Authors, English -- 18th century -- Biography; Fielding, Henry, 1707-1754
A life of ups and downs like Fielding's is seldom remarkable for its
consistency. It is therefore not surprising to find that, despite his
desire in 1744 to refrain from writing, he was again writing in 1745.
The landing of Charles Edward attracted him once more into the ranks of
journalism, on the side of the Government, and gave rise to the _True
Patriot_, a weekly paper, the first number of which appeared in
November. This, having come to an end with the Rebellion, was succeeded
in December 1747 by the _Jacobite's Journal_, supposed to emanate from
"John Trott-Plaid, Esq.," and intended to push the discomfiture of
Jacobite sentiment still further. It is needless to discuss these mainly
political efforts at any length. They are said to have been highly
approved by those in power: it is certain that they earned for their
author the stigma of "pension'd scribbler." Both are now very rare; and
in Murphy the former is represented by twenty-four numbers, the latter
by two only. The _True Patriot_ contains a dream of London abandoned to
the rebels, which is admirably graphic; and there is also a prophetic
chronicle of events for 1746, in which the same idea is treated in a
lighter and more satirical vein. But perhaps the most interesting
feature is the reappearance of Parson Adams, who addresses a couple of
letters to the same periodical--one on the rising generally, and the
other on the "young England" of the day, as exemplified in a very
offensive specimen he had recently encountered at Mr. Wilson's. Other
minor points of interest in connection with the _Jacobite's Journal_,
are the tradition associating Hogarth with the rude woodcut headpiece (a
Scotch man and woman on an ass led by a monk) which surmounted its
earlier numbers, and the genial welcome given in No. 5, perhaps not
without some touch of contrition, to the two first volumes, then just
published, of Richardson's _Clarissa_. The pen is the pen of an
imaginary "correspondent," but the words are unmistakably Fielding's:--
"When I tell you I have lately received this Pleasure [i.e. of reading a
new master-piece], you will not want me to inform you that I owe it to
the Author of CLARISSA. Such Simplicity, such Manners, such deep
Penetration into Nature; such Power to raise and alarm the Passions, few
Writers, either ancient or modern, have been possessed of. My Affections
are so strongly engaged, and my Fears are so raised, by what I have
already read, that I cannot express my Eagerness to see the rest. Sure
this Mr. _Richardson_ is Master of all that Art which _Horace_ compares
to Witchcraft
--Pectus inaniter angit,
Irritat, mulcet, falsis terroribus implet
Ut Magus.--"
Between the discontinuance of the True Patriot and the establishment of
its successor occurred an event, the precise date of which has been
hitherto unknown, namely, Fielding's second marriage. The account given
of this by Lady Louisa Stuart is as follows:--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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