New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-09-05
FIELDING AND THACKERAY.
BY CHARLES +. CONGDON.


ING's CHARACTER or AMELIA-THACkkBAf
WOMEN PREFERRED To HIS MEN.
Ever since the time of the excellent Plutarch, the
worlG has given itself to comparisons. and, as ne
balanced Thcseus against Romulus. and Hannioai
against Scipio Africans. get M scesaw OF
nance. and look out for rescmblanccs. Society is
promo to that drive of the debating club. which
expends itself in determining the comparative
military ability OF George Washington aud the
Dnke of Wellington. Gibbon tumbled into this
error though in magnificent way when he spoke
of Fielding the prose Homer OF the human
Heart" Others mistake in the samo style when
they speak of Thackeray as the Fielding of the
nineteenth century" The phrases are captivating
but they do not mean much. And even those Who
use them do not comprehend precisely what they
do mean 1t is like all that nonsense which has
con written about Pope aud DRYDEN DR.. johnson
leading in it, of which trust that we have heard
the last.
One thing. however, may be said. II we have
two dear friends likely to look for resent
blances between them. When had the pleasure
and honor OF meeting Thackeray during his first
visit to this country. confess that could not keep
Fielding and Smolett and Sternc out of my head.
II is not often that one sits at table with great
q man rs tine author of "The Newcomes" and
Henry ESmond "-Once, maybe. only in a life
time. He before me, raying out bits OF WIS
dom with not the least flavor of cynicism. so far
as / could observe; and it was just little odd
that as ] sat and listened. also instituted a COM
parison with Fielding. There is somo point OF
resemblance between these great men ii one could
only find il out. Yet there hundred differ
ences
/ shall never forget the exquisite pleasure with
which when a boy / fist read Tom jones'
that hero who passes from the iTrcyerence of
atom" to the plain respectability of Jones with
the precedent Thomas entirely unabbreviated. ana
with Mr." standing guard in front OF the name.
had known about the book long before: but only
then had | comprised the hire of it from our
circulating library through the careful boarding of
pennies Bringing home the great work. then for
the first time in my possession He'd win IL TO
the garrett, enioyed il by stealth and drank III It's
delicious immoralites surrcptitiously. The rain
was beating down upon the roof and rafting
against the windows; ali without was dull and
dreary: but the light of genius illuminated the
cobwcbhcd rafters Sophia walked up and down in
the radiance OF her beauty the grave Allworthy
ste cd at the door if to reprchend Inc for my
stolen indulgence; L" Tom" with the charm OF
natural youth figured now reputabiy ana now dis
reputabiy upon the scene; l eXecrated Bihl,
grinued at Partridge. piticd Mrs. Captain Waters.
half piticd Lady Bclaston. was willing 10 compro-
mise with that grim, unnatural mother and 50 took
from that time forth that the whole world would
be a theatre and that had only to look, to listen.
and 10 learn. | have read the novel hardly dare
to say how many times since: il has Soothed the
houfs OF sickness and mitgated the tedium OF con-
valescence yet that charm of original perusal has
never been surpassed; and as my acquaintance
with Fielding has become moro and more intimate,
have grown more reasonably certain that in no
time IN no language has he been surpassed.
think that he never altogether eQualled atom
Jones'" as Cervantes never did Don QuIXOte
and if | may say so Milton never did " Para
disc Lost" Yet Fielding is great in the minor
novels; and Joseph Andrews" has a hard fight
for supremacy in many critical Judgments. The
character of Amelia in the novel of that name
arrested Mr. Thackerays attention. and he used TO
regret that. for the sake Of il. the novel could not
I" be cleaned" | have sometimes thought that II
there 3e any link which connects him with Field
ing it will be found in Thackeray's admiration
of this character. Mrs. Booth is in many respects
a heroine after Thackeray's own heart-quiet. low
ing forgyng: the idol Of a husband who does not
know her value.
Has the reader noticed the peculiarly of
Thacke1ay's wives, that almost always they
are superior to their husbandsS People say
that Thackeray thought meanly of women and /
depicted them with something OF satrical dis !
respect. ] have often ycnturcd TO take different
and precisely opposite ground. do not think |
that Ina kcray had much regard for Boadiceas or
for impossible Unas; he understood well enough |
the fIailties of the female character; bat have
never been able to why Ethel. in :" The New
comes is not infinitely superior In all the best at
tributes OF character TO the somewhat spOOney |
Give He seems to be rather than herself the
Law figure of the novel He has been very much
admired: children have been named after him even
upon these Western shores; but what does he do
through all the book except wear good clothes.
paint mediocre pictures, marry Rosy, quarrel with
his mothcr-in-law, ana be dreadfuly sorry for the
misiortuncs of that dear old man, the Colonel
No: upon the whole, prefer Thackerays women
to his men. Mrs. Pendennis is particular
friend of niue because she is so much more sch
sible than her lord. Upon the whole, do not see
that Thackeray's male characters-always except
ing the dear old Colonel-are particularly win
ming But his women get great hold OF mo. 1t
is as if he made them and clothed them in the
radiance of fine costume, or In the purity of white
and then took them upon the palm of his great
right hand and showed them to us gracious beau
tiful and loving. believe that women. as a rule
shake their pretty little heads at Thackeray. hey
are much mistaken. THIS great stalwart creature
Is their champion. He will not draw then after
the fashion OF the modern novelist but II he |
makes some of them true and tender rs Homer
made AnorOmaChe as OctaVIa Is suggested 10 us III
Virgil. Amelia is painted in Joseph Andrews"
why this everlasting criticism because he did not
find all Of them like Eve before the apple. if the
world never any Becky ShaTps nor any Old
Campagners"
When began this paper, ! thought of drawing
q somewhat more elaborate parallel between
Fielding ard Tbackeray but i do not like
to be too familiar with those great men who
my reverence and disarm dis
appreciation. Thackeray to me- considering ali the
literary pecuaritIcs of the age. Is a miracle not
merely because of his hand and eye, but because