Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1852-02-05
MISCELLANEOUS.
From Hs Lon9oa Tame
Henry Fielding.


price exceedingly low. A man may be
very much injured by pcrsuing moudlIn
sentimental tales, bnt cannot be hurt, t,though
he may be shocked every now and then,
by reading works of sound sterling humor,
like the greater part of these, full of be-
revolence. practical wisdom, and gene
rous sympathy with mankind.
The work is isprefaced by an able biogra-
ply of Fielding, in which the writer does
justice TO the great satirist's memory, and
rescues it from the attacks which rivals,
poetasters, and fine gentlemen have made
upon it.
Those who have mind to forgive lit
tie coarseness. for the sake of one of the
honestest, manifest, kindest companions in
the world, cannot, as we fancy, find bet
ter than Fielding, or get SO much true wit
and shrewdncss from any other writer Of
our language.
"With regard to personal appearance,
says his biographcr. "Fielding was strong
" built, robust, and in height rather ex-
ceeding six feet. He was possessed ofrare
conversational powers and vii; noble
man W ho had known Pope, Swift, and the
wits of tha, famous clique, declared that
Henry Fielding surpassed them all.
He and Hogarih between them have
given us a strange notion of the society OF
those days. Walpole's letters, for all their
cold elegance, are not wilt more moral
than those rude coarse pictures Of the for
nler artists. Lord Chesterfcld's model of
man is more polite, but not so honest as
Tom Jones, or as poor VIII Booth, with
his "chairman's shoulders, and calves like
a porter
Let US, then, not accuse Fielding OF i'm
morality, but simply admit that his age
was more free-spnkcn than ours, and ac-
cusc ii Of the fault (such as it is) rather
than him. But there is a great deal of
good, on the other hand, which is to be
found in the writings Of this great man, OF
virtue so wise and practical, that the man
of The world cannot read 1t and initiate it
too much He gives strong real picture
of human life, and the virtues which he
exhibits shine out by their contrasts with
the vices which he paints so faithfully, as
they never could have done f'ihc latter had
not been depicted as we'll as the former
He tries TO give you, as far as he knows ii,
the whole truth about human nature; the
good and the evil of his characters are both
practical. Tom Jones's sins and his faults
are described with curious accuracy, but
then follows the repentance which comes
| out of his very sins; and that surely is
moral and touching. Booth goes astray
1--WE do verify believe that many persons
even in these days are not altogether,) but
how good his remorsc Isl Are persons who
profess to take the likeness of human ma
turc to make an accurate portrait! This
is such hard question, that, think what
we will, we shall not venture to say what
we think. Perhaps 1t is better to do as
Hannibal's painter did, and draw only that
side of the face which has not the blind
eye Fielding attacked it in full. Let the
reader, according to bis taste, select the
artist who shall give likeness Of him or
only half likeness.
We have looked through many of the
pieces Of Mr. Roscoe's handsome volume.
The dramatic works could not have been
spared possibly, but the reader will have
no great pleasure, as we fancy, in looking
at them more than once. They are not re-
markable for wit even, though they have a
plenty of spgit,-a great deal too much
perhaps.
But he was an honest hearted fellow,
with affections as tender and simple as ever
dwelt in the bosom of any man; and if. in
the heyday of his spirits and the prodigal
oupourug of his joyial good humor, he
could give hand TO many "aslady and
lass" whom the squcamish world would
turn its back on (indecd, there was a vir-
tue in his benevolence, but we dare not
express our sympathes now for poor Doll
Tcarsheet and honest Mistress Quickly)-
II he led sad riotous life, and mixed with
many bad woman in his time, his heart
was pure and he knew good one when
he found her. He married, and Though
Sir Walter Scott speaks rather slightingly
of the novel in which Fielding has painted
his wiie) the picture of Amelia. in the story
Of that name, is lin the writer's humble
opinion) the most beautiful and delicious
description of character thatis TO be found
in any writer, not excepting Shakespeare
1t is a wonder how old Richardson, girded
at as he had been by the reckless sa,irist
how Richardson, the author Of Pune
la," could have been so blinded by anger
and pique as not to have seen the merits of
his rivals exquisite performance.
Amelia was IT. her grave when poor
Fielding drew this delightful portrait of
her; but with all his faults, and extrava-
gancies. and vagaries, il is not hard 10 see
how such gentle, generous, loving crea-
ture as Fielding was must have been loved
and priced by her. She had little fortune
of her own, and he at this time inherited a
small one from his mother. He carried
her to the country, and Ike wise, pru-
dent Henry Fielding as he was; why hav-
ing lived upon nothing very jovially for
some years, thought $4,000 or 10000 an
endless wealth; he kept horses and hounds,
flung his doors open, and lived with the
best OF his country. When he had spent
his little fortune, and saw that there was
nothing for 1t but TO work, he to Lon.
don. applied himself ierceIy to the law,
seized upon his pen again. never lost heart
for moment. and, be sure, loved bis poor
Amelia as tenderly as. ever he had done.
1t is pity that he did not live on his in
come, that is certain: it is pity that he
had not been lord, or thrifty stock bro
ker at the least. but we should not have
hsd .Yoae,,h A,Jra,~a ,r ,h,x Ill i,ae,.