“Another is sordid, unmerciful,” (here _Trim_ waved his right hand) “a strait-hearted, selfish wretch, incapable either of private friendship or public spirit. Take notice how he passes by the widow and orphan in their distress, and sees all the miseries incident to human life without a sigh or a prayer.” [An’ please your honours, cried _Trim_, I think this a viler man than the other.] “Shall not conscience rise up and sting him on such occasions?——No; thank God there is no occasion, _I pay every man his own;—I have no fornication to answer to my conscience;—no faithless vows or promises to make up;—I have debauched no man’s wife or child; thank God, I am not as other men, adulterers, unjust, or even as this libertine, who stands before me._ “A third is crafty and designing in his nature. View his whole life;—’tis nothing but a cunning contexture “of dark arts and unequitable subterfuges, basely to defeat the true intent of all laws,——plain dealing and the safe enjoyment of our several properties.——You will see such a one working out a frame of little designs upon the ignorance and perplexities of the poor and needy man;—shall raise a fortune upon the inexperience of a youth, or the unsuspecting temper of his friend, who would have trusted him with his life. “When old age comes on, and repentance calls him to look back upon this black account, and state it over again with his conscience—CONSCIENCE looks into the STATUTES AT LARGE;—finds no express law broken by what he has done;—perceives no penalty or forfeiture of goods and chattels incurred;—sees no scourge waving over his head, or prison opening his gates upon him:—What is there to affright his conscience?—Conscience has got safely entrenched behind the Letter of the Law; sits “there invulnerable, fortified with Cases and Reports so strongly on all sides;—that it is not preaching can dispossess it of its hold.” [Here Corporal _Trim_ and my uncle _Toby_ exchanged looks with each other.—Aye, Aye, _Trim!_ quoth my uncle _Toby_, shaking his head,——these are but sorry fortifications, _Trim._———O! very poor work, answered _Trim_, to what your Honour and I make of it.——The character of this last man, said Dr. _Slop_, interrupting _Trim_, is more detestable than all the rest; and seems to have been taken from some pettifogging Lawyer amongst you:—Amongst us, a man’s conscience could not possibly continue so long _blinded_,——three times in a year, at least, he must go to confession. Will that restore it to sight? quoth my uncle _Toby_,——Go on, _Trim_, quoth my father, or _Obadiah_ will have got back before thou has got to the end of thy sermon.——’Tis a very short one, replied _Trim._—I wish it was longer, quoth my uncle _Toby_, for I like it hugely.—_Trim_ went on.]