LETTERLXVII.TO MR. M——.
June 10, 1778.
“’Tis with our judgements as our watches—none“Go just alike—yet each believes his own.â€
“’Tis with our judgements as our watches—none“Go just alike—yet each believes his own.â€
“’Tis with our judgements as our watches—none“Go just alike—yet each believes his own.â€
“’Tis with our judgements as our watches—none
“Go just alike—yet each believes his own.â€
Pope.
SO, my wise critic—blessings on thee,—and thanks for thy sagacious discovery!—Sterne, it seems, stole his grand outline of character from Fielding—and who did Fielding plunder? thou criticizing jack-ape!—As to S——, perhaps you may be right—not absolutely right—nor quite so veryaltogetherwrong—but that’s not my affair.—Fielding and Sterne both copied Nature—their pallettes stored with proper colours of the brightest dye—these masters were both great originals—their outline correct—bold—and free—Human Nature was their subject—and though their colouring was widely different, yethereand there some features in each might bear a little resemblance—somefaint likeness to each other—as for example—in your own words—Toby and Allworthy—the external drapery of the two are as wide as the poles—their hearts—perhaps—twins of the same blessed form and principles;—but for the rest of the Dramatis Personæ, you must strain hard, my friend, before you can twist them into likeness sufficient to warrant the censure of copying.—Parson Adams is yet more distant—his chief feature is absence of thought. The world affords me many such instances—but in the course of my reading, I have not met with his likeness, except in mere goodness of heart—in that, perhaps, Jack M—— may equal him—but then he is so confounded jingle-headed!—Read, boy, read—give Tom Jones a secondfairreading!—Fielding’s wit is obvious—his humour poignant—dialogue just, and truly dramatic—colouring quite nature—and keeping chaste.—Sterne equals him in every thing; and in one thing excels him and all mankind—which is the distribution of his lights; which he has so artfully varied throughout his work, that, the oftener they are examined, the more beautiful theyappear.—They were two great masters, who painted for posterity—and, I prophesy, will charm to the end of the English speech.—If Sterne has had any one great master in his eye—it was Swift, his countryman—the first wit of this or any other nation;—but there is this grand difference between them—Swift excels in grave-faced irony—whilst Sterne lashes his whips with jolly laughter.—I could wish you to compare (after due attentive reading) Swift and Sterne—Milton and Young—Thomson and Akenside—and then give your free opinion to yours ever.
I. SANCHO.
I want a handful or two of good fresh peach leaves—contrive to send me them when opportunity serves—and word, at the first leisure period, how MissAnne Sister-like—George Grateful-look—Mrs. &c. &c.—and how your worship’s hip does.—You had set up my bristles in such guise—in attacking poor Sterne—that I had quite forgot to give you a flogging for your punning grocery epistle—but omittance is no quittance.—Swift and Sterne were different in this—Sterne was truly a noble philanthropist—Swiftwas rather cynical;—what Swift would fret and fume at—such as the petty accidentalsouringsandbittersin life’s cup—you plainly may see, Sterne would laugh at—and parry off by a larger humanity, and regular good-will to man. I know you will laugh at me—do—I am content;—if I am an enthusiast in any thing, it is in favor of my Sterne.