derived no satisfaction from public approbation. For I have seen reason to believe, that fame, acquired by appropriating the labours of others, neither improves the head nor the heart of the usurper. The preface was formerly a supplication to the reader, for mercy and favour, somewhat in the style of Bayes's prologue: of late, it has rather consisted of an explanation of the author's claims to respect, and a declaration of his literary alliances, under colour of acknowledgements to his friends. My own opinion has always been, that it ought to bear some relation to the book which it is designed to introduce; and as nothing can be more miscellaneous than my volumes, I trust it will not be thought irrelevant, if the preface should partake of their nature. a CONTENTS. Page. Chapter I. Probable origin of Sternes's ludi- erous writings.--General account of the nature of the ludicrous. Why the sirteenth century produced many authors of this class Chapter II. Ludicrous writers, from whom Sterne probably took general ideas, or particular passages --Rabelais-Beroalde-D’Aubignè- Chapter III. Sketches of ludicrous writers, of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries 75 Chapter IV. Other writers imitated by Sterne -Burton-Bacon-Blount-Montaigne-Bi- Chapter V. Of the personages of Tristram Shandy. Anecdotes of Dr. Slop -- Chapter VI. Mr. Shandy's hypothesis of noses explained—Taliacotius-Scories of long noses — Coincidence between Vigneul-Marville and Lavater - Opinions of Garmann-Riolan Sterne, for whose sake I plod thro'miry ways |