The life and letters of Laurence Sterne . u, as a Dutch boor does to the Queen ofSheba,—can easily find out—but that you aresensible, gentle and tender, and from one endto the other of you full of the sweetest tones andmodulations, require a deeper research.—Youare a system of harmonic vibrations—the softestand best attuned of all instruments.—Lord ! Iwould give away my other cassoc to touch you.—But in giving my last ray of priesthood forthat pleasure, I should be left naked—to saynothing of being quite disordered—so divine ahand as yours would presently put me intoorders again—but if you sup
The life and letters of Laurence Sterne . u, as a Dutch boor does to the Queen ofSheba,—can easily find out—but that you aresensible, gentle and tender, and from one endto the other of you full of the sweetest tones andmodulations, require a deeper research.—Youare a system of harmonic vibrations—the softestand best attuned of all instruments.—Lord ! Iwould give away my other cassoc to touch you.—But in giving my last ray of priesthood forthat pleasure, I should be left naked—to saynothing of being quite disordered—so divine ahand as yours would presently put me intoorders again—but if you suppose this wouldleave me as you found me, believe me, dearMrs. V[esey], that you are much mistaken.—Allthis busy duty put together, pray, dear lady, letme ask you. What business have you to returnback again ?—The deuce take you with yourmusical and other powers ; could nothing serveyou, but you must turn Tristram Shandys head,as if it was not turned enough already—as foryour turning my heart—I forgive you, as you. JOHN WILKES. (See p. 47.)From an engraving by J. StepJienson after a portrait by Prine. 69 PARIS, COXWOLD, AND BATH 71 have been so good as to turn it towards soexcellent and heavenly an object.* Laurence Sterne to Mrs. Vesey [LONDON], Monday Morning [April (?), 1765]. When all the crowd, my fair lady, was hurriedinto the gardens, to hear the musick of squibsand crackers—and see the air illuminated byrockets, and balloons,—I was flattered, ex-quisitely flattered, to find you contented tosaunter lackadaisically with me, round an ex-hausted Ranelagh, and give me your gentle,amiable, elegant sentiments, in a tone of voice,that was originally intended for a Cherub. Howyou got it I know not—nor is it my business toenquire ; I am ever rejoiced to find, any emana-tion of the other world, in any corner of this,be it where it may ;—but particularly when itproceeds through any female organ,—where theeffect must be more powerful, because it isa
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