This electronic material is under copyright protection and is provided to a single recipient for review purposes only. Review Copy JOSEPH ANDREWS Review Copy This page intentionally left blank Review Copy JOSEPH ANDREWS Henry Fielding edited by Paul A. Scanlon broadview literary texts Review Copy ©2001 Paul A. Scanlon All rights reserved. The use of any part of this publication reproduced, transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, or stored in a retrieval system, without prior written consent of the publisher - or in the case of photocopying, a licence from CANCOPY (Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency) OneYonge Street, Suite 1900, Toronto, ON M5E IBS — is an infringement of the copyright law. National Library of Canada cataloguing in publication data Fielding, Henry, 1707-1754 Joseph Andrews (Broadview literary texts) Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 1-55111-220-5 I. Scanlon, Paul A. II.Title. III. Series. PR3454J6 2001 823'.5 000-933174-3 Broadview Press Ltd., is an independent, international publishing house, incor- porated in 1985. North America: P.O. Box 1243, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada K9J 7115 3576 California Road, Orchard Park, NY 14127 TEL: (705) 743-8990; FAX: (705) 743-83531 E-MAIL: [email protected] United Kingdom: Turpin Distribution Services Ltd., Blackhorse Rd., Letchworth, Hertfordshire sc6 IHN TEL: (1462) 672555; FAX (1462) 480947; E-MAIL: [email protected] Australia: St. Clair Press, P.O. Box 287, Rozelle, NSW 2039 TEL: (02) 818-1942; FAX: (02) 418-1923 www.broadviewpress. com Broadview Press gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Book Publishing Industry Development Program, Ministry of Canadian Heritage, Government of Canada. Broadview Press is grateful to Professor Eugene Benson for advice on editorial matters for the Broadview Literary Texts series. Text design and composition by George Kirkpatrick PRINTED IN CANADA Review Copy Henry Fielding by Cazenave after Reynolds (undated) (courtesy of the Department of Prints and Drawings, The British Museum) Review Copy This page intentionally left blank Review Copy Contents Acknowledgements • 8 Introduction • 9 Henry Fielding: A Brief Chronology • 31 Fielding's Times: A Brief Chronology • 34 A Note on the Text • 37 Joseph Andrews • 39 Preface • 41 Contents • 49 Book I • 57 Book II • 133 Book III • 237 Book IV • 333 Appendix A: Social History of the Times • 409 Appendix B: Pamela and Shamela • 428 Appendix C: Other Works of Influence by Other Writers • 459 Appendix D: Other Related Writings by Fielding • 483 Appendix E: History of the Publication • 504 Appendix F: Early Reception • 509 Select Bibliography • 524 Review Copy Acknowledgements It is a pleasure to be able to thank those who have, in different ways, helped in the preparation of the present volume. Various colleagues and friends, including Kazuya Okada, Neil McE- wan, and John Wilks, have offered valuable advice and of their time. As well, the library staff at Okayama University, Japan, has been of great assistance in providing pertinent material, often from well beyond the physical resources of the university. Eugene Benson, as both friend and adviser, has given much guidance to the project. And lastly, it is with love and gratitude that I acknowledge the contribution made by my wife Marit, whose patience and active support are inestimable. Review Copy Introduction In various ways, as has been noted by other critics, the history of Joseph Andrews begins with the passage of the Licensing Act. From 1730 to the early summer of 1737, when the bill was enacted, Fielding had been pleasing the town and scandalizing the government with his "theatrical entertainments." Much of his satire, commonly in the form of parody or farce, was direct- ed at literary affectation, carrying on (or so he believed) Pope's war on dunces. Booksellers, critics, dramatists, actors, the edi- tors of Shakespeare and the writers of biography—anyone in the literary domain who he thought contributed to its disor- der—became fair game. However, "In revealing literary aberra- tion," Irwin rightly remarks, "Fielding could not dissociate the republic of letters from human society as a whole.... The same laws govern both and the same privileges and obligations obtain in both."1 Accordingly, polite society as well was often Fielding's target; and with his return to the Little Theatre in the Haymarket in 1736, Sir Robert Walpole and his government became the primary object of his scathing satire. Over the fol- lowing year came a flurry of "irregular" plays, including Pasquin and The Historical Register for the Year 1736. They were tumul- tuously acclaimed, but eventually succeeded in bringing Field- ing s stage career to a fairly abrupt end. Clearly there were a number of factors involved which led to the Theatrical Licens- ing Act of 1737, including a series of playhouse riots by foot- men which occurred in the spring of the same year. But Field- ing's portrayal in The Historical Register of Walpole as the fiddler Quidam, bribing the Patriots (the opposition party) who danced to his tune, finally spurred the government into action. It was, in fact, precisely the opportunity Walpole wanted: a play which would cause Parliament to place the theatres under restraint. This Act, which was Parliament's last piece of business of the spring session, not only limited the number of theatres to those with official patents, but also required all new plays to be i W.R. Irwin, "Satire and Comedy in the Works of Henry Fielding," ELH 13 (1946): 170. JOSEPH ANDREWS 9