Letter 9 - The Letters from Yorick to Eliza

Letter 9. [London, March 1767] Yorick wishes Eliza’s voyage could be postponed and offers to bear the cost of her staying in England. He declares it would be better for her health were she to go to France with Mrs Sterne and Lydia, though he goes on to suggest that Mrs Sterne has not long to live, in which case he would like to marry Eliza. 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: A Caricature Group by John Hamilton Mortimer 1776. Laurence Sterne displays his miniature portrait of Eliza Draper in its locket. © Yale Centre for British Art.