him six hundred pounds, sell so greatly, he has since given him another
hundred."

It is time, however, to turn from these particulars to the book itself.
In _Joseph Andrews_, Fielding's work had been mainly experimental. He
had set out with an intention which had unexpectedly developed into
something else. That something else, he had explained, was the comic
epic in prose. He had discovered its scope and possibilities only when
it was too late to re-cast his original design; and though _Joseph
Andrews_ has all the freshness and energy of a first attempt in a new
direction, it has also the manifest disadvantages of a mixed conception
and an uncertain plan. No one had perceived these defects more plainly
than the author; and in _Tom Jones_ he set himself diligently to perfect
his new-found method. He believed that he foresaw a "new Province of
Writing," of which he regarded himself with justice as the founder and
lawgiver; and in the "prolegomenous, or introductory Chapters" to each
book--those delightful resting-spaces where, as George Eliot says,
"he seems to bring his arm-chair to the proscenium and chat with us in
all the lusty ease of his fine English"--he takes us, as it were, into
his confidence, and discourses frankly of his aims and his way of work.
He looked upon these little "initial Essays" indeed, as an indispensable
part of his scheme. They have given him, says he more than once, "the
greatest Pains in composing" of any part of his book, and he hopes that,
like the Greek and Latin mottoes in the _Spectator_, they may serve to
secure him against imitation by inferior authors. [Footnote:
Notwithstanding this warning, Cumberland (who copied so much) copied
these in his novel of _Henry_. On the other hand, Fielding's French and
Polish translators omitted them as superfluous.] Naturally a great deal
they contain is by this time commonplace, although it was unhackneyed
enough when Fielding wrote. The absolute necessity in work of this kind