**

untrue, and unlikely to come from me, that the worst enemy I have here never had a suspicion - and, to end all, Dr. Hill owns the paper. I shall be down before May is out-I preach before the judges on Sunday-my Sermons come out on Thursday after and I purpose, the Monday, at furthest, after that, to set out for York - I have bought a pair of horses for that purpose my best respects to your Lady I am, dear sir, your most obliged and faithful L. STERNE.

P. S.-I beg pardon for this hasty scrawl, having just come from a concert where the D. of York perform❜d. - I have received great notice from him, and last week had the honour of supping with him.

* [May 22.]

LETTER XLIV

To Dr. Warburton, Bishop of Gloucester

YORK, June 9, 1760.

MY LORD, Not knowing where to send two sets of my Sermons, I could think of no better expedient, than to order them into Mr. Berrenger's hands, who has promised me that he will wait upon your Lordship with them, the first moment he hears you are in town. The truest and humblest thanks I return to your Lordship, for the generosity of your protection, and advice to me; by making a good use of the one, I will hope to deserve the other; I wish your Lordship all the health and happiness in this world, for I am your Lordship's most obliged and most grateful servant,

L. STERNE.

P. S.-I am just sitting down to go on with Tristram, &c.—the scribblers use me ill, but they have used my betters much worse, for which may God forgive them.

LETTER XLV

Dr. Warburton, Bishop of Gloucester, to the Rev. Mr. Sterne PRIOR-PARK, June 15, 1760.

REVEREND SIR, - I have your favour of the 9th instant, and am glad to understand, you are got safe home, and employ'd again in your proper studies and amusements. You have it in your power to make that, which is an amusement to yourself and others, useful to both: at least, you should above all things, beware of its becoming hurtful to either, by any violations of decency and good manners; but I have already taken such repeated liberties of advising you on that head, that to say more would be needless, or perhaps unacceptable.

Whoever is, in any way, well received by the public, is sure to be annoy'd by that pest of the public, profligate scribblers. This is the common lot of successful adventurers; but such have often a worse evil to struggle with, I mean the over-officiousness of their indiscreet friends. There are two Odes,* as they

Intitled, "Two Lyric Epistles: one to my Cousin Shandy, on his coming to Town; and the other to the Grown Gentlewomen, the Misses of

4to.

are call'd, printed by Dodsley. Whoever was the author, he appears to be a monster of impiety and lewdness — yet, such is the malignity of the scribblers, some have given them to your friend Hall; -and others, which is still more impossible, to yourself; though the first Ode has the insolence to place you both in a mean and a ridiculous light. But this might arise from a tale equally groundless and malignant, that you had shewn them to your acquaintances in MS. before they were given to the public. Nor was their being printed by Dodsley the likeliest means of discrediting the calumny.

About this time, another, under the mask of friendship, pretended to draw your character, which was since published in a Female Magazine (for Dulness, who often has as great a hand as the Devil, in deforming God's work of the creation, has made them, it seems, male and female), and from thence it was transferred into a Chronicle.* Pray have you read it, or do you know its author?

But of all these things, I dare say Mr. Garrick, whose prudence is equal to his honesty or his talents, has remonstrated to you with the *The London Chronicle, May 6, 1760.

freedom of a friend. He knows the inconstancy of what is called the Public, towards all, even the best-intentioned, of those who contribute to its pleasure or amusement. He (as every man of honour and discretion would) has availed himself of the public favour, to regulate the taste, and, in his proper station, to reform the manners of the fashionable world; while, by a well-judged œconomy, he has provided against the temptations of a mean and servile dependency on the follies and vices of the great.

In a word, be assured, there is no one more sincerely wishes your welfare and happiness, than, reverend sir,

W. G.