The Works of Henry Fielding, vol. 12Fielding, Henry
General
The Works of Henry Fielding, vol. 12
Fielding, Henry
English literature -- 18th century
SIR,--In this very learned and enlightened age, in which authors are
almost as numerous as booksellers, I doubt not but your correspondents
furnish you with a sufficient quantity of waste paper. I perhaps may
add to the heap; for, as men do not always know the motive of their
own actions, I may possibly be induced, by the same sort of vanity as
other puny authors have been, to desire to be in print. But I am very
well satisfied with you for my judge, and if you should not think
proper to take any notice of the hint I have here sent you, I shall
conclude that I am an impertinent correspondent, but that you are a
judicious and impartial critic. In my own defence, however, I must say
that I am never better pleased than when I see extraordinary abilities
employed in the support of His honour and religion, who has so
bountifully bestowed them. It is for this reason that I wish you would
take some notice of the character, or rather story, here sent you. In
my travels westward last summer I lay at an inn in Somersetshire,
remarkable for its pleasant situation and the obliging behaviour of
the landlord, who, though a downright rustic, had an awkward sort of
politeness arising from his good-nature that was very pleasing, and,
if I may be allowed the expression, was a sort of good-breeding
undrest. As I intended to make a pretty long journey the next day, I
rose time enough to behold that glorious luminary the sun set out on
his course, which, by-the-by, is one of the finest sights the eye can
behold; and, as it is a thing seldom seen by people of fashion, unless
it be at the theatre at Covent-garden, I could not help laying some
stress upon it here. The kitchen in this inn was a very pleasant room;
I therefore called for some tea, sat me in the window that I might
enjoy the prospect which the country afforded, and a more beautiful
one is not in the power of imagination to frame. This house was
situated on the top of a hill; and for two miles below it meadows,
enlivened with variety of cattle, and adorned with a greater variety
of flowers, first caught my sight. At the bottom of this vale ran a
river which seemed to promise coolness and refreshment to the thirsty
cattle. The eye was next presented with fields of corn that made a
kind of an ascent which was terminated by a wood, at the top of which
appeared a verdant hill situate as it were in the clouds where the sun
was just arrived, and, peeping o'er the summit, which was at this time
covered with dew, gilded it over with his rays and terminated my view
in the most agreeable manner in the world. In a word, the elegant
simplicity of every object round me filled my heart with such
gratitude, and furnished my mind with such pleasing meditations, as
made me thank Heaven I was born. But this state of joyous tranquillity
was not of long duration: I had scarce begun my breakfast, when my
ears were saluted with a genteel whistle, and the noise of a pair of
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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