"ty of the nurfe's breaft-as the "flatnefs and fhortness of puifne "nofes was, to the firmness and e "of nutrition in the heal and lively "—which, though happy for the 66 his literary acquirements, his imagination had freer play, and more natural graces. He feized the grotesque objects of obfolete erudition, prefent-laftic repulfion of the fame organ ed by his original, with a vigour untamed by previous labour, and an ardour unabated by familiarity with literary folly. The curious Chapters on Nofes afford the strongest proof of this remark. About the time when Sterne wrote, it was not forgotten indeed, that the phyfiognomy of the Nofe had been a kind of fashionable 66 fubject among Philofophers; but little was written, and little remains on the controverfy, and what Sterne gives us, is founded on Rabelais: "Pourquoy, dit Gargantua, eft ce que frere Jean a fi beau nez? Par "ce (repondit Grangoufier) qu'ainfi "Dieu l'a voulu, lequel nous fait en "telle forme, & telle fin, felon fon "divin arbitre, que fait un potier ❝fes vaiffeaux. Par ce (dit Ponocrates) qu'il fut des premiers a la "foire des nez. Il print de plus "beaux & des plus grands Trut "avant (dit le moine) felon la vraye "Philofophie Monaftique, c'eft, par 66 ce que ma Nourrice avoit les te"tins molets, en l'allaictant, mon nez 66 enfondroit comme en beurre, et y “la s'eflevoit et croiffoit comme la 66 66 gay, paite dedans la mets. Les durs "tetins des Nourrices font les enfans canius. Mais , gay, ad formam "nafi cognofcitur ad te levavi.*" "Now Ambrofe Paraus convin"ced my Father, that the true and "efficient caufe of what had engaged "fo much the attention of the world, "and upon which Prignitz and Scro"derus had wafted fo much learning "and fine parts-was neither this "nor that-but that the length and goodness of the nofe was owing fimply to the foftnefs and flaccidi 66 woman, was the undoing of the "child, inafmuch as his nofe was fo "fnubbed, fo rebuffed, fo rebated, " and fo refrigerated thereby, as never to arrive ad menfuram fuam "legitimam ;-but that in case of "the flaccidity and foftnefs of the "nurfe or mother's breaft-by fink"ing into it, quoth Paræus, as into "fo much butter, the nose was com"forted, nourished, &c †." 66 the causes of short and "long nofes. There is no cafe but "one, replied my uncle Toby, why 66 one man's nofe is longer than ano"ther's, but becaufe that God plea"fes to have it fo. That is Gran"goufier's folution, faid my Father. “ 'Tis he, continued my Uncle "Toby, looking up, and not re" garding my father's interruption, "who makes us all, and frames and puts us together, in fuch forms "and proportions, and for fuch ends, as is agreeable to his infinite wif domt." I with Sterne had known enough of Taliacotius to have done him juftice on the subject of noses. The practice of that extraordinary man, which has been obfcured by mifplaced raillery, and the imputation of follies entirely foreign to his method, deferves to be better known f. It was both rational and fuccessful; and it is a confiderable addition to his fame, that he anticipated later Phy fiologifts in fome furprizing and important facts refpecting the re-union of living parts. Sterne has played unaccountably with the public curi ofity, on the fubject of a very filly "morrow!-fo you have got your book, which he attempts to pafs off" cloak on betimes! but 'tis a cold as curious, merely becaufe it is ob- "morning, and you judge the matter fcure. This is the more furprising, "rightly-'tis better to be well becaufe his fiction of Slawkenbergius mounted than go o' foot-and ob'is admirable. Mr Shandy has theftructions iu the glands are dangergood fortune, we are told, to get "ous-And how goes it with thy Brufcambille's Prologue on Nofes "Concubine-thy wife--and thy almost for nothing-that is, for three "little ones o' both fides? and when half crowns. "There are not three did you hear from the old gentle"Brufcambilles in Christendom- "man and lady ?"&c.++ 66 faid the ftall-man, except what I believe this brilliant paffage is 66 are chained up in the libraries of founded on the Prologue to Rabe66 the curious.""This is well calcu- lais's fourth Book. Some of Sterne's lated to excite the appetites of epi- other imitations do him more credit; cures in literature, which perhaps but in the eight volume of Triftram was all the Author intended; and he was not very nice in taking af which is ill fupported by the work fiftance. "Gens de Bien," fays Rabein queftion. The book confifts of a lais, Dieu vous fauve et gard. fet of profe difcourfes, printed at Co- Ou eftes vous? je ne peux vous logne, in 1741, which feem to have "voir. Attendez que je chauffe uthered in comedy*, farce, or puppet-"mes lunettes. Ha, ha, bien & fhow, according to the exigencies of "beua f'en va Quarefme, je vous the night they refemble the Provoy. Et doncques? Vous aves eu logues of Terence, only in the free- "bonne vinee, a ce que l'on m'a dit, dom with which Monf. Brufcambille Vous, vos femmes, enfans, treats his audience. et familles eftes en fante The mock quotations, explanatory "defiree. Cela va bien, cela eft bon, of the Promontory of Nofes, in Slaw-cela me plaift-" &c. Certainly kenbergius's tale, are merely defign- this trafh must be one of thofe paffaed to cover the ufe made of Rabelais's ges, efcaped, as Rabelais declares that proverb; "il fuit a la foire des nez." he wrote en mangeant et buvant,' Sterne has diverted himself fometimes after he had taken a cup too much. with references to fome parts of this author, that appear ænigmatical enough. For inftance; "Who was Tickletoby's Mare+? I believe many of Rabelais's readers will be puzzled to anfwer. Sterne alludes to the itory of Tappecouet who fell a facrifice to the refentment of the devils of Poitiers. At other times, Sterne indulges in all the Galimatias of the old Frenchman, "Bon jour! good parens Perhaps it would do violence to the analogy, to fay that the exquifite dialogues, fcattered through Triftram Sbandy, took any colour from thofe delivered by RabelaisAt least, it would appear to be refning too far. Yet the contraft and contention of characters and profeffions fo ftriking in both romances; the ftrong ridicule thrown upon the love of hypothefis; and the art with which abfurdities in every walk of The firft is entitled, Premier Prelude, en forme de Galimatias, pour l'ouverture du Theatre, Several others are faid to be en forme de Galimatias, but the specifica tion was needlefs. Chap. 36. vol. ii. Tr. Shandy. Rabelais, Liv. IV. Chap. XIII. That firange fellow, Sir Thomas Urquhart, the Romancer of Crichton, tranflates this word, Tickletoby. Vol. viii. Chap. 3. of fcience are expofed, have always impreffed me with a general idea of refemblance; and have recalled Pantagruel, Panurge and Epiftemon, in many of the Shandean converfations, If there be any degree of imitation in this refpect, it is greatly to Sterne's honour. A higher polith was never given to rugged materials. But there can be no doubt refpecting Sterne's obligations to another Author, once the favourite of the learned and witty, though now unaccountably neglected. I have often wondered at the pains bestowed by Sterne, in ridiculing opinions not fashionable in his day, and have thought it fingular, that he should produce the portrait of his fophift, Mr Shandy, with all the ftains and mouldiness of the last century about him. For the love of fcarce and whimfical books was no vice of the time when Triftram Shandy appeared. But I am now convinced, that all the fingularities of that character were drawn from the perusal of Burton's Anatomy of Melancholy; not without reference*, however, to the peculiarities of Burton's life, who is alledged to have fallen a victim to his aftrological studies. We are told, accordingly, that Mr Shandy had faith in aftrology.+ The Anatomy of Melancholy, tho' written on a regular plan, is fo crouded with quotations, that the reader is apt to mistake it for a book of common-places. The opinions of a mul titude of Authors are collected, under every division, without arrangement, and without much nicety of felection, to undergo a general fentence; for the bulk of the materials enforces brevity on the writer. In the course of a moderate folio, Burton has contrived to treat a great variety of to pics, that seem very loosely connected with his fubject; and, like Bayle, when he starts a train of quotations, he does not fcruple to let the digreffion outrun the principal queftion. Thus, from the Doctrines of Religion, to Military Difcipline; from inland Navigation, to the Morality of Dancing Schools, every thing is dif cuffed and determined. The quaintnels of many of his divifions feems to have given Sterne the hint of his ludicrous titles to feveral Chapters +; and the rifible effect refulting from Burton's grave endeavours, to prove indifputable facts by weighty quotations, he has happily caught, and fometimes well burlesqued. But where the force of the fubje& opens Burton's own vein of Prose, we difcover valuable fenfe and brilliant expreffion. The proof of this will appear in thofe paffages, which Sterne has borrowed from him without variation. Burton was likewife a Poet; a copy of verfes in Latin, and another in English, prefixed to his book, afford no mean proofs of his genius. The Anatomy of Melancholy has always been a fource of furreptitious learning; Anthony aWood speaks of it, as a compilation highly useful to Gentlemen who were negligent at College; and Archbishop Herring alledged that the wits who flourished under Queen Anne and George the Firft,were under great obligations to it. In literature, the fprings are commonly more copious than their derived ftreams, and are therefore more highly honoured. But though this applies to Burton, and most of his imitators, it fails in refpect of Triftram Shandy, where, though much is directly drawn from our Author, there are many delightC ful * Even the name of Democritus junior, affected by Burton, may have led to Sterne's affumption of the title of Yorick. Burton too was a Clergyman. + Vol. iii. Chap. 23. Vol. v. Chap. 28. The Tale of a Tub and the Memoirs of Scriblerus, must come in for a fhare of this influence. ful windings, widely diftant from his influence. The first four chapters of Triftram Shandy are founded on fome passages in Burton, which I fhall tranfcribe. Sterne's improvvments I shall leave to your recollection. 66 66 caries make new mixtures, by "pouring only out of one veffel into another?" Ex ore tuo-" Shall we be deftined to the days of eternity, on holidays, as well as work"ing days, to be thewing the relics "of learning, as monks do the relics Here we mult acquit Sterne: he has certainly done wonders, whereever he has imitated or borrowed.--"One denier, cried the order of mercy-one fingle denier, in be"half of a thoufand patient captives, "whofe eyes look toward heaven " and you for their redemption. "Filii ex fenibus nati raro funt "firmi temperamenti, &c. Nam" of their faints-without working fpiritus cerebri fi tum male affici- "one-one fingle miracle with 64 antur, tales procreant,& quales fue- "them?" "rint affectus, tales filiorum, ex trifti"bus tristes, ex jucundis jucundi naf"cuntur [Cardan.] "If the" (the mother)" be over dull, heavy, angry, peevith, discontented and melancholy, not only at the time of "conception, but even all the while "fhe carries the child in her womb "(faith Fernelins) her fon will be -The Lady Bauffiere rode on. "fo likewife, and worfe, as Lemni- "Pity the unhappy, faid a deus adds, &c. So many vout, venerable, hoary - headed ways are we plagued and punished man, meekly holding up a box, "for our fathers' defaults *; info-begirt with iron, in his wither'd "much that, as Fernelius truly faith, hands-I beg for the unfortunate "it is the greatest part of our felici-"-good, my lady, 'tis for a prifon ty to be well-born, and it were "for an hofpital-'tis for an old happy for human kind, if only "fuch parents as are found of body "and mind, fhould be fuffered to marry. Quanto id diligentius in procreandis liberis obfervandum.” I cannot help thinking, that the first chapter or two of the Memoirs of Scriblerus whetted Sterne's invention in this, as well as in other, inftances of Mr Shandy's peculiarities. 26 66 કંદ The forced introduction of the fneer at the term non-naturals †, used in medicine, leads us back to Burton, who has infifted largely and repeatedly, on the abuse of the functions fo denominated. man-a poor man undone by fhip"wreck, by furetyfhip, by fire-I "call God and all his angels to "witnefs-tis to cloathe the naked “ -to feed the hungry--'tis to com"fort the fick and the broken-heart"ed. ટ 66 on. -The Lady Bauffiere rode "He ran begging bare-headed on one fide of her palfrey, conjuring "her by the former bonds of friendIt is very fingular, that in the in-fhip, alliance, confanguinity, &c. troduction to the Fragment on Whif "-coufin, aunt, fifter, mother kers, which contains an evident Co- "for virtue's fake, for your own, py, Sterne fhould take occafion to " for mine, for Chrift's fake, rememabufe Plagiarifts. "Shall we for "ber me-pity me. * This idea runs through Triftram Shandy. 66 -The Tr. Sh. Vol. i. Chap. 22. Why the most natural actions of a Man's life fhould be called his non-naturals, is another queftion."-See Burton, p. 39. The citation of the original paffage from Burton will confirm all I have faid of this ftile. 66 66 "not live after his fon -- And Pompey's wife cry'd out at the "news of her husband's death, Turpe "mori poft te, &c.-as Tacitus of 66 Agrippina, not able to moderate A poor decay'd kinsman of his "her paffions. So when he heard "fets upon him by the way in all "her Son was flain, fhe abruptly "his jollity, and runs begging bare- "broke off her work, changed coun"headed by him, conjuring him by "tenance and colour, tore her hair, "thofe former bonds of friendship," and fell a roaring downright ‡." "alliance, confanguinity, &c. uncle, " 'Tis either Plato," fays Sterne," "coufin, brother, father, shew or Plutarch, or Seneca, or Xeno"fome pity for Chrift's fake, pity "phon, or Epictetus, or Theophraf66 a fick man, an old man, &c. he "6 tus, or Lucian-or fome one, per66 cares not, ride on: pretend fick- "haps of later date-either Cardan, "nefs, inevitable lofs of limbs, pleador Budæus, or Petrarch, or Stella-"furetyfhip, or fhipwreck, fires, com- or poffibly it may be fome divine 66 mon calamities, fhew thy wants or father of the Church, St Auf"and imperfections, fwear," tin, or St Cyprian, or Bernard, protest, take God and all his an- "who affirms, that it is an irrefifti"gels to witnefs, quære peregrinum,ble and natural paflion, to weep. "thou art a counterfeit crank, a "for the lofs of our friends or chil"cheater, he is not touched with it, "dren-and Seneca, (I'm pofitive) "tells us fomewhere, that fuch griefs evacuate themselves beft by that particular channel. And accordingly we find that David wept "for his fon Abfalom-Adrian for "his Antinous-Niobe for her chil"dren--and that Apollodorus and "Crito both fhed tears for Socrates "before his death."-This is well rallied, as the following paffage will evince; but Sterne fhould have confidered how much he owed to poor old Burton. pauper ubique jacet, ride on, he "takes no notice of it. Put up a "fupplication to him in the name "of a thousand orphans, an hospital, a spittle, a prison as he goes by, "they cry out to him for aid: ride Shew him a decay'd haven, a bridge, a school, a forti"fication, &c. or fome public work; "ride on. Good your worship, your "honour, for God's fake, your Coun 66 on 65 try's fake: ride on†." แ 26 "Death and departure of friends "are things generally grievous; On" nium quæ in vita humana contingunt, This curious Copy is followed up, in Triftram Shandy, by a Chapter, and that a long one, written almoft entirely from Burton. It is the Confolation of Mr Shandy, on the death" luctus atque mors funt acerbiffima, of Brother Bobby. "[Cardan, de Confol. lib. 2.] the "When Agrippina was told of "most auftere and bitter accidents "her fon's death, Tacitus informs "that can happen to a man in this "6 us, that, not being able to mode- "life, in æternum valedicere, to part rate the violence of her paffions, " for ever, to forfake the world and "The abruptly broke off her work." "all our friends, 'tis ultimum terriThis quotation did not come to Sterne "bilium, the last and the greatest from Tacitus. "Mezentius would terrour, moft irkfome and trouble |