“I desire to have all the share I can in the little one, shall be happy to be accepted as a godmother, and thank you for being so obliging as to intend it my name if it is a girl; it will not disgrace her if she should be a toast, for I once knew a Miss Betty Robinson that set up for one; if it is not disagreeable to you I should be glad if it was christened Elizabeth Montagu, which will be also a compliment to my husband. I envy you, my dear brother, the pleasure of seeing at your leisure the Queen of Cities, Imperial Rome.” [Page heading: STERNE GOES ABROAD] [Page heading: STERNE’S “MEMORANDUMS”] The Rev. Laurence Sterne had been in bad health for some time; he had just completed his fifth and sixth volumes of “Tristram Shandy,” and with permission from the Archbishop of York for absence for a year or more, he left Coxwould for the South of France, leaving the following paper with Mrs. Montagu, who, it will be remembered, was his cousin by marriage. “December 28, 1761. “Memorandums left with Mrs. Montagu in case I should die abroad. “L. STERNE. “My sermons in a trunk at my friend Mr. Hall’s, St. John’s Street, 2 Vols. to be picked out of them.--N.B. There are enough for 3 Vols.-- “My Letters in my bureau at Coxwould and a bundle in a trunk with my sermons.-- “Note. The large piles of letters in the garrets at York, to be sifted over, in search for some either of Wit, or Humour--or what is better than both--of Humanity and good Nature--these will make a couple of Volumes _more_, and as not one of ’em was ever wrote, like Pope’s or Voiture’s, to be printed, they are more likely to be read--if there wants ought to serve the completion of a 3rd volume--the Political Romance I wrote, which was never publish’d--may be added to the fag end of the volumes.... Tho’ I have 2 reasons why I wish it may not be wanted--first an undeserved compliment to one, whom I have since found to be a very corrupt man--I knew him weak and ignorant--but thought him honest. The other reason is I have hung up Dr. Topham in the romance in a ridiculous light--which upon my soul I now doubt whether he deserves it--so let the Romance go to sleep not by itself--for ’twil have company. “My _Conscio ad Clinum_ in Latin which I made for Fountayne, to preach before the University to enable him to take his Doctor’s Degree--you will find 2 copies of it, with my sermons-- “--He got Honour by it--What got I?--Nothing in my lifetime, then let me not (I charge you Mrs. Sterne) be robbed of it after my death. That long pathetic letter to him of the hard measure I have received--I charge you, to let it be printed--’Tis equitable you should derive that good from my sufferings at least.