Authors, English -- 18th century -- Biography; Fielding, Henry, 1707-1754
Mr. Keightley also ingeniously attempts to connect Fielding's subsequent
residence at Leyden (1726-28?) [Footnote: See Peacock's _Index to
English-speaking Students who have graduated at Leyden University_, 1883
(p. 35), where Fielding's name occurs under date of 16th March 1728, and
_Cornhill Magazine_ for November 1863--"A Scotchman in Holland."] with
this affair by assuming that he was despatched to the Dutch university,
instead of Oxford or Cambridge, in order to keep him out of harm's way.
This is, however, to travel somewhat from the realm of fact into that of
romance. At the same time, it must be admitted that the materials for
romance are tempting. A charming girl, who is also an heiress; a
pusillanimous guardian with ulterior views of his own; a handsome and
high-spirited young suitor; a faithful attendant ready to "beat, maim,
or kill" in his master's behalf; a frustrated elopement and a compulsory
visit to the mayor--all these, with the picturesque old town of Lyme
for a background, suggest a most appropriate first act to Harry
Fielding's biographical tragi-comedy. But to do such a theme justice we
must
"call up him that left half-told"
the story of _Denis Duval_.
APPENDIX No. II.
FIELDING AND MRS. HUSSEY.
At pp. 124-5, vol. i., of J. T. Smith's _Nollekens and his Times_, 1828,
occurs the following note:--
"Henry Fielding was fond of colouring his pictures of life with the
glowing and variegated tints of Nature, by conversing with persons of
every situation and calling, as I have frequently been informed by one
of my [i.e. J. T. Smith's] great-aunts, the late Mrs. Hussey, who knew
him intimately. I have heard her say, that Mr. Fielding never suffered
his talent for sprightly conversation to mildew for a moment; and that
his manners were so gentlemanly, that even with the lower classes, with
which he frequently condescended particularly to chat, such as Sir Roger
de Coverley's old friends, the Vauxhall watermen, they seldom outstepped
the limits of propriety. My aunt, who lived to the age of 105, had been
blessed with four husbands, and her name had twice been changed to that
of Hussey: she was of a most delightful disposition, of a retentive
memory, highly entertaining, and liberally communicative; and to her I
have frequently been obliged for an interesting anecdote. She was, after
the death of her second husband, Mr. Hussey, a fashionable sacque and
mantua-maker, and lived in the Strand, a few doors west of the residence
of the celebrated Le Beck, a famous cook, who had a large portrait of
himself for the sign of his house, at the north-west corner of Half-moon
Street, since called Little Bedford Street. One day Mr. Fielding
observed to Mrs. Hussey, that he was then engaged in writing a novel,
which he thought would be his best production; and that he intended to
introduce in it the characters of all his friends. Mrs. Hussey, with a
smile, ventured to remark, that he must have many niches, and that
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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