A sudden trampling in the room above, near my mother’s bed, did the proposition the very service I am speaking of. By all that’s unfortunate, quoth Dr. _Slop_, unless I make haste, the thing will actually befall me as it is. CHAPTER X In the case of _knots_, --by which, in the first place, I would not be understood to mean slip-knots--because in the course of my life and opinions--my opinions concerning them will come in more properly when I mention the catastrophe of my great uncle Mr. _Hammond Shandy_, --a little man, --but of high fancy: --he rushed into the duke of _Monmouth’s_ affair: ----nor, secondly, in this place, do I mean that particular species of knots called bow-knots; --there is so little address, or skill, or patience required in the unloosing them, that they are below my giving any opinion at all about them. --But by the knots I am speaking of, may it please your reverences to believe, that I mean good, honest, devilish tight, hard knots, made _bona fide_, as _Obadiah_ made his; ----in which there is no quibbling provision made by the duplication and return of the two ends of the strings thro’ the annulus or noose made by the second _implication_ of them--to get them slipp’d and undone by. --I hope you apprehend me. In the case of these _knots_ then, and of the several obstructions, which, may it please your reverences, such knots cast in our way in getting through life----every hasty man can whip out his penknife and cut through them. ----’Tis wrong. Believe me, Sirs, the most virtuous way, and which both reason and conscience dictate----is to take our teeth or our fingers to them. ----Dr. _Slop_ had lost his teeth--his favourite instrument, by extracting in a wrong direction, or by some misapplication of it, unfortunately slipping, he had formerly, in a hard labour, knock’d out three of the best of them with the handle of it: ------he tried his fingers--alas; the nails of his fingers and thumbs were cut close. ----The duce take it! I can make nothing of it either way, cried Dr. _Slop_. ----The trampling overhead near my mother’s bedside increased. --Pox take the fellow! I shall never get the knots untied as long as I live. ----My mother gave a groan. ----Lend me your penknife ----I must e’en cut the knots at last----pugh! ----psha! --Lord! I have cut my thumb quite across to the very bone----curse the fellow--if there was not another man-midwife within fifty miles ----I am undone for this bout --I wish the scoundrel hang’d --I wish he was shot ----I wish all the devils in hell had him for a blockhead!------ My father had a great respect for _Obadiah_, and could not bear to hear him disposed of in such a manner--he had moreover some little respect for himself--and could as ill bear with the indignity offered to himself in it. Had Dr. _Slop_ cut any part about him, but his thumb----my father had pass’d it by--his prudence had triumphed: as it was, he was determined to have his revenge.