Uncle Toby repeats his wish about their seeing the "prodigious armies" in Flanders, but nobody sees the point. Dr. Slop is so dumfounded that Walter steps in to question the purpose of the wish: " — What prodigious armies you had in Flanders!" And as he says that, he removes his wig to mop his brow. He removes his wig with his right hand and reaches for his handkerchief with his left hand. Unfortunately, the handkerchief is in his right-hand pocket.
He twists and wiggles, trying to reach his right pocket with his left hand, and the "transverse zig-zaggery" reminds Toby of a maneuver at Namur. He is about to send Trim for the map, but a look at Walter's face dissuades him. Instead, he sits patiently until Walter somehow manages to get the handkerchief.
Walter begins again. At one time, people were content if children managed to be born any which way; they paid no attention to the danger to their brains. Toby rejects the idea that the dangers are greater now than before and that people were all born with damaged brains merely because the forceps had not been invented.
