At the end of the last chapter, my father and my uncle _Toby_ were left both standing, like _Brutus_ and _Cassius_, at the close of the scene, making up their accounts.
As my father spoke the three last words, ----he sat down; --my uncle _Toby_ exactly followed his example, only, that before he took his chair, he rung the bell, to order Corporal _Trim_, who was in waiting, to step home for _Stevinus_: --my uncle _Toby's_ house being no farther off than the opposite side of the way.
Some men would have dropped the subject of _Stevinus_; ----but my uncle _Toby_ had no resentment in his heart, and he went on with the subject, to shew my father that he had none.
Your sudden appearance, Dr. _Slop_, quoth my uncle, resuming the discourse, instantly brought _Stevinus_ into my head. (My father, you may be sure, did not offer to lay any more wagers upon _Stevinus's_ head.) ----Because, continued my uncle _Toby_, the celebrated sailing chariot, which belonged to Prince _Maurice_, and was of such wonderful contrivance and velocity, as to carry half a dozen people thirty _German_ miles, in I don't know how few minutes, ----was invented by _Stevinus_, that great mathematician and engineer.
You might have spared your servant the trouble, quoth Dr. _Slop_ (as the fellow is lame) of going for _Stevinus's_ account of it, because in my return from _Leyden_ thro' the _Hague_, I walked as far as _Schevling_, which is two long miles, on purpose to take a view of it.
That's nothing, replied my uncle _Toby_, to what the learned _Peireskius_ did, who walked a matter of five hundred miles, reckoning from _Paris_ to _Schevling_, and from _Schevling_ to _Paris_ back again, in order to see it, --and nothing else.
Some men cannot bear to be out-gone.

As my father spoke the last three words, he sat down. My uncle Toby rung the bell, to order Corporal Trim to step home for Stevinus: - my uncle's house being not far away.
Some men would have dropped the subject of Stevinus; but my uncle Toby went on with the subject, to show my father that he bore him no resentment.
'Your sudden appearance, Dr. Slop,' quoth he, 'instantly brought Stevinus into my head, because the celebrated sailing chariot belonging to Prince Maurice, which carried half a dozen people thirty miles in I don't know how few minutes, was invented by Stevinus, that great mathematician and engineer.'
'You might have spared your servant the trouble of going for Stevinus's account of it,' quoth Dr. Slop, 'because in my return from Leyden through the Hague, I walked as far as Schevling, which is two long miles, to view it.'
'That's nothing,' replied my uncle Toby. 'The learned Peireskius walked five hundred miles, from Paris to Schevling and back again, simply in order to see it.'
Some men cannot bear to be out-done.
