Authors, English -- 18th century -- Biography; Fielding, Henry, 1707-1754
both of whom subscribed to the _Miscellanies_ of 1743, were well-known
Bathonians. Mr. Willoughby, also a subscriber, was probably "Justice
Willoughby of Noyle" referred to in bk. viii. ch. xi. Whether the use of
Handel's name in bk. iv. ch. v. is of any significance there is no
evidence; but the description in bk. iv. ch. vi. of Conscience "sitting
on its Throne in the Mind, like the LORD HIGH CHANCELLOR of this Kingdom
in his Court," and fulfilling its functions "with a Knowledge which
nothing escapes, a Penetration which nothing can deceive, and an
Integrity which nothing can corrupt," is clearly an oblique panegyric of
Philip Yorke, Lord Hardwicke, to whom, two years later, Fielding
dedicated his _Enquiry into the late Increase of Robbers_, etc. Besides
these, there are references to Bishop Hoadly (bk. ii. ch. vii.), Mrs.
Whitefield, of the "Bell" at Gloucester, and Mr. Timothy Harris (bk.
viii. ch. viii), Mrs. Clive, and Mr. Miller of the _Gardener's
Dictionary_ (bk. ix. ch. i.); and closer examination would no doubt
reveal further allusions. Meanwhile the above will be sufficient to show
that the statement of the "celebrated mantua-maker in the Strand"
respecting Fielding's friends in _Tom Jones_ is not without foundation.
APPENDIX No. III.
AMELIA'S ACCIDENT.
In addition to the alterations mentioned at p. 109 _n_., Fielding
inserted the following paragraph in the _Covent-Garden Journal_, No. 3,
for 11th January 1752:--
"It is currently reported that a famous Surgeon, who absolutely cured
one Mrs. Amelia Booth, of a violent Hurt in her Nose, insomuch, that she
had scarce a Scar left on it, intends to bring Actions against several
ill-meaning and slanderous People, who have reported that the said Lady
had no Nose, merely because the Author of her History, in a Hurry,
forgot to inform his Readers of that Particular, and which, if those
Readers had any Nose themselves, except that which is mentioned in the
Motto of this Paper, they would have smelt out."
The motto is the passage from Martial (Ep. i. 4. 6) in which he speaks
of the _nasus rhinocerotis_.
APPENDIX No. IV.
FIELDINGIANA.
The three foregoing Appendices were added to the second edition of 1889.
In this Appendix, No. IV., I propose to bring together a few dispersed
fragments of information, which, either in the way of fresh particulars,
or in correction of hitherto-accepted statements made in the body of the
book, have come to light during the interval. Much that is absolutely
new cannot, at this date, be reasonably anticipated. But the unexpected
always happens; and the unexpected in the present instance has been
productive of two or three items which are not unworthy of brief record.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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