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expedition from Bristol to Hampshire we loft
poor Joram-a pretty boy, four years old,
of the fmall-pox), my mother, fifter, and
myfelf, remained at the Isle of Wight during
the Vigo expedition, and until the regiment
had got back to Wicklow in Ireland, from
whence my father fent for us. -
We had poor
Joram's lofs fupplied during our stay in the
Isle of Wight, by the birth of a girl, Anne,
born September the twenty-third, one thou-
fand feven hundred and nineteen.
This pretty

blossom fell at the age of three years, in the
barracs of Dublin-she was, as I well re-
member, of a fine delicate frame, not made to
laft long, as were moft of my father's babes. —
We embarked for Dublin, and had all been
caft away by a most violent storm, but through
the interceffions of my mother, the captain
was prevailed upon to turn back into Wales,
where we stayed a month, and at length got
into Dublin, and travelled by land to Wick-
low, where my father had for fome weeks
given us over for loft. - We lived in the bar-
racs at Wicklow, one year, (one thousand
feven hundred and twenty) when Devijeher
(fo called after Colonel Devijeher,) was born;
from thence we decamped to ftay half a year

From
Dublin,

In this

with Mr. Fetherston, a clergyman, about seven
miles from Wicklow, who being a relation of
my mother's, invited us to his parfonage at
Animo. -It was in this parish, during our
stay, that I had that wonderful escape in fal-
ling through a mill-race whilft the mill was
going, and of being taken up unhurt the
story is incredible, but known for truth in all
that part of Ireland-where hundreds of the
common people flocked to fee me.
hence we followed the regiment to
where we lay in the barracs a year.
year, one thousand seven hundred and twenty-
one, I learned to write, &c. -The regiment,
ordered in twenty-two, to Carrickfergus in the
north of Ireland; we all decamped, but got no
further than Drogheda, thence ordered to Mul-
lengar, forty miles weft, where by Providence
we stumbled upon a kind relation, a collateral
defcendant from Archbishop Sterne, who took
us all to his castle and kindly entertained us for
a year-and fent us to the regiment at Carrick-
fergus, loaded with kindneffes, &c. a moft
rueful and tedious journey had we all, in
March, to Carrickfergus, where we arrived in
fix or feven days - little Devijeher here died,
he was three years old He had been left
behind at nurfe at a farm-houfe near Wicklow,

but was fetch'd to us by my father the fummer after another child fent to fill his place, Sufan; this babe too left us behind in this

weary journey The autumn of that year, or the spring afterwards, (I forget which) my father got leave of his colonel to fix me at school which he did near Halifax, with an able mafter; with whom I ftaid fome time, 'till by God's care of me my coufin Sterne, of Elvington, became a father to me, and fent me to the univerfity, &c. &c. To pursue the thread of our story, my father's regiment was the year after ordered to Londonderry, where another fifter was brought forth, Catherine, ftill living, but most unhappily estranged from me by my uncle's wickedness, and her own folly from this ftation the regiment was fent to defend Gibraltar, at the fiege, where my father was run through the body by Captain Phillips, in a duel, (the quarrel begun about a goose) with much difficulty he furvivedtho' with an impaired constitution, which was not able to withstand the hardships it was put to-for he was fent to Jamaica, where he foon fell by the country fever, which took away his fenses first, and made a child of him, and then, in a month or two, walking about continually without complaining, till the moment he fat

down in an arm chair, and breathed his laftwhich was at Port Antonio, on the north of the inland. My father was a little fmart man active to the last degree, in all exercises -most patient of fatigue and disappointments, of which it pleased God to give him full measure - he was in his temper fomewhat rapid, and hafty

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but of a kindly, sweet disposition, void of all defign; and fo. innocent in his own intentions, that he fufpected no one; fo that you might have cheated him ten times in a day, if nine had not been fufficient for your purpofemy poor father died in March, 1731 mained at Halifax 'till about the latter end of that year, and cannot omit mentioning this anecdote of myself, and fchool-mafter He had had the cieling of the school-room new whitewashed -the ladder remained there - I one unlucky day mounted it, and wrote with a brush in large capital letters LAUR. STERNE, for which the usher feverely whipped me. My master was very much hurt at this, and faid, before me, that never should that name be effaced, for I was a boy of genius, and he was fure I should come to preferment this expreffion made me forget the ftripes I had received In the year thirty-two my coufin sent me to the univerfity, where I ftaid fome

time. 'Twas there that I commenced a friendship with Mr. H ... which has been moft lafting on both fides I then came to York, and my uncle got me the living of Suttonand at York I became acquainted with your mother; and courted her for two years she owned she liked me, but thought herself not rich enough, or me too poor, to be joined together she went to her fister's in S-, and I wrote to her often I believe then she was partly determined to have me, but would not fay fo at her return she fell into a consumption—and one evening that I was fitting by her with an almost broken heart to fee her fo ill, she faid, my dear Laurey, I can never be yours, for I verily believe I have not long to live but I have left you every shilling of my fortune;"

ed me her will

me.

c

upon that she showthis generofity overpowered It pleased God that she recovered, and I married her in the year 1741. My uncle and myself were then upon very good terms, for he foon got me the Prebendary of York - but he quarrelled with me afterwards, because I would not write paragraphs in the news-papersthough he was a partyman, I was not, and detefted fuch dirty work: thinking it beneath me-from that period, he became my bitterest