New-York tribune., 1919-03-15
Henry Fielding
The First Adequate History of
the Pioneer Novelist


THg HISTORY OF HENRY FIELDING. By
Wilbur l.. Cross. Illustrated Royal Svo. Three
volumes. I'd. Xxx. AIS. 437. All. Yale Univer-
sity Press
There could scarcely be more strik-
ing coincidence than the simultane-
GUS issuance of this noble work and
bon was, no doubt, in error in tracing
Fielding's descent from the ancient
Counts Of Hapsburg. But he was a
true prophet in declaring that "the
romance of Tom Jones' will outlive
the imperial eagle of the House Of Aus
tria." Nor could there have been
finer fulflment of his prophecy-made
when the fame of Fielding was not yet
was the most splendid and powerful
dynasty upon the continent of Europe
than was perceived in the appearance
of this history Of Fielding at almost
Hapsburgs became throneless fugi-
tive and the last relic of the Holy Ro-
man Empire became a second-rate re-
public.
The volumes before us are worthy Of
their occasion. The world has waited
long for an adequate history oe him
whom we may probably with justice
regard as the first great English novel
ist. Defoe, it is true. preceded him;
but the modern novel is no descendant
of his genius. Richardson was little
IN advance Of him; but his analytic
sentlmentality did not establish the
true standard of English fiction. 1t
was reserved for Henry Fielding to
found the school of realistic fiction de-
plctlng contemporary manners, which
we are generally agreed is the most i'm
portant department Of romantic" lit
erature. Beside his achievements in
!nls direction, his other works, amaz-
1ngly voluminous and generally merito-
rlous as they are, pale into insirnifi-
cance. We must remember him as the
creator of Jonathan Wild, of Joseph
andrews, Of Amelia, and, supremely. of
Tom Jones'
1T Will hereafter be one of the glories
OF American letters that the definitive
history of Fielding was written by an
american and was issued from an
American press. We recall former
works about him, by Scott and Roscoe,
oy watson and Lawrence and Golden,
and' above all, perhaps, by Austin Dob
son. Ihey were all meritorious; but
at best they were biographies. not his
tories. 1t is true that the writing Of
more seemed impracticable because of
the scarcity of material; for Fielding
lett no great mass of letters, diaries
and what not to be used or misused by
posterity. DR.. Cross has, however. with
vast pains and labor, unearthed from
ancient newspaper files and from vast
variety of sources wealth of authen-
tic information about Fielding, his
works and his times which he has util-
ized in history which must be placed
IN the foremost rank of the splendid
array of great personal histories with
which the world has lately been en-
riched.
1T would be ungracious and unjust,
while giving all possible praise to DR..
Cross for his research, erudtion, crit
lcal acumen and fascinating style,
which have made the subject matter
OF these volumes a masterpiece, to
withhold from the publishers equal ap-
probation of the superb dress and en-
belllshments which they have bestowed
upon it. Never, we think, have wo
seen such a work more admirably illus
trated in both the selection and the
execution of the pictures. The frontis-
piece of the first volume is a reproduce
ton Of Hogarth's sketch Of Fielding,
the most authentic portrait of him in
existence. There are facsimiles of
pages Of Fielding's "Champion" so ex-
quisitely made as to be as legble as
the original in it's full size, and there
are other reproductions of oldtime
prints that are a charm to the eye and
an inspiration to the mind. The third
volume closes with photography of
notable compass and admirable ar
rangement and with a copious and per-
spicu0us index.