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Article THE GHOST OF STERNE IN LONDON. ← Page 3 of 4 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Ghost Of Sterne In London.
One—two—three—four—five—six : —seven—ei ght—nine ten eleven . —Eleven o ' clock , I declare ! At this hour Ishoitkl have been at my lawyer ' s . ' But I'll come buck and hear your story , ' said I to
myself—Take me up for an emigrant , because I have an outlandish name , as you call it !—It is not ri ght , my gracious sovereign , that a man . should belaid fast by the heels , because tlie letters of his name happen to be combined differentl y from those of other names . It is an alarming circumstance , and I cannot be at rest till 1 communicate it to
A certain bookseller , who bears a high rank in the city militia , having , seen my name at the beginning of this work , said , he could not understand the meaning of Tliersites Pratlextatus . It has a suspicious sound with it . —This man may be a very dangerous enemy ; for he is said to be a great adept both iu military and literary tactics ; ( that is to saythe art of scientificallranging volumesaccording to their dimen
, y , - sions , on shelves made for that purpose ) and can always have at his heels not onl y a numbetof critics , but , what is much more dangerous , a number of well disciplined soldiers . For , you must know , our city militia can march to any tune : —nay , I have seen some , pf them , wheit marching , beat time' with their heads ,. as justly as the leader of their band ( if they have one ) possiblcouldto shew the world I
y ;— , suppose , that the stiff' neck aud erect posture of a Prussian soldier are by no means compatible with English liberty . —Now , as I am unwilling ta appear in a suspicious light to this illustrious tactician ; and , as I fear my uncommon name niay excite alarms in the breast of many loyal subjects ; and what is wor ' se than all , lest I . should have a lodging found for me in the Towerall these reasonsI have deter
;— ; say , - mined me to give an account of myself in form . Indeed I have neglected the most important duty of . an author ^ in not having prefixed the history of niy life to this work : for you may have observed that it has been a prevailing custom among great men to do so , ever since the days of David H- — -, of famous memory .
ACCOUNT OF MYSELF , AS to my fatuity , colonel , the name I have the honour to derive fronvmy ancestors is a sufficient voucher for its antiquity . —The name of Thersites , from whom I can prove myself lineally descended , is well known to all the literary world . It is true , the posterity of that great man have mostly degenerated into jackpuddings , mountebanks , & father
c ; butmy , by marrying the daughter of a Spanish tragedian , acquired a ri ght to have her arms quartered on his own ; he likewise assumed her family name ( Pratextatus ) ; and all the bad qualities belonging to the Thersitica ! breed are corrected in me , by the portion of tragical blood I derived from my said mother . I must own , however , that the Thersitical air and mamier still predominates in , me ; snd though 1 endeavourto conceal it as much as possible by my prm-VOL . viii . c .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Ghost Of Sterne In London.
One—two—three—four—five—six : —seven—ei ght—nine ten eleven . —Eleven o ' clock , I declare ! At this hour Ishoitkl have been at my lawyer ' s . ' But I'll come buck and hear your story , ' said I to
myself—Take me up for an emigrant , because I have an outlandish name , as you call it !—It is not ri ght , my gracious sovereign , that a man . should belaid fast by the heels , because tlie letters of his name happen to be combined differentl y from those of other names . It is an alarming circumstance , and I cannot be at rest till 1 communicate it to
A certain bookseller , who bears a high rank in the city militia , having , seen my name at the beginning of this work , said , he could not understand the meaning of Tliersites Pratlextatus . It has a suspicious sound with it . —This man may be a very dangerous enemy ; for he is said to be a great adept both iu military and literary tactics ; ( that is to saythe art of scientificallranging volumesaccording to their dimen
, y , - sions , on shelves made for that purpose ) and can always have at his heels not onl y a numbetof critics , but , what is much more dangerous , a number of well disciplined soldiers . For , you must know , our city militia can march to any tune : —nay , I have seen some , pf them , wheit marching , beat time' with their heads ,. as justly as the leader of their band ( if they have one ) possiblcouldto shew the world I
y ;— , suppose , that the stiff' neck aud erect posture of a Prussian soldier are by no means compatible with English liberty . —Now , as I am unwilling ta appear in a suspicious light to this illustrious tactician ; and , as I fear my uncommon name niay excite alarms in the breast of many loyal subjects ; and what is wor ' se than all , lest I . should have a lodging found for me in the Towerall these reasonsI have deter
;— ; say , - mined me to give an account of myself in form . Indeed I have neglected the most important duty of . an author ^ in not having prefixed the history of niy life to this work : for you may have observed that it has been a prevailing custom among great men to do so , ever since the days of David H- — -, of famous memory .
ACCOUNT OF MYSELF , AS to my fatuity , colonel , the name I have the honour to derive fronvmy ancestors is a sufficient voucher for its antiquity . —The name of Thersites , from whom I can prove myself lineally descended , is well known to all the literary world . It is true , the posterity of that great man have mostly degenerated into jackpuddings , mountebanks , & father
c ; butmy , by marrying the daughter of a Spanish tragedian , acquired a ri ght to have her arms quartered on his own ; he likewise assumed her family name ( Pratextatus ) ; and all the bad qualities belonging to the Thersitica ! breed are corrected in me , by the portion of tragical blood I derived from my said mother . I must own , however , that the Thersitical air and mamier still predominates in , me ; snd though 1 endeavourto conceal it as much as possible by my prm-VOL . viii . c .