But, in plain truth, he was a man unhackneyed and unpractised in the world,
and was altogether as indiscreet and foolish on every other subject of
discourse where policy is wont to impress restraint. Yorick had no
impression but one, and that was what arose from the nature of the deed
spoken of; which impression he would usually translate into plain English
without any periphrasis;--and too oft without much distinction of either
person, time, or place;--so that when mention was made of a pitiful or an
ungenerous proceeding--he never gave himself a moment's time to reflect who
was the hero of the piece,--what his station,--or how far he had power to
hurt him hereafter;--but if it was a dirty action,--without more ado,--The
man was a dirty fellow,--and so on.--And as his comments had usually the
ill fate to be terminated either in a bon mot, or to be enlivened
throughout with some drollery or humour of expression, it gave wings to
Yorick's indiscretion. In a word, tho' he never sought, yet, at the same
time, as he seldom shunned occasions of saying what came uppermost, and
without much ceremony;--he had but too many temptations in life, of
scattering his wit and his humour,--his gibes and his jests about him.--
They were not lost for want of gathering.

What were the consequences, and what was Yorick's catastrophe thereupon,
you will read in the next chapter.



Chapter 1.XII.

The Mortgager and Mortgagee differ the one from the other, not more in
length of purse, than the Jester and Jestee do, in that of memory. But in
this the comparison between them runs, as the scholiasts call it, upon all-
four; which, by the bye, is upon one or two legs more than some of the best