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marian! But in fufpending his voice-was the fenfe fufpended likewife? did no expreffion of attitude or coun-/ tenance fill up the chafm?-Was the eye filent? Did you narrowly look ?-I look'd only at the ftop-watch, my lord. Excellent obferver!

AND what of this new book the whole world makes fuch a rout about ?-Oh! 'tis out of all plumb, my lord,quite an irregular thing! not one of the angles at the four corners was a right angle. I had my rule and compasses, &c. my lord, in my pocket.-Excellent critic!

AND for the epic poem your lordship bid me look at;-upon taking the length, breadth, height, and depth of it, and trying them at home upon an exact scale of Boffu's 'tis out, my lord, in every one of its dimenfions. -Admirable connoiffeur !

AND did you step in, to take a look at the grand picture in your way back?-'Tis a melancholy daub! my lord; not one principle of the pyramid in any one group!

and what a price!- for there is nothing of the colouring of Titian-the expreffion of Rubens-the grace of Raphael-the purity of Dominichino-the corregiefcity of Corregio the learning of Pouffin-the air of Guido the tafte of the Carrachis- or the grand contour of Angelo.

GRANT me patience, juft Heaven!-Of all the cants which are canted in this canting world-though the cant of hypocrites may be the worft-the cant of criticifin is the moft tormenting!

I WOULD go fifty miles on foot, to kiss the hand of that man, whofe generous heart will give up the reins of his imagination into his author's hands-be pleafed he knows not why, and cares not wherefore.

STERNE.

CHAP. IV.

ON NEGROES.

WHEN Tom, an' please your honour, got to the fhop, there was nobody in it but a poor negro girl, with a bunch of white feathers flightly tied to the end of a long cane, flapping away flies-not killing them. 'Tis a pretty picture! faid my uncle Toby-fhe had fuffered perfecution, Trim, and had learnt mercy

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-SHE was good, an' please your honour, from nature as well as from hardships; and there are circumftances in the fory of that poor friendless flut that would melt a heart of ftone, faid Trim; and fome difmal winter's evening, when your honour is in the humour, they fhall be told you with the rest of Tom's ftory, for it makes a part of it

THEN do not forget, Trim, faid my uncle Toby.

A NEGRO has a foul, an' please your honour, faid the corporal (doubtingly).

I AM not much verfed, corporal, quoth my uncle Toby, in things of that kind; but I suppose, God would not leave him without one, any more than thee or me.--

-IT would be putting one fadly over the head of another, quoth the corporal.

Ir would fo, faid my uncle Toby. Why then, an' pleafe your honour, is a black wench to be ufed worse than a white one?

I CAN give no reason, faid my uncle Toby

-ONLY, cried the corporal. fhaking his head, becaufe fhe has no one to ftand up for her

'Tis that very thing, Trim, quoth my uncle Toby, which recommends her to protection, and her brethren with her; 'tis the fortune of war which has put the whip into our hands now- -where it may be hereafter, Heaven

knows!

knows!but be it where it will, the brave, Trim, will not use it unkindly.

-GOD forbid, faid the corporal.

AMEN, refponded my uncle Toby, laying his hand upon his heart.

STERNE.

CHAP. V.

RIVERS AND SIR HARRY.

SIR HAR. COLONEL, your moft obedient; I am come upon the old business; for unless I am allowed to entertain hopes of Mifs Rivers, I fhall be the moft miferable of all human beings.

Riv. Sir Harry, I have already told you by letter, and I now tell you perfonally, I cannot liften to your propofals. SIR HAR. No, Sir?

Riv. No, Sir, I have promifed my daughter to Mr. Sidney; do you know that, Sir?

SIR HAR. I do; but what then? engagements of this kind, you know

RIV.

So then, you do know I have promised her to Mr. Sidney?

SIR HAR. I do; but I also know that matters are not finally fettled between Mr. Sidney and you; and I moreover know, that his fortune is by no means equal to mine, therefore-

RIV. Sir Harry, let me afk you one question before you make your confequence.

SIR HAR. A thoufand if you pleafe, Sir.

RIV. Why then, Sir, let me ask you, what you have ever obferved in me or my conduct, that you defire me so familiarly to break my word? I thought, Sir, you confidered me as a man of honour.

SIR HAR. And so I do, Sir, a man of the nicest ho

nour.

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Riv. And yet, Sir, you ask me to violate the fanctity word; and tell me directly, that it is my intereft to be a rafcal.

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SLR HAR. I really don't understand you, Colonel : -I thought when I was talking to you, I was talking to a man who knew the world; and as you have not yet figned—

Riv. Why, this is mending matters with a witnefs! And so you think because I am not legally bound, I am under no neceffity of keeping my word! Sir Harry, laws were never made for men of honour: they want no bond but the rectitude of their own fentiments, and laws are of no ufe but to bind the villains of fociety.

SIR HAR. Well! but my dear Colonel, if you have no regard for me, fhow fome little regard for your daughter. RIV. I fhow the greatest regard for my daughter, by giving her to a man of honour: and I must not be infulted with any farther repetition of your proposals.

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SIR HAR. Infult you, Colonel! Is the offer of my ance an infult? Is my readinefs to make what settlements you think proper

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Rav. Sir Harry, I should confider the offer of a kingdom an infult, if it was to be purchased by the violation of my word: Befides, though my daughter shall never go a beggar to the arms of her husband, I would rather fee her happy than rich; and if she has enough to provide handfomely for a young family, and something to spare for the exigencies of a worthy friend, I fhall think her as affluent as if he was miftrefs of Mexico.

SIR HAR. Well, Colonel, I have done: but I believeRiv. Well, Sir Harry, and as our conference is done, we will, if you please, retire to the ladies: I shall be always glad of your acquaintance, though I cannot receive you as a fon in-law; for a union of interefts I lock upon as a union of dishonour, and confider a marriage for money, at beft, but a legal prostitution.

FALSE DELICACY.

'CHAP. VI.

SIR JOHN MELVIL AND STERLING.

STERL. WH

John?

HAT are your commands with me, Sir

SIR JOHN. After having carried the negotiation between our families to fo great a length, after having affented fo readily to all your propofals, as well as received so many. infances of your cheerful compliance with the demands made on our part, I am extremely concerned, Mr. Sterling, to be the involuntary caufe of any uneafinefs.

STER. Upeafinefs! what uneafinefs? Where bufinefs is tranfacted as it ought to be, and the parties underftand one another, there can be no uncafinefs. You agree, on fuch and fuch conditions, to receive my daughter for a wife; on the fame conditions I agree to receive you as a fon-in-law: and as to all the reft, it fallows of courfe, you know, as regularly as the payment of a bill for acceptance.

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SIR JOHN. Pardon me, Sir; more uneafinefs has arifen than you are aware of. I am myfelf, at this inftant, in a ftate of inexpreffible embarraffment; Mifs Sterling, I know, is extremely difconcerted too; and unless you will oblige me with the affiftance of your friendship, I foresee the fpeedy progrefs of discontent and animofity through the whole family..

STERL. What the deuce is all this! I do not underftand a single syllable.

SIR JOHN. In one word then, it will be abfolutely impoffible for me to fulfil my engagements in regard to Miss Sterling.

STERL. How, Sir John? Do you mean to put an affront upon my family? What! refuse to

SIR JOHN. Be affured, Sir, that I neither mean to affront nor forfake your family. My only fear is that you should

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