Quotes from book
The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

Name: The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman
Author: Laurence Sterne

The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, also known as just Tristram Shandy, is a novel by Laurence Sterne. It was published in nine volumes, the first two appearing in 1759, and seven others following over the next seven years . It purports to be a biography of the eponymous character. Its style is marked by digression, double entendre, and graphic devices.

“It had ever been the custom of the family, and by length of time was almost become a matter of common right, that the eldest son of it should have free ingress, egress, and regress into foreign parts before marriage, — not only for the sake of bettering his own private parts, by the benefit of exercise and change of so much air — but simply for the mere delectation of his fancy, by the feather put into his cap, of having been abroad.”

Laurence Sterne book The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

Book IV, Ch. 31.
The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (1760-1767)

“When issues of events like these my father is waiting for, are hanging in the scales of fate, the mind has the advantage of changing the principle of expectation three times, without which it would not have power to see it out.Curiosity governs the first moment; and the second moment is all economy to justify the expense of the first — and for the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth moments, and so on to the day of judgment — 'tis a point of HONOUR.I need not be told, that the ethic writers have assigned this all to Patience; but that VIRTUE, methinks, has extent of domination sufficient of her own, and enough to do in it, without invading the few dismantled castles which HONOUR has left him upon the earth.”

Laurence Sterne book The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

Book IX (1767), Ch. 10.
The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (1760-1767)

“Now or never was the time.”

Laurence Sterne book The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

Book IV, Ch. 31.
The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (1760-1767)

“Digressions, incontestably, are the sunshine; —& they are the life, the soul of reading; — take them out of this book for instance, — you might as well take the book along with them.”

Laurence Sterne book The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

Book I, Ch. 22.
The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (1760-1767)

“He was within a few hours of giving his enemies the slip forever.”

Laurence Sterne book The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

Book I, Ch. 12.
The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (1760-1767)

“So long as a man rides his hobbyhorse peaceably and quietly along the King's highway, and neither compels you or me to get up behind him — pray, Sir, what have either you or I to do with it?”

Laurence Sterne book The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

Book I, Ch. 7.
The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (1760-1767)

“Writing, when properly managed, (as you may be sure I think mine is) is but a different name for conversation.”

Laurence Sterne book The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

Book II, Ch. 11.
The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (1760-1767)

“Of all the cants which are canted in this canting world, — though the cant of hypocrites may be the worst, — the cant of criticism is the most tormenting!”

Laurence Sterne book The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

Book III, Ch. 12.
The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (1760-1767)

“As we jogg on, either laugh with me, or at me, or in short do any thing—only keep your temper.”

Laurence Sterne book The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

Book I, Ch. 6 http://books.google.com/books?id=COoNAAAAQAAJ&q=%22as+we+jogg+on+either+laugh+with+me+or+at+me+or+in+short+do+any+thing+only+keep+your+temper%22&pg=PA19#v=onepage. <br class="br">The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (1760-1767)

“A man should know something of his own country too, before he goes abroad.”

Laurence Sterne book The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

Book VII (1765), Ch. 2.
The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (1760-1767)

“For every ten jokes, thou hast got a hundred enemies.”

Laurence Sterne book The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

Book I, Ch. 12.
The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (1760-1767)

“The Accusing Spirit which flew up to heaven's chancery with the oath, blush'd as he gave it in; and the Recording Angel as he wrote it down, dropp'd a tear upon the word, and blotted it out forever.”

Laurence Sterne book The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

Book VI (1761-1762), Ch. 8. Compare: "But sad as angels for the good man’s sin, Weep to record, and blush to give it in", Thomas Campbell, Pleasures of Hope, part ii, line 357.
The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (1760-1767)

“I have got him fast hung up, quoth Didius to himself, upon one of the two horns of my dilemma — let him get off as he can.”

Laurence Sterne book The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

Book IV (1761-1762), Ch. 26.
The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (1760-1767)

“Great wits jump.”

Laurence Sterne book The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

Book III (1761-1762), Ch. 9. Compare: "Great wits jump", John Byrom, The Nimmers; Earl of Buckingham, The Chances, act. iv, scene 1; "Good wits jump", Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quixote, part II, ch. 38.
The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (1760-1767)

“I am sick as a horse.”

Laurence Sterne book The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

Book VII, Ch. 11.
The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (1760-1767)

“Our armies swore terribly in Flanders, cried my uncle Toby, — but nothing to this.”

Laurence Sterne book The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

For my own part, I could not have a heart to curse my dog so.
Book III, Ch. 11.
The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (1760-1767)

“Go poor Devil, get thee gone, why should I hurt thee?”

Laurence Sterne book The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

This world surely is wide enough to hold both thee and me.
Book II, Ch. 12 (Uncle Toby to the fly).
The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (1760-1767)