Pagina-afbeeldingen
PDF
ePub

pictures of human kind had neither been so various nor so natural. Had he possessed less of literature, he could not have infused such a spirit of classical elegance. Had his genius been less fertile of wit and humour, he could not have maintained that uninterrupted pleasantry, which never suffers his readers to feel fatigue *.'

There are not so many little anecdotes preserved concerning Mr. Fielding as might perhaps have been expected considering the eccentricity of his disposi tion, and his talents for conversation. In the opinion of Lord Lyttelton, he had more wit and humour than Pope, Swift, and all the other wits of that time put together. But when our author died, the passion for collecting every trivial incident concerning literary men, or every expression uttered by them, had not taken place; or, at least, was far from being carried to the height which has lately been done. In the Gentleman's Magazine for August, 1786, a story is told concerning Mr. Fielding, of which we shall content ourselves with an abridgment, as the narrative of the writer is verbose, and as he aims at a pleasantry in which he has not been remarkably successful. The fact is simply as follows: Some parochial taxes for Fielding's house in Beaufort buildings being unpaid, and for which demands had been made again and again, he was at length given to understand, by the collector, who had an esteem for him, that no longer procrastination could be admitted. In this dilemma he had recourse to Jacob Tonson, and mortgaging the future sheets of some work he had in hand, received the sum he wanted, which might be ten or twelve guineas. When he was near his own house, he met with an old college chum, whom he had not seen for many years. They retired to a neighbouring tavern, and gave free scope to their conviviality. In the course of the

*Harris's Philological Inquiries, pp. 163, 164. + Beattie, ubi supra, p. 571.

con

[ocr errors]

traordinary effort both of genius and art; for, though it be very complex, taking in as great a variety of matter as, I believe, any heroic fable, it is so simple as to be easily enough comprehended in one view. And it has this peculiar excellency, that every incident of the almost infinite variety which the author has contrived to introduce into it, contributes, some way or other, to bring on the catastrophe, which is so artfully wrought up, and brought about by a change of fortune, so sudden and surprizing, that it gives the reader all the pleasure of a well-written tragedy or comedy. And, therefore, as I hold the invention and composition of the fable to be the chief beauty of every poem, I must be of opinion, that Mr. Fielding was one of the greatest poetical geniuses of the age; nor do I think that his work has hitherto met with the praise that it deserves *." We shall conclude the testimony to our author's literary excellence, with the concise and elegant encomium passed upon him by the late Mr. James Harris. This ingenious and learned gentleman, having treated of the absurd manner in which the plots of tragedies and comedies are often wound up, adds as follows: "A witty friend of mine, who was himself a dramatic writer, used pleasantly, though perhaps rather freely, to damn the man who invented fifth acts. So said the celebrated Henry Fielding, who was a respectable person both by education and birth, having been bred at Eton school and Leyden, and being lineally descended from an Earl of Denbigh. His Joseph Andrews and Tom Jones may be called master pieces in the comic epopee, which none since have equalled, though multitudes have imitated; and which he was peculiarly qualified to write in the manner he did, both from his life, his learning, and his genius. Had his life been less irregular, (for irregular it was, and spent in a promiscuous intercourse with persons of all ranks,) his

* Of the Origin and Progress of Language, vol. III. p. 134' 135.296-298.

pictures

Henry Fielding's third sisterSarah, made some figure among the literary ladies of the age. She was born in the year 1714, and early applied herself to the cultivation of her mind. Soon after the appearance of her brother's Joseph Andrews, she published a novel, in two volumes, 12mo, intituled, "The Adventures of David Simple, in Search of a faithful Friend." The book had a considerable run, and is not yet forgotten. In 1752, she produced a third volume, which, we believe, never became so popular as the former work. Her next production, which appeared iu 1753, was, "The Cry; a new dramatic Fable,' in three volumes. It is a novel, in a singular form. This publication was too abstracted, and too remote from the common taste of romance readers, to be generally pleasing. It was not, however, destitute of ingenuity. Mrs. Sarah Fielding's last and principal performance was, "Xenophon's Memoirs of Socrates; with the Defence of Socrates before his Judges;" translated from the original Greek. This work does credit to her abilities, being executed with fidelity and elegance. She had the honour of being favoured with some valuable notes by the ingenious and learned Mr. James Harris of Salisbury, who probably might contribute to the correctness of the translation. Mrs. Fielding resided at Bath, where she died in April 1768.

Dr. John Hoadly, who was her particular friend, erected a monument to her memory, on which is the following encomium:

"Her unaffected manners, candid mind, Her heart benevolent, and soul resign'd,

Were more her praise than all she knew or thought,

Though Athens' Wisdom to her sex she taught *."

Biographia Dramatica, or, a Companion to the Playhouse, edit. 1812, vol. I. P. 242.

VOL. III.

Cc

No.

conversation, Mr. Fielding found that his friend had been unfortunate in life, upon which he immediately gave him the whole of the money he had obtained from Mr. Tonson. Early in the morning he returned home in the full enjoyment of his benevolent disposition and conduct, when he was told that the collector had called for the taxes twice on the preceding day. His reply was laconic, but memorable: "Friendship has called for the money, and had it; let the collector call again." A second application to Jacob Tonson enabled him to satisfy the parish demands *. The following anecdote has been communicated to Dr. Kippis by a friend, who had it from the present Mr. Fielding, our author's son. Henry Fielding being once in company with the Earl of Denbigh, and the conversation turning on Fielding's being of the Denbigh family, the Earl asked the reason why they spelt their names diffe rently; the Earl's family doing it with the E first, (Feilding), and Mr. Henry Fielding with the I first, (Fielding.) "I cannot tell, my Lord," answered Harry, except it be that my branch of the family were the first that knew how to spell."

[ocr errors]

Mr. Fielding has afforded another instance how much it is to be lamented that genius and talents are not always accompanied with the uniform practice of virtue. His irregularities exposed a strong and athletic constitution to the inroads of disorder, the depredations of the gout and the dropsy, and a premature death. His extravagance obliged him to produce hasty and imperfect compositions, especially for the stage; and it involved him in necessities, which, it is to be feared, sometimes triumphed over the independance of his mind. A contrary conduct, while it would most probably have been blessed with length of days, would certainly have procured him higher esteem in the world, and have enabled him to give a more finishing hand to many of his writings,

* Gentleman's Magazine, vol. LVI. pp. 659, 660.

Henry

Henry Fielding's third sisterSarah, made some figure among the literary ladies of the age. She was born in the year 1714, and early applied herself to the cultivation of her mind. Soon after the appearance of her brother's Joseph Andrews, she published a novel, in two volumes, 12mo, intituled, "The Adventures of David Simple, in Search of a faithful Friend." The book had a considerable run, and is not yet forgotten. In 1752, she produced a third volume, which, we believe, never became so popular as the former work. Her next production, which appeared iu 1753, was, "The Cry; a new dramatic Fable,' in three volumes. It is a novel, in a singular form. This publication was too abstracted, and too remote from the common taste of romance readers, to be generally pleasing. It was not, however, destitute of ingenuity. Mrs. Sarah Fielding's last and principal performance was, "Xenophon's Memoirs of Socrates; with the Defence of Socrates before his Judges;" translated from the original Greek. This work does credit to her abilities, being executed with fidelity and elegance. She had the honour of being favoured with some valuable notes by the ingenious and learned Mr. James Harris of Salisbury, who probably might contribute to the correctness of the translation. Mrs. Fielding resided at Bath, where she died in April 1768.

Dr. John Hoadly, who was her particular friend, erected a monument to her memory, on which is the following encomium:

"Her unaffected manners, candid mind, Her heart benevolent, and soul resign'd, Were more her praise than all she knew or thought,

Though Athens' Wisdom to her sex she taught *."

Biographia Dramatica, or, a Companion to the Playhouse, edit. 1812, vol. I. p. 242.

[merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small]
« VorigeDoorgaan »