Henry Fielding
Henry Fielding (April 22, 1707 - 1754) was a British novelist and dramatist.Born near Glastonbury in Somerset in 1707, Fielding was educated at Eton College. After a romantic episode with a young woman which ended in his getting into trouble with the law, he went to London where his literary career began.
In 1728, he travelled to Leiden to study. On his return, he began writing for the theatre, some of his work being savagely critical of the then government under Sir Robert Walpole. The Theatrical Licensing Act of 1737 was a direct result of his activities, and forced him to retire from the theatre and embark on a career in law.
He continued to write, however, his first major success being Shamela, a parody of Samuel Richardson's melodramatic novel, Pamela. He followed this up with Joseph Andrews (1742), an original work supposedly dealing with Pamela's brother, Joseph. This parody, however, far outstripped Richardson's novel.
His greatest work was Tom Jones (1749), a meticulously constructed picaresque novel telling the convoluted and hilarious tale of how a foundling came into a fortune.
His first wife, Charlotte, on whom he modeled the heroine of Tom Jones, died in 1744. Three years later Fielding married her former maid, Mary, disregarding public opinion. Despite this, he became a magistrate and his literary career went from strength to strength. However, his health had deteriorated to such an extent that he went abroad in search of a cure. He died in Lisbon in 1754.
Works
- The Tragedy of Tragedies; or, The Life and Death of Tom Thumb (Play, 1731).
- An Apology for the Life of Mrs. Shamela Andrews (Novel, 1741).
- The Life of Jonathan Wild the Great (Novel, 1743), ironic treatment of the most notorious underworld figure of the time.
- The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling (Novel, 1749).
In 1963 Tom Jones was made into an uproarious and unconventional film directed by Tony Richardson and starring Albert Finney as the young Tom Jones.
External links
e-texts of some of Henry Fielding's works:- Amelia (http://www.abacci.com/books/book.asp?bookID=2386)
- From This World To The Next -- Volume 1 (http://www.abacci.com/books/book.asp?bookID=2387)
- From This World To The Next -- Volume 2 (http://www.abacci.com/books/book.asp?bookID=735)
service into a large room.html">room.html">room.html">room where the feast is celebrated; which room
of the half-pace, is a chair placed for him, with a table and carpet
of ivy; an ivy somewhat whiter than ours, like the leaf.html">leaf of a silver.html">silver
curiously wrought with silver and silk.html">silk of divers colors, broiding or
of the family.html">family.html">family; and veiled over at the top with a fine net of silk and
taken down, the friends of the family are desirous to have some leaf
before him, and the females following him; and if there be a mother
placed in a loft above on the right.html">right hand of the chair, with a privy
she sitteth, but is not seen. When the Tirsan is come forth, he
the wall, both at his back and upon the return of the half-pace, in
feet. When he is set; the room being always full of company, but well.html">well
lower end of the room, a taratan (which is as much as an herald) and
their shining yellow parchment; and the other a cluster of grapes.html">grapes.html">grapes of
with mantles of sea-water green satin; but the herald's mantle is
up as far as the half-pace; and there first taketh into his hand the
revenew, and many privileges, exemptions, and points of honour,
To such do one our well beloved friend and creditor: which is a title
but for propagation of his subjects. The seal set to the king's
such charters be expedited of course, and as of right, yet they are
family. This charter the herald readeth aloud; and while it is read,
he chooseth. Then the herald mounteth the half-pace and delivereth
all that are present in their language, which is thus much: Happy are
of grapes, which is of gold, both the stalk and the grapes. But the
.
On
wordlookup.net
All is still licensed under the GNU FDL.
It uses material from the wikipedia.
|
|