The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling

A Foundling's Road to London

Henry Fielding

• Publisher: Aeneas Press
• Year: 2026
• Topic: Literature
• eBook ISBN:
  9785501126213
• Subtopic: Classics
• Index: Literature

A foundling is raised by a country squire, thrown out on a false charge, and walks to London through inns, highwaymen and a rebellion, with the girl he wants engaged to someone else. Fielding was a magistrate who founded London's first police force, and the book is arranged like a case: eighteen books, each opening with an essay to the reader. It was called immoral for a century because the hero is not chaste. One hundred plates of eighteenth-century painting, from Hogarth to Stubbs, carry the road, the inns and the country houses of Fielding's England alongside the text.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Copyright
• To the Honourable George Lyttleton, Esq.
• Chapter I. — The Introduction to the Work, or Bill of Fare to the Feast
• Chapter II. — A Short Description of Squire Allworthy, and a Fuller Account of Miss Bridget Allworthy, His Sister
• Chapter III. — An Odd Accident Which Befell Mr Allworthy at His Return Home. The Decent Behaviour of Mrs Deborah Wilkins, with Some Proper Animadversions on Bastards
• Chapter IV. — The Reader’s Neck Brought Into Danger by a Description; His Escape; and the Great Condescension of Miss Bridget Allworthy
• Chapter V. — Containing a Few Common Matters, with a Very Uncommon Observation Upon Them
• Chapter VI. — Mrs Deborah Is Introduced Into the Parish with a Simile. A Short Account of Jenny Jones, with the Difficulties and Discouragements Which May Attend Young Women in the Pursuit of Learning
• Chapter VII. — Containing Such Grave Matter, That the Reader Cannot Laugh Once Through the Whole Chapter, Unless Peradventure He Should Laugh at the Author
• Chapter VIII. — A Dialogue Between Mesdames Bridget and Deborah; Containing More Amusement, but Less Instruction, Than the Former
• Chapter IX. — Containing Matters Which Will Surprise the Reader
• Chapter X. — The Hospitality of Allworthy; with a Short Sketch of the Characters of Two Brothers, a Doctor and a Captain, Who Were Entertained by That Gentleman
• Chapter XI. — Containing Many Rules, and Some Examples, Concerning Falling in Love: Descriptions of Beauty, and Other More Prudential Inducements to Matrimony
• Chapter XII. — Containing What the Reader May, Perhaps, Expect to Find in It
• Chapter XIII. — Which Concludes the First Book; with an Instance of Ingratitude, Which, We Hope, Will Appear Unnatural
• Chapter I. — Showing What Kind of a History This Is; What It Is Like, and What It Is Not Like
• Chapter II. — Religious Cautions Against Showing Too Much Favour to Bastards; and a Great Discovery Made by Mrs Deborah Wilkins
• Chapter III. — The Description of a Domestic Government Founded Upon Rules Directly Contrary to Those of Aristotle
• Chapter IV. — Containing One of the Most Bloody Battles, or Rather Duels, That Were Ever Recorded in Domestic History
• Chapter V. — Containing Much Matter to Exercise the Judgment and Reflection of the Reader
• Chapter VI. — The Trial of Partridge, the Schoolmaster, for Incontinency; the Evidence of His Wife; a Short Reflection on the Wisdom of Our Law; with Other Grave Matters, Which Those Will Like Best Who Understand Them Most
• Chapter VII. — A Short Sketch of That Felicity Which Prudent Couples May Extract from Hatred: With a Short Apology for Those People Who Overlook Imperfections in Their Friends
• Chapter VIII. — A Receipt to Regain the Lost Affections of a Wife, Which Hath Never Been Known to Fail in the Most Desperate Cases
• Chapter IX. — A Proof of the Infallibility of the Foregoing Receipt, in the Lamentations of the Widow; with Other Suitable Decorations of Death, Such as Physicians, &C., and an Epitaph in the True Stile
• The Reader May Pick Up Some Hints Concerning the Education of Children. Chapter I. — Containing Little or Nothing
• Chapter II. — The Heroe of This Great History Appears with Very Bad Omens. A Little Tale of So Low a Kind That Some May Think It Not Worth Their Notice. A Word or Two Concerning a Squire, and More Relating to a Gamekeeper and a Schoolmaster
• Chapter III. — The Character of Mr Square the Philosopher, and of Mr Thwackum the Divine; with a Dispute Concerning——
• Chapter IV. — Containing a Necessary Apology for the Author; and a Childish Incident, Which Perhaps Requires an Apology Likewise
• Chapter V. — The Opinions of the Divine and the Philosopher Concerning the Two Boys; with Some Reasons for Their Opinions, and Other Matters
• Chapter VI. — Containing a Better Reason Still for the Before-Mentioned Opinions
• Chapter VII. — In Which the Author Himself Makes His Appearance on the Stage
• Chapter VIII. — A Childish Incident, in Which, However, Is Seen a Good-Natured Disposition in Tom Jones
• Chapter IX. — Containing an Incident of a More Heinous Kind, with the Comments of Thwackum and Square
• Chapter X. — In Which Master Blifil and Jones Appear in Different Lights
• Chapter I. — Containing Five Pages of Paper
• Chapter II. — A Short Hint of What We Can Do in the Sublime, and a Description of Miss Sophia Western
• Chapter III. — Wherein the History Goes Back to Commemorate a Trifling Incident That Happened Some Years Since; but Which, Trifling as It Was, Had Some Future Consequences
• Chapter IV. — Containing Such Very Deep and Grave Matters, That Some Readers, Perhaps, May Not Relish It
• Chapter V. — Containing Matter Accommodated to Every Taste
• Chapter VI. — An Apology for the Insensibility of Mr Jones to All the Charms of the Lovely Sophia; in Which Possibly We May, in a Considerable Degree, Lower His Character in the Estimation of Those Men of Wit and Gallantry Who Approve the Heroes in Most of Our Modern Comedies
• Chapter VII. — Being the Shortest Chapter in This Book
• Chapter VIII. — A Battle Sung by the Muse in the Homerican Style, and Which None but the Classical Reader Can Taste
• Chapter IX. — Containing Matter of No Very Peaceable Colour
• Chapter X. — A Story Told by Mr Supple, the Curate. The Penetration of Squire Western. His Great Love for His Daughter, and the Return to It Made by Her
• Chapter XI. — The Narrow Escape of Molly Seagrim, with Some Observations for Which We Have Been Forced to Dive Pretty Deep Into Nature
• Chapter XII. — Containing Much Clearer Matters; but Which Flowed from the Same Fountain with Those in the Preceding Chapter
• Chapter XIII. — A Dreadful Accident Which Befell Sophia. The Gallant Behaviour of Jones, and the More Dreadful Consequence of That Behaviour to the Young Lady; with a Short Digression in Favour of the Female Sex. —
• Chapter XIV. — The Arrival of a Surgeon.—His Operations, and a Long Dialogue Between Sophia and Her Maid
• Chapter I. — Of the Serious in Writing, and for What Purpose It Is Introduced
• Chapter II. — In Which Mr Jones Receives Many Friendly Visits During His Confinement; with Some Fine Touches of the Passion of Love, Scarce Visible to the Naked Eye
• Chapter III. — Which All Who Have No Heart Will Think to Contain Much Ado About Nothing
• Chapter IV. — A Little Chapter, in Which Is Contained a Little Incident
• Chapter V. — A Very Long Chapter, Containing a Very Great Incident
• Chapter VI. — By Comparing Which with the Former, the Reader May Possibly Correct Some Abuse Which He Hath Formerly Been Guilty of in the Application of the Word Love
• Chapter VII. — In Which Mr Allworthy Appears on a Sick-Bed
• Chapter VIII. — Containing Matter Rather Natural Than Pleasing
• Chapter IX. — Which, Among Other Things, May Serve as a Comment on That Saying of Aeschines, That “Drunkenness Shows the Mind of a Man, as a Mirrour Reflects His Person.”
• Chapter X. — Showing the Truth of Many Observations of Ovid, and of Other More Grave Writers, Who Have Proved Beyond Contradiction, That Wine Is Often the Forerunner of Incontinency
• Chapter XI. — In Which a Simile in Mr Pope’s Period of a Mile Introduces as Bloody a Battle as Can Possibly Be Fought Without the Assistance of Steel or Cold Iron
• Chapter XII. — In Which Is Seen a More Moving Spectacle Than All the Blood in the Bodies of Thwackum and Blifil, and of Twenty Other Such, Is Capable of Producing
• Chapter I. — Of Love
• Chapter II. — The Character of Mrs Western. Her Great Learning and Knowledge of the World, and an Instance of the Deep Penetration Which She Derived from Those Advantages
• Chapter III. — Containing Two Defiances to the Critics
• Chapter IV. — Containing Sundry Curious Matters
• Chapter V. — In Which Is Related What Passed Between Sophia and Her Aunt
• Chapter VI. — Containing a Dialogue Between Sophia and Mrs Honour, Which May a Little Relieve Those Tender Affections Which the Foregoing Scene May Have Raised in the Mind of a Good-Natured Reader
• Chapter VII. — A Picture of Formal Courtship in Miniature, as It Always Ought to Be Drawn, and a Scene of a Tenderer Kind Painted at Full Length
• Chapter VIII. — The Meeting Between Jones and Sophia
• Chapter IX. — Being of a Much More Tempestuous Kind Than the Former
• Chapter X. — In Which Mr Western Visits Mr Allworthy
• Chapter XI. — A Short Chapter; but Which Contains Sufficient Matter to Affect the Good-Natured Reader
• Chapter XII. — Containing Love-Letters, &C
• Chapter XIII. — The Behaviour of Sophia on the Present Occasion; Which None of Her Sex Will Blame, Who Are Capable of Behaving in the Same Manner. And the Discussion of a Knotty Point in the Court of Conscience
• Chapter XIV. — A Short Chapter, Containing a Short Dialogue Between Squire Western and His Sister
• Chapter I. — A Comparison Between the World and the Stage
• Chapter II. — Containing a Conversation Which Mr Jones Had with Himself
• Chapter III. — Containing Several Dialogues
• Chapter IV. — A Picture of a Country Gentlewoman Taken from the Life
• Chapter V. — The Generous Behaviour of Sophia Towards Her Aunt
• Chapter VI. — Containing Great Variety of Matter
• Chapter VII. — A Strange Resolution of Sophia, and a More Strange Stratagem of Mrs Honour
• Chapter VIII. — Containing Scenes of Altercation, of No Very Uncommon Kind
• Chapter IX. — The Wise Demeanour of Mr Western in the Character of a Magistrate. A Hint to Justices of Peace, Concerning the Necessary Qualifications of a Clerk; with Extraordinary Instances of Paternal Madness and
• Chapter X. — Containing Several Matters, Natural Enough Perhaps, but Low
• Chapter XI. — The Adventure of a Company of Soldiers
• Chapter XII. — The Adventure of a Company of Officers
• Chapter XIII. — Containing the Great Address of the Landlady, the Great Learning of a Surgeon, and the Solid Skill in Casuistry of the Worthy Lieutenant
• Chapter XIV. — A Most Dreadful Chapter Indeed; and Which Few Readers Ought to Venture Upon in an Evening, Especially When Alone
• Chapter XV. — The Conclusion of the Foregoing Adventure
• Chapter I. — A Wonderful Long Chapter Concerning the Marvellous; Being Much the Longest of All Our Introductory Chapters
• Chapter II. — In Which the Landlady Pays a Visit to Mr Jones
• Chapter III. — In Which the Surgeon Makes His Second Appearance
• Chapter IV. — In Which Is Introduced One of the Pleasantest Barbers That Was Ever Recorded in History, the Barber of Bagdad, or He in Don Quixote, Not Excepted
• Chapter V. — A Dialogue Between Mr Jones and the Barber
• Chapter VI. — In Which More of the Talents of Mr Benjamin Will Appear, as Well as Who This Extraordinary Person Was
• Chapter VII. — Containing Better Reasons Than Any Which Have Yet Appeared for the Conduct of Partridge; an Apology for the Weakness of Jones; and Some Further Anecdotes Concerning My Landlady
• Chapter VIII. — Jones Arrives at Gloucester, and Goes to the Bell; the Character of That House, and of a Petty-Fogger Which He There Meets with
• Chapter IX. — Containing Several Dialogues Between Jones and Partridge, Concerning Love, Cold, Hunger, and Other Matters; with the Lucky and Narrow Escape of Partridge, as He Was on the Very Brink of Making a Fatal
• Chapter X. — In Which Our Travellers Meet with a Very Extraordinary Adventure
• Chapter XI. — In Which the Man of the Hill Begins to Relate His History
• Chapter XII. — In Which the Man of the Hill Continues His History
• Chapter XIII. — In Which the Foregoing Story Is Farther Continued
• Chapter XIV. — In Which the Man of the Hill Concludes His History
• Chapter XV. — A Brief History of Europe; and a Curious Discourse Between Mr Jones and the Man of the Hill
• Chapter I. — Of Those Who Lawfully May, and of Those Who May Not, Write Such Histories as This
• Chapter II. — Containing a Very Surprising Adventure Indeed, Which Mr Jones Met with in His Walk with the Man of the Hill
• Chapter III. — The Arrival of Mr Jones with His Lady at the Inn; with a Very Full Description of the Battle of Upton
• Chapter IV. — In Which the Arrival of a Man of War Puts a Final End to Hostilities, and Causes the Conclusion of a Firm and Lasting Peace Between All Parties
• Chapter V. — An Apology for All Heroes Who Have Good Stomachs, with a Description of a Battle of the Amorous Kind
• Chapter VI. — A Friendly Conversation in the Kitchen, Which Had a Very Common, Though Not Very Friendly, Conclusion
• Chapter VII. — Containing a Fuller Account of Mrs Waters, and by What Means She Came Into That Distressful Situation from Which She Was Rescued by Jones
• Chapter I. — Containing Instructions Very Necessary to Be Perused by Modern Critics
• Chapter II. — Containing the Arrival of an Irish Gentleman, with Very Extraordinary Adventures Which Ensued at the Inn
• Chapter III. — A Dialogue Between the Landlady and Susan the Chamber-Maid, Proper to Be Read by All Inn-Keepers and Their Servants; with the Arrival, and Affable Behaviour of a Beautiful Young Lady; Which May Teach
• Chapter IV. — Containing Infallible Nostrums for Procuring Universal Disesteem and Hatred
• Chapter V. — Showing Who the Amiable Lady, and Her Unamiable Maid, Were
• Chapter VI. — Containing, Among Other Things, the Ingenuity of Partridge, the Madness of Jones, and the Folly of Fitzpatrick
• Chapter VII. — In Which Are Concluded the Adventures That Happened at the Inn at Upton
• Chapter VIII. — In Which the History Goes Backward
• Chapter IX. — The Escape of Sophia
• Chapter I. — A Crust for the Critics
• Chapter II. — The Adventures Which Sophia Met with After Her Leaving Upton
• Chapter III. — A Very Short Chapter, in Which However Is a Sun, a Moon, a Star, and an Angel
• Chapter IV. — The History of Mrs Fitzpatrick
• Chapter V. — In Which the History of Mrs Fitzpatrick Is Continued
• Chapter VI. — In Which the Mistake of the Landlord Throws Sophia Into a Dreadful Consternation
• Chapter VII. — In Which Mrs Fitzpatrick Concludes Her History
• Chapter VIII. — A Dreadful Alarm in the Inn, with the Arrival of an Unexpected Friend of Mrs Fitzpatrick
• Chapter IX. — The Morning Introduced in Some Pretty Writing. A Stagecoach. The Civility of Chambermaids. The Heroic Temper of Sophia. Her Generosity. The Return to It. The Departure of the Company, and Their
• Chapter X. — Containing a Hint or Two Concerning Virtue, and a Few More Concerning Suspicion
• Chapter I. — Showing What Is to Be Deemed Plagiarism in a Modern Author, and What Is to Be Considered as Lawful Prize
• Chapter II. — In Which, Though the Squire Doth Not Find His Daughter, Something Is Found Which Puts an End to His Pursuit
• Chapter III. — The Departure of Jones from Upton, with What Passed Between Him and Partridge on the Road
• Chapter IV. — The Adventure of a Beggar-Man
• Chapter V. — Containing More Adventures Which Mr Jones and His Companion Met on the Road
• Chapter VI. — From Which It May Be Inferred That the Best Things Are Liable to Be Misunderstood and Misinterpreted
• Chapter VII. — Containing a Remark or Two of Our Own and Many More of the Good Company Assembled in the Kitchen
• Chapter VIII. — In Which Fortune Seems to Have Been in a Better Humour with Jones Than We Have Hitherto Seen Her
• Chapter IX. — Containing Little More Than a Few Odd Observations
• Chapter X. — In Which Mr Jones and Mr Dowling Drink a Bottle Together
• Chapter XI. — The Disasters Which Befell Jones on His Departure for Coventry; with the Sage Remarks of Partridge
• Chapter XII. — Relates That Mr Jones Continued His Journey, Contrary to the Advice of Partridge, with What Happened on That Occasion
• Chapter XIII. — A Dialogue Between Jones and Partridge
• Chapter XIV. — What Happened to Mr Jones in His Journey from St Albans
• Chapter I. — An Invocation
• Chapter II. — What Befell Mr Jones on His Arrival in London
• Chapter III. — A Project of Mrs Fitzpatrick, and Her Visit to Lady Bellaston
• Chapter IV. — Which Consists of Visiting
• Chapter V. — An Adventure Which Happened to Mr Jones at His Lodgings, with Some Account of a Young Gentleman Who Lodged There, and of the Mistress of the House, and Her Two Daughters
• Chapter VI. — What Arrived While the Company Were at Breakfast, with Some Hints Concerning the Government of Daughters
• Chapter VII. — Containing the Whole Humours of a Masquerade
• Chapter VIII. — Containing a Scene of Distress, Which Will Appear Very Extraordinary to Most of Our Readers
• Chapter IX. — Which Treats of Matters of a Very Different Kind from Those in the Preceding Chapter
• Chapter X. — A Chapter Which, Though Short, May Draw Tears from Some Eyes
• Chapter XI. — In Which the Reader Will Be Surprised
• Chapter XII. — In Which the Thirteenth Book Is Concluded
• Chapter I. — An Essay to Prove That an Author Will Write the Better for Having Some Knowledge of the Subject on Which He Writes
• Chapter II. — Containing Letters and Other Matters Which Attend Amours
• Chapter III. — Containing Various Matters
• Chapter IV. — Which We Hope Will Be Very Attentively Perused by Young People of Both Sexes
• Chapter V. — A Short Account of the History of Mrs Miller
• Chapter VI. — Containing a Scene Which We Doubt Not Will Affect All Our Readers
• Chapter VII. — The Interview Between Mr Jones and Mr Nightingale
• Chapter VIII. — What Passed Between Jones and Old Mr Nightingale; with the Arrival of a Person Not Yet Mentioned in This History
• Chapter IX. — Containing Strange Matters
• Chapter X. — A Short Chapter, Which Concludes the Book
• Chapter I. — Too Short to Need a Preface
• Chapter II. — In Which Is Opened a Very Black Design Against Sophia
• Chapter III. — A Further Explanation of the Foregoing Design
• Chapter IV. — By Which It Will Appear How Dangerous an Advocate a Lady Is When She Applies Her Eloquence to an Ill Purpose
• Chapter V. — Containing Some Matters Which May Affect, and Others Which May Surprise, the Reader
• Chapter VI. — By What Means the Squire Came to Discover His Daughter
• Chapter VII. — In Which Various Misfortunes Befell Poor Jones
• Chapter VIII. — Short and Sweet
• Chapter IX. — Containing Love-Letters of Several Sorts
• Chapter X. — Consisting Partly of Facts, and Partly of Observations Upon Them
• Chapter XI. — Containing Curious, but Not Unprecedented Matter
• Chapter XII. — A Discovery Made by Partridge
• Chapter I. — Of Prologues
• Chapter II. — A Whimsical Adventure Which Befell the Squire, with the Distressed Situation of Sophia
• Chapter III. — What Happened to Sophia During Her Confinement
• Chapter IV. — In Which Sophia Is Delivered from Her Confinement
• Chapter V. — In Which Jones Receives a Letter from Sophia, and Goes to a Play with Mrs Miller and Partridge
• Chapter VI. — In Which the History Is Obliged to Look Back
• Chapter VII. — In Which Mr Western Pays a Visit to His Sister, in Company with Mr Blifil
• Chapter VIII. — Schemes of Lady Bellaston for the Ruin of Jones
• Chapter IX. — In Which Jones Pays a Visit to Mrs Fitzpatrick
• Chapter X. — The Consequence of the Preceding Visit
• Chapter I. — Containing a Portion of Introductory Writing
• Chapter II. — The Generous and Grateful Behaviour of Mrs Miller
• Chapter III. — The Arrival of Mr Western, with Some Matters Concerning the Paternal Authority
• Chapter IV. — An Extraordinary Scene Between Sophia and Her Aunt
• Chapter V. — Mrs Miller and Mr Nightingale Visit Jones in the Prison
• Chapter VI. — In Which Mrs Miller Pays a Visit to Sophia
• Chapter VII. — A Pathetic Scene Between Mr Allworthy and Mrs Miller
• Chapter VIII. — Containing Various Matters
• Chapter IX. — What Happened to Mr Jones in the Prison
• Chapter I. — A Farewel to the Reader
• Chapter II. — Containing a Very Tragical Incident
• Chapter III. — Allworthy Visits Old Nightingale; with a Strange Discovery That He Made on That Occasion
• Chapter IV. — Containing Two Letters in Very Different Stiles
• Chapter V. — In Which the History Is Continued
• Chapter VI. — In Which the History Is Farther Continued
• Chapter VII. — Continuation of the History
• Chapter VIII. — Further Continuation
• Chapter IX. — A Further Continuation
• Chapter X. — Wherein the History Begins to Draw Towards a Conclusion
• Chapter XI. — The History Draws Nearer to a Conclusion
• Chapter XII. — Approaching Still Nearer to the End
• Chapter the Last. In Which the History Is Concluded
• About the Author