Henry Fielding: 'The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling' (1749), Part VII - Finale

Henry Fielding (1707-1754), The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling. London: Andrew Millar, 1749.

In which, for now, we end our exploration of Fielding's language, including expressions still employed in the 21st century.

[The novel is divided into eighteen "books" (sections), each with its own chapter numbers starting with "i." References will be made to book number followed by chapter number; parenthetical page numbers correspond to the Modern Library edition published in 1985.]

“Beauty never looks more amiable than in distress.” (XV: ii) (page 785). Compare with Luis Buñuel’s El ángel exterminador / The Exterminating Angel (1962): “Your disarray becomes you.”

“’The Fault is not mine, Madam. It lies in the Dulness [Dullness] of the Age that doth nothing worth talking of. –O la! tho’ now I think on’t, there hath a terrible accident befallen poor Col. Wilcox. – Poor Ned.’” (XV: iii) (page 791)

Mrs. Western: “’Have I not often told you, that Women in a free Country are not to be treated with such arbitrary Power? We are as free as the Men, and I heartily wish I could not say we deserve that Freedom better.’” (XVI: iv) (page 846)

Mrs. Western: “’Lord have Mercy upon all Affairs which are under the Directions of Men. The Head of one Woman is worth a thousand of yours.’” (XVI: v) (page 848)

Mrs. Western: “’Do you think yourself at Liberty to invade the Privacies of Women of Condition, without the least Decency of Notice?’”  (XVI: vii) (page 861)

 “Reverse of Fortune” (XVII: viii) (page 900)

Jenny Jones, assuring Tom Jones that he has not killed Mr. Fitzpatrick in a duel, only wounded him a little: “’Pugh,’ says she, ‘you have pinked a Man in a Duel, that’s all.’” (XVII: ix) (page 911)

“’I tell thee ‘tis all Flimflam. Zoodikers!’”  (XVIII: xii) (page 974).

Today's Rune: Fertility.