THE WORKS OF LAURENCE STERNE, IN FOUR VOLUMES. WITH A LIFE OF THE AUTHOR, WRITTEN BY HIMSELF. VOL. III. LONDON: PRINTED FOR CADELL AND DAVIES;' LACKINGTON AND CO.; J. NUNN; JOHN RICHARDSON; J. M. RICHARDSON; AND B. REYNOLDS. R. SCHOLEY; G. AND W. B. WHITTAKER; J. BOHN ; 1819. PREFACE (TO THE FIRST EDITION.) THE Sermon which gave rise to the publication Lest it of these, having been offered to the world as a Sermon of Yorick's, I hope the most serious reader will find nothing to offend him, in my continuing these volumes under the same title. should be otherwise, I have added a second title-page, with the real name of the author:-the first will serve the Bookseller's purpose, as Yorick's name is possibly, of the two, the more known;— and the second will ease the minds of those who see a jest, and the danger which lurks under it, where no jest was meant. I suppose it is needless to inform the Public, that the reason of printing these Sermons arises altogether from the favourable reception which the Sermon given as a sample of them in TRISTRAM SHANDY met with from the world: that Sermon was printed by itself some years ago, but could find neither purchasers nor readers; so that I apprehended little hazard from a promise I made upon its republication, "That if the Sermon " was liked, these should be also at the world's "service;" which, to be as good as my word, they here are; and I pray to GOD they may do it the service I wish. I have little to say in their behalf, except this, that not one of them was VOL. III. A 3 com |