s antithesis, while it made the crack-brained
philosopher more and more of a burlesque unreality, continually added
new touches of life and nature to the lineaments of the simple-minded
soldier; and it was by this curious and half-accidental process that
there came to be added to the gallery of English fiction one of the
most perfect and delightful portraits that it possesses.

We know from internal evidence that _Tristram Shandy_ was begun in the
early days of 1759; and the first two volumes were probably completed
by about the middle of the year. "In the year 1760," writes Sterne, "I
went up to London to publish my two first volumes of _Shandy_." And it
is stated in a note to this passage, as cited in Scott's memoir, that
the first edition was published "the year before" in York. There is,
however, no direct proof that it was in the hands of the public before
the beginning of 1760, though it is possible that the date of its
publication may just have fallen within the year. But, at all
events, on the 1st of January, 1760, an advertisement in the _Public
Advertiser_ informed the world that "this day" was "published, printed
on superfine writing-paper, &c., _The Life and Opinions of Tristram
Shandy_. York. Printed for and sold by John Hinxham, Bookseller in
Stonegate." The great London publisher, Dodslecy, to whom the book
had been offered, and who had declined the venture, figures in the
advertisement as the principal London bookseller from whom it was
to be obtained. It seems that only a few copies were in the first
instance sent up to the London market; but they fell into good hands,
for there is evidence that _Tristram Shandy_ had attracted the notice
of at least one competent critic in the capital before the month of
January was out. But though the metropolitan success of the book
was destined to be delayed for still a month or two, in York it had
already created a _furore_ in more senses than one. For, in fact,
and no wonder, it had in many quarters given the deepest offence. Its
Rabelaisian license of incident and allusion was calculated to offend
the proprieties--the provincial proprieties especially--even in that
free-spoken age; and there was that in the book, moreover, which a
provincial society may be counted on to abominate, with a keener
if less disinterested abhorrence than any sins against decency. It
contained, or was supposed to contain, a broadly ludicrous caricature
of one well-known local physician;