I am denied that. Write to me twice a week, at least. God bless thee, my child, and believe me ever, ever thy affectionate father.

LETTER LXII.

MR. STERNE to MRS. J.

Tuesday.

YOUR poor friend is scarce able to write-he has been at death's door this week with a pleurisy-I was bled three times on Thursday, and blistered on Friday-The physician says I am better-God knows, for I feel myself sadly wrong, and shall, if I recover, be a long while of gaining strength.Before I have gone through half this letter, I must stop to rest my weak hand above a dozen timesMr. J. was so good to call upon me yesterday. I felt emotions not to be described at the sight of him, and he overjoyed me by talking a great deal of you. Do, dear Mrs. J—, entreat him to come to-morrow, or next day, for perhaps I have not many days, or hours, to live-I want to ask a favour of him, if I find myself worse-that I shall beg of you, if in this wrestling I come off conqueror-my spirits are fled-'tis a bad omen-do not weep, my dear lady,-your tears are too precious to shed for me-bottle them up, and may the cork never be drawn. Dearest, kindest, gentlest, and best of women! may health, peace, and happiness, prove your handmaids!If I die, cherish the remembrance of me, and forget the follies which you so often condemned-which my heart,

not my head, betrayed me into. Should my child, my Lydia, want a mother, may I hope you will (if she is left parentless) take her to your bosom? You are the only woman on earth I can depend upon for such a benevolent action. I wrote to her a fortnight ago*, and told her what I trust she will find in you. Mr. J——— will be a father to her he will protect her from every insult, for he wears a sword which he has served his country with, and which he would know how to draw out of the scabbard in defence of innocenceCommend me to him-as I now commend you to that Being who takes under his care the good and kind part of the world. Adieu-All grateful thanks to you and Mr. J—. Your poor affectionate friend.

LETTER LXIII.

MR. STERNE TO **********.

-I BEHELD her tender look,-her pathetic eye petrified my fluids-the liquid dissolution drowned those once-bright orbs-the late sympathetic features, so pleasing in their harmony, are now blasted-withered-and are dead;-her charms are dwindled into a melancholy which demands my pity. Yes-my friend-our once sprightly and vivacious Harriet is that very object that must thrill your soul. How abandoned is that heart which bulges the tear of innocence, and is the

* From this circumstance it may be conjectured, that this let ter was written ou Tuesday the 8th of March, 1768, ten day before Mr. Sterne died.

cause the fatal cause of overwhelming the spotless soul, and plunging the yet untainted mind into a sea of sorrow and repentance-Though born to protect the fair, does not man act the part of a demon!-first alluring by his temptations, and then triumphing in his victory-when villany gets the ascendency, it seldom leaves the wretch till it has thoroughly polluted him. T*******, once the joyous companion of our juvenile extravagancies, by a deep-laid scheme, so far ingratiated himself into the good graces of the old man-that even he, with all his penetration and experience (of which old folks generally pique themselves), could not perceive his drift; and, like the goodness of his own heart, believed him honourable :-had I known his pretensions-I would have flown on the wings of friendship—of regard—of affection— and rescued the lovely innocent from the hands of the spoiler:-be not alarmed at my declarationI have been long bound to her in the reciprocal bonds of affection;-but it is of a more delicate stamp than the gross materials nature has planted in us for procreation-I hope ever to retain the idea of innocence, and love her still-I would love the whole sex were they equally deserving.

taking her by the hand-the other thrown round her waist-after an intimacy allowing such freedoms-with a look deceitfully pleasing, the villain poured out a torrent of protestationsand though oaths are sacred-swore, with all the fortitude of a conscientious man-the depth of his love the height of his esteem-the strength of his attachment; by these, and other artful means, to answer his abandoned purpose (for which you

know he is but too well qualified)—gained on the open inexperienced heart of the generous Harriet, and robbed her of her brightest jewel. Oh, England! where are your senators?—where are your laws?-Ye heavens! where rests your deadly thunder?-why are your bolts restrained from o'erwhelming with vengeance this vile seducer? -1,—my friend,-I, was the minister sent by justice to revenge her wrongs-revenge-I disclaim it-to redress her wrongs. The news of affliction flies-I heard it, and posted to ****, where forgetting my character-this is the style of the enthusiast-it most became my character-I saw him in his retreat-I flew out of the chaisecaught him by the collar-and in a tumult of passion-demanded :-sure, if anger is excusable, it must be when it is exerted by a detestation of vice -I demanded him to restore-alas! what was not in his power to return-Vengeance!-and shall these vermin-these spoilers of the fairthese murderers of the mind-lurk and creep about in dens, secure to themselves, and pillage all around them?-Distracted with my rage—I charged him with his crime-exploded his baseness-condemned his villany-while coward guilt sat on his sullen brow, and, like a criminal conscious of his deed, tremblingly pronounced his fear. He hoped means might be found for a sufficient atonement-offered a tender of his hand as a satisfaction, and a life devoted to her service as a recompense for his error. His humiliation struck me-'twas the only means he could have contrived to assuage my anger.I hesitated-paused-thought- and still must think on so important a concern:-assist me—I

am half afraid of trusting my Harriet in the hands of a man, whose character I too well know to be the antipodes of Harriet's-He all fire and dissipation; she all meekness and sentiment! nor can I think there is any hopes of reformation;the offer proceeds more from surprise or fear, than justice and sincerity. The world-the world will exclaim, and my Harriet be a cast-off from society-Let her I had rather see her thus, than miserably linked for life to a lump of vice-She shall retire to some corner of the world, and there weep out the remainder of her days in sorrowforgetting the wretch who has abused her confidence, but ever remembering the friend who con. soles her in retirement. You, my dear Charles, shall bear a part with me in the delightful task of whispering peace to those who are in trouble, and healing the broken in spirit." Adieu.

SIR,

LETTER LXIV.

MR. STERNE TO **********

I FEEL the weight of obligation which your friendship has laid upon me; and if it should never be in my power to make you a recompense, I hope you will be recompensed at the "resurrection of the just." I hope, sir, we shall both be found in that catalogue ;—and we are encouraged to hope, by the example of Abraham's faith, even "against hope."-I think there is, at least, as much proba