# To the Right Honourable Mr. Pitt explained — The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

> Chapter companion for The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman by Laurence Sterne.

## What happens

The author dedicates his work to Mr. Pitt, expressing modest hopes for the dedication and explaining that he writes in a retired thatched house, using mirth to fend against ill health and life's evils. He asks only that the book may make Mr. Pitt smile or beguile a moment's pain, which would make him as happy as a minister of state.

## Themes in this chapter

### Time and Mortality

The author writes in a constant endeavor to fence against the infirmities of ill health and other evils of life, reflecting on the fragmentary nature of life.

### The Absurdity of Systems

The dedication humorously subverts the conventional system of seeking protection from a patron, stating the book must protect itself.

## Key lines

> Never poor Wight of a Dedicator had less hopes from his Dedication, than I have from this of mine; for it is written in a bye corner of the kingdom, and in a retir’d thatch’d house, where I live in a constant endeavour to fence against the infirmities of ill health, and other evils of life, by mirth; being firmly persuaded that every time a man smiles,⸺but much more so, when he laughs, it adds something to this Fragment of Life.

No poor soul of a dedicator ever had lower expectations from a dedication than I do from this one, because it was written in a remote corner of the kingdom, in a secluded thatched house where I constantly try to protect myself from poor health and other life's troubles through cheerfulness, firmly believing that every smile, and even more so every laugh, adds something to this brief life.

_The author explains his humble circumstances and his philosophy of using mirth to combat life's difficulties._

> I humbly beg, Sir, that you will honour this book, by taking it⸺(not under your Protection,⸺it must protect itself, but)⸺into the country with you; where, if I am ever told, it has made you smile; or can conceive it has beguiled you of one moment’s pain⸺I shall think myself as happy as a minister of state;⸻perhaps much happier than anyone (one only excepted) that I have read or heard of.

I humbly ask, Sir, that you honor this book by taking it into the country with you—not under your protection, for it must protect itself—and if I ever hear that it made you smile or relieved you of even a moment's pain, I will consider myself as happy as a minister of state, perhaps even happier than anyone (except one) I have ever read or heard of.

_The author requests only that the book might bring a smile or ease pain, valuing that above political success._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters/to-the-right-honourable-mr-pitt
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/tristram_shandy_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/tristram_shandy_se/chapters