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
I but copy your great civility to me—in writing you word, that I
have this moment rec^d. another Letter, wrote eighteen days
after the date of the last from S^t. Iago—If our poor friend
could have wrote another Letter to England, you will in course
have it—but I fear from the circumstance of great hurry, and
bodily disorder when she dispatch’d this she might not have
time—In case it has so fallen out—I send you the contents of
w^t. I have rec^d.—and that is a melancholly history of herself
and sufferings since they left Iago—continual and most violent
rhumatism all the time—a fever brought on—with fits—and attended
with Delirium, and every terrifying symptome—the recovery from
this left her low and emaciated to a skeleton—I give you the
pain of this detail with a bleeding heart—knowing how much at
the same time it will affect yours—The three or four last days
in her journal, leave us with hopes she will do well at last—for
she is more chearful, and seems to be getting up her spirits—&
health in course with it.—They have cross’d the Line—are much
becalm’d—w^{ch}. with other delays, [s]he fears, they will lose
their passage to Madrass—& be some months sooner for it at
Bombay—Heaven protect this worthy creature! for she suffers
much, & with uncommon fortitude—She writes much to me ab^t. her
dear friend M^{rs}. James in her last Packet—in truth, my good
Lady, she honours & loves you from her heart—but if she did
not—I should not Love her half so well myself as I do.
Adieu my dear friends—You have Very few in the world,
more truely & cordially y^{rs}.
L. STERNE.
_P.S._
I have just rec^d. as a present from a right Hon^{ble}.[38] a
most elegant gold Snuff fabricated for me at Paris—I wish Eliza
was here, I would lay it at her feet—however, I will enrich my
gold Box, with her picture,—& if the Doner does not approve of
such an acquisition to his pledge of friendship—I will send him
his Box again—
* * * * *
May I presume to inclose you the Letter I write to M^{rs}.
Draper—I know you will write yourself—& my Letter may have the
honour to chaperon yours to India. M^{rs}. Sterne & my daughter
are coming to stay a couple of months with [me], as far as from
Avignion—& then return—Here’s Complaisance for you—I went 500
miles the last Spring, out of my way, to pay my wife a weeks
visit—and she is at the expence of coming post a thousand miles
to return it—what a happy pair!—however, en passant, she takes
back sixteen hundred p^{ds}. into France with her—and will do me
the honour likewise to strip me of every thing I have—Except
Eliza’s Picture, Adieu.
_Endorsed_:—
To M^{rs}. James
in Gerard Street,
Soho,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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