Produced by Tonya Allen, Charles Aldarondo, Charles Franks
and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team
From a critical point of view, the works of Fielding have receivedabundant examination at the hands of a long line of distinguishedwriters. Of these, the latest is by no means the least; and as Mr.Leslie Stephen's brilliant studies, in the recent edition de luxe andthe Cornhill Magazine, are now in every one's hands, it is perhaps nomore than a wise discretion which has prompted me to confine myattention more strictly to the purely biographical side of the subject.In the present memoir, therefore, I have made it my duty, primarily, toverify such scattered anecdotes respecting Fielding as have come down tous; to correct (I hope not obtrusively) a few mis-statements which havecrept into previous accounts; and to add such supplementary details as Ihave been able to discover for myself.
In this task I have made use of the following authorities:—
I. Arthur Murphy's Essay on the Life and Genius of Henry Fielding,Esq. This was prefixed to the first collected edition of Fielding'sworks published by Andrew Millar in April 1762; and it continued for along time to be the recognised authority for Fielding's life. It ispossible that it fairly reproduces his personality, as presented bycontemporary tradition; but it is misleading in its facts, andneedlessly diffuse. Under pretence of respecting "the Manes of thedead," the writer seems to have found it pleasanter to fill his spacewith vagrant discussions on the "Middle Comedy of the Greeks" and themachinery of the Rape of the Lock, than to make the requisitebiographical inquiries. This is the more to be deplored, because, in1762, Fielding's widow, brother, and sister, as well as his friendLyttelton, were still alive, and trustworthy information should havebeen procurable.
II. Watson's Life of Henry Fielding, Esq. This is usually to be foundprefixed to a selection of Fielding's works issued at Edinburgh. It alsoappeared as a volume in 1807, although there is no copy of it in thisform at the British Museum. It carries Murphy a little farther, andcorrects him in some instances. But its author had clearly never evenseen the Miscellanies of 1743, with their valuable Preface, for hespeaks of them as one volume, and in apparent ignorance of theircontents.
III. Sir Walter Scott's biographical sketch for Ballantyne's Novelist'sLibrary. This was published in 1821; and is now included in thewriter's Miscellaneous Prose Works. Sir Walter made no pretence tooriginal research, and even spoke slightingly of this particular work;but it has all the charm of his practised and genial pen.
IV. Roscoe's Memoir, compiled for the one-volume edition of Fielding,published by Washbourne and others in 1840.
V. Thackeray's well-known lecture, in the English Humourists of the
Eighteenth Century, 1853.
VI. The Life of Henry Fielding; with Notices of his Writings, hisTimes, and his Contemporaries. By Frederick Lawrence. 1855. This is anexceedingly painstaking book; and constitutes the first serious attemptat a biography. Its chief defect—as pointed out at the time of itsappearance—is an ill-judged emulation of Forster's Goldsmith. Theauthor attempted to make Fielding a literary centre, which isimpossible; and the attempt has involved him in needless digressions. Heis also