And now for Lippius’s clock! said I, with the air of a man, who had got thro’ all his difficulties⁠⸺⁠nothing can prevent us seeing that, and the Chinese history, etc., except the time, said François⁠⸺⁠for ’tis almost eleven⁠—Then we must speed the faster, said I, striding it away to the cathedral.

I cannot say, in my heart, that it gave me any concern in being told by one of the minor canons, as I was entering the west door,⁠—That Lippius’s great clock was all out of joints, and had not gone for some years⁠⸺⁠It will give me the more time, thought I, to peruse the Chinese history; and besides I shall be able to give the world a better account of the clock in its decay, than I could have done in its flourishing condition⁠⸺⁠

⸺⁠And so away I posted to the college of the Jesuits.

Now it is with the project of getting a peep at the history of China in Chinese characters⁠—as with many others I could mention, which strike the fancy only at a distance; for as I came nearer and nearer to the point⁠—my blood cool’d⁠—the freak gradually went off, till at length I would not have given a cherrystone to have it gratified⁠⸻The truth was, my time was short, and my heart was at the Tomb of the Lovers⁠⸺⁠I wish to God, said I, as I got the rapper in my hand, that the key of the library may be but lost; it fell out as well⁠⸻

For all the Jesuits had got the cholic⁠—and to that degree, as never was known in the memory of the oldest practitioner.