Letter 6 - The Letters from Yorick to Eliza

Letter 6. [London, March 1767]
Yorick has begun a diary which he will despatch to Eliza and hopes she is also recording her experiences. He intends to come to Deal to see her off. He favourably compares his picture of Eliza with that commissioned by Mrs James: in his, Eliza has the advantages of natural simplicity. What had attracted Yorick had been Eliza's intelligence and sensibility, rather than her look, and feels that she would be the ideal Muse in his composition of A Sentimental Journey. He repeats his injunction not to communicate with the unnamed family of Letter 4.

This video is part of the Precious Cargo project by the Laurence Sterne Trust at Shandy Hall entitled 'Eliza Draper -- An Absent Presence'. Precious Cargo is part of Yorkshire's contribution to the Cultural Olympiad, Stories of the World project. The exhibition opens in May 2012.

Voice: Patrick Wildgust (Curator of Shandy Hall)
Recorded and edited by: Craig Vear
Image: Eliza Draper by Richard Cosway c.1777 (Private Collection). Used with the kind permission of the owner.
© The Laurence Sterne Trust.

To get involved and for more information see:
www.laurencesternetrust.org.uk

Category:

Education

Tags:

• laurence sterne trust
• shandy hall
• eliza draper
• letters from yorick to eliza
• mr yorick
• laurence sterne
• precious cargo
• cultural olympiad