The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman Book 3, Chapter 14 Summary

  • What's up with that ******? Tristram asks. And he begins a rather weird metaphor about eloquence:
  • If you really want to get all eloquent on your readers, throw in the main point near the end of a speech. Think of it as the equivalent to pulling a baby out of your cloak—that's the metaphor Greek and Roman rhetoricians used.
  • See, they were fond of wearing long togas that easily concealed babies. Today, however, men wear short coats without room to hide much of anything. Sounds like they could use an invisibility cloak.