----And 'twould be cruel in me, brother _Toby_, to compel thee; said my father--but 'tis a case put to show thee, that it is not thy begetting a child--in case thou should'st be able--but the system of Love and Marriage thou goest upon, which I would set thee right in----
There is at least, said _Yorick_, a great deal of reason and plain sense in captain _Shandy's_ opinion of love; and 'tis amongst the ill-spent hours of my life, which I have to answer for, that I have read so many flourishing poets and rhetoricians in my time, from whom I never could extract so much----
I wish, _Yorick_, said my father, you had read _Plato_; for there you would have learnt that there are two LOVES --I know there were two RELIGIONS, replied _Yorick_, amongst the ancients----one--for the vulgar, and another for the learned; --but I think ONE LOVE might have served both of them very well--
It could not; replied my father--and for the same reasons: for of these Loves, according to _Ficinus's_ comment upon _Velasius_, the one is rational----
----the other is _natural_----
the first ancient----without mother----where _Venus_ had nothing to do: the second, begotten of _Jupiter_ and _Dione_--
----Pray, brother, quoth my uncle _Toby_, what has a man who believes in God to do with this? My father could not stop to answer, for fear of breaking the thread of his discourse----
This latter, continued he, partakes wholly of the nature of _Venus_.
The first, which is the golden chain let down from heaven, excites to love heroic, which comprehends in it, and excites to the desire of philosophy and truth----the second, excites to _desire_, simply----

'And 'twould be cruel in me, brother, to compel thee;' said my father; 'but 'tis a case put to show thee, that it is not thy begetting a child, but the system of Love and Marriage, which I would set thee right in.'
'There is a great deal of plain sense in captain Shandy's opinion of love,' said Yorick. 'Amongst the ill-spent hours of my life, I have read many flourishing poets, from whom I never could extract so much-'
'I wish, Yorick,' said my father, 'you had read Plato; for there you would have learnt that there are two Loves.'
'I know there were two Religions among the ancients,' replied Yorick, 'one for the vulgar, and another for the learned; but I think one Love might have served both of them very well.'
'It could not,' replied my father, 'because according to Ficinus, one of these loves is rational - the other is natural. The first is ancient - without mother: the second, begotten of Jupiter and Dione.'
'Pray, brother,' quoth my uncle Toby, 'what has a man who believes in God to do with this?'
My father could not stop to answer, for fear of breaking his thread.
'The latter,' continued he, 'is wholly of the nature of Venus. The first excites to heroic love, and the desire of philosophy and truth - the second excites to desire, simply-'
