Fielding, Henry. The father of English fiction and one of the most illustrious prose writers in the language. Born in Somersetshire in 1707 of a noble family, allied to the imperial house of Austria. After dissipating a handsome fortune, Fielding launched into authorship and, in 1742, produced his "Joseph Andrews," a sparkling satire upon the characteristics of the Richardsonian school of fiction. In 1749 the novel "Tom Jones" appeared like a comet in the literary world. "Amelia" followed in 1751, to entrance the minds of such critics as Burke, Gibbon, and Dr. Johnson. Died in Lisbon, 1754.

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