precious treasure his heart to Lady P———, asking whether it gave her pleasure to see him unhappy? whether it added to her triumph that her eyes and lips had turned a man into a fool?—quoting the Lord's Prayer, with a horrible baseness of blasphemy, as a proof that he had desired not to be led into temptation, and swearing himself the most tender and sincere fool in the world. It was from his home at Coxwould that he wrote the Latin letter, which, I suppose, he was ashamed to put into English. I find in my copy of the Letters, that there is a note of I can't call it admiration, at letter 112, which seems to announce that there was a No. 3 to whom the wretched worn-out old scamp was paying his addresses;[1]
- ↑
To Mrs. H———.
"Coxwould, Nov. 15, 1767."Now be a good dear woman, my H———, and execute those commissions well, and when I see you I will give you a kiss—there's for you! But I have something else for you which I am fabricating at a great rate, and that is my 'Sentimental Journey,' which shall make you cry as much as it has affected me, or I will give up the business of sentimental writing. . . .I am yours, &c. &c.,
"T. SHANDY."To the Earl of ———.
"Coxwould, Nov. 28, 1767."My Lord,—'Tis with the greatest pleasure I take my pen to thank your Lordship for your letter of inquiry about Yorick—he was worn out, both his spits and body, with the 'Sentimental Journey;' 'tis true, then, an author must feel himself, or his reader will not—but I have torn my whole frame into pieces by my feelings—I believe the brain stands as much in need of recruiting as the body; therefore I shall set out for town the twentieth of next month, after having recruited myself a week at York. I might indeed solace myself with
