The Penny Cyclopædia of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge; V. 1-27 Volume 10

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1838 edition. Excerpt: ...even expressions at which we should now feel the greatest disgust. Squire Western addresses his daughter in terms and on subjects which would shock the ear of a modern waiting-maid, to sty? nothing of her mistress; and this under circumstance v he. c no very grave annoyance was intended: but in spite of oil this coarseness there runs through all Fielding's works an honest appreciation of right and wrong, with no attempt to Siato bad actions by specious phrases. The character of i Jones seems to us not to have met with a fair share of praise. His generosity and nobleness of nature are, it is true, partially obscured by connexions of a degrading kind into which he so often falls; but however much he may fail of perfection, ho cannot Do called depraved. His love for Sophia is an affection of a kind which no thoroughly bad heart could entertain. He has all the materials of a fine character, and therefore there is no poetical injustice in marrying him to Sophia, and thereby putting him in a situation to redeem himself from the folly and vice into which he has been thrown. Nichols (' Literary Anecdotes, ' vol iii. p. 396.) assumes that ' Junaihaa WiM' preceded ' Joaeph Andrews.' Chalmers ennroerates 11 among hi, rAr.ct work," produced before his genius hod attained its full erowiii. Lull tt apjKora. rrom Sir Walter Seott, to have followed a miacelluny which appeared i 1A uue year after the publication of' Joseph Andrew, ' 'Amelia, ' the author's last important work, bears the stamp of declining powers, with an appreciation of female character perhaps more delicate than we find in 'Tom Jones, ' or ' Joseph Andrews.' Booth and Amelia are said to have been portraits of Fielding and his second wife; and 'if he put her patience, ...