e vessels of the Carthagena
expedition, 1741, an experience which he turned to account in his novels.
On his return he settled in London, and endeavoured to acquire practice
as a physician, but was not very successful, and having discovered where
his talent lay, he thenceforth devoted himself to literature. _Roderick
Random_ appeared in 1748, _The History of an Atom_ (1749), _Peregrine
Pickle_ in 1751, _Ferdinand, Count Fathom_ in 1753, _Sir Lancelot
Greaves_ in 1766, and _Humphrey Clinker_, generally considered his best
novel, in 1770. Besides these works, however, he translated Voltaire,
wrote a _History of England_ in continuation of Hume's, an _Ode to
Independence_, travels and satires, and contributed to various
periodicals. He was repeatedly involved in acrimonious controversy, and
on one occasion fined and imprisoned for a libel, which, with various
private misfortunes, embittered his life, and he _d._ disappointed and
worn out near Leghorn. Had he lived four years longer he would have
succeeded to his grandfather's estate of Bonhill. The novels of S.
display great narrative power, and he has a remarkable comic vein of a
broad type, which enables him to present ludicrous scenes and
circumstances with great effect. There is, however, a strong infusion of
coarseness in his treatment of his subjects.

SOMERVILLE, MRS. MARY (FAIRFAX) (1780-1872).--Mathematician and writer on
science, _dau._ of Admiral Sir William G. Fairfax, _b._ at Jedburgh, was
twice _m._, first to Mr. Greig, an officer in the Russian Navy, and
second to her cousin Dr. William S. Although she had early manifested a
taste for study, and specially for science, she had, until after the
death of her first husband, little opportunity of following out her
favourite subjects. With Dr. S., who was in full sympathy with her
scientific tastes, she went to reside in London, and there her talents
made her known in scientific circles. In 1823 she was requested by Lord
Brougham to popularise the _Mechanique Celeste_ of La Place. This she did
with great success, publishing her work as _The Celestial Mechanism of
the Heavens_ (1830). She also _pub._ _The Connection of the Physical
Sciences_ (1834), and other works. She received a pension from
Government, and _d._ aged 92 at Naples, where she had resided for the
last ten or twelve years of her life.

SOMERVILLE, WILLIAM (1675-1742).--Poet, a Warwickshire squire of literary
tastes, wrote among others a poem, _T