Who dar'd with manly rage

To lafh the vices of an impious age?
Who dar'd to feize the bold hiftoric pen,
Paint living kings and minifters as men?
Who fung fad Scotia's hapless fons forlorn,
Her broken peace, her freshest laurels torn?

Or, who, in oaten reed by Leven's fide,

Sung the fair ftream, and hail'd the dimpling tide?
Say ye whose lyre to manly numbers ftrung,
The glorious blifs of Independence fung?

Who felt that power, and still ador'd his shrine ?
It was your SMOLLETT!-

RICHARDSON'S PROLOGUE 1784.

EDINBURGH:

PRINTED BY MUNDELL AND SON, ROYAL BANK CLOSE

Anno 1794

THE LIFE OF SMOLLETT.

TOBIAS SMOLLETT was born at Dalquhurn, on the banks of the Leven, in Dumbartonshire, in 1720. His father was the youngest fon of Sir James Smollett of Bonhill; his mother's name was Cunningham, the daughter of a respectable family in Renfrewshire.

After the ordinary course of education, he was put apprentice to a furgeon in Glasgow, and afterwards attended the medical claffes in Edinburgh. He then went to London, and his first outlet appears to have been as a furgeon's mate in the navy, in which capacity he served at the fiege of Carthagena.

In his Roderick Random, he gives an account of the management of that ill-conducted expedition, which he cenfures in the warmeft terms, and from circumftances which fell under his own particular obfervation. He is fuppofed to have been the editor of " A Compendium of Authentic Voyages, digefted in a Chronological Series," 7 vols. 12mo. 1756; amongst which is inferted a fhort narrative of the expedition to Carthagena, 1741, written with great fpirit, but abounding with acrimony.

It was here he acquired his knowledge of fea characters, which he has drawn in a manner so excellent, and at the same time so technically true, as to excite general admiration; and they have continued the model for dramatis and novelifts to copy.

He continued only short time in that line; being disgusted at the service; and having no other employment, betook himself to his pen for fubfiftence.

It is probable that he wrote feveral pieces before he became know to the public by his capital productions.

His first publication that is known with certainty, is, The Advice and Reproof, two fatires, printed in 1746 and 1747.

In the former year, he expressed his indignation at the feverities exercised upon the Highlanders, by the royal army, after the battle of Culloden, in an ode, intituled, The Tears of Scotland.

In 1747, he prefented for performance, at Drury-Lane theatre, a tragedy, written in his eighteenth year, called, The Regicide, founded on the affaffination of James I. of Scotland. On this occafion, he experienced the treatment which young authors generally meet with from theatrical managers and would-be patrons. After being buoyed up and flattered for a confiderable time, his play was finally neglected. It was published in 1749. by fubfcription, very much, it is faid, to his emolument, with a Preface, in which he exclaims bitterly againft falfe patrons, and the duplicity of managers; and he refented the injury by fevere retaliations in his future writings.

Lyttleton and Garrick were the principal objects of his refentment. The character of the former he fatirifed in his novel of Peregrine Pickle; and he added a Burkfque Ode on that nobleman's "Monody" on the death of his lady.

Against Garrick, he made illiberal, ill-founded criticifms; and in the novel of Roderick Random, gave a very unfair representation of his treatment of him refpecting this tragedy.

On cool reflection, he afterwards feems to have regretted his warmth, and retracted, in hand: fome terms, the hafty effufions of his difappointment,

Defirous" of doing justice, in a work of truth, for wrongs done in a work of fiction," in giving a fketch of the liberal arts, in his Hiftory of England, he remarked, "the exhibitions of the stage were improved to the most exquifite entertainment, by the talents and management of Garrick, who greatly surpassed all his predeceffors of this, and perhaps every other nation, in his genius for acting, in the sweetness and variety of his tones, the irresistible magic of his eye, the fire and vivacity of his action, the elegance of attitude, and the whole pathos of expreffion.

"Candidates for literary fame appeared even in the higher sphere of life, embellished by the nervous fenfe and extenfive erudition of a Cocke, by the delicate taste, the polished muse, and tender feelings of a Lyttleton."

Not fatisfied with this public declaration of his fentiments, he wrote in ftill ftronger terms to Garrick, Jan. 27. 1762. "What I have faid of Mr. Garrick in the Hiflory of England was, I proteft, the language of my heart. I fhall rejoice if he thinks I have done him barely justice. I am fure the public will think I have done him no more than justice. In giving a fhort sketch of the liberal arts, I could not, with any propriety, forbear mentioning a gentleman fe eminently diftinguished by a genius that has no rival. Besides, I thought it incumbent upon me to make a public atonement, in a work of truth, for wrongs done in a work of fiction."

In 1748, he published the Adventures of Roderick Random, a novel, modelled upon the plan of Le Sage's" Adventures of Gil Blas," which had a rapid fale, and laid the foundation of his fame. The fuccefs attending this novel encouraged him to proceed in the fame line; and, in 1751, he published the Adventures of Peregrine Pickle, in 4 vols. 12mo. in which he introduced the history of the celebrated Lady Vane, the materials of which, it is faid, fhe herself furnished. This episode excited much attention, and contributed greatly to its fuccefs.

About this time, having obtained the degree of Doctor of Phyfic, he fettled as a Phyfician at Bath, and with that view, published As Effay on the External Use of Water, in a Letter to Dr.

with particular Remarks upon the prefent Method of using the Mineral Waters at Bath in Somersetfeire, and a Plan for rendering them more Safe, Agreeable, and Efficacious, 4to. 1752.

Having been unfuccefsful, or perhaps too foon difcouraged, he relinquifhed the practice of physic, fixed his refidence at Chelsea, and dedicated the whole of his time to literature.

It has been faid, that his want of fuccefs in a profeffion where merit cannot always enfure good fortune, was owing to his failing to make himself agreeable to the women; but his figure and addrefs, both of which were excellent, render this highly improbable. It is more likely, that his irritable and impatient temper, and his contempt for the low arts of fineffe, fervility, and cunning, were the real caufes of his failure.

As an author by profeffion, his genius and industry were equally confpicuous. His Adventures of Ferdinand Count Fathom, in one volume, 12mo. appeared in 1751, which was followed by a fuccefsful Tranflation of Don Quixote, in 2 vols. 4to. 1755; executed, as it was fuppofed, with a flight knowledge of the Spanish language; a circumftance that expofed him to much abufe, and in one inftance, it is faid, to a perfonal attack.

In 1756, he began the Critical Review, a work which he conducted with much ability, till 1763; but with a degree of acrimony, in fome inftances, that involved him in a variety of difputes. The most serious of thefe was with Admiral Knowles, who had published a pamphlet in defence of his conduct in the expedition to Rochfort, 1758. On this performance, he was fo particularly and unguardedly fevere, that the Admiral commenced a profecution against the printer. In this affair, he behaved both with prudence and with fpirit. Defirous of compromifing the difpute with the Admiral, in an amicable manner, he applied to his friend Mr. Wilkes, to interpofe his good offices with his opponent. The Admiral continued inflexible; and fentence was on the point of being pronounced against the printer, when he gallantly stood forth, avowed himself the author of the criticism, and offered the Admiral any satisfaction he might require. The confequence was, that a profecution was immediately commenced against him, and he was fined 100l. and fentenced to three months imprisonment in the King's Bench prifon.