The life and letters of Laurence Sterne . LORD, I was yesterday taking leave of all thetown, with an intention of leaving it this day,but I am detained bv the kindness of Lord and •/ Lady Spencer, who have made a party to dineand sup on my account.—I am impatient to setout for my solitude, for there the mind gainsstrength, and learns to lean upon herself.—Inthe world it seeks or accepts of a few treacheroussupports—the feigned compassion of one—theflattery of a second—the civilities of a third—the friendship of a fourth—they all deceive, andbring the mind back to where mine is retreat-ing, to
The life and letters of Laurence Sterne . LORD, I was yesterday taking leave of all thetown, with an intention of leaving it this day,but I am detained bv the kindness of Lord and •/ Lady Spencer, who have made a party to dineand sup on my account.—I am impatient to setout for my solitude, for there the mind gainsstrength, and learns to lean upon herself.—Inthe world it seeks or accepts of a few treacheroussupports—the feigned compassion of one—theflattery of a second—the civilities of a third—the friendship of a fourth—they all deceive, andbring the mind back to where mine is retreat-ing, to retirement, reflection, and books. Mydeparture is fixed for to-morrow morning, butI could not think of quitting a place where I * This letter was clearly written later than May 1, the dateassigned to it by Sternes daughter. Sterne took leave of hisfriends on May 20, intending to leave London the next day, buthe was evidently detained one day later to dine with the letter was written on the morning of May LAURENCE STERNE.(See p. 255.) From a phh uflcr <i jiorlruil by Reynolds(in the possession of the Marquess of Lan-sdowne). 261 STERNE WRITES HIS LAST BOOK 263 have received such numberless and unmeritedcivilities from your lordship, without returningmy most grateful thanks, as well as my heartyacknowledgments for your friendly enquiry fromBath. Illness, my Lord, has occasioned mysilence—Death knocked at my door, but I wouldnot admit him—the call was both unexpectedand unpleasant—and I am seriously worn downto a shadow—and still very weak ;—but weakas I am, I have as whimsical a story to tell youas ever befel one of my family—Shandys nose,his name, his sash window are fools to it—itwill serve at least to amuse you.—The injury Idid myself last month in catching cold uponJamess Powder—fell, you must know, upon theworst part it could—the most painful, and mostdangerous of any in the human body. It wason this crisis I called in
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