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Remember me to Mr. G-, Cardinal S-, the Co

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York, June 28, 1766.,

I WROTE last week to Mr. Becket to discharge the balance due to you and I have received a letter from him, telling me that, if you will draw upon him for one hundred and sixty pounds, he will punctually pay it to your order so send the draughts when you please. Mrs. Sterne writes me word she wants fifty pounds which I desire you will let her have. I will take care to remit it to your correspondent I have such an entire confidence in my wife, that she spends as little as she can, though she is confined to no particular sum her expenses will not exceed three hundred pounds a year, unless by ill health or a journey and I am very willing she should have it and you may rely in case it ever happens that she should draw for fifty or a hundred pounds extraordinary, that it and every demand shall be punctually paid and with proper thanks; and for this the whole Shandean family are ready to stand security. 'Tis impossible to tell you how sorry I was that my affairs hurried me so quick through Paris as to deprive me of seeing my old friend Mr. Foley, and of the pleasure I proposed in being made known to his better half but I have a probability of seeing him this winter. Adieu, dear Sir, and believe me,

Most cordially yours,

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L. STERNE.

P. S. Mrs. Sterne is going to Chalons, but your letter will find her, I believe, at Avignon She is very poorly and my daughter writes to me, with sad grief of heart, that she is worse.

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LXXI. TO MR. S.

DEAR SIR,

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Coxwould, July 23, 1766.

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ONE might be led to think that there is a fatality regarding us we make appointments to meet, and for these two years have not seen each other's face but twice we must try and do better for the future Having sought you with more zeal than C- sought the Lord, in order to deliver you the books you bade me purchase for you at Paris I was forced to pay carriage for them from London down to York but as I shall neither charge you the books nor the carriage 'tis not worth talking about. Never man, my dear Sir, has had a more agreeable tour than your Yorick and at present I am in my peaceful retreat, writing the ninth volume of Tristram. I shall publish but one this year, and the next I shall begin a new work of four volumes, which, when finished, I shall continue Tristram with fresh spirit. What a difference of scene here! But, with a disposition to be happy, 'tis neither this place nor t'other that renders us the reverse. In short, each man's happiness depends upon himself he is a fool if he does not enjoy it. What are you about, dear S-? Give me some account of your pleasures you had better come to me for a fortnight, and I will shew, or give you (if needful), a practical dose of my philosophy: but I hope you do not want it if you did - 'twould be the

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office of a friend to give it. Will not even our races

tempt you? You see I use all arguments.

me yours most truly,

Believe

LAURENCE STERNE.

LXXII. TO MR. PANCHAUD, AT PARIS.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

Coxwould, Sept. 21, 1766.

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IF Mrs. Sterne should draw upon you for fifty louis d'ors, be so kind as to remit her the money and pray be so good as not to draw upon Mr. Becket for it (as he owes me nothing), but favour me with the draft, which I will pay to Mr. Selwin. A young nobleman is now negociating a jaunt with me for six weeks. about Christmas, to the Fauxbourg de St. Germain I should like much to be with you for so long if my wife should grow worse (having had a very poor account of her in my daughter's last), I cannot think of her being without me and, however expensive the journey would be, I would fly to Avignon to administer consolation to both her and my poor girl. Wherever I am, believe me, dear Sir,

I

Yours,

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L. STERNE.

and

My kind compliments to Mr. Foley: though I have not the honour of knowing his rib, I see no reason why not present all due respects to the better half of so old a friend, which I do by these presents my friendliest wishes to Miss P.

may

with

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I DESIRED you would be so good as to remit to Mrs. Sterne fifty louis, a month ago I dare say you have done it but her illness must have cost her a good deal therefore having paid the last fifty pounds into Mr. Selwin's hands, I beg you to send her thirty guineas more for which I send a bank bill to Mr. Becket by this post- but surely had I not done so, you would not stick at it for be assured, my dear Foley, that the First Lord of the Treasury is neither more able or more willing (nor perhaps half so punctual) in repaying with honour all I ever can be in your books. My daughter says her mother is very ill and I fear going fast down, by all accounts 'tis melancholy in her situation to want any aid that is in my power to

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give do write to her

and believe me, with all

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I JUST received yours

York, Nov. 25, 1766.

and am glad that the balance of accounts is now paid to you Thus far all goes well. I have received a letter from my daughter, with the pleasing tidings that she thinks her mother out of danger and that the air of the country is delightful (excepting the winds); but the description of the Chateau my wife has hired is really pretty the side of the Fountain of Vaucluse

-- on

with seven

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rooms of a floor, half furnished with tapestry, half with blue taffety, the permission to fish, and to have game; so many partridges a week, &c.; and the price guess! sixteen guineas a year — there's for you, P. About the latter end of next month my wife will have occasion for a hundred guineas and pray be so good, my dear Sir, as to give orders that she may not be disappointed she is going to spend the Carnival at Marseilles at Christmas. I shall be in London by Christmas-week, and then shall balance this remittance to Mrs. S. with Mr. S. I am going to lie-in of another child of the Shandaick procreation, in town; I hope you wish me a safe delivery I fear my friend Mr. F. will have left town before I get there. dear Sir I wish you every thing in this world which will do you good, for I am, with unfeigned

truth,

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Yours,

Adieu,

L. STERNE.

Make my compliments acceptable to the good and worthy Baron d'Holbach, Miss P. &c. &c.

LXXV.

FROM IGNATIUS SANCHO, TO MR.

STERNE.

[1766.]

REVEREND SIR,

It would be an insult on your humanity (or perhaps look like it), to apologize for the liberty I am taking. I am one of those people whom the vulgar and illiberal call negroes. The first part of my life was rather unlucky, as I was placed in a family who judged ignorance the best and only security for obedience A little reading and writing I got by unwearied application. The latter part of my life has

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