Mary MacDaniel, who had been his first wife's maid, and the nurse of his children, and who proved a faithful and affectionate companion. F. showed himself an upright, diligent, and efficient magistrate, and his _Inquiry into the Increase of Robbers_ (1751), with suggested remedies, led to beneficial results. By this time, however, the publication of his great masterpiece, _The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling_ (1749), had given him a place among the immortals. All critics are agreed that this book contains passages offensive to delicacy, and some say to morality. This is often excused on the plea of the coarser manners of the age; but a much stronger defence is advanced on the ground that, while other novelists of the time made immorality an incentive to merriment, F.'s treatment of such subjects, as Lowell has said, "shocks rather than corrupts," and that in his pages evil is evil. On the other hand, there is universal agreement as to the permanent interest of the types of character presented, the profound knowledge of life and insight into human nature, the genial humour, the wide humanity, the wisdom, and the noble and masculine English of the book. His only other novel, _Amelia_, which some, but these a small minority, have regarded as his best, was _pub._ in 1751. His health was now thoroughly broken, and in 1753, as a forlorn hope, he went in search of restoration to Lisbon, where he _d._ on October 8, and was buried in the English cemetery. His last work was a _Journal_ of his voyage. Though with many weaknesses and serious faults, F. was fundamentally a man of honest and masculine character, and though improvident and reckless in his habits, especially in earlier life, he was affectionate in his domestic relations, and faithful and efficient in the performance of such public duties as he was called to discharge. Thackeray thus describes his appearance, "His figure was tall and stalwart, his face handsome, manly, and noble-looking; to the last days of his life he retained a grandeur of air and, though worn down by disease, his aspect and presence imposed respect upon people round about him." SUMMARY.--_B._ 1707, _ed._ Eton, studied law at Leyden, came to London and wrote dramas, called to Bar 1740, _pub._ _Joseph Andrews_ 1742, became journalist, appointed a magistrate for Middlesex, etc., and _pub._ _Inquiry into Increase of Robbers_ 1751, _pub._ _Tom Jones_ 1749, _Amelia_ 1751, _d._ at Lisbon 1754. His works are included in Ballantyne's Novelists' Library with a biography by Scott (1821). An ed. in 10 vols. with a study by L. Stephen was _pub._ by Smith, Elder and Co. (1882); another in 12 vols. by Prof. Saintsbury, Dent and Co. (1893), and various others. There are various Lives by Watson (1807). Lawrence (1855), and A. Dobson (Men of Letters, 1883).