A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy

“I should be more highly satisfied to have it said by the world, ‘I had had an affair with the moon, in which there was neither sin nor shame,’ than have it pass altogether as my own act and deed, wherein there was so much of both.” 

Occasionally, Sterne’s narrative breaks into bursts of vivid yet introspective imagery. In these moments, the actual character of Yorick is given a more rounded character. This is no longer just a man who gets into arguments with friends, who flirts with women, and who travels to France on a whim. Instead, he is a man who considered his own person in relation to the world as a whole. He is considerate of sin and shame, even if his actions do not necessarily always exhibit this level of introspection. 

However, despite this introspective turn, it should be noted that Yorick’s main means by which to define himself in relation to celestial bodies remains a sexual and a romantic one. When Yorick imagines “an affair with the moon,” it is couched in illicit terms. There is an adulterous side to this relationship which does not necessarily need to be included, but Yorick cannot help but imagine it in those terms. The moon is communal, a shared resource, and it is almost as though Yorick is discovering a personal, nefarious relationship with this figure that is not open to the rest of the population. Yorick is taking a public figure and relating to her in private, personal terms. But, as he states, he has no sin or shame about doing so.

“It was one of those heads which Guido has often painted—mild, pale—penetrating, free from all commonplace ideas of fat contented ignorance looking downwards upon the earth.” 

The sentiment described in the previous quote continues in this section. Here, Yorick alludes to a fellow artist, Guido. The Renaissance painter was famous for his deeply allegorical, classical paintings. By positioning himself in the same context as the famed artist, Yorick is subtly placing himself on the same artistic level. He is equating himself with Guido, simply by comparing the lenses through which they view the world. He sees the “heads” just as Guido does; he possesses the same kind of artistic eye.

Due to the fact that Yorick is so often considered a thinly-sketched version of Lawrence Sterne himself, Sterne can be considered to be doing the same thing. He is alluding to his own skills as a writer and an artist, though in a subtle manner, by placing himself in the same echelon as Guido. The interesting dimension of this stems from the reception of Sterne’s work in the contemporary society. Tristram Shandy, Sterne’s most famous novel to this point (and one which is frequently referenced in A Sentimental Journey) was not widely adored at the time of release, even if it has since come to be recognized as a classic experimental novel. Therefore, this small aside in the narrative might be seen as an example of Sterne justifying his skills as a writer in the face of strong criticism.

“The balance of sentimental commerce is always against the expatriated adventurer.” 

In this quote, Yorick (and, by proxy, Sterne) paints himself as the “expatriated adventurer” (10). Throughout the text, Yorick goes to great lengths to show to the reader the type of writer he is, especially in regards to rivals, such as Tobias Smollet. Yorick believes himself to be doing a public service: providing an insight into French culture for those who do not have the same travel opportunities as he does. In this instance, being such a traveler is something of a hardship. The “balance” (and the benefits) of being a traveler are not as positive as one might assume. As well as showing the advantages Yorick gains from his trip, he is also keen to show the disadvantages. He wants to show travel as being a complicated, difficult affair, thus casting himself as the hero who takes these difficulties in his stride for the benefit of the reader. Yorick shoulders these hardships for the benefit of the reader, who can learn about them vicariously through the text.

In this instance, the particular disadvantage is that the “balance of sentimental commerce” is not available to him. Sentiment plays a key role in the text and Yorick shows that, when travelling, he is forced to take his opportunities when he can. He cannot rely on sentiment when conducting his commercial activities, as such advantages are not available to travelers like him.

“It is an age so full of light, that there is scarce a country or corner of Europe, whose beams are not crossed and interchanged with others.” 

By discussing the merits of the “age,” Yorick is able to contextualize his novel in a specific moment in time. The 18th century was a boom period for works of literature, a time when many of the most common literary forms we know today were being codified and commonly understood. As well as forms such as the novel, travel writing was still in its relative infancy and, by positioning it as a product of an “age so full of light” (12), Yorick is able to suggest that the form itself is a product of an enlightened age. Travel writing is to be considered a public good, a beneficial endeavor with Yorick at the cutting edge. Of course, the irony of this quote comes to fruition later in the text, when Yorick forgets the fact that Britain and France happen to be at war during this period and this has simply slipped his mind when he decided to write the book.

Additionally, this quote allows the modern reader to discern a certain ringing endorsement of a burgeoning globalism. This globalism is limited to Europe, where there is scarcely a country whose “beams are not crossed and interchanged with others” (12). Yorick describes this as a positive thing, though his failure to grasp the complexities of international relationships is evident (as shown above). Furthermore, this globalism is limited to the middle classes and the wealthy. When Yorick travels to France, he is only able to piece together his travel narrative because of his resources: his education allows him to speak the language and his wealth allows him to hire a French servant. When the realities of the geopolitical situation in Europe are revealed, Yorick solves the issue by visiting a member of the aristocracy in order to obtain a passport, a venture which would surely be denied to a person of a lower social class.

“I beg the world not to smile, but pity me.” 

Once again, Yorick implores his reader to take a sympathetic position with regards to the opportunity which he has created for himself. Yorick’s character, whose natural arrogance is buoyed by a continual desire to be liked and well-regarded, is one that craves the appreciation of the audience. Even though he is enjoying a trip to France that would not be available to the majority of his readership (and even less of the British population as a whole), Yorick is keen to point out the hardships he suffers.

Typically, these sufferings are cases of mild social embarrassment and situations in which Yorick’s etiquette fails him. In cases like this, Yorick implores the reader not to laugh at him, but with him. He does not want to treat these anecdotes as simple jokes, but opportunities for him (and, by reflection, the readership) to learn more about French culture. However, due to the fact that most of these situations are created by Yorick’s own incessant sexual cravings or linguistic failures, they are not always as sympathetic as he wishes to portray them. Though the writer begs the reader to “pity me” (17), there are times when the audience is happy to simply laugh at Yorick and his ridiculous nature.

“What a large volume of adventures may be grasped within this little span of life, by him who interests his heart in everything, and who, having eyes to see what time and chance are perpetually holding out to him as he journeyeth on his way, misses nothing he can fairly lay his hands on.”

If the disagreement over how matters are organized in France is the motivating incident for the narrative, the quote above outlines the underlying subtext of why Sterne feels the book should be written. Sterne separates the people of the world into two distinct categories: those who wish to learn more about the “large volume of adventures” (20) which are available in the world and those who do not. Naturally curious people are clearly those who Sterne favors, while those who are content to accept their lack of understanding are given short shrift by the text. Among the large volume of adventures available to the curious, Yorick’s story is only a peak behind the curtain of the full range of incredible stories that are available.

As such, this small quote goes a long way to justifying the existence of the book. As discussed above, the genre of travel writing was, at the time, in its infancy. Without an established genre and the expectations that come with that, Sterne feels the need to justify writing his book. He is explaining to the reader the value in travel abroad and, even if they cannot travel themselves, they can enjoy the benefits vicariously through books.

“Grant me, O ye powers which touch the tongue with eloquence in distress!—whatever is my cast, grant me but decent words to exclaim in, and I will give my nature way.” 

As in the case of the above quote, Yorick switches his writing style slightly and here takes on a more formal, more literary tone. The relatively simple relations of his escapades fade away from the narrative. The use of archaic words such as “ye” are a break from the contemporaneous languages he has used to this point. There are a number of reasons this might be the case, but Yorick’s own arrogance can be used as at least a partial explanation. Sterne was a writer who had been castigated for past works and who was writing in a nascent genre, so an enthusiasm for establishing his literary credentials certainly fits in with both Yorick’s and Stern’s respective character.

However, there is also a knowing irony in the words. In the quote, Yorick is calling for “decent words” (26) with which to express himself. As such, he switches to a mode of speaking that is more classical and more Shakespearean. This lends a credence to his own work, as well as appearing slightly ridiculous in the context of A Sentimental Journey. There is an awareness to Sterne’s literary allusions, which he is keen to express in an ironic fashion. Because of this, Sterne is able to have his cake and eat it. He is able to demonstrate his skills as a writer in the classical sense, while still slightly mocking the fact that he needs to do this in his travel writing.

“I begun and begun again; and though I had nothing to say, and that nothing might have been expressed in half a dozen lines, I made half a dozen different beginnings, and could no way please myself.” 

Occasionally in A Sentimental Journey, Yorick discusses the process of writing. He’s only explicitly writing his travel narrative in several chapters; there are times when he finds himself with a different challenge. In the above quote, he is forced to write a letter to the woman he met while selecting a carriage. Though Yorick is a skilled writer, he finds that the process of writing this particular letter is very difficult. The chief reason for this is etiquette.

Throughout the text, Yorick is more than happy to blunder into situations without a great deal of consideration for how he is perceived. He is a foreigner who has travelled to France to learn more about the society. This frequently leads to misunderstandings, but few come close to the issue of “etiquette” that prevents Yorick from writing this letter. Likewise, he typically has no trouble talking to women, but when it is in this formalized manner, he finds himself struggling.

As such, Yorick’s predicament tells the audience about his character. Firstly, it reveals that he believes in the value of etiquette, even if he has breached social convention on a number of occasions. He is determined to do what is proper, in the hope that he will impress the woman. Secondly, it shows that a difference exists between French and British cultures and Yorick has to turn to La Fleur to assist him in crossing this divide. Thirdly, it shows that etiquette is not always related to morality. In order to resolve his conundrum, Yorick opens a letter intended for another person and plagiarizes its contents. In order to maintain the veneer of doing what is right (or at the very least, what is expected), Yorick is willing to breech trust in different way. Lastly, that Yorick has no trouble in revealing all of this to the audience (showing his negative character traits as well as the positive ones) helps to create a more rounded, sympathetic figure; it earns the reader’s trust and suggests that Yorick is not hiding anything. 

“I think I can see the precise and distinguishing marks of national characters more in these nonsensical minutia, than in the most important matters of state; where great men of all nations talk and stalk so much alike, that I would not give ninepence to choose amongst them.”

Though the majority of the book is filled with anecdotes about Yorick’s time in France, there are occasional references to the national character of the French and what distinguishes them from the British. The above quote discusses how Sterne comes to these conclusions, suggesting that he is able to read more into random experiences in the country than he is when examining France on a geopolitical level. He believes that in order to paint an authentic picture of French society, he must experience it firsthand, and inform his opinion with the “nonsensical minutia” that make up day-to-day activities.

This is certainly evidenced in the book, as there are few actual references to the history of France, its contemporary politics, or anything that might be considered “important matters of state” (32). Instead, there are a great many stories about personal interactions and the conclusions Yorick draws from these stories. As such, this quote is Sterne teaching the reader how he has gone about writing the travel guide. 

“I love the character, not only because I honor the man whose manners are softened by a profession which makes bad men worse; but that I once knew one—for he is no more—and why should I not rescue one page from violation by writing his name in it, and telling the world it was Captain Tobias Shandy, the dearest of my flock and friends, whose philanthropy I never think of at this long distance from his death—but my eyes gush out with tears.” 

As has already been discussed, there are frequent crossovers between Sterne’s earlier work, Tristram Shandy, and A Sentimental Journey. As shown in this quote, however, the references between the two are not just incidental or comical. Rather, they help to inform the reader about Yorick’s character and educate them on his relationship with his friends.

In this quote, Yorick is mourning the loss of Tobias Shandy, evidencing a great deal of sadness over the death of his friend. When he sits in a box at the opera, even the sight of a military man brings to mind the memory of his friend. This shows the extent to which the death has affected Yorick, in that he still sees his friend in “the character” of any military people he sees. The memory of Tobias lives on and his close friend, Yorick, is unable to write a book without eulogizing the man’s life before his new audience. Behind all the bluster and the arrogance, there is a caring and mournful side of Yorick, one which helps to flesh out his character. 

“T is sweet to feel by what fine-spun threads our affections are drawn together.” 

As Yorick walks through the streets of Paris with another woman, he begins to have thoughts of a more metaphysical nature. In this quote, he begins to examine the strange ways in which seemingly disparate people are drawn together. The chance meeting at the bookstore has introduced him to this woman, a meeting that has elicited “sweet” feelings from Yorick. However, it is not just a pleasant interaction that has prompted Yorick to consider the strangeness of the meeting. The woman works for Madame de R---, who he is meant to meet in order to deliver a letter. The “fine-spun threads” (40) are not just Yorick meeting a woman, but him meeting a woman who happens to work for someone he intends to meet. It is a pleasantly coincidental moment, one which Yorick uses to muse on the interconnected nature of the world. As pleasant as this moment is, however, the letter will never be delivered, and Yorick will continue to push back his meeting until he leaves for Italy. Though he met this woman by chance and it seems inevitable that he will be able to deliver the letter, Yorick will eventually fail. The random nature of life will take over once again. 

“—And as for the Bastille; the terror is in the word.—Make the most of it you can, said I to myself, the Bastille is but another word for a tower—and a tower is but another word for a house you can’t get out of.”

At this stage of the text, imprisonment and the threat of imprisonment is a pressing concern for Yorick. Without a passport, he is finally about to face the consequences of his fleeting and impulsive decisions. Yorick left Britain without stopping to think about getting his paperwork in order, or even considering the fact that the two countries are at war. Now, Yorick finds himself threatened with the Bastille, should he fail to produce a passport.

In this moment, the usually enthusiastic and cheerful Yorick struggles to comprehend being locked up. In order to resolve these forebodings, he tries to deconstruct the meaning of the word Bastille, using an etymological approach to reduce the threat he is facing. Yorick is trying to downplay the threat and make himself feel better and, to do this, he turns to his profession–he is a writer–to try to mollify his fears. But it does not work. Yorick remains frightened and his efforts to deconstruct the word Bastille do little to make him feel better about his situation. 

“I think there is a fatality in it—I seldom go to the place I set out for.” 

Yorick seems to be a believer in fate. The “fatality” he describes in the above quote illustrates this, in that Yorick finds himself in a desperate situation yet is not willing to stand around waiting for two hours in order to obtain a passport. To be left alone for two hours with no one to talk to would be akin to being jailed, in his opinion. So he throws himself on the mercy of fate, driving into the town and visiting on the first name that sounds familiar. This, Yorick seems to believe, is a practical solution to the incredibly pressing issue he is facing.

The second part of the quote makes it seem as though this is not the first time Yorick has done such a thing. If he seldom sets out for the place he intends to visit, that would suggest that his experiences thus far have been positive and he is willing to repeat this again and again. Coincidently, seldom reaching the place he intends to visit would also seemingly undermine his career as a travel writer, though this seems to be a part of Yorick’s charm, especially in comparison to his bland and boring rivals such as Tobias Smollett. 

“I have something within me which cannot bear the shock of the least indecent insinuation: in the sportability of chitchat I have often endeavored to conquer it, and with infinite pain have hazarded a thousand things to a dozen of the sex together—the least of which I could not venture to a single one to gain heaven.” 

In this moment, Yorick exercises rare restraint. He finds himself with the Count de B---, with the possibility of obtaining a passport and a route into the upper echelons of French society, but he has been asked a question about the women in France. Thus far in the story, Yorick has shown the reader his opinions of French women through his actions, more than his words: he is very much in favor of French women and wastes no time in pursuing their affections whenever possible. But when confronted with the count, he decides to temper his response. In this rare instance, Yorick’s predilection for telling the truth in a scandalous and jovial manner is restrained in favor of a nationalistic flattery.

The “chitchat” Yorick usually employs is not as meaningless as it might seem. Yorick, in this moment, is very aware that he needs to give the right response. Insulting the women of France might poison the count’s opinion of him. This would not just endanger Yorick’s trip, it might even result in him being imprisoned. Instead, Yorick decides to compliment the French women and flatter the society as a whole. But he cannot resist pointing out to the reader–in the quote above–that he is not being entirely sincere in his comments, that he is delivering these compliments as a means to an end, rather than his objective opinion. Even while flattering the count, Yorick cannot resist a knowing wink to his reader. 

“Mysteries which must explain themselves are not worth the loss of time which a conjecture about them takes up.”

This moment is another telling character beat for Yorick. As he tries desperately to acquire a passport, he finds that the count’s reaction to his name is to simply leave the room after slipping a copy of Hamlet into his pocket. While most people would find this puzzling enough to investigate, Yorick is content to simply sit down and begin reading. As he explains, any mystery that cannot be explained isn’t worth the time it takes to invent an answer: there is no point imagining the reason for the count’s behavior, as it would just be wasted energy.

Yorick’s approach is familiar by this juncture. There are two types of puzzles he encounters: those strange circumstances that beguile him and occupy his thoughts (such as the beggar in the street who only approaches women) and the strange circumstances which, while they seem more important, are not liable to change through Yorick’s actions or investigations (such as this moment). Important puzzles, Yorick seems to believe, will resolve themselves to his benefit, while seemingly inconsequential puzzles will occupy his thoughts for hours or days. Yorick is far more concerned with the minor flippant details of life than he is with the supposedly important ones. 

“If Nature has so wove her web of kindness that some threads of love and desire are entangled with the piece—must the whole web be rent in drawing them out?”

Throughout the text, Yorick happily pursues women and flirts with them whenever he can. But this is the closest he comes in the entire text to an actual sexual encounter and, in doing so, feels the need to appeal directly to his audience and explain to them the state in which he finds himself. The “threads of love and desire” (55) paint the situation as complicated, interwoven, and–most importantly–natural. Furthermore, the image is a throwback to an earlier quote, in which Yorick discussed the “fine-spun threads” that drew attractions together. It makes the moment feel inevitable, as though it were dictated by fate, rather than Yorick’s own sexual impulses.

There is also an important consideration to be made of the role of the reader. Here, the reader is able to hear Yorick’s inner thoughts and the excuses he provides. But later, when the hotel manager arrives and accuses Yorick of scandalous behavior, the man will lack the insight the audience possesses. As much as Yorick goes to great lengths to explain and justify his actions, he is only able to do so to his captive audience: the readers. Everyone else finds themselves scandalized by his behavior. 

“Happy people! that once a week at least are sure to lay down all your cares together, and dance and sing, and sport away the weights of grievance, which bow down the spirit of other nations to the earth.”

After noticing that La Fleur has outfitted himself with a new set of clothes, Yorick learns that his servant has set up a meeting with one of the count’s chambermaids and intends to take her out that day. On discovering this, Yorick is impressed. He knows about La Fleur’s natural charm and the manner in which La Fleur can enter a space and instantly have women falling for him. But rather than being jealous, he seems genuinely pleased for La Fleur and happily agrees to give him the time off that he needs.

Furthermore, as shown in the quote, the incident gives Yorick the chance to muse on the importance of recreation for everyone. Every person, he believes, should take a moment once a week to simply enjoy themselves. In the text, it is presented as a discovery he has made since being in France, as though his travel has broadened his mind and equipped him with the intellect that needs to be shared with those back in Britain. It is another example of the ways in which Sterne is coming to terms with the expectations of travel writing. 

“The man who either disdains or fears to walk up a dark entry, may be an excellent good man, and fit for a hundred things; but he will not do to make a good sentimental traveler.” 

Yorick differentiates himself from his rival travel writers through his sentimental approach. Often in A Sentimental Journey, this can be a rather abstract construction, taken to mean that more travel writers should be more like Yorick, rather than possess any one particular quality. In the above quote, however, Yorick comes close to explaining his definition of the sentimental traveler, telling audiences and potential writers what they must do in order to write sentimental travel literature.

The general implication is that travel writers must throw themselves wholeheartedly into difficult and strange situations. They must not disdain or fear that which they find strange or foreign; rather, they must embrace it totally. This goes some way to explaining Yorick’s behavior: he wishes to write the best sentimental literature, so happily jumps into weird situations without pausing to consider the implications. Hesitation and consideration might make a person more intelligent or safer, but it will not make them a “good sentimental traveler” (62).     

“Delicious essence! how refreshing art thou to nature! how strongly are all its powers and all its weaknesses on thy side! how sweetly dost thou mix with the blood, and help it through the most difficult and tortuous passages to the heart!”

Once again, Yorick changes tone and turns toward a more celebratory, effusive kind of literary mode of communication. The initial address–“Delicious essence!”–is almost theatrical in its approach, telling the reader how satisfying and satiating Yorick finds this particular moment. It is when he solves one of his small puzzles, determining that the beggar who only approaches women has a reason and a motive behind his actions. That Yorick is able to discern the explanation for this strange behavior is reason enough for him to switch to formal, archaic pronouns and vocabulary, celebrating his small discovery like a poet might celebrate the meaning of life. 

“WE get forwards in the world, not so much by doing services, as receiving them; you take a withering twig, and put it in the ground; and then you water it because you have planted it.” 

The interconnected nature of life is a regular theme for Yorick. The small actions he performs in one section of the narrative return in kind in later parts of the book. Here, he expands on that theory, suggesting that the small branches he plants in the ground will grow into great trees if he nurtures them. Just as he took the time to build up a relationship with the count, he is now reaping the benefits. Yorick’s introduction into French high society is, he feels, his reward for his flattery and etiquette.

Once again, Yorick is delivering advice to the reader and evidencing his claims through the use of his travel anecdotes. Unlike writers such as Yorick’s hated Smelfungus, he is keen to provide something more than mere details of his visits to distant lands. Yorick wants to convey the true emotions of a destination and to teach the reader what he has learned during his travels. His book is more ambitious than its rivals, which Yorick proclaims to be not just an improvement, but a necessity. 

“There are three epochas in the empire of a Frenchwoman—She is coquette—then deist—then dévote: the empire during these is never lost—she only changes her subjects: when thirty-five years and more have unpeopled her dominions of the slaves of love, she repeoples it with slaves of infidelity—and then with the slaves of the Church.” 

During his meeting with the count, Yorick is asked for his opinion on French women. He gives both a bland and flattering answer, keenly aware that insulting the man might result in the denial of his passport. However, after meeting with a number of French aristocrats through the count’s introduction, Yorick is willing to share with the reader what he has discovered.

In this quote, he compares Frenchwomen to nation states, suggesting that they are empires. They might rise and fall in their fortunes, but their core character remains the same. She passes through three phases–when she is loved, when she meets with the “slaves of fidelity” (65), and when she becomes religious–and Yorick applies this template to the majority of the women he meets. He sits down and charms them in different ways, depending on where he sees them on the template he has created. Yorick might flirt with these women or discuss religion with them. But after a few weeks of this, he finds the process exhausting and decides to move on to Italy. 

“I am positive I have a soul; nor can all the books with which materialists have pester’d the world ever convince me of the contrary.”

Yorick is an ardent deist, going so far as to sit and debate the topic with people he meets. As he explains in this quote, there is nothing that could be done to change his opinion on the existence of a “soul,” which seems to be part of the same belief that leads Yorick to proclaim the importance of fate and the interconnected nature of everything with which he interacts.

The choice of language is also interesting. Sterne, writing through Yorick, has littered the text with his opinions, interpretations, and discoveries. He has demonstrated to the audience everything he has found while traveling in France. But when he encounters an opinion in a book that differs from his own opinion, he suggests that this is pestering him, hassling him to change his opinions on a matter of which he is already convinced. Yorick (and Sterne) are happy to share their worldviews, but are not quite so accepting of debate on certain matters. 

“Adieu, poor luckless maiden!—Imbibe the oil and wine which the compassion of a stranger, as he journeyeth on his way, now pours into thy wounds—the being who has twice bruised thee can only bind them up forever.”

Yorick’s meeting with Maria is the text’s emotional nadir. After comical anecdotes and interesting discoveries while traveling through France, Yorick encounters a moment to true tragedy. Though he originally intended to visit Maria on something of a jaunt, told by his friend that she was a sight to behold, the reality of Maria’s situation has a profound impact on Yorick. It is the first time he encounters a young woman and does not immediately try to flirt with her. Instead, he is struck by her depression and sits down and talks to her as much as he can.

The above quote is taken from the point in the text when he leaves Maria behind. Yorick exhibits genuine sorrow and concern, the choice of vocabulary becoming less delighted and interested (as it is elsewhere in the text) and focusing instead on wounds, binding, and healing. He hopes that his compassion–the “compassion of a stranger”–will help her, though it is the only solution he knows how to provide. For once, Yorick is out of ideas. He does not know how to help Maria beyond providing her with compassion.