"I mention this, not only as matter of hypothesis or conjecture upon the progress and establishment of my father's many odd opinions,--but as a warning to the learned reader against the indiscreet reception of such guests, who, after a free and undisturbed enterance, for some years, into our brains,--at length claim a kind of settlement there,--working sometimes like yeast;--but more generally after the manner of the gentle passion, beginning in jest,--but ending in downright earnest."
The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman
At least 82 entries in ESTC (1759, 1760, 1761, 1762, 1763, 1765, 1767, 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772, 1773, 1774, 1775, 1776, 1777, 1779, 1780, 1781, 1782, 1783, 1786, 1788, 1791, 1792, 1793, 1794, 1795, 1796, 1798, 1799, 1800). Complicated publication history: vols. 1 and 2 published in London January 1, 1760. Vols. 3, 4, 5, and 6 published in 1761. Vols. 7 and 8 published in 1765. Vol. 9 published in 1767.<br>
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See Laurence Sterne, <u>The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman</u>, 9 vols. (London: Printed for D. Lynch, 1760-1767). &lt;<a href="http://find.galegroup.com/ecco/infomark.do?&contentSet=ECCOArticles&type=multipage&tabID=T001&prodId=ECCO&docId=CW114738374&source=gale&userGroupName=viva_uva&version=1.0&docLevel=FASCIMILE">Link to ECCO</a>&gt;&lt;<a href="http://find.galegroup.com/ecco/infomark.do?&contentSet=ECCOArticles&type=multipage&tabID=T001&prodId=ECCO&docId=CW114607600&source=gale&userGroupName=viva_uva&version=1.0&docLevel=FASCIMILE">Link to 1759 York edition in ECCO</a>&gt;<br>
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First two volumes available in ECCO-TCP: &lt;<a href="http://name.umdl.umich.edu/004792564.0001.001">Vol. 1</a>&gt;&lt;<a href="http://name.umdl.umich.edu/004792564.0001.002">Vol. 2</a>&gt;. Most text from second London edition &lt;<a href="http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2003&xri:pqil:res_ver=0.2&res_id=xri:lion&rft_id=xri:lion:ft:pr:Z000046871:0">Link to LION</a>&gt;.<br>
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For vols. 3-4, see ESTC T14705 &lt;<a href="http://estc.bl.uk/T14705">R. and J. Dodsley, 1761</a>&gt;. For vols. 5-6, see ESTC T14706 &lt;<a href="http://estc.bl.uk/T14706">T. Becket and P. A. Dehondt, 1762</a>&gt;. For vols. 7-8, see ESTC T14820 &lt;<a href="http://estc.bl.uk/T14820">T. Becket and P. A. Dehont, 1765</a>&gt;. For vol. 9, <a href="http://estc.bl.uk/T14824">T. Becket and P. A. Dehondt, 1767</a>.<br>
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Reading in Laurence Sterne, <u>Tristram Shandy: An Authoritative Text, Backgrounds and Sources, Criticism</u>, Ed. Howard Anderson (New York: Norton, 1980).