Laurence Sterne

Sterne, Laurence

Quelle: Internationales Freimaurer-Lexikon von Eugen Lennhoff und Oskar Posner (1932)

der Verfasser des "Tristam Shandy", *1713, † 1768, Reverend und Rektor zu Coxswould, war Freimaurer.

Seine Grabstätte im Friedhof St. George, Hanover Square, London, wird in dem Aufsatz von Williams: "A Masonic Pilgrimage trough London" (A. Q. C. 1930), als Freimaurergrab bezeichnet (s. Rylands, A. Q. C., II)

Ergänzung zur Biografie

• Wurde als Sohn eines Offiziers am 24.11.1713 in Clonmel (Irland) geboren.
• Verehrer seiner Literatur in Deutschland waren Jean Paul, Lichtenberg und Goethe.

Goethe über Sterne

Bruder Johann Wolfang von Goethe sagte einmal über Sterne:

«Sterne war der schönste Geist, der je gewirkt hat;

wer ihn liest, fühlt sich sogleich frei und schön;

sein Humor ist unnachahmnlich,

und nicht jeder Humor befreit die Seele»

Werke

• "Leben und Ansichten von Tristam Shandy, Gentleman (The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman)
• "Empfindsame Reise durch Frankreich und Italien von Mr. Yorick." oder Yoricks Reise des Herzens durch Frankreich und Italien (A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy by Mr. Yorick)
• Briefe an seine intimsten Freunde Letters to his most intimate friends

Quellen

• Helmut Findeisen 1968
• Dieterich´sche Verlagsbuchhandlung
• Projekt Gutenberg*
• Wikipedia (englische Ausgabe)

Grabstätte

Quelle: W.J. Williams, Ars Quatuor Coronatorum, Vol. 42, 1930

LAURENCE STERNE,

In the old burial ground belonging to the Parish of St. George, Hanover Square, situate in Bayswater, about 200 yards West of the Edgware Road, is a Memorial to the celebrated Laurence Sterne, the author of Tristram Shandy. The beautiful Chapel of the Ascension, with its marvellous paintings by Frederic Shields, occupies a considerable part of the frontage. At the rear of the building is a large burial ground. The headstone is about halfway down the Western side of the ground, and is quite easy to find.

The inscription runs thus:

"Alas Poor Yorick
Near to this place
lyes the body of
The Rev. Laurence Sterne. A.M.
Dyed September 13th. 1768
aged 55 years
Ah ! Molliter ossa quiescant.

If a sound head, warm heart and breast humane;
Unsullied worth, and soul without a stain
If mental powers could ever justly claim
The well won tribute of immortal fame
STERNE was THE MAN who with gigantic stride.
Mow'd down luxuriant follies far and wide,
Yet what though keenest knowledge of mankind
Unseal'd to him the springs that move the mind,
What did it boot him, Ridicul'd, Abus'd,
By fools insulted, and by prudes accused
In his mild reader view thy future fate;
Like him despise, what 'twere a sin to hate.

This monumental stone was erected to the memory of
deceased by two BROTHER MASONS for althou-
gh He did not live to be a Member of their SOCIETY
yet all his incomparable Performances evidently prove
him to have acted by Rule and Square, they rejoice in
this opportunity of perpetuating his high and irreproa-
chable Character to after-ages."

Thus that inscription ends. In front of it is another and more decorative memorial stone inscribed "In Memory of The Revd. Laurence Sterne M.A. Rector of Coxswould, Yorkshire, Born November 24, 1713. Died March 18, 1768" with a note that the headstone was cleaned and restored in 1893 by the owner of the "Sterne" property.

The discrepancy in the death date will be observed. The true date appears to have been 18th March 1768. The record interests us as honouring the humanity of the two unnamed Masons. They were human also in their inaccuracy. The original tombstone was noted by Bro. W. H. Rylands in A.Q.C, vol. ii. The more recent stone was not then existing.

Links

• W.J. Williams about Sterne in Ars Quatuor Coronatorum, Vol. 42, 1930 auf archive.org