ into that form--and in short was thought by many to be a master-stroke of arch-wit.

It is curious to observe the triumph of slight incidents over the mind: - what incredible weight they have in forming our opinions, - so that trifles, light as air, waft a belief into the soul, and plant it immoveably within.
Yorick, as I said, picked up the chestnut - the action was trifling - he did it, for no reason, but that a good chestnut was worth stooping for.
But this incident, trifling as it was, worked differently in Phutatorius's head. He considered Yorick's act as a plain acknowledgment that the chestnut was originally his - and that it must have been Yorick who had played him a prank. The table being very narrow, it gave Yorick, who sat opposite him, the opportunity of slipping the chestnut in - and consequently Phutatorius assumed he did it.
The look of suspicion which Phutatorius gave Yorick spoke his opinion - and as Phutatorius was naturally supposed to know more of the matter than any other person, his opinion at once became the general one.
And naturally, men looked for the cause of this. - The search was not long.
It was well known that Yorick had never a good opinion of Phutatorius's treatise, de Concubinis retinendis - and 'twas decided that there was a mystical meaning in Yorick's prank, and that his chucking the hot chestnut into Phutatorius's breeches was a sarcastical fling at his book - the doctrines of which had enflamed many an honest man in the same place.
This idea was thought by many to be a master-stroke of arch-wit.
