pliments to all-I am, dear Sir, very

faithfully,

Yours,

L. STERNE.

Sir James Macdonald is in the house with me, and is juft recovering a long and moft cruel fit of the rheumatifm.

LETTER. LXIX.

TO JHS, ESQ.

DEAR ANTONY,

M

May 25, near Dijon [1766].

y defire of seeing both my wife and girl has turn'd me out of my road towards a delicious Chateau of the Countess of Mwhere I have been patriarching it these feven days with her ladyship, and half a dozen of very handsome and agreeable ladiesher ladyship has the best of hearts-a valuable prefent not given to every one. To-morrow, with regret, I fhall quit

this agreeable circle, and post it night and day to Paris, where I fhall arrive in two days, and juft wind myself up, when I am there, enough to roll on to Calais-fo I hope to fup with you the king's birth-day, according to a plan of fixteen days ftanding.Never man has been fuch a wildgoofe chace after a wife as I have been-after having fought her in five or fix different towns, I found her at last in Franche Comté-Poor woman! fhe was very cordial, &c. and begs to ftay another year or fo-my Lydia pleafes me much-I found her greatly improved in in every thing I wished her-I am moft unaccountably well, and most accountably nonfenfical-'tis at least a proof of good fpirits, which is a fign and token given me in these latter days, that I must take up again the pen-In faith, I think I fhall die with it in my hand, but I shall live these ten years, my Antony, notwithstanding the fears of my wife, whom I left moft melancholy on that account. This is a delicious part of the world;

moft celeftial weather, and we lie all day, without damps, upon the grafsand that is the whole of it, except the inner man (for her ladyfhip is not ftingy of her wine) is infpired twice a day with the best Burgundy that grows upon the mountains which terminate our lands here. Surely you will not have decamped to Crazy Caftle, before I reach town.-The fummer here is fet in in good earneft-'tis more than we can fay for Yorkshire-I hope to hear a good tale

of

your alum-works-have you no other works in hand? I do not expect to hear from you, fo God profper you-and all your undertakings.-I am, my dear coufin,

Most affectionately yours,

L. STERNE.

Remember me to Mr. G, Cardinal S, the Col. &c. &c. &c.

LETTER. LXX.

TO MR. PANCHAUD, AT PARIS.

I

DEAR SIR,

York, June 28, 1766.

WROTE laft week to Mr. Becket to discharge the balance due to youand I have received a letter from him, telling me, that if you will draw upon him for one hundred and fixty pounds, he will punctually pay it to your orderfo fend the draughts when you please.Mrs. Sterne writes me word, she wants fifty pounds-which I defire you will let her have. I will take care to remit it to your correfpondent-I have fuch an entire confidence in my wife, that she spends as little as she can, though she is confined to no particular fum-her expences will not exceed three hundred pounds a year, unlefs by ill health, or a journey-and I am very willing fhe fhould have it—and you may rely, in cafe it ever happens that fhe fhould draw

for fifty or a hundred pounds extraordinary, that it and every demand fhall be punctually paid--and with proper thanks; and for this the whole Shandean family are ready to ftand security.—'Tis impoffible to tell you how forry I was that my affairs hurried me fo quick through Paris, as to deprive me of feeing my old friend Mr. Foley, and of the pleasure I propofed in being made known to his better half-but I have a probability of feeing him this winter.-Adieu, dear Sir, and believe me

Moft cordially yours,

L. STERNE.

P. S. Mrs. Sterne is going to Chalon, but your letter will find her, I be lieve, at Avignon-she is very poorlyand my daughter writes to me, with fad grief of heart, that she is worse.