journal of a voyage to lisbon-第1节

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Journal　of　A　Voyage　to　Lisbon



by　Henry　Fielding












CONTENTS



INTRODUCTION　TO　SEVERAL　WORKS

PREFACE　

DEDICATION　TO　THE　PUBLIC　



INTRODUCTION　TO　THE　VOYAGE　TO　LISBON

THE　VOYAGE　







INTRODUCTION　TO　SEVERAL　WORKS



When　it　was　determined　to　extend　the　present　edition　of　Fielding；

not　merely　by　the　addition　of　Jonathan　Wild　to　the　three

universally　popular　novels；　but　by　two　volumes　of　Miscellanies；

there　could　be　no　doubt　about　at　least　one　of　the　contents　of

these　latter。　　　The　Journal　of　a　Voyage　to　Lisbon；　if　it　does　not

rank　in　my　estimation　anywhere　near　to　Jonathan　Wild　as　an

example　of　our　author's　genius；　is　an　invaluable　and　delightful

document　for　his　character　and　memory。　　It　is　indeed；　as　has　been

pointed　out　in　the　General　Introduction　to　this　series；　our　main

source　of　indisputable　information　as　to　Fielding　dans　son

naturel；　and　its　value；　so　far　as　it　goes；　is　of　the　very

highest。　　　The　gentle　and　unaffected　stoicism　which　the　author

displays　under　a　disease　which　he　knew　well　was　probably；　if　not

certainly；　mortal；　and　which；　whether　mortal　or　not；　must　cause

him　much　actual　pain　and　discomfort　of　a　kind　more　intolerable

than　pain　itself；　his　affectionate　care　for　his　family；　even

little　personal　touches；　less　admirable；　but　hardly　less　pleasant

than　these；　showing　an　Englishman's　dislike　to　be　〃done〃　and　an

Englishman's　determination　to　be　treated　with　proper　respect；　are

scarcely　less　noticeable　and　important　on　the　biographical　side

than　the　unimpaired　brilliancy　of　his　satiric　and　yet　kindly

observation　of　life　and　character　is　on　the　side　of　literature。



There　is；　as　is　now　well　known　since　Mr。　Dobson's　separate

edition　of　the　Voyage；　a　little　bibliographical　problem　about　the

first　appearance　of　this　Journal　in　1755。　　The　best　known　issue

of　that　year　is　much　shorter　than　the　version　inserted　by　Murphy

and　reprinted　here；　the　passages　omitted　being　chiefly　those

reflecting　on　the　captain；　etc。；　and　so　likely　to　seem　invidious

in　a　book　published　just　after　the　author's　death；　and　for　the

benefit；　as　was　expressly　announced；　of　his　family。　　But　the

curious　thing　is　that　there　is　ANOTHER　edition；　of　date　so　early

that　some　argument　is　necessary　to　determine　the　priority；　which

does　give　these　passages　and　is　identical　with　the　later　or

standard　version。　　For　satisfaction　on　this　point；　however；　I

must　refer　readers　to　Mr。　Dobson　himself。



There　might　have　been　a　little；　but　not　much；　doubt　as　to　a

companion　piece　for　the　Journal；　for　indeed；　after　we　close　this

（with　or　without　its　〃Fragment　on　Bolingbroke〃）；　the　remainder　of

Fielding's　work　lies　on　a　distinctly　lower　level　of　interest。　　It

is　still　interesting；　or　it　would　not　be　given　here。　　It　still

hasat　least　that　part　which　here　appears　seems　to　its　editor　to

haveinterest　intrinsic　and　〃simple　of　itself。〃　　But　it　is

impossible　for　anybody　who　speaks　critically　to　deny　that　we　now

get　into　the　region　where　work　is　more　interesting　because　of　its

authorship　than　it　would　be　if　its　authorship　were　different　or

unknown。　　To　put　the　same　thing　in　a　sharper　antithesis；　Fielding

is　interesting；　first　of　all；　because　he　is　the　author　of　Joseph

Andrews；　of　Tom　Jones；　of　Amelia；　of　Jonathan　Wild；　of　the

Journal。　　His　plays；　his　essays；　his　miscellanies　generally　are

interesting；　first　of　all；　because　they　were　written　by　Fielding。



Yet　of　these　works；　the　Journey　from　this　World　to　the　Next

（which；　by　a　grim　trick　of　fortune；　might　have　served　as　a　title

for　the　more　interesting　Voyage　with　which　we　have　yoked　it）

stands　clearly　first　both　in　scale　and　merit。　　It　is　indeed　very

unequal；　and　as　the　author　was　to　leave　it　unfinished；　it　is　a

pity　that　he　did　not　leave　it　unfinished　much　sooner　than　he

actually　did。　　The　first　ten　chapters；　if　of　a　kind　of　satire

which　has　now　grown　rather　obsolete　for　the　nonce；　are　of　a　good

kind　and　good　in　their　kind；　the　history　of　the　metempsychoses　of

Julian　is　of　a　less　good　kind；　and　less　good　in　that　kind。　　The

date　of　composition　of　the　piece　is　not　known；　but　it　appeared　in

the　Miscellanies　of　1743；　and　may　represent　almost　any　period　of

its　author's　development　prior　to　that　year。　　Its　form　was　a　very

common　form　at　the　time；　and　continued　to　be　so。　　I　do　not　know

that　it　is　necessary　to　assign　any　very　special　origin　to　it；

though　Lucian；　its　chief　practitioner；　was　evidently　and　almost

avowedly　a　favorite　study　of　Fielding's。　　The　Spanish　romancers；

whether　borrowing　it　from　Lucian　or　not；　had　been　fond　of　it；

their　French　followers；　of　whom　the　chief　were　Fontenelle　and　Le

Sage；　had　carried　it　northwards；　the　English　essayists　had　almost

from　the　beginning　continued　the　process　of　acclimatization。　

Fielding　therefore　found　it　ready　to　his　hand；　though　the　present

condition　of　this　example　would　lead　us　to　suppose　that　he　did

not　find　his　hand　quite　ready　to　it。　　Still；　in　the　actual

〃journey；〃　there　are　touches　enough　of　the　masternot　yet　quite

in　his　stage　of　mastery。　　It　seemed　particularly　desirable　not　to

close　the　series　without　some　representation　of　the　work　to　which

Fielding　gave　the　prime　of　his　manhood；　and　from　which；　had　he

not；　fortunately　for　English　literature；　been　driven　decidedly

against　his　will；　we　had　had　in　all　probability　no　Joseph

Andrews；　and　pretty　certainly　no　Tom　Jones。　　Fielding's

periodical　and　dramatic　work　has　been　comparatively　seldom

reprinted；　and　has　never　yet　been　reprinted　as　a　whole。　　The

dramas　indeed　are　open　to　two　objectionsthe　first；　that　they

are　not　very　〃proper；〃　the　second；　and　much　more　serious；　that

they　do　not　redeem　this　want　of　propriety　by　the　possession　of

any　remarkable　literary　merit。　　Three　（or　two　and　part　of　a

third）　seemed　to　escape　this　double　censurethe　first　two　acts

of　the　Author's　Farce　（practically　a　piece　to　themselves；　for　the

Puppet　Show　which　follows　is　almost　entirely　independent）；　the

famous　burlesque　of　Tom　Thumb；　which　stands　between　the　Rehearsal

and　the　Critic；　but　nearer　to　the　former；　and　Pasquin；　the

maturest　example　of　Fielding's　satiric　work　in　drama。　　These

accordingly　have　been　selected；　the　rest　I　have　read；　and　he　who

likes　may　read。　　I　have　read　many　worse　things　than　even　the

worst　of　them；　but　not　often　worse　things　by　so　good　a　writer　as

Henry　Fielding。　　The　next　question　concerned　the　selection　of

writings　more　miscellaneous　still；　so　as　to　give　in　little　a

complete　idea　of　Fielding's　various　powers　and　experiments。　　Two

difficulties　beset　this　part　of　the　taskwant　of　space　and　the

absence　of　anything　so　markedly　good　as　absolutely　to　insist　on

inclusion。　　The　Essay　on　Conversation；　however；　seemed　pretty

peremptorily　to　challenge　a　place。　　It　is　in　a　style　which

Fielding　was　very　slow　to　abandon；　which　indeed　has　left　strong

traces　even　on　his　great　novels；　and　if　its　mannerism　is　not　now

very　attractive；　the　separate　traits　in　it　are　often　sharp　and

well…drawn。　　The　book　would　not　have　been　complete　without　a

specimen　or　two　of　Fielding's　journalism。　　The　Champion；　his

first　attempt　of　this　kind；　has　not　been　drawn　upon　in

consequence　of　the　extreme　difficulty　of　fixing　with　absolute

certainty　on　Fielding's　part　in　it。　　I　do　not　know　whether

political　prejudice　interferes；　more　than　I　have　usually　found　it

interfere；　with　my　judgment　of　the　two　Hanoverian…partisan　papers

of　the　'45　time。　　But　they　certainly　seem　to　me　to　fail　in

redeeming　their　dose　of　rancor　and　misrepresentation　by　any

sufficient　evidence　of　genius　such　as；　to　my　taste；　saves　not

only　the　party　journalism　in　verse　and　prose　of　Swift　and　Canning

and　Praed　on　one　side；　but　that　of　Wolcot　and　Moore　and　Sydney

Smith　on　the　other。　　Even　the　often…quoted　journal　of　events　in

London　under　the　Chevalier　is　overwrought　and　tedious。　　The　best

thing　in　the　True　Patriot　seems　to　me　to　be　Parson　Adams'　letter

describing　his　adventure　with　a　young　〃bowe〃　of　his　day；　and　this

I　select；　together　with　one　or　two　numbers　of　the　Covent　Garden

Journal。　　I　have　not　found　in　this　latter　anything　more

characteristic　than　Murphy's　selection；　though　Mr。　Dobson；　with

his　unfailing　kindness；　lent　me　an　original　and　unusually

complete　set　of　the　Journal　itself。



It　is　to　the　same　kindness　that　I　owe　the　opportunity　of

presenting　the　reader　with　something　indisputably　Fielding's　and

very　characteristic　of　him；　which　Murphy　did　not　print；　and　which

has　not；　so　far　as　I　know；　ever　appeared　either　in　a　collection

or　a　selection　of　Fielding's　work。　　After　the　success　of　David

Simple；　Fielding　gave　his　sister；　for　whom　he　had　already　written

a　preface　to　that　novel；　another　preface　for　a　set　of　Familiar

Letters　between　the　characters　of　David　Simple　and　others。　　This

preface　Murphy　reprinted；　but　he　either　did　not　notice；　or　did

not　choose　to　attend　to；　a　note　towards　the　end　of　the　book

attributing　certain　of　the