History of Tom Jones, a Foundling

by Henry Fielding

But indeed it is possible he might see some faults in the captain without any uneasiness at all; for men of true wisdom and goodness are contented to take persons and things as they are, without complaining of their imperfections, or attempting to amend them.

Little circumstances, which were perhaps accidental in a great author, were by these critics considered to constitute his chief merit, and transmitted as essentials to be observed by all his successors. To these encroachments, time and ignorance, the two great supporters of imposture, gave authority; and thus many rules for good writing have been established, which have not the least foundation in truth or nature; and which commonly serve for no other purpose than to curb and restrain genius, in the same manner as it would have restrained the dancing-master, had the many excellent treatises on that art laid it down as an essential rule that every man must dance in chains.

Poverty and distress seemed to him to give none a right of aggravating those misfortunes.

for the dullest writers, no more than the dullest companions, are always inoffensive.

To say the truth, he was one of those compositions which nature makes up in too great a hurry, and forgets to put any brains into their head.

I had rather enjoy my own mind than the fortune of another man.

There is scarce anything which so happily introduces men to our good liking, as having conceived some alarm at their first appearance; when once those apprehensions begin to vanish we soon forget the fears which they occasioned, and look on ourselves as indebted for our present ease to those very persons who at first raised our fears.

for when a man lays the foundation of his own ruin, others will, I am afraid, be too apt to build upon it.

Fortune may tempt men of no very bad dispositions to injustice; but insults proceed only from black and rancorous minds, and have no temptations to excuse them.