me-from that period he became my bitterest enemy.-By my wife's means I got the living of Stillington-a friend of hers in the south had promised her, that if she married a clergyman in Yorkshire, when the living became vacant, he would make her a compliment of it. I remained near twenty years at Sutton, doing duty at both places--I had then very good health.-Books, painting+. fiddling and shooting, were my amusements; as to the 'Squire of the parish, I cannot say we were upon a friendly footing-but at Stillington, the family of the Cs shewed us every kindness -'twas most truly agreeable to be within a smile and a half of an amiable family, who were ever cordial friends. In the year 1760 I took a house at York, for your mother and yourself, and went up to London to publish my two first volumes of Shandy*. In that year Lord Falconbridge presented me with the curacy of Coxwold-a sweet retirement in comparison of Sutton. In sixty-two I went to France, before the peace was concluded, and

-s

paper at York, in defence of the whig interest. -See Monthly Review, vol. iii. p. 344.

+ A specimen of his abilities in the art of designing may be seen in Mr. Wodhul's Poems, published in 1772.

*The first edition was printed the preceding year at York,

you both followed me.-I left you both in France, and two years after I went to Italy for the recovery of my health-and when I called upon you, I tried to engage your mother to return to England with me--she and yourself are at length comet-and I have had the inexpressible joy of seeing my girl every thing I wished her.

I have set down these particulars relating to my family, and myself, for my Lydia‡, in case, hereafter, she might have a curiosity, or a kinder motive, to know them."

MR. STERNE having thus brought down the account of himself till within a few months of his death, it remains only to be added, that he left York about the end of the year 1767, and came to London in order to publish the SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY, which he had written during the preceding summer at his favourite living of Coxwold. His health had been for some time declining, but he continued to visit his friends, and retained his usual flow of spirits. In February 1768, he began to perceive the approaches of death, and, with the concern of a good man, and the solicitude of an affectionate parent, devoted his attention to the fu

+ Hence it appears that this account of our author's life and family was written about six months before his death.

+ His daughter.

ture welfare of his daughter. His letters at this period reflect much credit on his character. After a short struggle with his disorder, his debilitated and worn-out frame yielded to the stroke of death on the 18th. of March 1768, at his lodgings in Bond-Street. He was buried in the new burying-ground belonging to the parish of St. George, Hanover-square, on the 22d of the same month, in the most private manner; and has since been indebted to strangers for a monument very unworthy of his me

mory.

-THEY order, said I, this matter better in France

-You have been in France? said my gentleman, turning quick upon me, with the most civil triumph in the world. Strange! quoth I, debating the matter with myself, that one-and-twenty-miles sailing, for 'tis absolutely no further from Dover to Calais, should give a man these rights-I'll look into them; so giving up the ́ argument, I went strait to my lodgings, put up half a dozen shirts, and a black pair of silk breeches the coat I have on, said I, looking at the sleeves, will do,-took a place in the Dover stage and the packet sailing at morning-by three I had got sat dinner upon a fricassee'd chicken, tably in France, that had I died an indigestion, the whole world could not have

B

nine the next

down to my so 'incontesthat night of

CALAIS.

suspended the effects of the droits d'aubane* -my shirts and black pair of silk breechesportmanteau and all must have gone to the king of France-even the little picture which I have so long worn, and so often told thee, Eliza, I would carry with me into my grave, would have been torn from my neck. Ungenerous! to seize upon the wreck of an unwary passenger, whom your subjects had beckoned to their coast-by heaven! Sire, it is not well done; and much does it grieve me, 'tis the monarch of a people so civilized and courteous, and so renowned for sentiment and fine feelings, that I have to reason with

But I have scarce set foot in your dominions.

CALAIS.

WHEN I finished my dinner, and drank the king of France's health, to satisfy my mind that I bore him no spleen, but, on the contrary, high honour for the humanity of his temperI rose up an inch taller for the accommodation.

-No-said I-the Bourbon is by no means a cruel race; they may be misled, like other

*All the effects of strangers, (Swiss and Scotch excepted) dying in France, were seized by vir tue of this law, though the heir was upon the spot-the profit of these contingencies being farmed, there was no redress.