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Wilson；　in　〃Joseph　Andrews〃？



〃To　say　the　Truth；　I　do　not　perceive　that　Inferiority　of

Understanding　which　the　Levity　of　Rakes；　the　Dulness　of　Men　of

Business；　and　the　Austerity　of　the　Learned　would　persuade　us　of　in

Women。　　As　for　my　Wife；　I　declare　I　have　found　none　of　my　own　Sex

capable　of　making　juster　Observations　on　Life；　or　of　delivering　them

more　agreeably；　nor　do　I　believe　any　one　possessed　of　a　faithfuller

or　braver　Friend。〃



He　has　no　other　voice　wherein　to　speak　of　a　happy　marriage。　　Can　you

find　among　our　genteel　writers　of　this　age；　a　figure　more　beautiful；

tender；　devoted；　and　in　all　good　ways　womanly　than　Sophia　Western's？

〃Yes；〃　you　will　say；　〃but　the　man　must　have　been　a　brute　who　could

give　her　to　Tom　Jones；　to　'that　fellow　who　sold　himself；'　as　Colonel

Newcome　said。〃　　〃There　you　have　me　at　an　avail；〃　in　the　language　of

the　old　romancers。　　There　we　touch　the　centre　of　Fielding's

morality；　a　subject　ill　to　discuss；　a　morality　not　for　everyday

preaching。



Fielding　distinctly　takes　himself　for　a　moralist。　　He　preaches　as

continually　as　Thackeray。　　And　his　moral　is　this：　　〃Let　a　man　be

kind；　generous；　charitable；　tolerant；　brave；　honestand　we　may

pardon　him　vices　of　young　blood；　and　the　stains　of　adventurous

living。〃　　Fielding　has　no　mercy　on　a　seducer。　　Lovelace　would　have

fared　worse　with　him　than　with　Richardson；　who；　I　verily　believe；

admired　that　infernal　（excuse　me）　coward　and　villain。　　The　case　of

young　Nightingale；　in　〃Tom　Jones；〃　will　show　you　what　Fielding

thought　of　such　gallants。　　Why；　Tom　himself　preaches　to　Nightingale。

〃Miss　Nancy's　Interest　alone；　and　not　yours；　ought　to　be　your　sole

Consideration；〃　cried　Thomas；　。　。　。　〃and　the　very　best　and　truest

Honour；　which　is　Goodness；　requires　it　of　you；〃　that　is；　requires

that　Nightingale　shall　marry　Miss　Nancy。



How　Tom　Jones　combined　these　sentiments；　which　were　perfectly

honest；　with　his　own　astonishing　lack　of　retenue；　and　with　Lady

Bellaston；　is　just　the　puzzle。　　We　cannot　very　well　argue　about　it。

I　only　ask　you　to　let　Jones　in　his　right　mind　partly　excuse　Jones　in

a　number　of　very　delicate　situations。　　If　you　ask　me　whether　Sophia

had　not；　after　her　marriage；　to　be　as　forgiving　as　Amelia；　I　fear　I

must　admit　that　probably　it　was　so。　　But　Dr。　Johnson　himself　thought

little　of　that。



I　am　afraid　our　only　way　of　dealing　with　Fielding's　morality　is　to

take　the　best　of　it　and　leave　the　remainder　alone。　　Here　I　find　that

I　have　unconsciously　agreed　with　that　well…known　philosopher；　Mr。

James　Boswell；　the　younger；　of　Auchinleck：



〃The　moral　tendency　of　Fielding's　writings　。　。　。　is　ever　favourable

to　honour　and　honesty；　and　cherishes　the　benevolent　and　generous

affections。　　He　who　is　as　good　as　Fielding　would　make　him　is　an

amiable　member　of　society；　and　may　be　led　on　by　more　regulated

instructions　to　a　higher　state　of　ethical　perfection。〃



Let　us　be　as　good　and　simple　as　Adams；　without　his　vanity　and　his

oddity；　as　brave　and　generous　as　Jones；　without　Jones's　faults；　and

what　a　world　of　men　and　women　it　will　become！　　Fielding　did　not

paint　that　unborn　world；　he　sketched　the　world　he　knew　very　well。

He　found　that　respectable　people　were　often　perfectly　blind　to　the

duties　of　charity　in　every　sense　of　the　word。　　He　found　that　the

only　man　in　a　whole　company　who　pitied　Joseph　Andrews；　when　stripped

and　beaten　by　robbers　was　a　postilion　with　defects　in　his　moral

character。　　In　short；　he　knew　that　respectability　often　practised

none　but　the　strictly　self…regarding　virtues；　and　that　poverty　and

recklessness　did　not　always　extinguish　a　native　goodness　of　heart。

Perhaps　this　discovery　made　him　leniently　disposed　to　〃characters

and　situations　so　wretchedly　low　and　dirty；　that　I；〃　say　the　author

of　〃Pamela；〃　〃could　not　be　interested　for　any　one　of　them。〃



How　amusing　Richardson　always　was　about　Fielding！　　How　jealousy；

spite；　and　the　confusion　of　mind　that　befogs　a　prig　when　he　is　not

taken　seriously；　do　darken　the　eyes　of　the　author　of　〃those

deplorably　tedious　lamentations；　'Clarissa'　and　'Sir　Charles

Grandison；'〃　as　Horace　Walpole　calls　them！



Fielding　asks　his　Muse　to　give　him　〃humour　and　good　humour。〃　　What

novelist　was　ever　so　rich　in　both？　　Who　ever　laughed　at　mankind　with

so　much　affection　for　mankind　in　his　heart？　　This　love　shines　in

every　book　of　his。　　The　poor　have　all　his　good…will；　and　in　him　an

untired　advocate　and　friend。　　What　a　life　the　poor　led　in　the

England　of　1742！　　There　never　before　was　such　tyranny　without　a

servile　insurrection。　　I　remember　a　dreadful　passage　in　〃Joseph

Andrews；〃　where　Lady　Booby　is　trying　to　have　Fanny；　Joseph's

sweetheart；　locked　up　in　prison：…



〃It　would　do　a　Man　good；〃　says　her　accomplice；　Scout；　〃to　see　his

Worship；　our　Justice；　commit　a　Fellow　to　Bridewell；　he　takes　so　much

pleasure　in　it。　　And　when　once　we　ha'　'um　there；　we　seldom　hear　any

more　o'　'um。　　He's　either　starved　or　eat　up　by　Vermin　in　a　Month's

Time。〃



This　England；　with　its　dominant　Squires；　who　behaved　much　like

robber　barons　on　the　Rhine；　was　the　merry　England　Fielding　tried　to

turn　from　some　of　its　ways。　　I　seriously　do　believe　that；　with　all

its　faults；　it　was　a　better　place；　with　a　better　breed　of　men；　than

our　England　of　to…day。　　But　Fielding　satirized　intolerable

injustice。



He　would　be　a　Reformer；　a　didactic　writer。　　If　we　are　to　have

nothing　but　〃Art　for　Art's　sake；〃　that　burly　body　of　Harry

Fielding's　must　even　go　to　the　wall。　　The　first　Beau　Didapper　of　a

critic　that　passes　can　shove　him　aside。　　He　preaches　like　Thackeray；

he　writes　〃with　a　purpose〃　like　Dickensobsolete　old　authors。　　His

cause　is　judged；　and　into　Bridewell　he　goes；　if　l'Art　pour　l'Art　is

all　the　literary　law　and　the　prophets。



But　Fielding　cannot　be　kept　in　prison　long。　　His　noble　English；　his

sonorous　voice　must　be　heard。　　There　is　somewhat　inexpressibly

heartening；　to　me；　in　the　style　of　Fielding。　　One　seems　to　be

carried　along；　like　a　swimmer　in　a　strong；　clear　stream；　trusting

one's　self　to　every　whirl　and　eddy；　with　a　feeling　of　safety；　of

comfort；　of　delightful　ease　in　the　motion　of　the　elastic　water。　　He

is　a　scholar；　nay　more；　as　Adams　had　his　innocent　vanity；　Fielding

has　his　innocent　pedantry。　　He　likes　to　quote　Greek　（fancy　quoting

Greek　in　a　novel　of　to…day！）　and　to　make　the　rogues　of　printers　set

it　up　correctly。　　He　likes　to　air　his　ideas　on　Homer；　to　bring　in　a

piece　of　Aristotlenot　hackneyedto　show　you　that　if　he　is　writing

about　〃characters　and　situations　so　wretchedly　low　and　dirty；〃　he　is

yet　a　student　and　a　critic。



Mr。　Samuel　Richardson；　a　man　of　little　reading；　according　to

Johnson；　was；　I　doubt；　sadly　put　to　it　to　understand　Booth's

conversations　with　the　author　who　remarked　that　〃Perhaps　Mr。　Pope

followed　the　French　Translations。　　I　observe；　indeed；　he　talks　much

in　the　Notes　of　Madame　Dacier　and　Monsieur　Eustathius。〃　　What　knew

Samuel　of　Eustathius？　　I　not　only　can　forgive　Fielding　his　pedantry；

I　like　it！　　I　like　a　man　of　letters　to　be　a　scholar；　and　his　little

pardonable　display　and　ostentation　of　his　Greek　only　brings　him

nearer　to　us；　who　have　none　of　his　genius；　and　do　not　approach　him

but　in　his　faults。　　They　make　him　more　human；　one　loves　him　for　them

as　he　loves　Squire　Western；　with　all　his　failings。　　Delightful；

immortal　Squire！



It　was　not　he；　it　was　another　Tory　Squire　that　called　out　〃Hurray

for　old　England！　　Twenty　thousand　honest　Frenchmen　are　landed　in

Sussex。〃　　But　it　was　Western　that　talked　of　〃One　Acton；　that　the

Story　Book　says　was　turned　into　a　Hare；　and　his　own　Dogs　kill'd　'un；

and　eat　'un。〃　　And　have　you　forgotten　the　popular　discussion　（during

the　Forty…five）　of　the　affairs　of　the　Nation；　which；　as　Squire

Western　said；　〃all　of　us　understand〃？　　Said　the　Puppet…Man；　〃I　don't

care　what　Religion　comes；　provided　the　Presbyterians　are　not

uppermost；　for　they　are　enemies　to　Puppet…Shows。〃　　But　the　Puppet…

Man　had　no　vote　in　1745。　　Now；　to　our　comfort；　he　can　and　does

exercise　the　glorious　privilege　of　the　franchise。



There　is　no　room　in　this　epistle　for　Fielding's　glorious　gallery　of

charactersfor　Lady　Bellaston；　who　remains　a　lady　in　her

debaucheries；　and　is　therefore　so　unlike　our　modern　representative

of　her　class；　Lady　Betty；　in　Miss　Broughton's　〃Doctor　Cupid；〃　for

Square；　and　Thwackum；　and　Trulliber；　and　the　jealous　spite　of　Lady

Booby；　and　Honour；　that　undying　lady's　maid；　and　Partridge；　and

Captain　Blifil　and　Amelia；　the　fair　and　kind　and　good！



It　is　like　the　whole　world　of　that　old　Englandthe　maids　of　the

Inn；　the　parish　clerk；　the　two　sportsmen；　the　hosts　of　the　taverns；

the　beaux；　the　starveling　authorsall　alive；　all　（save　the　authors）

full　of　beef　and　beer；　a　cudgel　in　every　fist；　every　man　ready　for　a

brotherly　bout　at　fisticuffs。　　What　has　become　of　it；　the　lusty　old

militant　world？　　What　will　become　of　us；　and　why　do　we　prefer　to

Fieldinga　number　of　meritorious　moderns？　　Who　knows？　　But　do　not

let　us　prefer　anything　to　our　English　follower　of　Cervantes；　our

wise；　merry；　learned　Sancho；　trudging　on　English　roads；　like　Don

Quixote　on　the　paths　of　Spain。



But　I　cannot　convert　you。　　You　will　turn　to　some　story　about　store…

clerks　and　summer　visitors。　　Such　is　his　fate　who　argues　with　the

fair。







LONGFELLOW







To　Walter　Mainwaring；　Esq。；　Lothian　College；　Oxford。



My　dear　Mainwaring；You　are　very　good　to　ask　me　to　come　up　and

listen　to　a　discussion；　by　the　College　Browning　Society；　of　the

minor　characters　in　〃Sordello；〃　but　I　think　it　would　suit　me　better；

if　you　didn't　mind；　to　come　up　when　the　May　races　are　on。　　I　am　not

deeply　concerned　about　the　minor　characters　in　〃Sordello；〃　and　have

long　reconciled　myself　to　the　conviction　that　I　must　pass　through

this　pilgrimage　without　hearing　Sordello's　story　told　in　an

intelligible　manner。　　Your　letter；　however；　set　me　a…voyaging　about

my　bookshelves；　taki