Fielding, Henry

Henry (1707-1754), an English novelist. He is the literary aftercomer, but not follower of Richardson. He was educated at Leyden for the law, but betook himself to a roistering life and to the writing of comedies. He inherited money and an estate, but wasted both in riotous living. He sneered at Richardson's ideals of virtue as hypocritical. He wrote Joseph Andrews as a caricature on Pamela and Amelia as a substitute for Clarissa. Parson Adams in the latter is a noble character, neither spoiled nor soured by poverty. Tom Jones is a vigorous novel valued for the picture it gives of the active young man of England, and the state of society in which he moved. Like Richardson, Fielding is to be read for a view of society in his day, not for pure pleasure, as Scott's Ivanhoe is read.

QUOTATIONS.

Fielding writes with his eye sharply fixed on the world. The most of his characters seem alive and vigorous. Except in the cases of Tom Jones and Captain Booth, who are Fielding himself, Fielding appears to be listening with considerable curiosity to the conversations of his characters, and wondering what they will do next.