fair death. I am now stout and foolish again as a happy man can wish to be and am busy playing the fool with my uncle Toby, whom I have got soused over head and ears in love. I have many hints and projects for other works; all will go on, I trust, as I wish in this matter. When I have reaped the benefit of this winter at Toulouse I cannot see I have any thing more to do with it; therefore, after having gone with my wife and girl to Bagnieres, I shall return whence I came. Now my wife wants so stay another year, to save money, and this opposition of wishes, though 'twill not be as sour as lemon, yet 'twill not be as sweet as sugar-candy. I wish T- would lead Sir Charles to Toulouse; 'tis as good as any town in the South of France for my own part 'tis not to my taste but I believe the ground-work of my ennui is more to the eternal platitude of the French character - little variety, no originality in it at all any other cause for they are very civil lity itself, in that uniform, wearies and bodders one to death. If I do not mind, I shall grow most stupid and sententious. Miss Shandy is hard at it with music, dancing, and French-speaking, in the last of which she does à merveille, and speaks it with an excellent accent, considering she practises within sight of the Pyrenean mountains. If the snows will suffer me, I propose to spend two or three months at Barege, or Bagnieres, but my dear wife is against all schemes of additional expenses which wicked propensity (though not of despotic power) yet I cannot suffer tho', by the bye, laudable enough. But she may talk I will do my

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than to but civi

own way, and she will acquiesce without a word of debate on the subject. Who can say so much in

praise of his wife? Few, I trow. Mis out of town vintaging so write to me, Monsieur Sterne, Gentilhomme Anglais 'twill find me. We are as much out of the road of all intelligence here as at the Cape of Good Hope so write a long nonsensical letter like this, now and then, to me in which say nothing but what may be shewn (tho' I love every paragraph and spirited stroke of your pen, others might not), for you must know, a letter no sooner arrives from England, but curiosity is upon her knees to know the contents. Adieu, dear H., believe me,

days

Your affectionate,

L. STERNE.

We have had bitter cold weather here these fourteen which has obliged us to sit with whole pagells of wood lighted up to our noses 'tis a dear article but, every thing else being extremely cheap, Madame keeps an excellent good house, with soupe, &c. &c., for two hundred and fifty

bouilli, roti,

pounds a year.

XXXIV.

TO MR. FOLEY, AT PARIS.

MY DEAR FOLEY,

Toulouse, November 9, 1762.

I HAVE had this week your letter on my table, and hope you will forgive my not answering it sooner and even to-day I can but write you ten lines, being engaged at Mrs. M-'s. I would not omit, one post more, acknowledging the favour In a few posts I will write you a long one gratis, that is for love. Thank you for having done what I desired you and

for the future direct to me under cover at Monsieur Brousse's I receive all letters through him more punctually and sooner than when left at the posthouse.

H-'s family greet you with mine we are much together, and never forget you Baron and all the circle

circle.

forget me not to the

nor to your domestic

I am got pretty well, and sport much with my uncle Toby in the volume I am now fabricating for the laughing part of the world for the melancholy part of it, I have nothing but my prayers so God help them. I shall hear from you in a post or two at least, after receive this you in the mean time, dear Foley, adieu, and believe no man wishes or esteems you more

I HAVE for this last fortnight every postday gone to Messrs. B and sons, in expectation of the pleasure of a letter from you with the remittance I desired you to send me here. When a man has no more than half a dozen guineas in his pocket and a thousand miles from home and in a country where he can as soon raise the d—l as a six livre piece to go to market with in case he had changed his last guinea envy my situation God bless you

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you will not remit me the

balance due upon the receipt of this. We are all at H's, practising a play we are to act here this Christ

mas holidays all the Dramatis Personæ are of the English, of which we have a happy society living together like brothers and sisters Your banker here has just sent me word the tea Mr. H. wrote for is to be delivered into my hands 'tis all one into whose hands the treasure falls we shall pay Brousse for it the day we get it. We join in our most friendly respects, and believe me, dear Foley, truly

THE post after I wrote last, I received yours, with the inclosed draught upon the receiver, for which I return you all thanks I have received this day likewise the box and tea all safe and sound

so we shall all of us be in our cups this Christmas, and drink without fear or stint. We begin to live extremely happy, and are all together every night fiddling, laughing and singing, and cracking jokes. You will scarce believe the news I tell you there is a company of English strollers arrived here, who are to act comedies all the Christmas, and are now busy in making dresses, and preparing some of our best comedies your wonder will cease when I inform you these strollers are your friends, with the rest of our society to whom I proposed this scheme soulagement and I assure you we do well. The next week, with a grand orchestra, we play the Busy Body and the Journey to London, the week after; but I have some thought

of adapting it to our situation

Journey to Toulouse, which, with the change of halfa-dozen scenes, may be easily done. Thus, my dear F., for want of something better we have recourse to ourselves, and strike out the best amusements we can from such materials. My kind love and friendship to all my true friends H-'s my service to the rest. family have just left me, having been this last week with us they will be with me all the holidays. In summer we shall visit them, and so balance hospi talities. Adieu,

THOUGH that's a mistake! I mean the date of the place, for I write at Mr. H-'s in the country, and have been there with my people all the week. "How does Tristram do?" you say in yours to him faith but so So the worst of human maladies is poverty-though that is a second lie for poverty of spirit is worse than poverty of purse by ten thousand per cent. I inclose you a remedy for the one, a draught of a hundred and thirty pounds, for which I insist upon a rescription by the very return or I will send you and all your commissaries to the d-1. I do not hear they have tasted of one fleshy banquet all the Lent you will make an excellent grillé. P― they can make nothing of him but bouillon I mean my other two friends no ill so shall send them a reprieve as they

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