My dear G. LETTER XXI. To the fame. Paris, April 10, 1762. "I fnatch the occafion of Mr. Wilcox (the late bishop of Roche fter's fon) leaving this place for England, to write to you, and I inclofe it to Hall, who will put it into your hand, poffibly behind the fcenes. I hear no news of you, or your empire, I would have faid kingdom-but here every thing is hyperbolized-and if a woman is but fimply pleafed 'tis je fuis charmée-and if she is charmed 'tis nothing lefs, than that he is ravi-fh'd-and when ravi-fh'd, (which may happen) there is nothing left for her but to fly to the other world for a metaphor, and fwear, qu'elle etoit toute extafice-which mode of fpeaking, is, by the bye, here creeping into ufe, and there is fcarce a woman who understands the bon ton, but is feven times in a day in downright extafy-that is, the devil's in her-by a small mistake of one word for the other-now, where am I got? "I have been thefe two days reading a tragedy, given me by a lady of talents, to read and conjecture if it would do for you-Tis from the plan of Diderot, and poffibly half a tranflation of it-The Natural Son, or, the Triumph of Virtue, in five acts-It has too much fentiment in it, (at leaft for me) the fpeeches too long, and favour too much of preaching-this may be a fecond reafon, it is not to my tafte-Tis all love, love, love, throughout, without much feparation in the character; so I fear it would not do for your stage, and perhaps for the very reafon which recommend it to a French one. -After a vile fufpenfion of three weeks-we are beginning with our comedies and operas again-yours I hear never flourished more-here the comic actors were never fo low-the tragedians hold up their heads-in all fenfes. I have known one little man fupport the theatrical world, like a David Atlas, upon his fhoulders, but Preville can't 'do half as much here, tho' madam Clairon ftands by him, and fets her back to his-fhe is very great, however, and highly improved fince you faw her-fhe alfo fupports her dignity at table, and has her public day every Thurfday, when the gives to cat, (as they fay here) to all that are hungry and dry. "You are much talked of here, and much expected as foon as the peace will let you-thefe two laft days you have happened to engrofs the whole converfation at two great houfes where I was at dinner-Tis the greatest problem in nature, in this meridian, that one and the fame man fhould poffefs fuch tragic and comic powers, and in fuch an equilibrio, as to divide the world for which of the two nature intended him. "Crebillon has made a convention with me, which, if he is not too lazy, will be no bad perfiflage-as foon as I get to Thoulouie he has agreed to write me an expoflulatry letter upon the indecorums of T. Shandy-which is to be anfwered by recrimination upon the liberties in his own works-thefe are to be printed together-Crebillon against Sterne-Sterne againt Crebillon-the copy to be fold, and the money equally divided-This is good Swifs-policy. "I am recovered greatly, and if I could spend one whole winter at Thouloufe, I should be fortified in my inner man, beyond all danger of relapfing.-A fad atthma my daughter has been martyr'd with thefe three winters, but moftly this laft, makes it, I fear, neceffary she should try the last remedy of a warmer and fofter air, so I am going this week to Verfailles, to wait upon Count Choifeul to folicit paflports for them-If this fyftem takes place, they join me here and after a month's flay we all decamp for the fouth of France -if not, I fhall fee you in June next. Mr. Fox, and Mr. Macartney, having left Paris, I live altogether in French families-I laugh 'till ́I cry, and in the fame tender moments cry 'till I laugh. I Shandy it more than ever, and verily do believe, that by mere Shandeifm fublimated by a laughter-loving people, I fence as much against infirmities, as I do by the benefit of air and climate. Adieu, dear G. prefent ten thousand of my beft refpects and wishes to and for my friend Mrs. G.- had he been last night upon the Tulleries, fhe would have annihilated a thoufand French goddeffes, in one fingle turn. I am most truly, my dear friend, L. STERNE." The greater part of the remaining letters were written from abroad, to different people, on private occafions, and contain matters of little importance; from which, however, we learn, that amidít, all the compliments and careffes, the Author received. from the great; amidft his feafting with princes, and favour with kings, he was fometimes fadly put to it for the want of fifty pounds; his bookfeller, Becket, being, after all, next to the public, his beft patron. Indeed, the neceffity this excentric genius appears to have been under, of dunning his best friends for their fubfcription-money to his, books, difplays the contemptible light in which literary genius ftands at prefent with the great; from whom the fpirit of patronage feems to have descended low indeed.* We should here close our quotations, did not the CXth letter tend to confirm the obloquy thrown on our Author's character by the publication of his letters to Eliza. We wonder, therefore, it was not omitted in a collection published by his own daughter. LETTER CX. To Lady P. Mount-Coffee-houfe 3 o'clock. "There is a ftrange mechanical effect produced in writing à billetdoux within a stone-caft of the lady who engroffes the heart and foul of an inamorato-for this caufe (but moftly because I am to dine in this neighbourhood) have I, Triftram Shandy, come forth from my lodgings to a coffee-house the nearest I could find to my dear Mr. Garrick being almost the only patron to whom books are now dedicated. We are pleased, however, with Mrs. Medalle's gratitude in dedicating these voJomes to that eminent comedian: though the has blunted out, perhaps unwittingly, unwelcome truth, in faying he was not fo enthufiaftic an admirer of her father as ber father was of him. The truth is, Mr. G. was not fo great an admirer of Sterne as Mrs. Medalle may imagine. Add to this, that he took great offence at Yorick's puthing for fabfcriptions, and the neceffary practice of dunning his friends, above-mentioned; either because he thought nobody ought to have his hand in the parfes of people of fortune but himself, or that he really imagined a practice, which might well enough become a ftage-player, was indecent in a clergyman. Lady Lady 's houfe, and have called for a fheet of gilt paper, to try the truth of this article of my creed-Now for it"Omy dear lady-what a difhclout of a foul haft thou made of me?-I think, by the bye, this is a little too familiar an introduction, for fo unfamiliar a fituation as I ftand in with you-where heaven knows, I am kept at a diftance-and defpair of getting one inch nearer you, with all the fteps and windings I can think of to recommend myself to you-Would not any man in his fentes run diametrically from you-and as far as his legs would carry him, rather than thus caufelefsly, foolishly, and fool-hardily expofe himself afrefhand afresh, where his heart and his reason tells him he fhall be fure to come off lofer, if not totally undone ?-Why would you tell me you would be glad to see me? -Does it give you pleafure to make me more unhappy-or does it add to your triumph, that your eyes and lips have turn a man into a fool, whom the reft of the town is courting as a wit ?—I am a fool-the weakest, the most ductile, the moft tender fool, that ever woman tried the weaknefs of-and the most unfettled in my purpofes and refolutions of recovering my right mind-It is but an hour ago, that I kneeled down and fwore I never would come near you-and after faying my Lord's Prayer for the fake of the clofe, of not being led into temptation-out I fallied like any Christian hero, ready to take the field against the world, the flesh, and the devil; not doubting but I should finally trample them all down under my fect and now am I got fo near you-within this vile ftone's caft of your houfe-I feel myfelf drawn into a vortex,that has turned my brain upfide downwards, and though I had purchased a box ticket to carry me to Mifs ********'s benefit, yet I know very well, that was a fingle line directed to me, to let me know Lady would be alone at feven, and fuffer me to fpend the evening with her, the would infallibly fee every thing verified I have told her.- dine at Mr. Cr's in Wigmore-ftreet, in this neighbourhood, where I fhall tay till feven, in hopes you purpofe to put me to this proof. If I hear nothing by that time I shall conclude you are better difpofed of and fhall take a forry hack, and forrily jogg on to the play-Curfe on the word. I know nothing but for row-except this one thing, that I love you (perhaps foolishly, but) Moft fincerely, L. STERNE. On this letter we leave the reader to make his own comment; at the fame time referring him to the collection itself for an impromptu, and the fragment in the manner of Rabelais; both which hould, for the Author's credit, have been omitted. To thefe letters are prefixed two anonymous copies of complimentary verfes to the Author; with what Mrs. Medalle calls a fweet epitaph on him by Mr. Garrick; with which we shall take leave of this publication. Shall pride a heap of fculptur'd marble raise, Some worthlefs, unmourn'd titled fool to praife; Where genius, wit and humour, fleep with Sterne. D. G. ART. ART. II. A Philofophical and Political Account of the Settlements and Trade, of the Europeans in the East and West Indies. Tranflated from the French. By J. Juftamond, A.M. 4 vols. 8vo. 11. 10s. Cadell. The deferved reputation which this work hath already acquired in different parts of Europe, joined to the very interesting nature of the fubject, will doubtlefs recommend the present translation to the perufal of thofe who may not be capable of reading the origi nal. The inquifitive reader will, indeed, find more information and entertainment, in the four volumes before us, than is to be met with in any publication of the kind: its ingenious Author having displayed an uncommon fund of political knowledge, good fenfe and manly genius, in treating a copious variety of hiftorical facts +, relations and fyftems; which he hath in general inveftigated and developed, equally to his credit, both as a politician and philofopher. The first volume of this work is divided into four books; the firft of which, is introduced by the following exordium, decla rative of the general defign of the work. "No event has been fo interefting to mankind in general, and to the inhabitants of Europe in particular, as the difcovery of the new world, and the paffage to India by the Cape of Good Hope. It gave rife to a revolution in the commerce, and in the power of nations; and in the manners, industry, and government of the world in general. At this period new connexions were formed by the most diftant regions, for the fupply of wants they had never before experienced. The productions of climates fituated near the equator, were confumed in countries bordering on the pole; the industry of the north was tranfplanted to the fouth; and the inhabitants of the weft, were cloathed with the manufactures of the east: a general intercourfe of opinions, laws and customs, diseases and remedies, virtues and vices, was established throughout the world. "Every thing has changed, and muft change again. But it is a queftion, whether the revolutions that are paffed, or those which must hereafter take place, have been, or can be of any utility to the * Published at Amsterdam about three years ago in fix volumes 8vo. under the title of "L'Hiftoire philofophique et politique des eftabliffemens et du Commerce des Européens dans les deux Indes, &c."- A Critical Review of this production hath fince appeared at Leyden, entitled "Analyfe de L'Hiftoire, &c." in which our philofophical hiftorian is groffly abused, for his liberal manner of treating the common fyftems of civil and religious policy, eftablished in different parts of the world. + In some of these, however, he is (perhaps excufably enough in matters of Englith hiftory) now and then mistaken. Thus, he fays, "Henry VII. permittted the barons to difpofe of their lands, and the common people to buy them." Which regu lation, fays he, "diminished the inequality, which fubfifted before between the fortunes of the lords and their vaffals. It made the latter more independent, and infpired the people with a defire of enriching themfelves, and the expectation of enjoying their riches."We are much mistaken, if fuch permiffion of alienation did not fubfift from the time of Henry III, if not before.We must do the Tranflator the justice to fay, that he hath corrected fome of the mistakes of this kind, that we meet with in the orginal, VOL. II. U human human race? Will they ever add to the tranquility, the happiness, and the pleasures of mankind? Can they improve our prefent ftate, or do they only change it? "The Europeans have founded colonies in all parts, but are they acquainted with the principles on which they ought to be established? They have indeed encouraged mutual commerce, and promoted agriculture and industry. The commerce is transferred from one people to another. Can we not difcover by what means and in what fituations this has been effected? Since America, and the paffage by the Cape has been known, fome nations that were of no confequence are become powerful: others, that were the terror of Europe have loft their authority. How has the condition of thefe feveral people been affected by thefe difcoveries? How comes it to pass that those to whom nature has been moft liberal, are not always the richest and moft flourishing? To throw fome light on thefe important queftions, we must take a view of the state of Europe before thefe difcoveries were made, we must trace circumftantially the events they have given rife to, and conclude with examining it, as it prefents itself at this day." The obferving reader will readily remark, with what a philofophical fpirit of enquiry our Author commences his hiftorical refearches. If he be himself a philofopher, he may be apt to think, alfo, there is a fpecies of petulance in the repeated queries about the utility of the various revolutions that happen in the world. -That fuch revolutions will ever tend to increafe the tranquility or happinefs, of individuals, we conceive few philofophers have any expectation, efpecially fuch as have reflected how relative and comparative are the feelings of mankind. But that these revolutions are mere changes, and not conducive to the improvement of the human race and the state of the world in general, is what, we believe, few philofophers, who reflect on the certainty of an omnifcient and over-ruling Providence, will take upon them to affert. On particular revolutions confidered as merely moral, and changes purely political, our Author reafons more pertinently; entering into the views and paffions of mankind with an acutenefs of penetration, that befpeak him an accomplished judge, as well of the weakness of human nature, as the defects of civil fociety. In the first book, our philofophical Hiftorian gives a copious, yet concife account of the discoveries, wars and conquests in the East Indies by the Portugueze; preparatory to which, he gives a fhort fketch of the ftate of Europe and of Afia at the fams period. Of the former he obferves, after enumerating the horrid enormities which generally prevailed, that it appeared to be rather the haunt of tygers and ferpents, than a vaft country inhabited or cultivated by men." Book the fecond treats of the Settlements of the Dutch, from their first establishment to their prefent fourthing ftate in va 6 rious |