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
15. Undone with too much Society yesterday,—You scarse can Conceive my
dear Eliza what a poor Soul I am—how I shall be got down to Cox only
heaven knows—for I am as weak as a Child—You would not like me the worse
for it, Eliza, if you was here—My friends like me, the more,—& Swear I
shew more true fortitude & eveness of temper in my Suffering than
Seneca, or Socrates—I am, my Bramin,[26] resigned.
* * * * *
16. Taken up all day with worldly matters, just as my Eliza was the week
before her departure.—breakfasted with Lady Spencer—caught her with the
character of y^r. Portrait—caught her passions still more with that of
y^rself.—& my Attachment to the most amiable of Beings—drove at night to
Ranelagh—staid an hour—returned to my Lodgings, dissatisfied.
17. At Court—every thing in this world seems in Masquerade, but thee
dear Woman—and therefore I am sick of all the world but thee—one Evening
_so spent_, as the _Saturday’s w^{ch}. preeceeded our Separation—would
sicken all the Conversation of the world—I relish no Converse
since_—when will the like return?—’tis hidden from us both, for the
wisest ends—and the hour will come my Eliza! when We shall be convinced,
that every event has been order’d for the best for Us—our fruit is not
ripend—the accidents of time & Seasons will ripen every Thing _together_
for Us—a little better to day—or could not have wrote this. dear Bramine
rest thy Sweet Soul in peace!
* * * * *
18. Laid sleepless all night, with thinking of the many dangers &
sufferings, my dear Girl! that thou art exposed to—from the Voiage & thy
sad state of health—but I find I must think no more upon them—I have
rose wan and trembling with the Havock they have made upon my
nerves—’tis death to me to apprehend for you—I must flatter my
Imagination, That every Thing goes well with You—Surely no evil can have
befallen you—for if it had—I had felt some monitory sympathetic Shock
within me, w^{ch}. would have spoke like Revelation.—So farewell to all
tormenting _May be’s_ in regard to my Eliza—She is well—she thinks of
her Yorick w^{th}. as much Affection and true esteem as ever—and values
him as much above the World, as he values his Bramine.
* * * * *
19. Packing up, or rather Molly for me, the whole day—tormenting! had
not Molly all the time talk’d of poor M^{rs}. Draper—& recounted every
Visit She had made me, and every repast she had shared with me—how good
a Lady!—How sweet a temper!—how beautiful!—how genteel!—how gentle a
Carriage—& how soft & engaging a look!—the poor girl is bewitch’d with
us both—infinitely interested in our Story, tho’ She knows nothing of it
but from her penetration and Conjectures.—She says however,’tis
Impossible not to be in Love with her—In heart-felt truth, Eliza! I’m of
Molly’s opinion.
* * * * *
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