met with the original of it in my reading, but will give a paffage from Bulwer's Anthropometamorphofis, analogous to Mauriceau's *. The north-weft paffage to learning, obfcurely mentioned in the Trifira-Pædia, is defcribed by Dr. Warton, in his excellent obferva tions on the Genius and Writings of Pope, and was well burlefqued by Swift, in the Voyage to Laputa+. The belt commentary on chap. v. vol. 8th, is Montagne's effay on the fubje&t.

There is one paffage in the 7th volume, which the circumftances of Sterne's death render pathetic. A believer in the doctrine of prefentiment would think it a prop to his theory. It is as ftriking as Swift's Digreffion on Madness, in the Tale of a Tub.

Was I in a condition to ftipulate with death ---I thould certainly declare against submitting to it before my friends; and therefore I never feriously think upon the mode and manner of this great cataftrophe, which generally takes up and torments my thoughts as much as the catastrophe itself, but I conftantly draw the curtain across it with this with, that the Disposer of all things may so order it, that it happen not to me in my own houfe-but rather in fome decent inn---- in an inn, the few cold offices I wanted, would be pur

chafed with a few guineas, and paid me with an undisturbed but punctual attention.' It is known that Sterne died in hired lodgings, and I have been told, that his attendants robbed him even of his gold fleeve-buttons, while he was expiring.

I have feen, not very long ago, a charge of plagiarifm brought against Sterne, refpecting his Sermons.

From what author the paffages were faid to be borrowed, I do not remember; but it has long been my opinion, that the manner, the ftyle, and the felection of fubjects for thofe Sermons, were derived from the excellent Contemplations of bifhop Hall. There is a delica cy of thought, and tenderness of expreflion in the good bifhop's compofitions, from the transfufion of which Sterne looked for immortality.

Let us compare that fingular Sermon, entitled The Levite and his Concubine, with part of the bishop's contemplation of the Levite's Concubine. I fhall follow Sterne's order.

Then fhame and grief go with her, and wherever the feeks a fhelter, may the hand of juftice fhut the door against her .'

"What hufband would not have faid-She is gone, let thame and grief go with her; I shall find one

no

no lefs pleafing, and more faithful *."

• Our annotators tell us, that in Jewish economicks, thefe (concubines) differed little from the wife, except in fome outward ceremonies and ftipulations, but agreed with her in all the true effences of marriage +.'

The law of God, fays the bishop, allowed the Levite a wife; human connivance a concubine; neither did the Jewith concubine differ from a wife, but in fome outward compliments; both night challenge all the true effence of marriage."

I fhall omit the greater part of the Levite's foliloquy, in Sterne, and only take the laft fentences.

Mercy well becomes the heart of all thy creatures, but most of thy fervant, a Levite, who offers up fo many daily facrifices to thee for the tranfgreflions of thy people.'

It were needless to pursue the parallel.

Sterne's twelfth Sermon, on the Forgiveness of Injuries, is merely a dilated commentary on the beautiful conclufion of the Contemplation of Jofeph.'

The fixteenth fermon contains a more ftriking imitation. There is no fmall degree of malicious craft in fixing upon a feafon to give a mark of enmity and ill-will;-a word, a look, which, at one time, would make no impreffion,-at another time, wounds the heart; and, like a fhaft flying with the wind, pierces deep, which, with its own natural force, would scarce have reached the object aimed at.'

This is little varied from the original: "There is no fmall cruelty in the picking out of a time for mifchief; that word would fcarce gall at one feason, which at another killeth. The fame fhaft flying with the wind pierces deep, which against it, can hardly find ftrength to stick upright."

In Sterne's fifth fermon, the Contemplation of Elijah with the Sareptan, is clofely followed. Witnefs this paffage out of others: The prophet follows the call of his God: the fame hand which brought him to the gate of the city, had led alfo the poor widow out of her doors, oppreffed with forrow."

"The prophet follows the call of his God; the fame hand that brought him to the gate of Sarepta,

+ Sterne loc. citat.

Sterne.

led alfo this poor widow out of her doors *."

The fucceeding paffages which correspond are too long for infer

tion.

Sterne has acknowledged his acquaintance with this book, by the difingenuity of two ludicrous quotations in Triftram Shandy +.

What affiftance the writings of Voltaire and Rouffeau afforded Sterne, I omit to inquire. The former was the firft author of this age, who introduced the terms and operations of the modern art of war into works of entertainment; but Sterne's military ardour feems to have been infpired by the prolix detail of honeft Tindal. Voltaire himself reviewed the first volumes of Triftram Shandy, in one of the foreign Journals, and did not charge their author with the imitation of any perfons but Rabelais and Swift. He was probably not very jealous of the reputation of a modern Englith writer.

Such are the cafual notes, with the collection of which I have fometimes diverted a vacant halfhour. They leave Sterne in poffeffion of every praife but that of curious erudition, to which he had no great pretence, and of unparalleled originality, which ignorance only can afcribe to any polished writer. It would be enjoining an impoffible task, to exact much knowledge on fubjects frequently treated, and yet to prohibit the ufe of thoughts and expreffions rendered familiar by study, merely

Bp. Hall, p. 1323.

because they had been occupied by former authors. There is a kind of imitation which the ancients encouraged, and which even our Gothic criticism admits, when acknowledged. But juftice cannot permit the Polygraphic copy to be celebrated at the expence of the original.

Voltaire has compared the merits of Rabelais and Sterne, as fatirifts of the abuse of learning, and, I think, has done neither of them juftice. This great diftinction is obvious; that Rabelais derided abfurdities then exifting in full force, and intermingled much sterling fenfe with the groffeft parts of his book; Sterne, on the contrary, laughs at many exploded opinions, and abandoned fooleries, and contrives to degrade fome of his moft folemn paffages by a vicious levity. Rabelais flew a higher pitch, too, than Sterne. Great part of the voyage to the Pays de Lanternois ‡, which fo feverely ftigmatizes the vices of the Romish clergy of that age, was performed in more hazard of fire than water.

The follies of the learned may as juftly be corrected, as the vices of hypocrites; but for the former ridicule is a fufficient punishment, Ridicule is even more effectual to this purpose, as well as more agreeable than fcurrility, which is generally preferred, notwithstanding, by the learned themfelves in their contefts, because anger feizes the readieft weapons;

Jamque

Jamque faces et faxa volant; furor arma miniftrat :

And where a little extraordinary power has accidentally been lodged in the hands of difputants, they have not fcrupled to employ the mott cogent methods of convincing their adverfaries. Dionyfius the younger fent thofe critics who difliked his verfes, to work in the quarries *; and there was a pleasant tyrant, mentioned by Horace, who obliged his deficient debtors to hear him read his own compofitions, amaras hiftorias, by way of commutation. I fay nothing of the "holy faith of pike and gun," nor of the ftrong cudgel with which Luther terminated a theological difpute, as I defire to avoid religious contro verfy. But it is impoffible, on this fubject, to forget the once celebrated Dempfter, the laft of the formidable fect of Hoplomachifts, who fought every day, at his fchool

in Paris, either with fword or fift, in defence of his doctrines in omni fcibilit. The imprisonment of Galileo, and the example of Jordano Bruno, burnt alive for afferting the plurality of worlds, among other difgraceful inftances, fhew that laughter is the best crisis of an ardent difputation.

The talents for fo delicate an office as that of a literary cenfor, are too great and numerous to be often alembled in one person. Rabelais wanted decency, Sterne learning, and Voltaire fidelity. Lucian alone fupported the character properly, in thofe pieces which appear to be justly ascribed to him. As the narrowness of party yet infefts philofophy, a writer with his qualifications would ftill do good fervice in the cause of truth. For wit and good fenfe united, as in him they eminently were, can attack nothing fuccefsfully which ought not to be demolished.

POETRY