L I F E AND OPINIONS O F TRISTRAM SHANDY, GENTLEMAN. Ταρασσει τις ̓Ανθρώπος & τὰ Πράγματα VOL. II. The SECOND EDITION. LONDON: Printed for R. and J. DO DSLEY in Pall-Mall. LIFE and OPINIONS O F TRISTRAM SHANDY, Gent. I СНАР. 1. Have begun a new book, on purpose that I might have room enough to explain the nature of the perplexities in which my uncle Toby was involved, from the many difcourfes and interrogations about the fiege of Namur, where he received his wound. I must remind the reader, in cafe he has read the hiftory of King William's wars, but if he has not,-I then inform him, that one of the most memorable attacks in that fiege, was that which was made by the English and Dutch upon the point of the advanced counterfcarp, before the gate of St. Nicolas, which inclofed the great fluice or water-ftop, where the English were terribly expofed to the fhot of the counter-guard and demibaftion of St. Roch: The iffue of which hot difpute, in three words, was this; That the Dutch lodged themselves upon the counter-guard, and that the English made themselves mafters of the covered way before St. Nicolas's gate, notwithstanding the gallantry of the French officers, who expofed themfelves upon the glacis fword in hand. As this was the principal attack of which my uncle Toby was an eye-witness at at Namur,the army of the besiegers being cut off, by the confluence of the Maes and Sambre, from feeing much of each other's operations,-my uncle Toby was generally more eloquent and particular in his account of it; and the many perplexities he was in, arofe out of the almost infurmountable difficulties he found in telling his story intelligibly. and giving fuch clear ideas of the differences and distinctions between the fcarp and counterfcarp,the glacis and covered way,the half-moon and ravelin,as to make his company fully comprehend where and what he was about. Writers themselves are too apt to confound thefe terms;fo that you will the less wonder, if in his endeavours to explain them, and in oppofition to ma |