Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-05
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

bringing him to any good" II the
reader, he continues. delights In seeing
executions, II think he ought not to
lose any time In taking tirst row at
Tyburn."
Jones will get no supernatural aid
from him, Fielding assures us. III
he doth not, therefore, find some nat
| ural means of fairly extricating him
self from all his distress. we will do
no violence to the truth and dignity
| OF history for his sake: for We had
rather relate that he was hanged at
Tyburn (Which may very probably be
the case) than forfeit our Integrity or
shock the faith of our reader"
IS ~
"A Farewell to the Reader is the
title of the last Introductory writing
/ that to Book 10. and last Of 1.-THE His.
| tory of Tom Jones, a Founding"
we are now. reader, arrived at
the last stage of our long Journey. As
| we have, therefore. travelled together
through so many pages, let tis behave
to one another like fellow passengers
In stage coach. who have passed
several days In the company Of each
other; and who, notwithstanding any
chickering's or little animosities which
| may have occurred on the road, gen.
orally make all up at last, and mount,
Tor the last time. into their vehicle
with cheerfuiness and good humor;
| since after this one stage, 1t may pos.
sibly happen to us, as 1t commonly
| happens to them, never to meet
| more"
Now. ii is we'll known, he continues,
| that all jokes and raillery are at this
| time laid aside: whatever characters
any of the passengers have for the
! jest sake personated on the road are
now thrown off, and the conversation
is usually plain and serious"
| 81 * * i.
and now. my friend" says Henry
! FIELDING. novelist. to you, his reader,
II take this opportunity las ! shall
| have no other of heartily wishing
thee well.
| IF L have been an entertaining
companion to thee, I promise thee IL
Is what l have desired.
IF in anything I have offended, it
| was really without any intention.
Some things. here said, may have
hit thee or thy friends: but | do most
solemnly declare that they were not
pointed at thee or them.
| II question not but thou hast been
| told. among other stories of me, that
thou vast to travel with O very sour.
| rilcus fellow; but whoever told thee
50 did me an injury.
NO man detests and despises sour
rility more than myself; nor hath any
man more reason: for none hath ever
been treated with more; and what is a
very severe fate. I have had some Of
the abusive writings of those very
men fathered upon me, who, in other
Of their works, have abused me them.
| selves with the utmost virulence
"All these works, however. I am
well convinced. will be dead long be-
| fore this page shall offer itself to thy
perusal; for however short the period
| may be of my own performances, they
Will most probably outlive their own
| inf1rm author, and the weakly produc-
tons OF his abusive contemporaries. ("
So we have ended In what seems to
us noble strain, great story-great
despite Its faults. The prophecy made
by Fielding has been more than full.
filled; the petty critics of his day are
long forgotten, while tom Jones"
lives on, to be found in every book
store. and TO be a favorite everywhere
OF men and women of discrimination,