Laurence Sterne - The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (Chap. 3.25) lyrics

 'Tis a point settled,—and I mention it for the comfort of Confucius, (Mr Shandy is supposed to mean..., Esq; member for...,—and not the Chinese Legislator.) who is apt to get entangled in telling a plain story—that provided he keeps along the line of his story,—he may go backwards and forwards as he will,—'tis still held to be no digression.  This being premised, I take the benefit of the act of going backwards myself.