did the greatness of my mind dictate, nor the force of my
Christianity exact this forgiveness. To speak truth, I forgave him
from a motive which would make men much more forgiving, if they were
much wiser than they are; because it was convenient for me so to
do."

151 Lady Mary was his second cousin--their respective grandfathers being
sons of George Fielding, Earl of Desmond, son of William, Earl of
Denbigh.

In a letter dated just a week before his death, she says:--

"H. Fielding has given a true picture of himself and his first wife
in the characters of Mr. and Mrs. Booth, some compliments to his own
figure excepted; and I am persuaded, several of the incidents he
mentions are real matters of fact. I wonder he does not perceive Tom
Jones and Mr. Booth are sorry scoundrels.... Fielding has really a
fund of true humour, and was to be pitied at his first entrance into
the world, having no choice, as he said himself, but to be a hackney
writer or a hackney coachman. His genius deserved a better fate; but
I cannot help blaming that continued indiscretion, to give it the
softest name, that has run through his life, and I am afraid still
remains.... Since I was born no original has appeared excepting
Congreve, and Fielding, who would, I believe, have approached nearer
to his excellences, if not forced by his necessities to publish
without correction, and throw many productions into the world he
would have thrown into the fire, if meat could have been got without
money, or money without scribbling.... I am sorry not to see any
more of Peregrine Pickle's performances; I wish you would tell me
his name,"--_Letters and Works_ (Lord Wharncliffe's ed.), vol. iii,
pp. 93, 94.

152 He sailed for Lisbon, from Gravesend, on Sunday morning, June 30th,
1754; and began the _Journal of a Voyage_ during the passage. He
died at Lisbon, in the beginning of October of the same year. He
lies buried there, in the English Protestant church-yard, near the
Estrella Church, with this inscription over him:--

"HENRICUS FIELDING,
LUGET BRITANNIA GREMIO NON DATUM
FOVERE NATUM."

153 Fielding himself is said by Dr. Warton to have preferred _Joseph
Andrews_ to his other writings.

154 "Richardson," says worthy Mrs. Barbauld, in her Mem