"Sputtering of War; that is to say, Siege of Gibraltar. A siege
utterly unmemorable, and without the least interest, for existing
mankind with their ungrateful humor,--if it be not; once more,
that the Father of TRISTRAM SHANDY was in it: still a Lieutenant
of foot, poor fellow; brisk, small, hot-tempered, loving, 'liable
to be cheated ten times a day if nine will not suffice you.'
He was in this Siege; shipped to the Rock to make stand there;
and would have done so with the boldest,--only he got into duel
(hot-tempered, though of lamb-like innocence), and was run through
the body; not entirely killed, but within a hair's breadth of it;
and unable for service while this sputtering went on. Little Lorry
is still living; gone to school in Yorkshire, after pranks enough,
and misventures,--half-drowning 'in the mill-race at Annamoe in
Ireland,' for one. [Laurence Sterne's Autobiography italic> (cited above).] The poor Lieutenant Father died,
soldiering in the West Indies; soon after this; and we shall not
mention him again. But History ought to remember that he is 'Uncle
Toby,' this poor Lieutenant, and take her measures!--The Siege of
Gibraltar, we still see with our eyes, was in itself Nothing."

Truly it might well enough have grown to universal flame of War.
But this always needs two parties; and pacific George would not be
second party in it. George, guided by pacific Walpole, backed by
pacific Fleury, answers the ardent firing by phlegmatic patience
and protocolling; not by counter-firing, except quite at his
convenience, from privateers, from war-ships here and there, and
in sulky defence from Gibraltar itself. Probably the Termagant,
with all the fire she has, will not do much damage upon Gibraltar?
Such was George's hope. Whereby the flame of war, ardent only in