--'Tis God's mercy, quoth he (to himself) that Mrs. _Shandy_ has had so bad a time of it, ----else she might have been brought to bed seven times told, before one half of these knots could have got untied. 
''Tis God's mercy,' quoth he (to himself) 'that Mrs. Shandy has had so bad a time of it, - or else she might have given birth seven times, before these knots could be untied.'
