never forget you. Forget me not to the Baron, and all the circle nor to your domestic circle.

I am got pretty well, and sport much with my uncle Toby in the vol· ume I am now fabricating for the laughing part of the world; for the melancholy part of it, I have nothing but my prayers; so God help them. I shall hear from you in a post or two at least after you receive this. In the mean time, dear Foley, adieu, and believe no man wishes or esteems you more than your

LETTER XXXIV.

To the Same.

L. STERNE.

DEAR FOLEY:

TOULOUSE, WEDNESDAY, Dec. 3, 1762.

I HAVE for this last fortnight, every post-day, gone to Messrs. B- and sons, in expectation of the pleasure of a letter from you, with the remittance I desired you to send me here. When a man has no more than half a dozen guineas in his pocket, and a thousand miles from home, and in a country where he can as soon raise the D-1 as a six-livre piece to go to market with, in case he has changed his last guinea, you will not envy my situation. God bless you, remit me the balance due upon the receipt of this. We are all at H—'s, practising a play we are to act here this Christmas holidays; all the dramatis personæ are of the English, of which we have a happy society, living together like brothers and sisters. Your banker here has just sent me word, the tea Mr. H— wrote for, is to be delivered into my hands; 'tis all one into whose hands the treasure falls; we shall pay Brousse for it the day we get it. We join in our most friendly respects, and believe me, dear Foley, truly yours, L. STERNE.

LETTER XXXV.

To the Same.

MY DEAR FOLEY:

TOULOUSE, Dec. 17, 1762.

THE post after I wrote last, I received yours, with the inclosed draught upon the receiver; for which I return you all thanks. I have received this day likewise the box and tea, all safe and sound; so we shall all of us be in our cups this Christmas, and drink without fear or stint. We begin to live extremely happy, and are all together every night, fiddling, laughing, and singing, and cracking jokes. You will scarce believe the news I tell you. There is a company of English strollers arrived here, who are to act comedies all the Christmas; and are now busy in making dresses, and preparing some of our best comedies. Your wonder will cease, when I inform you these strollers are your friends with the rest of our society, to whom I proposed this scheme soulagement; and I assure you we do well. The next week, with a grand orchestra, we play the Busy Body, and the Journey to London the week after; but I have some thoughts of adapting it to our situation and making it the Journey to Toulouse, which, with the change of half a dozen scenes, may be easily done. Thus, my dear F, for want of something better, we have recourse to ourselves, and strike out the best amusements we can from such materials. My kind love and friendship to all my true friends; my service to the rest. H's family have just left me, having been this last week with us; they will be with me all the holidays. In summer we shall visit them, and so balance hospitalities. Adieu.

THOUGH that's a mistake (I mean the date of the place); for 1 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's 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 grillé. 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's kind for me to my other friends. You know how much, dear Foley, I am yours,

L. STERNE.

I have not five Louis to vapor with in this land of coxcombs. My wife's compliments.

DEAR FOLEY:

LETTER XXXVII.

To the Same.

TOULOUSE, April 18, 1763

I THANK you for your punctuality in sending me the rescription, and for your box by the courier, which came safe by last post. I was not surprised much with your account of Lord ***** being obliged to give way; and for the rest, all follows in course. I suppose you will endeavor to fish and catch something for yourself in these troubled waters; at least I wish you all a reasonable man can wish for himself, which is wishing enough for you: all the rest is in the brain. Mr. Woodhouse (whom you know) is also here; he is a most amiable, worthy man; and I have the pleasure of having him much with me. In a short time he proceeds to Italy. The first week in June I decamp like a patriarch with my whole household, to pitch our tents for three months at the foot of the Pyrenean Hills at Bangieres, where I expect much health and much amusement from the concourse of adventurers from all corners of the earth.

Mrs. M

sets out, at the same time, for another part of the Pyrenean Hills, at Courtray; from whence to Italy. This is the general plan of operations here, except that I have some thoughts of spending the winter at Florence, and crossing over with my family to Leghorn by water; and in April of returning by way of Paris, home. But this is sketch only; for in all things I am governed by circumstances; so that what is fit to be done on Monday may be very unwise on Saturday. On all days of the week believe me yours, With unfeigned truth,

P. S. All compliments to my Parisian friends.

L. STERNE.

LETTER XXXVIII.

To the Same.

TOULOUSE, April 29, 1763.

MY DEAR FOLEY: LAST post my agent wrote me word, he would send up from York a bill for fourscore guineas, with orders to be paid into Mr. Selwin's hands for me. This, he said, he would expedite immediately; so 'tis possible you may have had advice of it; and 'tis possible also the money may not be paid this fortnight; therefore, as I set out for Bagnieres in that time, be so good as to give me credit for the money for a few posts or so, and send me either a rescription for the money, or a draught for it; at the receipt of which, we shall decamp for ten or twelve weeks. You will receive twenty pounds more on my account; which send also: so much for that. As for pleasure, you have it all amongst you at Paris: we have nothing here which deserves the name. I shall scarce be tempted to sojourn another winter in Toulouse; for I cannot say it suits my health as I hoped: 'tis too moist, and I cannot keep clear of ague here; so that, if I stay the next winter on this side of the water, 'twill be either at Nice or Florence; and I shall return to England in April. Wherever I am, believe me, dear Foley, that I am

Yours faithfully,

L. STERNE.

Madame and Madmoiselle present their best compliments. Remember me to all I regard, particularly Messrs. Panchaud, and the rest of your household.

LETTER XXXIX.

To the Same.

TOULOUSE, May 21, 1763.

I TOOK the liberty, three weeks ago, to desire you would be so kind as to send me fourscore pounds, having received a letter the same post from my agent, that he would order the money to be paid to your correspondent in London in a fortnight. It is some disappointment to me that you have taken no notice of my letter, especially as I told you we waited for the money before we set out for Bagnieres; and so little distrust had I that such a civility would be refused me, that we have actually had all our things packed up these eight days, in hourly expectation of receiving a letter. Perhaps my good friend has waited till he heard the money was paid in London; but you might have trusted to my honor, that all the cash in your iron-box (and all the bankers in Europe put together) could not have tempted me to say the thing that is not. I hope, before this, you will have received an account of the money being paid in London. But it would have been taken kindly, if you had wrote me word you would transmit me the money when you had received it, but no sooner; for Mr. R―, of Montpellier, though I know him not, yet knows enough of me to have given me credit for a fortnight for ten times the I am, dear F., your friend and hearty well-wisher,

sum.

I saw the family of the H

L. STERNE.

yesterday, and asked them if you was in the land of the living. They said, Yea; for they had just received a letter from you. After all, I heartily forgive you; for you have done me a signal service in mortifying me, and it is this: I am determined to grow rich upon it.

to

Adieu, and God send you wealth and happiness. All compliments Before April next, I am obliged to revisit your metropolis, in my way to England.