My best respects to my worthy baron d'Holbach and all that society-remember me to my friend Mr. Panchaud.

LETTER XLI.

MR. STERNE TO MR. FOLEY, AT PARIS.

DEAR FOLEY,

Toulouse, March 29, 1763.

-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 this Lent-you will make an excellent grille. 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 acted out of necessity-not choice.-My kind respects to baron d'Holbach, and all his household-say all that is kind for me to my other friends-you know how much, dear Foley, I am yours.

I have not five louis to vapour with in this land of coxcombs-my wife's compliments.

LETTER XLII.

MR. STERNE TO MR. FOLEY, AT PARIS.

MR. DEAR FRIEND, Montpellier, Jan. 5, 1764. You see I cannot pass over the fifth of the month without thinking of you and writing to you-The last is a periodical habit-The first is from my heart, and I do it oftener than I remember-however, from both motives together I maintain I have a right to the pleasure of a single line-be it only to tell me how your watch goes-You know how much happier it would make me to know that all things belonging to you went on well.-You are going to have them all to yourself (I hear), and that Mr. S is true to his first intention of leav ing business-I hope this will enable you to accomplish yours in a shorter time, that you may get to your long-wished-for retreat of tranquillity and silence-When you have got to your fire-side, and into your arm chair (and, by-the-bye, have another to spare for a friend), and are so much a sovereign as to sit in your furred cap, if you like it, though I should not (for a man's ideas are at least the cleaner for being dressed decently), why then it will be a miracle if I do not glide in like a ghost upon you-and in a very unghost-like fashion help you off with a bottle of your best wine.

Jan. 15.-It does not happen every day that a letter begun in the most perfect health, should be concluded in the greatest weakness-I wish the vulgar high and low do not say it was a judgment

upon me, for taking all this liberty with ghostsBe it as it may—I took a ride, when the first part of this was wrote, towards Perenas-and returned home in a shivering fit, though I ought to have been in a fever, for I had tired my beast; and he was as unmovable as Don Quixote's wooden horse, and my arm was half dislocated in whipping him-This, quoth I, is inhuman-No, says a peasant on foot behind me, I'll drive him home-so he laid on his posteriors, but 'twas needless-as his face was turned towards Montpellier, he began to trot.— But to return: this fever has confined me ten days in my bed-I have suffered in this scuffle with death terribly-but unless the spirit of pro-. phecy deceive me-I shall not die but live-in the mean time, dear F. let us live as merrily, but as innocently as we can-It has ever been as good, if not better, than a bishopric to me-and I desire no other—Adieu, my dear friend, and believe me yours.

Please to give the inclosed to Mr. T-, and tell him I thank him cordially from my heart for bis great good-will.

LETTER XLIII.

MR. STERNE TO MRS. F.

Montpellier, Feb. 1,1764.

I AM preparing, my dear Mrs. F., to leave France, for I am heartily tired of it-That insipidity there is in French characters has disgusted your friend

Yorick. I have been dangerously ill, and cannot think that the sharp air of Montpellier has been of service to me and so my physicians told me when they had me under their hands for above a month -If you stay any longer here, sir, it will be fatal to you-And why, good people, were you not kind enough to tell me this sooner?-After having discharged them, I told Mrs. Sterne that I should set out for England very soon; but as she chooses to remain in France for two or three years, I have no objection, except that I wish my girl in England. -The states of Languedoc are met-'tis a fine raree-show, with the usual accompaniments of fiddles, bears, and puppet-shows.-I believe I shall step into my post-chaise with more alacrity to fly from these sights, than a Frenchman would fly to them-and except a tear at parting with my little slut, I shall be in high spirits; and every step I take that brings me nearer England, will, I think, help to set this poor frame to rights. Now pray write to me, directed to Mr. F. at Paris, and tell me what I am to bring you over-How do I long to greet all my friends! few do I value more than yourself. My wife chooses to go to Montauban, rather than stay here, in which I am truly passive -If this should not find you at Bath, I hope it will be forwarded to you, as I wish to fulfil your commissions and so adieu-Accept every warm wish for your health, and believe me ever yours.

P.S. My physicians have almost poisoned me with what they call bouillons rafraichissants—'tis a cock flayed alive and boiled with poppy seeds,

then pounded in a mortar, afterwards passed through a sieve-There is to be one crawfish in it, and I was gravely told it must be a male onea female would do me more hurt than good.

LETTER XLIV.

MR. STERNE TO MISS STERNE.

MY DEAR LYDIA,

Paris, May 15, 1764.

By this time I suppose your mother and self are fixed at Montauban, and I therefore direct to your banker, to be delivered to you-I acquiesced in your staying in France-likewise it was your mother's wish-but I must tell you both (that unless your health had not been a plea made use of) I should have wished you both to return with me.— I have sent you the Spectators, and other books, particularly Metastasio; but I beg my girl to read the former, and only make the latter her amusement. I hope you have not forgot my last request, to make no friendships with the French womennot that I think ill of them all, but sometimes women of the best principles are the most insinuating -nay I am so jealous of you, that I should be miserable were I to see you had the least grain of coquetry in your composition-You have enough to do-for I have also sent you a guitar-and as you have no genius for drawing (though you never could be made to believe it), pray waste not your time about it-Remember to write to me as to a friend-in short, whatever comes into your little head, and then it will be natural.—If your mo

VOL. V.