OF THE

LIFE AND FAMILY

OF

LAURENCE STERNE, A. M.

WRITTEN BY HIMSELF.

ROGER STERNE*, (grandson to archbishop Sterne) lieutenant in Handaside's regiment, was married to Agnes Hebert, widow of a captain of a good family: her family name was, 1 believe, Nuttle-though, upon recollection, that was the name of her father-in-law, who was a noted sutler in Flanders, in queen Ann's wars, where my father married his wife's daughter, (N. B. he was in debt to him) which was on September 25, 1711, old style. This Nuttle had a son by my grandmother-a fine person of a man, but a graceless whelp-what became of him I know not. The family, (if any left) live now at Clonmel, in the south of Ireland, at which town I was born November, 24th, 1713, a few days after my mother arrived from Dunkirk.-My birthday was ominous to my pobr father, who was the day after our arrival, with many other brave officers, broke, and sent adrift into the wide world, wish a wife and two children the elder of which was Mary: she was born at Lisle, in French Flander July the 10th, 1712, new style. -This child was most unfortunate-She married one Weemans in Dublin-who used her most unmercifullyspent his substance, became a bankrupt, and left my poor sister to shift for herself,-which she was able to do but for a few months, for she went to a friend's house in the country, and died of a broken heart. She was a most beautiful woman—of a fine figure, and deserved a better fate -The regiment in which my father served being broke, he left Ireland as soon as I was able to be carried, with the rest of his family, and came to the family seat at Elvington, near York, where his mother lived. She was daughter to Sir Roger Jaques, and an heiress. There we sojourned for about ten months, when the regiment was

* Mr. Sterne was descended from a family of that name in Suffolk, one of which settled in Nottinghamshires

established, and our household decamped with bag and baggage for Dublin.-Within a month of our arrival, my father left us, being ordered to Exeter, where, in a sad winter, my mother and her two children followed him, travelling from Liverpool by land to Plymouth. (Melancholy description of this journey, not necessary to be transmitted here.) In twelve months we were all sent back to Dublin. My mother, with three of us, (for she laid in at Plymouth of a boy, Joram) took ship at Bristol for Ireland, and had a narrow escape from being cast away by a leak springing up in the vessel. At length, after many perils and struggles, we got to Dublin.-There my father took a large house, furnished it, and in a year and a half's time spent a great deal of money.-In the year 1719, all unhinged again; the regiment was ordered, with many others, to the Isle of Wight, in order to embark for Spain, in the Vigo expedition. We accompanied the regiment, and were driven into Milford Haven, but landed at Bristol, and from thence by land to Plymouth again, and to the Isle of Wight-where I remember we stayed encamped some time before the embarkation of the troops(in this expedition from Bristol to Hampshire, we lost poor Joram a pretty Hoy, four years old, of the small pox.)— My mother, sister, and myself, 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 sent for as. We had poor Joram's loss supplied during our "sfay in the Isle of Wright, by the birth of a girl, Anne, born September the 23d, 1719.-This pretty blossom fell at the age of three years, in the Barracks of Dublin-she was, as I well remember, of a fine delicate frame, not made to last long, as were most of my father's babes. We embarked for Dublin and had been all cast away by a most violent storm; but through the intercessions 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 Wicklow, where my father had for some weeks given us over for lost. We lived in the barracks at Wicklow one year, (1720) when Devijeher (so called after colonel Devijeher) was born. From thence we decamped to stay half a year with Mr. Fetherston, a clergyman about seven miles from Wicklow, who, being a relation of my mother's, invited us

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to his parsonage at Animo.-It was in this parish, during our stay, that I had that wonderful escape in falling through a mill-race whilst 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 see me.-From hence we followed the regi inent to Dublin, where we lay in the barracks a year.-In this year, 1721, Hearned to write, &c.—The regiment ordered, in twenty-two, to Carrickfergus, in the north of Ireland; we all decamped, but got no further than Droghede; thence ordered to Mullengar, forty miles West, where, by Providence, we stumbled upon a kind relation, a collateral descendant from archbishop Sterne, who took us all to his castle, and kindly entertained us for a year-and sent us to the regiment at Carrickfergus, loaded with kindness, &c.-A most rueful and tedious journey had we all, in March, to Carrickfergus, where we arrived in six or seven days-little Devijeher here died; he was three years old.He had been left behind at nurse at a farm-house near Wicklow, but was fetched to us by my father the summer after-another child was sent to fill his place, Susan; 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 schoolwhich he did near Halifax, with an able master; with whom I stayed some time, till, by God's care of me, my cousin Sterne of Elvington, became a father to me, and sent me to the university, &c. &c. To pursue the thread of our story, my father's regiment was, the year after, ordered to Londonderry, where another sister was brought forth, Catherine, still living, but most unhappily estranged from me by my uncle's wickedness, and her own folly-From this station the regiment was sent to defend Gibraltar, at the siege, where my father was run through the body by captain Phillips, in a duel (the quarrel began about a goose:) with much difficulty he survived-though with an impaired constitution, which was not able to withstand the hardships it was put to-for he was sent to Jamacia, where he soon fell by the country fever, which took away his senses first, and made a child of him, and then, in a month or two, walking about continually without com plaining, till the moment he sat down in an armed chair, and breathed his last-which was at Port Antonio, on the

north side of the island-My father was a little smart man active to the last degree, in all exercises-most patient of fatigue and disappointment, of which it pleased God to give him full measure--he was in his temper somewhat rapid and hasty-but of a kindly, sweet disposition, void of all design, and so innocent in his own intentions, that he suspected no one; so that you might have cheated him ten times a day, if nine had not been sufficient for your purpose-my poor father died in March 1731-I remained at Halifax till about the latter end of that year, and cannot omit mentioning this anecdote of myself and schoolmaster-He had had the ceiling 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 LAU. STERNE, for which the usher severely whipped me. My master was very much hurt at this, and said before me, that never should that name be effaced, for I was a boy of genius, and he was sure I should come to preferment-this expression made me forget the stripes I had received. In the year thirty two, my cousin sent me to the university", where I stayed some time. 'Twas there that I commenced a friendship with Mr. H-, which has been most lasting on both sides-I then came to York, and my uncle got me the living of Sutton-and 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 togethershe went to her sister's in S, and I wrote to her often -I believe then she was partly determined to have me, but would not say so-at her return she fell into a consumption-and one evening that I was sitting by her with an almost broken heart to see her so ill, she said "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;" upon that she shewed me her will--this generosity overpowerd me. It pleased God that she recovered, and I married her in the year 1741. My unclet and myself were

He was admitted of Jesus college, Cambridge, on the 6th of July, 1733, under the tuition of Mr. Cannon, matriculated March 29, 1735; admitted to the degree of B. A. in January 1736; and to that of M. A. at the commencement, 1740.

Jaques Sterne. LL. D. He was prebendary of Durham, cannon residentiary, precentor and prebendary of York, rector of Rise, and of Hornsey, both in the East Riding of Yorkshire. He died June 9, 1759,