Now! Then! Laurence Sterne, curate at Coxwold, is minded to sin at Scarborough

4 September 1764: Laurence Sterne, curate at Coxwold, is minded to sin at Scarborough

Mutual satirical portraits of the humourists and friends Thomas Bridges (left, a quack) and Lawrence Sterne (right, his harlequin assistant), combined in a later engraving (Smith 1838).

Laurence Sterne. 1788. The Works of Laurence Sterne in Ten Volumes Complete, Vol. 9/10. London: J. Rivington and Sons. Get it:

Excerpt

My dear, dear Anthony, I do not think a week or ten days playing the good fellow at Scarborough so abominable a thing, and I am going to leave a few poor sheep here in the wilderness for fourteen days, and from pride and naughtiness of heart to go see what is doing at Scarborough, steadfastly meaning afterwards to lead a new life and strengthen my faith. Now some folk say there is much company there (and some say not) and I believe there is neither the one or the other, but will be both, if the world will have but a month’s patience or so. There is no sitting, and cudgelling one’s brains whilst the sun shines bright – ‘t will be all over in six or seven weeks, and there are dismal months enough after to endure suffocation by a brimstone fireside. If you can get to Scarborough do. A man who makes six tons of alum a week, may do anything – Lord Granby is to be there – what a temptation!

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To facilitate reading, the spelling and punctuation of elderly excerpts have generally been modernised, and distracting excision scars concealed. My selections, translations, and editions are copyright.

Abbreviations

Comment

Anthony is J.H.S., who I haven’t identified.

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Original

Now, my dear, dear Anthony – I do not think a week or ten days playing the good fellow (at this very time) at Scarborough so abominable a thing – but if a man could get there cleverly, and every soul in his house in the mind to try what could be done in furtherance thereof, I have no one to consult in this affair – therefore as a man may do worse things, the English of all which is this, that I am going to leave a few poor sheep here in the wilderness for fourteen days – and from pride and naughtiness of heart to go see what is doing at Scarborough – steadfastly meaning afterwards to lead a new life and strengthen my faith.

Now some folk say there is much company there – and some say not – and I believe there is neither the one or the other – but will be both, if the world will have but a month’s patience or so.

[…]

There is no sitting, and cudgelling one’s brains whilst the sun shines bright – ‘t will be all over in six or seven weeks, and there are dismal months enow after to endure suffocation by a brimstone fireside. If you can get to Scarborough do. A man who makes six tons of alum a week, may do anything – Lord Granby is to be there – what a temptation!

237 words.