"The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling," described in the dedication as the "labour of some years of my life," appeared in six volumes, on February 28, 1749, a short time after Fielding"s appointment as justice of peace for Westminster.
Though its broad humour and coa.r.s.eness of expression are perhaps hard to bear in these times, it is by common consent Fielding"s masterpiece, and by way of being one of the greatest novels in the language. For experience of life, observation of character, and sheer humanity, it is certainly an outstanding specimen of the English novel and manners. Like others of his books, "Tom Jones" was written during a period of great mental strain. Ever haunted by poverty, Fielding acknowledges his debt to his old schoolfellow Lyttelton, to whom he owed his "existence during the composition of the book." The story was popular from the first.
_I.--Mr. Allworthy Makes a Discovery_
In that part of the country which is commonly called Somersetshire there lately lived a gentleman whose name was Allworthy, and who might well be called the favourite of both nature and fortune. From the former of these he derived an agreeable person, a sound const.i.tution, a solid understanding, and a benevolent heart; by the latter he was decreed to the inheritance of one of the largest estates in the country.
Mr. Allworthy lived, for the most part, retired in the country, with one sister, for whom he had a very tender affection. This lady, Miss Bridget Allworthy, now somewhat past the age of thirty, was of that species of women whom you commend rather for good qualities than beauty.
Mr. Allworthy had been absent a full quarter of a year in London on some very particular business, and having returned to his house very late in the evening, retired, much fatigued, to his chamber. Here, after he had spent some minutes on his knees--a custom which he never broke through on any account--he was preparing to step into bed, when, upon opening the clothes, to his great surprise, he beheld an infant wrapped up in some coa.r.s.e linen, in a sweet and profound sleep, between his sheets. He stood for some time lost in astonishment at this sight; but soon began to be touched with sentiments of compa.s.sion for the little wretch before him. He then rang his bell, and ordered an elderly woman-servant to rise immediately and come to him.
The consternation of Mrs. Deborah Wilkins at the finding of the little infant was rather greater than her master"s had been; nor could she refrain from crying out, with great horror, "My good sir, what"s to be done?"
Mr. Allworthy answered she must take care of the child that evening, and in the morning he would give orders to provide it a nurse.
"Yes, sir," says she, "and I hope your worship will send out your warrant to take up the hussy its mother. Indeed, such wicked s.l.u.ts cannot be too severely punished for laying their sins at honest men"s doors; and though your worship knows your own innocence, yet the world is censorious, and if your worship should provide for the child it may make the people after to believe. If I might be so bold as to give my advice, I would have it put in a basket, and sent out and laid at the churchwarden"s door. It is a good night, only a little rainy and windy, and if it was well wrapped up and put in a warm basket, it is two to one but it lives till it is found in the morning. But if it should not, we have discharged our duty in taking care of it; and it is, perhaps, better for such creatures to die in a state of innocence than to grow up and imitate their mothers."
But Mr. Allworthy had now got one of his fingers into the infant"s hand, which, by its gentle pressure, seeming to implore his a.s.sistance, certainly outpleaded the eloquence of Mrs. Deborah. Mr. Allworthy gave positive orders for the child to be taken away and provided with pap and other things against it waked. He likewise ordered that proper clothes should be procured for it early in the morning, and that it should be brought to himself as soon as he was stirring.
Such was the respect Mrs. Wilkins bore her master, under whom she enjoyed a most excellent place, that her scruples gave way to his peremptory commands, and, declaring the child was a sweet little infant, she walked off with it to her own chamber.
Allworthy betook himself to those pleasing slumbers which a heart that hungers after goodness is apt to enjoy when thoroughly satisfied.
In the morning Mr. Allworthy told his sister he had a present for her, and, when Mrs. Wilkins produced the little infant, told her the whole story of its appearance.
Miss Bridget took the good-natured side of the question, intimated some compa.s.sion for the helpless little creature, and commended her brother"s charity in what he had done. The good lady subsequently gave orders for providing all necessaries for the child, and her orders were indeed so liberal that had it been a child of her own she could not have exceeded them.
_II.--The Foundling Achieves Manhood_
Miss Bridget having been asked in marriage by one Captain Blifil, a half-pay officer, and the nuptials duly celebrated, Mrs. Blifil was in course of time delivered of a fine boy.
Though the birth of an heir to his beloved sister was a circ.u.mstance of great joy to Mr. Allworthy, yet it did not alienate his affections from the little foundling to whom he had been G.o.dfather, and had given his own name of Thomas; the surname of Jones being added because it was believed that was the mother"s name.
He told his sister, if she pleased, the newborn infant should be bred up together with little Tommy, to which she consented, for she had truly a great complaisance for her brother.
The captain, however, could not so easily bring himself to bear what he condemned as a fault in Mr. Allworthy; for his meditations being chiefly employed on Mr. Allworthy"s fortune, and on his hopes of succession, he looked on all the instances of his brother-in-law"s generosity as diminutions of his own wealth.
But one day, while the captain was exulting in the happiness which would accrue to him by Mr. Allworthy"s death, he himself died of apoplexy.
So the two boys grew up together under the care of Mr. Allworthy and Mrs. Blifil, and by the time he was fourteen Tom Jones--who, according to universal opinion, was certainly born to be hanged--had been already convicted of three robberies--_viz._, of robbing an orchard, of stealing a duck out of a farmer"s yard, and of picking Master Blifil"s pocket of a ball.
The vices of this young man were, moreover, heightened by the disadvantageous light in which they appeared when opposed to the virtues of Master Blifil, his companion. He was, indeed, a lad of remarkable disposition--sober, discreet, and pious beyond his age; and many expressed their wonder that Mr. Allworthy should suffer such a lad as Tom Jones to be educated with his nephew lest the morals of the latter should be corrupted by his example.
To say the truth, the whole duck, and great part of the apples, were converted to the use of Tom"s friend, the gamekeeper, and his family; though, as Jones alone was discovered, the poor lad bore not only the whole smart, but the whole blame.
Mr. Allworthy had committed the instruction of the two boys to a learned divine, the Reverend Mr. Thwack.u.m, who resided in the house; but though Mr. Allworthy had given him frequent orders to make no difference between the lads, yet was Thwack.u.m altogether as kind and gentle to Master Blifil as he was harsh, nay, even barbarous, to the other. In truth, Blifil had greatly gained his master"s affections; partly by the profound respect he always showed his person, but much more by the decent reverence with which he received his doctrine, for he had got by heart, and frequently repeated, his phrases, and maintained all his master"s religious principles, with a zeal which was surprising in one so young.
Tom Jones, on the other hand, was not only deficient in outward tokens of respect, often forgetting to pull off his cap at his master"s approach, but was altogether unmindful both of his master"s precepts and example.
At the, age of twenty, however, Tom, for his love of hunting, had become a great favourite with Mr. Allworthy"s neighbour, Squire Western; and Sophia, Mr. Western"s only child, lost her heart irretrievably to him before she suspected it was in danger. On his side, Tom was truly sensible of the great worth of Sophia. He liked her person extremely, no less admired her accomplishments, and tenderly loved her goodness. In reality, as he had never once entertained any thoughts of possessing her, nor had ever given the least voluntary indulgence to his inclinations, he had a much stronger pa.s.sion for her than he himself was acquainted with.
An accident occurred on the hunting-field in saving Sophia from her too mettlesome horse kept Jones a prisoner for some time in Mr. Western"s house, and during those weeks he not only found that he loved Sophia with an unbounded pa.s.sion, but he plainly saw the tender sentiments she had for him; yet could not this a.s.surance lessen his despair of obtaining the consent of her father, nor the horrors which attended his pursuit of her by any base or treacherous method.
Hence, at the approach of the young lady, he grew pale; and, if this was sudden, started. If his eyes accidentally met hers, the blood rushed into his cheeks, and his countenance became all over scarlet. If he touched her, his hand, nay, his whole frame, trembled.
All these symptoms escaped the notice of the squire, but not so of Sophia. She soon perceived these agitations of mind in Jones, and was at no loss to discover the cause; for, indeed, she recognised it in her own breast. In a word, she was in love with him to distraction. It was not long before Jones was able to attend her to the harpsichord, where she would kindly condescend for hours together to charm him with the most delicious music.
The news that Mr. Allworthy was dangerously ill (for a servant had brought word that he was dying) broke off Tom"s stay at Mr. Western"s, and drove all the thoughts of love out of his head. He hurried instantly into the chariot which was sent for him, and ordered the coachman to drive with all imaginable haste; nor did the idea of Sophia once occur to him on the way.
_III.--Tom Jones Falls into Disgrace_
On the night when the physician announced that Mr. Allworthy was out of danger Jones was thrown into such immoderate excess of rapture by the news that he might be truly said to be drunk with joy--an intoxication which greatly forwards the effects of wine; and as he was very free, too, with the bottle, on this occasion he became very soon literally drunk.
Jones had naturally violent animal spirits, and Thwack.u.m, resenting his speeches, only the doctor"s interposition prevented wrath kindling.
After which, Jones gave loose to mirth, sang two or three amorous songs, and fell into every frantic disorder which unbridled joy is apt to inspire; but so far was he from any disposition to quarrel that he was ten times better-humoured, if possible, than when he was sober.
Blifil, whose mother had died during her brother"s illness, was highly offended at a behaviour which was so inconsistent with the sober and prudent reserve of his own temper. The recent death of his mother, he declared, made such conduct very indecent.
"It would become them better," he said, "to express the exultations of their hearts at Mr. Allworthy"s recovery in thanksgiving, than in drunkenness and riot."
Wine had not so totally overpowered Jones as to prevent him recollecting Blifil"s loss the moment it was mentioned. He at once offered to shake Mr. Blifil by the hand, and begged his pardon, saying his excessive joy for Mr. Allworthy"s recovery had driven every other thought out of his mind.
Blifil scornfully rejected his hand, and with an insulting illusion to the misfortune of Jones"s birth provoked the latter to blows. The scuffle which ensued might have produced mischief had it not been for the interference of Thwack.u.m and the physician.
Blifil, however, only waited for an opportunity to be revenged on Jones, and the occasion was soon forthcoming when Mr. Allworthy was fully recovered from his illness.
Mr. Western had found out that his daughter was in love with Tom Jones, and at once decided that she should marry Blifil, to whom Sophia professed great abhorrence.
As for Blifil, the success of Jones was much more grievous to him than the loss of Sophia, whose estate, indeed, was dearer to him than her person.
Mr. Western swore that his daughter shouldn"t have a ha"penny, nor the twentieth part of a bra.s.s farthing, if she married Jones; and Blifil, with many sighs, professed to his uncle that he could not bear the thought of Sophia being ruined by her preference for Jones.
"This lady, I am sure, will be undone in every sense; for, besides the loss of most part of her own fortune, she will be married to a beggar.
Nay, that is a trifle; for I know him to be one of the worst men in the world."
"How?" said Mr. All worthy. "I command you to tell me what you mean."
"You know, sir," said Blifil, "I never disobeyed you. In the very day of your utmost danger, when myself and all the family were in tears, he filled the house with riot and debauchery. He drank, and sang, and roared; and when I gave him a gentle hint of the indecency of his actions, he fell into a violent pa.s.sion, swore many oaths, called me rascal, and struck me. I am sure I have forgiven him that long ago. I wish I could so easily forget his ingrat.i.tude to the best of benefactors."
Thwack.u.m was now sent for, and corroborated every circ.u.mstance which the other had deposed.
Poor Jones was too full of grief at the thought that Western had discovered the whole affair between him and Sophia to make any adequate defence. He could not deny the charge of drunkenness, and out of modesty sunk everything that related particularly to himself.