china cannot be brought over from England, we must make up a villanous party-coloured tea equipage, to regale ourfelves, and our English friends, whilst we are at Toulouse-I hope you have got your bill from Becket.-There is a goodnatured kind of a trader I have juft heard of, at Mr. Foley's, who they think will be coming off from England to France, with horfes, the latter end of June. He happened to come over with a lady, who is fifter to Mr. Foley's partner, and I have got her to write a letter to him in London, this poft, to beg he will feek you out at Mr. E's, and, in cafe a cartel fhip does not go off before he goes, to take you under his care. He was infinitely friendly, in the fame office, last year, to the lady who now writes to him, and nurfed her on fhipboard, and defended her by land with great good-will.-Do not fay I forget you, or whatever can be conducive to your cafe of mind, in this journey-I wish I was with you, to do thefe offices myself, and to ftrew rofes on your way

-but I fhall have time and occafion to fhew you I am not wanting-Now, my dears, once more pluck up your fpirits -truft in God-in me-and in yourselves-with this, was you put to it, you would encounter all thefe difficulties ten times told-Write inftantly, and tell me you triumph over all fears; tell me Lydia is better, and a helpmate to you— You fay fhe grows like me-let her fhew me she does fo in her contempt of small dangers, and fighting against the apprehenfions of them, which is better ftill. As I will not have F.'s fhare of the books, you will inform him fo-Give my love to Mr. Fothergill, and to those true friends which Envy has fpared me— and for the reft, laissez paffer-You will find I fpeak French tolerably—but I only wish to be understood.-You will foon fpeak better; a month's play with a French Demoiselle will make Lyd chatter like a magpye. Mrs. understood not a word of it, when she got here, and writes me word fhe begins to prate apace-you will do the fame in a

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fortnight-Dear Befs, I have a thousand wifhes, but have a hope for every one of them-You fhall chant the fame jubilate, my dears, fo God bless you. My duty to Lydia, which implies my love Adieu, believe me

too.

Your affectionate

L. STERNE.

Memorandum: Bring watch-chains, tea-kettle, knives, cookery-book, &c.

You will fimile at this laft article-fo adieu-At Dover, the Crofs Keys; at Calais, the Lyon D'Argent-the master, a Turk in grain.

LETTER XXIX.

TO LADY D.

Paris, July 9, 1762.

I

WILL not fend your ladyship the trifles you bid me purchase without a line. I am very well pleased with Paris

indeed I meet with fo many civilities.

amongst the people here, that I must fing their praises-the French have a great deal of urbanity in their compofition, and to stay a little time amongst them will be agreeable.-I fplutter French fo as to be understood-but I have had a droll adventure here in which my Latin was of fome fervice to me-I had hired a chaife and a horse to go about feven miles into the country, but, Shan. dean-like, did not take notice that the horfe was almoft dead when I took him -Before I got half-way, the poor animal dropped down dead-so I was forced to appear before the Police, and began to tell my story in French, which was, that the poor beaft had to do with a worse beast than himself, namely his mafter, who had driven him all the day before (Jehu like), and that he had neither had corn, or hay, therefore I was not to pay for the horse-but I might as well have whiftled, as have spoke French, and I believe my Latin was equal to my uncle Toby's Lilabulero-being not understood because of its purity, but by

dint of words I forced my judge to do me justice-no common thing, by the way, in France.-My wife and daughter are arrived-the latter does nothing but look out of the window, and complain of the torment of being frizled.-I wifh fhe may ever remain a child of nature-I hate children of art.

I hope this will find your ladyship well-and that you will be kind enough to direct to me at Touloufe, which place I shall set out for very foon. I am, with truth and fincerity,

MY

y wife and daughter arrived here fafe and found on Thursday, and are in high raptures with the fpeed and