The Journal to Eliza and Various letters by Laurence Sterne and Elizabeth Draper — John Shaqi
The Journal to Eliza and Various letters by Laurence Sterne and Elizabeth DraperSterne, Laurence
General
The Journal to Eliza and Various letters by Laurence Sterne and Elizabeth Draper
Sterne, Laurence
Draper, Elizabeth, 1744-1778; Novelists, English -- 18th century -- Correspondence; Sterne, Laurence, 1713-1768 -- Correspondence
Ap: 14. Got up tottering & feeble—then is it Eliza, that I feel the want
of thy friendly hand & friendly Council—& yet, with thee beside me, thy
Bramin would lose the merit of his virtue—he could not err—but I will
take thee upon any terms Eliza! I shall be happy here—& I will be so
just, so kind to thee, I will deserve not to be miserable hereafter—a
Day dedicated to Abstinence & reflection—& what object will employ the
greatest part of mine—full well does my Eliza know.
* * * * *
Munday. Ap: 15.
Worn out with fevers of all kinds, but most, by that fever of the heart
with w^{ch}. I’m eternally wasting, & shall waste till I see Eliza
again—dreadful Suffering of 15 months!—it may be more—great Controuler
of Events! surely thou wilt proportion this, to my Strength, and to that
of my Eliza. Pass’d the whole afternoon in reading her Letters, &
reducing them to the order in which they were wrote to me—staid the
whole evening at home—no pleasure or Interest in either Society or
Diversions—What a change, my dear Girl, hast thou made in me!—but the
Truth is, thou hast only turn’d the tide of my passions a new way—they
flow Eliza to thee—& ebb from every other Object in this world—& Reason
tells me they do right—for my heart has rated thee at a Price, that all
the world is not rich enough to purchase thee from me, at. In a high
fever all the night.
* * * * *
Ap: 16. and got up so ill, I could not go to M^{rs}. James as I had
promised her—took James’s Powder however—& leand the whole day with my
head upon my hand, sitting most dejectedly at the Table with my Eliza’s
Picture before me—sympathizing & soothing me—O my Bramine! my Friend! my
Help-mate!—for that (if I’m a prophet) is the Lot mark’d out for thee;—&
such I consider thee now, & thence it is, Eliza, I share so righteously
with thee in all the evil or good which befalls thee—But all our portion
is Evil now, & all our hours grief—I look forwards towards the Elysium
we have so often and rapturously talk’d of—Cordelia’s spirit will fly to
tell thee in some sweet Slumber, the moment the door is open’d for thee
& The Bramin of the Vally, shall follow the track wherever it leads him,
to get to his Eliza, & invite her to his Cottage—
* * * * *
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