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not to be refifted, and put his finger to his forehead-' God's will must "be done.' He defired I would prefent his refpects and compliments to 'the General, Colonel Monfon, and Mr Francis, and pray for their protection of Raja Gourdafs; that they would pleafe to look upon him now as the head of the Bramins. His compofure was wonderful; not a figh efcaped him; nor the smallestnal when he had done with this

alteration of voice or countenance, tho' I understood he had not many hours before taken a folemn and affectionate leave of his fon in-law Roy Radichum. I found myfelf fo much fecond to him in firmnefs, that I could stay no longer. Going down ftairs, the jailor informed me, that fince the departure of his friends, he had been writing notes, and looking at accounts, in his ufual way.

in agonies of grief and defpair. I then looked at my own watch, told him the hour I had mentioned was 'not arrived, that it wanted above a quarter of eight, but that I fhould wait his own time, and that I would not rife from my feat without a motion from him. Upon its being recommended to him, that at the place ⚫ of execution he would give fome fig

world, he said he would fpeak. We fat about a quarter of an hour longer, during which he addreffed himfelf more than once to me ;-mentioned Rajah Gourdafs, the General, Colonel Monfon and Mr Francis, but without any feeming anxiety: The reft of the time, I believe, he paffed in prayer; his lips and tongue moving, and his beads hang. ing upon his hand. He then look

I began now to apprehend, that heed to me and arofe, spoke to fome

had taken his refolution, and fully expected that he would be found

' dead in the morning; but on Saturday the 5th, at feven, I was infor

of the fervants of the jail, telling them, that any thing he night have omitted, Rajah Gourdafs would take care of; then walked chearfully to

med that every thing was in readi-the gate, and feated himself in his

nefs at the jail for the execution. I came there about half an hour paft feven. The howlings and lamentations of the poor wretched people, who

< were taking their laft leave of him,

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are not to be defcribed, I have hard-place of execution. The croud there

ly recovered the firft fhock, while I

was very great; but not the least

• write this, above three hours after-appearance of a riot. The Raja fat wards. As foon as he heard I was in his Palanquin upon the bearers arrived, he came down into the yard, 'fhoulders, and looked around at first and joined me in the jailor's apart⚫ with fome attention. I did not ob ment. There was no lingering a- ⚫ ferve the smallest discompofure in his bout him; no affected delay. He countenance or manner at the fight came chearfully into the room, made of the gallows, or any of the cerethe ufual Salaam, but would not fit monies paffing about it. He asked till I took a chair near him. See- for the Bramins, who were not come ing fomebody, I forgot who, look at up, and fhewed fome earnestnefs, as a watch, he got up, and faid he was if he apprehended the execution ready, and immediately turning to might take place before their arrival three Bramins, who were to attend I took that opportunity of affuring and take care of his body, he embra-him, I will wait his own time, it ced them all closely; but without "was early in the day, and there was the least mark of melancholy or de- "no hurry,' the Bramins foon after, preffion on his while they were part, appearing, I offered to remove the

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⚫ officers,

officers, thinking that he might have fomething to fay in private, but he ⚫ made a motion not to do it, and faid, he had only a few words to remind them of what he had faid concerning Rajah Gourdafs, and the care of his Zenana. He spoke to me, and defired that the men might be taken care of, as they were to take charge of his body, which he defired repeat

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ordered his palanquin to be brought clofe under the gallows, but he chofe to walk, which he did more erect than I have generally seen him. At the foot of the steps, which lead to the ftage, he put his hands behind him to be tied with a handkerchief, looking around at the fame time with the utmost unconcern. Some diffi culties arifing about the cloth which

edly might not be touched by any offhould be tied over his face, he told

the by-ftanders; but he feemed not in the leaft alarmed or difcompofed at the crowd around him--There was fome delay in the neceffary preparations, and from the aukwardnefs

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the people, that it must not be done by one of us. I prefented to him a fubaltern Sepoy officer, who is a Bramin, and came forward with his handkerchief in his hand, but the

of the people, he was no way defi-Rajah pointed to a fervant of his rous of protracting the bufinefs, but • repeatedly told me he was ready. Upon my asking him, if he had any · more friends he wished to fee, he < anfwered he had many, but this was ⚫ not a place nor an occafion to look for them. Did he apprehend their might be any prefent, who could not get up for the crowd? He mentioned one, whofe name was called; but he immediately faid, it was of no con"fequence, probably he had not come.'

He then defired me to to remember him to General Clavering, Colonel • Monfon, and Mr Francis, and look⚫ed with the greatest compofure. • When he was not engaged in converfation, he lay back in the palanquin, moving his lips and tongue as before. I then caufed him to be afk⚫ed about the fignal he was to make, ⚫ which could not be done by fpeaking, on account of the noife of the crowd. He faid he would make a ⚫ motion with his hand, and when it • was reprefented to him, that it would be neceffary for his hands to be tied, in order to prevent any involuntary

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own, who was lying proftrate at his feet, and beckoned him to do it. He had fome weakness in his feet, which added to the confinement of his hands, made him mount the fteps with difficulty. But he fhewed not the leaft reluctance, fcrambling rather forward to get up. He then stood erect on the ftage, while I examined his countenance as ftedfaftly as I could till the cloth covered it, to fee if I could obferve the smallest fyrpton of fear or alarm, but there was not a trace of it. My own fpirits funk, and I ftept into my palanquin, but before I was well feated, he had given the fignal, and the stage was removed. I could obferve, when I was a little recovered, that his arms lay back in the fame pofition, in which I faw them firft tied, nor could I perceive any contortion of that fide of his mouth and face which were visible. In a word, his fteadinefs, compofure, and refolution throughout the whole of this melancholy tranfaction, were equal to any examples of fortitude I have ever

⚫ motion, and I recommended his ma-read or heard of. The body was

⚫king a motion with his foot, he faid he would. Nothing now remained ⚫ except the last painful ceremony. I

taken down after hanging the ufual time, and delivered to the Bramins for burning."

To

SIR,

TH

To the Printer.

HE very extraordinary genuis and first-rate wit of the late Mr Sterne have rendered his name and his works fo famous, and his imitators have been so numerous, that I apprehend any information concerning him or his writings will be acceptable. The following letter was written to a friend of mine by one of his acquaintance, in answer to fome queries propofed by the former, concerning Mr Sterne. It relates to the first two vols. only of his Life of Triftram Shandy, as the other was not published at that time. Thegentleman did not then chufe to put his name to it, and my friend not having taken any memorandum of it, does not recollect who his correfpondent was.

You may, however, Sir, be affured that the letter is genuine, and that the facts mentioned in it are to be depended on. Your's, &c. April 10. 1788.

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C.

April 15. 1760. NDEED, my dear Sir, your let. ter was quite a furprise to me. I had heard that Mr Shandy had engaged the attention of the gay part of the world; but when a gentleman of your active and useful turn can find time for fo many inquiries about him, I fee it is not only by the idle and the gay, that he is read and admired, but by the bufy and the ferious: nay, common fame says, but common fame is a great liar, that it is not only a Duke and an Earl, and a new-made Bishop, who are contending for the honour of being godfather to his dear child Triftram, but that men and women too, of all ranks and denominations, are carcffing the father, and providing flavering bibs for the bantling.

In anfwer to your inquiries, I have fat down to write a longer letter than fual, to tell you all I know about him and the defign of his book. I think

it was fome time in June last that he fhewed me his papers, more than would make four fuch volumes as thofe two he has published, and we fat up a whole night together reading them. I thought I difcovered a vein of humour which must take with readers of talte, but I took the liberty to point out fome grofs allufions which I appre hended would be a matter of just of fence, and efpecially when coming from a clergyman, as they would betray forgetfulness of his character. He obferved, that an attention to his character would damp his fire, and check the flow of his humour; and that if he went on and hoped to be read, he must not look at his band or his caflock. I told him, that an over attention to his chara&ter might perhaps have that ef fect; but that there was no occafion for him to think all the time he was writing his book, that he was writing fermons ; that it was no difficult matter to avoid the dirtinefs of Swift on the one hand, and the looseness of Rabelais on the other; and that if he stirred in the middle courfe, he might not only make it a very entertaining, but a very inftructive and useful book; and on that plan I faid all I could to encou rage him to come out with a volume or two in the Winter.

At this time he was haunted with doubts and fears of its not taking. He did not, however, think fit to follow my advice; yet when the two volumes came out, I wrote a paper or two by way of recommending them, and parti cularly pointed to Yorick, Trim Leading the fermon, and fuch parts as I was most pleased with myself. 、

If any apology can be made for his grofs allufions and double entendres, it is, that his defign is to take in all ranks and profeffions, and to laugh them out of their abfurdities. If you should ask him, why he begins his hero nine months before he was born?

his anfwer would be, That he might exhibit fome character inimitably ridiculous, without going out of his way, and which he could not introduce with propriety, had he begun them later. But as he intends to produce him fomewhere in the 3d or 4th volume, we will hope, if he does not keep him too long in the nursery, his future fcenes will be lefs offenfive. Old women indeed there are of both fexes whom even Uncle Toby can neither entertain nor instruct, and yet we all have hobby horfes of our own. The misfortune is, we are not content to ride them quietly ourselves, but are forcing every body that comes in our way to get up behind. Is not intolerance the worst part of Popery What pity it is, that many a zealous Proteftant fhould be a ftaunch Papift without knowing it!

parts of it I think there is a striking likeness, but I do not know fo much of him as to be able to fay how far it is kept up. The gentlemen in or about York will not allow of any likenefs at all in the best parts of it; whe ther his jokes and his jibes may not be felt by any of his neighbours, and make them unwilling to acknowledge a likenefs, would be hard to fay; certain, however, it is, that he has never, as far as I can find, been very acceptable to the grave and ferious. It is probable too he might give offence to a very numerous party, when he was a Curate, and just fetting out; for he. told me, that he wrote a weekly paper in fupport of the Whigs during the long canvas for the great contested es. lection of this county, and that he owed his preferment to that paper-fo acceptable was it to the then Archbishop.

The defign, as I have faid, is to take in all ranks and profeflions. A From that time, he fays, he has fyftem of education is to he exhibi- hardly written any thing till about two ted, and thoroughly difcuffed; for for years ago; when a fquabble breaking ming his future hero, I have re- out at York, about opening a patent commended a private tutor, and name- and putting in a new life, he fided ed no less a perfon than the great and with the Dean and his friends, and learned Dr W: Polemical Di- tried to throw the laugh on the other vines are to come in for a flap. An party, by writing the History of an old allegory has been run up on the wri- Watchcoat; but the affair being comters on the book of Job. The Doc- promifed, he was defired not to pubter is the Devil who fmote him from lifh it. About 500 copies were prin head to foot, and Gy Pts ted off, and all committed to theand Chow his miferable comfor- flames, but three or four, he said, one ters. A A groupe of mighty champions of which I read, and having fome litin literature is convened at Shandy- tle knowledge of his Dramatis Perhall. Uncle Toby and the Corporal are thorns in the private tutor's fide, and operate upon him as they did on Dr Slop at reading the fermon. All this for poor Job's fake, whilst an Irish Bishop, a quondam accquaintance of Sterne's, who has written on the fame fubject, and loves dearly to be in a croud, is to come uninvited and introduce himself.

fona, was highly entertained by feeing them in the light he had put them. This was a real difappointment to him, he felt it, and it was to this dif appointment that the world is indebted for Triftram Shandy, For till he had finished his Watchcoat, he says, he hardly knew that he could write at all, much lefs with humour, fo as to make his reader laugh. But it is my own opinion, that he is yet a stranger to his own genius, or at least that he. mistakes his forte. He is ambitious of appearing in his fool's coat, but he

So much for the book, now for the man. I have reason to think that he meant to sketch out his own character in that of Yorick, and indeed in some VQL, VII. No. 41. 34

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is more himself, and his much stronger, I think, in defcribing had been conceived and written under the tender paffions, as in Yorick, the greatest heavinefs of heart, arifing Uncle Toby, and the Fly, and in from fome hints the poor creature had making up the quarrel between old Mr dropped of her apprehenfions; and Shandy and Uncle Toby. that in her illnefs he had found in her pocket-book.

powers are which was, that every sentence of it

I can fay nothing to the report you have heard about Mrs Sterne; the few times I have feen her fhe was all life and fpirits, too much fo, I thought, He told me, in a letter laft Christmas, that his wife had loft her fenfes by a ftroke of the palfy; that the fight of the mother in that condition had thrown his poor child into a fever; and that in the midst of thefe afflictions, it was a ftrange incident that his ludicrous book fhould be printed off; but there was a stranger ftill behind,

Jan. 1ft, Le dernier de ma vie, helas!”

Thus, my dear Sir, I have been as particular as I well can, and have given you as ample an account both of the man and the defign of his book as you can reasonable expect from a person, who, bating a few letters, has not converfed more than three or four days with this very eccentric genuis.

Your's, &c.

Since the Letter from Mr Hume to Sir John Pringle was printed, (vid. p. 340.) the following has appeared in a London Paper, in which the fame Letter was inferted. As we have been enabled to vouch for the authenticity of the former, it becomes of fome importance to have the facts contained in it either confirmed or confuted. It would therefore be very obliging, if any perfon, well acquainted with the private hiftory of the laft of the Stuart race, would favour us with any remarks on it, and particularly with an impartial account of the circumstances attending his embarkation for Scotland. There may have been fome foundation for the anecdote of Helvetius; though the fact may turn out neither fo humiliating to the dignity of a Prince, nor fo de rogatory to the perfonal character of the fubject of thefe Letters.

SIR,

HA

AVING lately read in your paper a fuppofed letter from David Hume, Efq; to Sir John Pringle, containing a molt malicious calumny on the memory of the late unfortunate Charles Stuart (commonly called the Pretender) I could not help reflecting on the fingular fate of that unhappy prince, and of most of his family, who were not only doomed while a live to feel the iron hand of adverfity, but whofe afhes with unrelenting feverity have been raked up from the grave by the envenomed claw of faction. The authors of fuch illiberal falfehoods probably have in view to flatter the living by traducing the dead; but they are little acquainted with the generofity

and candor of the prefent poffeffor of of the British throne, who imagine that he can be pleased with detraction, or that, even if true, it could afford him any fatisfaction to be told, that the unhappy man, whofe ancestors had forfeited the crown of thefe realms by their vices and follies, had been a wretch deftitute of every virtue; and that the grandfon of the brave Sobich ki, and immediate defcendant of the gal lant Henery IV. had been a daftardly coward. That he was born with fu perior talents or abilities, there is no great reafon to fuppofe; that he was a man of ftrong paffions, and a vio lent temper, is pretty generally allow ed; and that for many years he had

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