For three generations at least this _tenet_ in favour of long noses had gradually been taking root in our family. ------TRADITION was all along on its side, and INTEREST was every half-year stepping in to strengthen it; so that the whimsicality of my father's brain was far from having the whole honour of this, as it had of almost all his other strange notions. --For in a great measure he might be said to have suck'd this in with his mother's milk. He did his part however. ----If education planted the mistake (in case it was one) my father watered it, and ripened it to perfection.
He would often declare, in speaking his thoughts upon the subject, that he did not conceive how the greatest family in _England_ could stand it out against an uninterrupted succession of six or seven short noses. --And for the contrary reason, he would generally add, That it must be one of the greatest problems in civil life, where the same number of long and jolly noses, following one another in a direct line, did not raise and hoist it up into the best vacancies in the kingdom. ------He would often boast that the _Shandy_ family rank'd very high in King _Harry_ the VIIIth's time, but owed its rise to no state engine--he would say--but to that only; ----but that, like other families, he would add----it had felt the turn of the wheel, and had never recovered the blow of my great-grandfather's nose. ----It was an ace of clubs indeed, he would cry, shaking his head--and as vile a one for an unfortunate family as ever turn'd up trumps.

For three generations at least this opinion in favour of long noses had gradually been taking root in our family; so my father's whimsical brain was far from having devised this, as it had almost all his other strange notions. He might be said to have sucked this in with his mother's milk. However, if education planted the mistake, my father watered it, and ripened it to perfection.
He would often declare that he did not see how the greatest family in England could stand it out against an uninterrupted succession of six or seven short noses. And conversely, he would add, it must be a great problem when the same number of long and jolly noses, following one another in a line, did not raise the family up into the best vacancies in the kingdom.
He would often boast that the Shandy family ranked very high in King Harry the VIIIth's time, owing to its noses; - but that it had never recovered from the blow of my great-grandfather's nose. 'It was an ace of clubs indeed,' he would cry, shaking his head, 'and as vile a one for an unfortunate family as ever turned up trumps.'
