Laurence Sterne (1713-1768) was an Irish Anglican clergyman. Sterne published several novels, sermons and his memoirs. He is best-known for his novel Tristram Shandy. A Political Romance is an allegory presenting a squabble over a greatcoat between a church lawyer, an archbishop and a Dean. In 1759 angry church leaders suppressed the original manuscript. In 1905 an original and unexpected copy was found in the library of the dean and chapter of York. In 1914 A Political Romance was finally published.