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Journey appeared, and survived but a few days. He died in a poor lodging in New Bond-street, London, in presence of a hired nurse and a footman who had been sent by a friend to enquire for him, i8th March 1768, aged 54. His last words were : " Now it is come." His remains, followed by only two mourners, were laid in the burying-ground of Hanover-square church. Disinterred and sold to the surgeons, they were a few days afterwards recognized by a friend, when too late for decent preserva- tion, on the dissecting table in the medical school at Cambridge. A subscription of ill, 000 and the proceeds of the sale of his sermons kept his widow and daughter from want. The former survived about four years. The latter married a Mr. De Medaille, and lived until the year 1790. In 1775 she published three vol- umes, containing letters and a short auto- biography of her father. Some of the letters are of an extraordinary character to have been preserved by a wife and published by a daughter. Sterne was at times a plagiarist. He drew upon Rabe- lais, Burton, and other authors little read at the time. But this cannot dim the bril- liancy and the originality of his genius. His " Uncle Toby," " Corporal Trim," and " Yorick " stand out as real personages, almost next to Shakspere's creations. The English Cyclopcedia contains the follow- ing discriminating criticism : "In the mere art of writing, also, his execution, amid much apparent extravagance, is sin- gularly careful and perfect ; it will be found that every touch has been well con- sidered, has its proper purpose and mean- ing, and performs its part in producing the effect ; but the art of arts, the ars celare artem, never was possessed in a higher degree by any writer than by Sterne. His greatest work, out of all com- parison, J undoubtedly Tristram Shandy ; although, among foreigners, the Senti- mental Journey seems to stand in the highest estimation." Coleridge thus re- prehends his moral laxity : " Sterne can- not be too severely censured for using the best dispositions of our nature as the panders and condiments for the basest." Sir Walter Scott dwells on his inequality of workmanship : " In the power of approaching and touch- ing the finer feeling of the heart, he has never been excelled, if, indeed, he has ever been equalled, and may at once be re- corded as one of the most affected and one of the most simple of writers — as one of the greatest plagiarists, and one of the most original geniuses whom England has produced." " If I were requested,"
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wrote Leigh Hunt, in a somewhat similar strain, " to name the book of all others which combined wit and humour under their highest appearance of levity with the profoundest wisdom, it would be Tristram, Shandy." Thackeray was the most unsparing of Sterne's critics : " I suppose Sterne had . . artistical sensi- bility ; he used to blubber perpetually in his study, and, finding his tears infec- tious, and that they brought him a great popularity, he exercised the lucrative gift of weeping, he utilized it, and cried on every occasion. I own that I don't value or respect much the cheap dribble of those fountains. He fatigues me with his per- petual disquiet and his uneasy appeals to my risible or sentimental faculties. He is always looking in my face, watching his effect, uncertain whether I think him an impostor or not — posture-making, coaxing, and imploring me. ' See what sensibility I have — own now that I'm very clever — do cry now, you can't resist this.' The humour of Swift and Rabelais, whom he pretended to succeed, poured from them as naturally as song does from a bird ; they lose no manly dignity with it, but laugh their hearty great laugh out of their broad chests as nature bade them. But this man, who can make you laugh, who can make you cry, too — never lets his reader alone, or will permit his audience repose : when you are quiet, he fancies he must rouse you, and turns over head and heels, or sidles up and whispers a nasty story. The man is a great jester, not a gi-eat humourist." There are numerous references to Sterne in all the series of Notes and Queries. '* *> *^ '*' "54 317
Stevenson, Sir John Armstrong, musical composer, was born in Crane- lane, Dublin, in the summer of 1762. His father and mother died when he was nine years old, and he was taken home by Mr. Gibson, a musical instrument maker, and was procured a place in the choir of St, Patrick's Cathedral. He early developed considerable musical talents, and showed a wonderful facility for composi- tion. While yet a mere lad he gave music lessons and supported himself indepen- dently, and he early obtained musical en- gagements in both the Dublin Cathedrals. In 1 800 the degree of Doctor of Music was conferred upon him by the University of Dublin, and in 1803 he was knighted. He composed glees, operas, and sacred music ; but he will ever be best remembered by his arrangement of Irish airs for Moore's Melodies. Yet it has been objected that these settings are sometimes too elaborate for Irish music. Sir Jonah Harrington
