SMOLLETT, TomAs, an eminent British novelist, b. in the year 1721, was descended from an old and distinguished family in Dumbartonshire. His grandfather, sir James SoloIlett of ]innhill, was one of the commissaries or consistorial judges of Edinburgh, and sat in the Scots parliament as representative of his native county. Had the novelist survived about four more years than the term of his too short life, he would, as heir of entail, have succeeded to the ancestral estate in the beautiful vale of Leven Ile lost his father while very but he was well educated, and afterward apprenticed ton rur geon in Glasgow. lie is said to have wished to enter the army, and being disappointed, to have avenged himself on his grandfather, who thwarted his inclinations, by describing sir James under the unamiable character of the old judge in 1b.sleriek Random. This is related by Scott and all the biographers, but it must be wrong; for sir James, the grand father, died in 1721, when Tobias was only in his tenth year. The duty of !Mending to the education and settlement of the youth would naturally devolve on his widowed mother and on the laird of Bonhill, his 'cousin. It is certain, however, that Smollett inherited no fortune; and in his 18th }}'ear, he went to London with a tragedy which he had written on the assassination of James I. of Scotland, and which he trusted would lead to distinction, if not wealth. He was grievously disappointed, and was glad to accept the post of surgeon's-mate on board one of the ships in the unfortunate expedition to Carthagenn, in 1741. He soon quitted the service in disgust, although not before he had seen enough of naval life and character of inestimable value to him as a novel ist; and returning to London, he commenet d, and for the remainder of his life followed, the profession of an author. He made, indeed, repented attempts to obtain practice as it physician, end in 1750, got a diploma of si.u. from Aberdeen; but his hasty irritable temper and independent spirit, joined to his natural propensity to satire, were fatal to his hopes. Even his literary career was a ceaseless warfare. In 1748, in his 27th year, he produced his Roderick Landom, which lead tsith the utmost avidity, and seemed at once to place its author very neer, if not in the riettethiarde of Fielding as a novelist. In 1751 appeared Peregrine fickle, a more ambitious and not less successful work, end in 1753, Perdimand Count Fathom, an inferior production. though comaini»g scenes of striking adventure and eloquent description. Stuol let t next I ranslated Don Quixote (1755), in which, it is admitted, lie was surpassed by Motteux and Jarvis. He then undertc ok
the editorship of a new tory journal, The Critical Review. which was the most unfortu rate of all his engagements, as it involved him in endless quarrels and personalities. For one article, en attack on admiral Knowles, he suffered three months' imprisonment, end was tined -.6100. In 1758 lie published his history of England, 4 vols. quarto—a his tory from the descent of Julius Cwsar to the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748, but rti Lich was betun and completed in 14 months, realizing for its author a sum of .62,000. Though superficial and inaccurate, this histmy has passages of tine animated writing and mas terly delineation of character. We next find Smollett involved in political controversy with Wilkes and others, and defending lord Bute's administration; but be wanted tact and temper for work of this description, and reaped no laurels as a politician. Another novel appeared in 176041, The Adventures of Sir Lanncvlot Grial.T3; in 1760 two vol limes of querulous Travels in France and Italy; in 1769 The Adventures cf an Atom, n polit ical satire unworthy of its author; and in 1771, only 41 few months. before his death, The Erredition of BUmphry Clinker. the best of all the novels of Smollett; and in the opinion of Thaekeray, one of the very hest in the whole range of imaginntive literature. Worn out with literary cares, private misfortunes, anxiety, and ill-health, the novelist retired to Italy, and died at Leghorn, Oct. 21, 1771, in the 51st vear of his age.
As a novelist, Smollett is distinguished by his broad humor and burlesque, the great variety of his incidents and characters, and the excellence of his easy, picturesque style of narrative. He is often careless, but rarely dull, He does not indulge in digressions, like Fielding. and though less of a literary artist than his great English rival, Ids works are read with more intense interest. Ife had, in fact, greater imagination and poetical sensibility. Ile added largely to our stock of original characters and humorists—Strap, Tom Bowlino, Horgan the Welshman. Ltsmakago, and ilegthew Bramble arc still unsur passed. Delicacy of taste was denied to both Fielding and Smollett, and perhaps the latter is the more gross and sensual of the two. But the novelist lived in a coarse age, and possessed an exuberan` fancy. There is a good deal to regret and to condemn; but to an nuthor who has conferred so much true, healthy pleasure and enjoyment on countless generations of readers, forgiveness is easily extended, and is soon lost is admiration.