Aug^{st}. 4. Hurried backwards & forwards ab^t. the arrival of Madame, this whole week—& then farewel I fear to this journal—till I get up to London—& can pursue it as I wish—at present all I can write would be but the History of my miserable feelings—She will be ever present—& if I take up my pen for thee—something will jarr within me as I do it—that I must lay it down again—I will give you one gen^l. Acc^t. of all my sufferings together—but not in Journals—I shall set my wounds a-bleeding every day afresh by it—& the Story cannot be too short—so worthiest best, kindest & affec^{te}. of Souls farewell—every Moment will I have thee present—& sooth my sufferings with the looks my fancy shall cloath thee in—Thou shalt lye down & rise up with me—ab^t. my bed & ab^t. my paths, & shalt see out all my Ways.—adieu—adieu—& remember one eternal truth, My dear Bramine, w^{ch}. is not the worse, because I have told it thee a thousand times before—That I am thine—& thine only, & for ever. L. STERNE. [Postscript.] Nov: 1^st. All my dearest Eliza has turned out more favourable than my hopes—M^{rs}. S.—& my dear Girl have been 2 Months with me and they have this day left me to go to spend the Winter at York, after having settled every thing to their hearts content—M^{rs}. Sterne retires into france, whence she purposes not to stir, till her death.—& never, has she vow’d, will give me another sorrowful or discontented hour—I have conquerd her, as I w^d. every one else, by humanity & Generosity—& she leaves me, more than half in Love w^{th}. me—She goes into the South of france, her health being insupportable in England—& her age, as she now confesses ten Years more, than I thought being on the edge of sixty—so God bless—& make the remainder of her Life happy—in order to w^{ch}. I am to remit her three hundred guineas a year—& give my dear Girl two thousand p^{ds}.—w^{th}. w^{ch}. all Joy, I agree to,—but ’tis to be sunk into an annuity in the french Loans— —And now Eliza! Let me talk to thee—But What can I say, What can I write—But the Yearnings of heart wasted with looking & wishing for thy Return—Return—Return! my dear Eliza! May heaven smooth the Way for thee to send thee safely to us, & joy for Ever. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ORIGINAL LETTERS OF LAURENCE STERNE. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [Illustration: Handwritten letter.] [Illustration: Handwritten letter.] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ORIGINAL LETTERS OF LAURENCE STERNE TO DANIEL DRAPER, ESQ.