John Hall-Stevenson John Hall-Stevenson John Hall-Stevenson (1718–1785), in his youth known as John Hall, was an English country gentleman and writer. He is memorialised as "Eugenius" in Laurence Sterne's novels "Tristram Shandy" and "A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy". Hall-Stevenson was the son of Joseph Hall of Durham by his marriage to Catherine, sister and heiress of Lawson Trotter of Skelton Castle at Skelton-in-Cleveland, Yorkshire. On 16 June 1735, at the age of seventeen, he matriculated at Jesus College, Cambridge as a fellow-commoner. He quickly struck up a close and lifelong friendship with Laurence Sterne, who was five years older. They
British literature of Wakefield" (1766), a pastoral poem "The Deserted Village" (1770) and two plays, "The Good-Natur'd Man" 1768 and "She Stoops to Conquer" 1773. Sheridan was born in Dublin, but his family moved to England in the 1750s. His first play, "The Rivals" 1775, was performed at Covent Garden and was an instant success. He went on to become the most significant London playwright of the late 18th century with plays like "The School for Scandal" and "The Critic". Sterne published his famous novel "Tristram Shandy" in parts between 1759 and 1767. The sentimental novel or the novel of sensibility is