Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-26

For ell which 1 shall not look on
myself as accountable to any court
| of critical Jurisdiction: for as / am
in reality, the founder of new prov
ince Of writing, so | am at liberty
to make what laws / please therein
Now there Is a paragraph for you
81 am, in reality, the founder OF a
new province of writing" With what
calm assurance Fielding writes that
sentence, taking a crack. at the same
time, at the critics, even more ac-
tive in his day than ours!
He was, in truth, the founder OF
a new province In novel writing, and
If today you enjoy IA story OF real
life, think bit upon this old play
and novel writer, who was the first
10 see that a novel, to be work of
art, must have proportion, as well as
be honest.
There were picturesque" stories be-
fore Fielding. Either Richardson or
Defoe probably more truly deserves
the title of father of the English
novel;; but it was Henry Fielding
who first thought things out. In his
story telling, and looked both forward
and backward, in his plots, giving SO
much to such an incident, so much to
another, blending the various parts
hesion Is the word. Fielding had 1t.
To allow him to continue:
"And these laws, my readers. Wnonl
/ consider as my subjects, are bound
to believe in and to obey; with which
that they may readily and cheer1uliy
comply, I do hereby assure them
that l shall principally regard their
ease and advantage in all such fnsti-
tutions: for l do not, like 'jure d1-
vino tyrant, imagine that they are
my slaves, or my commodity.
II am, indeed, set over them Tor
their own good only, and was created
for their use, and not they for mine
Nor do l doubt, while | make their
interest the great rule of my writings,
they will unanimously concur In sup
porting my dignity, and in rendering
me all the honor | shall deserve or
desire"
II NAV be seen from the foregoing
what a radical doctrine in nctior
Henry Fielding preached. So mucn Of
It has been adopted for so many years
that some may regard 1t as common
place, but they will not do so after
recalling that Fielding lived between
1907 and 1884.
The novelist is created for the use
of the reader, not the reader for the
novelist. The main purpose OF the
novelist is to interest, and to DO TINS
he is permitted to juggle scenes and
time as he pleases. If he does these
things, Fielding suggested. his dignity
as writer will be upheld by the dis
eliminating, and he shall receive al
the honor he deserves or desires.
The world has been according Field
ing that honor ever since. Tom
Jones" Is universally given unstinting
praise, and is discovered" every year
by thousands of persons for them
selves. 1t does no good, after all, just
to hear that a story Is a good one: il
1t Is not good for you. what good is
ito you?
Every year thousa nds Of readers
dipping into Tom Jones" with trepi
dation. find in it much jolly fun and
something of the nature of q cold
bath. so positively elemental is it in
language and manners.
And something of the indifference
of it's writer to the professional critic
is acquired by the reader. Reader, ]
think proper, before we proceed any
further together, to acquaint thee
that intend to digress, through this
whole history, as often as / see occa.
sion. of which I am myself a better
Judge than any pitiful critic whatever;
and here / must desire all those critics
to mind their own business, and not
to NEEDLE with affairs. or works which
no ways concern them; for till thew
produce the authority by which they
are constituted judges, / shall not
plead to their Jurisdiction