76 Comments on Sterne. 
Pafquier, in his Recherches, hasa Chapter om the 
fortune of fome Chriftian Names. In the prefent 
fiate of know edge, it would be unpardonable to 
omit a remark, with which an author like Sterne 
would make himfelf very merry. It relates to the 
paffage, in which Mr. Shandy treats the nameé of 
Tristram with fuch indignity, and demands of 
his fuppofed Adverfary, ‘‘ Whether he had ever 
** remembered; — whether he had ever réad,—or 
whether he had ever heard tell of a man, cali’d 
Triftram, performing any thing great or worth 
recording !—-No, —he would fay,—T RimsTRam!= 
‘The thing is impoffible!’ A Student of the 
fafhionable black-letter erudition would have tri- 
umphed in prociaiming the redoubted Sir Triftram, 
Knight of the Round-table, and one of the moft 
famous knights-errant upon record, Sterne might 
have replied : 
c 
¢ 
e 
¢ 
. 
6 
rc 
Non fcribit, cujus Carmina nemo legit ;* 
and indeed his pleafant hero has no refemblatice to 
_ the preux Chevalier. 
I am forry to deprive Sterne of the following 
pretty figure, but juftice muft be done to every 
one. 
‘“‘ In fhort, my father - - ---- advanced fo very 
“ flowly with his work, and I began to live and 
« get forward at fych a rate, that if an event had 
** not 
» 
* Martial, Lib, 2% 
