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by me the sd Henry Fielding, or any one else by my authority to the sd Book To Have and to Hold the sa bargained Premises unto the sd Andrew Millar, his Exors Admors or Assigns for ever And I do hereby covenant to & with the sa Andrew Millar his Exors Admors & Assigns that I the sḍ Henry Fielding the Author of the sd bargained Premises have not at any time heretofore done committed or suffered any Act or thing whatsoever by means whereof the sa bargained Premises or any part thereof is or shall be impeached or encumbered in any wise And I the sd Henry Fielding for myself my Exors Admors & Assigns shall warrant & defend the sd bargained Premises for ever against all Persons whatsoever claiming under me my Exors Admors or Assigns.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand & Seal this twenty fifth day of March One thousand seven hundred & forty nine

Signed sealed & delivered

by the within named Henry

Fielding the day and year within mentioned, in the presence of

Jos. BROGDEN''*

HFFIELDING [Seal]

The sum which Millar gave for the book was considered very handsome, though in proportion to the size of the novel, it was little more than Fielding received for "Joseph Andrews." That is, Millar paid him one hundred and eighty-three pounds and eleven shillings for "Joseph Andrews" in two volumes, and six hundred pounds for "Tom Jones" in six volumes. "Old England" insinuated that this ready money enabled the bankrupt author to settle with his creditors, who expected nothing, at a shilling in

* From the autograph in the library of J. P. Morgan, Esq. Folio. 12% inches by 8% inches. In the manuscript there is a line over zo and likewise over mo in Exors and Admors to indicate that the words are abbreviated.

*

the pound; and there was a rumour, repeated by Horace Walpole, that Millar, finding the novel "sell so greatly," added another hundred to the original amount.†

The man who witnessed the agreement was Joshua Brogden, Fielding's clerk in the Bow Street court. By its terms, strictly interpreted, Fielding assigned his title, right, and property only in a "certain book printed in six volumes," called "The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling." In case the novel should be issued in another form-say, in a less number of volumes-the question might arise whether the copyright would cover that also. On the other hand, the copyright included "all improvements, additions or alterations whatsoever which now are or hereafter shall at any time be made" by Fielding or anyone else on his authority. This clause, though it is but a common stipulation, half reveals a curious detail concerning the publication of "Tom Jones." Within a month after its first appearance, Fielding was far advanced in a revision of the novel.

Immediate revision was rendered imperative on account of the numerous errors that crept into the text owing to the haste with which the novel had been at last put through the press. Most of them were due to the compositors, who occasionally misread the manuscript, but more often merely dropped out or repeated small words like is, can, in, at, and not. Square was once turned into Squire; and Mr. Anderson became Mr. Enderson. Other errors, such as the use of a wrong pronoun or the misplacing of a phrase, may be more definitely ascribed to the author. Twice Fielding fell into uncertainty over the age of his hero in the story of Tom's growth through boyhood, making him nineteen years old when he should have been seventeen, and nineteen when he should have been twenty. Once Mrs. Miller was called Mrs. Cannister-because, I daresay, the author had * "Old England,” May 27, 1749.

"Letters of Walpole," edited by Toynbee, II, 384.

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in mind the real name of the clergyman's widow whom he was depicting in the character. The slips of compositor and author, taken together, were quite enough to blemish the pages. In ordinary circumstances neither Fielding nor Millar would have let a book like this go to the public. As a makeshift, space was provided after the table of contents in the first volume for a page of errata, having at the head a request that the reader make for himself some sixty-odd corrections. Of the list of errata, two things are to be observed. First, it is confined mostly to the author's mistakes, mixed here and there with a few of the compositors' many blunders. Hence it was prepared by Fielding himself. Secondly, it covers only five volumes, though the sixth volume has some of the most glaring lapses in the entire novel. Not only, then, was Millar unable to bind copies fast enough to meet the demand, but he felt constrained to print them before the proofs could be properly corrected by his hacks and before the author had time to read the last volume for alterations.

It was a shrewd guess of Mr. Frederick S. Dickson, the only bibliographer who has ever examined with care the first edition of "Tom Jones," that preparation was begun for a new edition "about the time the sixth volume went to press"; that is, in February, 1749. In fact, there were two new editions-one in six volumes at the old price, and another in four volumes, which sold in blue paper covers at half a guinea and bound at twelve shillings. According to "The St. James's Evening Post," the fourvolume edition was published April 13, 1749. At the same time Millar announced the six-volume edition "on a large Letter, pr. bound 18s." As he said nothing about being able to supply it in paper covers, the inference is that this was the new edition in six volumes. On the same day, "Life and Writings of Fielding," by Keightley, edited by Dickson, 1900,

p. 132.

it would therefore seem, "Tom Jones" reappeared in two quite different styles of dress.

At first sight the second edition in six volumes differs from the first only in the absence of the errata. The phrase, "the second edition," nowhere appears; type and paper are the same; and the paging is kept uniform with the edition having the errata. Close inspection, however, reveals the story of what happened. The table of contents is re-spaced so as to extend into the page formerly given to the errata; the first volume has a new tailpiece; the title-page of the fifth volume ends in a misprint; and most, though not all, of the slips made by author and compositor have been corrected, including, with two exceptions, those contained in the errata. Moreover, though each volume has the same number of pages as the corresponding volume of the first edition, scores of individual pages differ either in the number of lines or in the last words and phrases. It looks as if Millar, not anticipating the immense demand, distributed the type, and so had to reset the entire novel. There is really no other conclusion. Labour was cheap and the compositors were asked to do their work over again. "Tom Jones," as the novel appeared in February, is a most rare book. It is this second edition or impression here described-call it what you will—that has long passed for the first.

Simultaneously another set of compositors was put to work on the four-volume edition. They made all the changes indicated in the errata, and corrected many verbal inaccuracies besides, though not in exact conformity with the new six-volume edition. On the whole, they were more careful than their brethren. Near the same time a "Tom Jones" in three volumes was also brought out in Dublin. Since this edition failed to incorporate all the corrections called for by the errata,—indeed, none of those covering the first three books, the certain inference is that it was

The Reader is defired to correct the following
ERRAT A.

VOL. I. Page 11, line 25. for was read bad. p. 52, 1. 18. dele that. p. 57, L 12. for Military read Militant. p. 60, 1. 6. for this read it. p. 68, 1. 14. read what it. p. 99, L. 12. for bore read borne. p. 151, 1. 19. for seventeen read nineteen, p. 209, 1, 15. for be could read could.

VOL. II. Page 29, 1. 14. read twenty. p. 86, 1. 13. read whipped at. p. 195, 1. 24. dele on. p. 230, I. 21. for thefe read they. p. 273, l. 16. for bore read borne. p. 289, 1. 4. for Wrath read wroth. p. 306, 1. 22. for suffered read induced.

VOL. III. Page 19, 1. 10. dele that. p. 27, l. 28. read as be never concealed this Hatred. p. 40, 1. 10. for fatisfied read cons vinced. p. 57, 1.26. read preferves and requires. p. 134, 1. 2. dele that. 1. 9. dele so. p. 238. 1. laft, for proflitute read profligate. p. 274, 1.21. for those read they. p. 277, 1. 21. read Affronts. p. 294, L. 16. read Louage. p. 307, 1. 8. dele Doamsday Book, or. p. 330, l. 14. read came. p. 348. h 12. put a come, Comma only after charming.

VOL. IV. Page 35, 1. 1. read pricked up. p. 90, L. 20. read they are effected, 1. 25. dele fuch. p. 91, 1. 3. for Cab read Gold. p. 110, L12. for our read old. p. 111, L. 22. for which read and. p. 120,1. 1. dele Comma after not. p. 122, l. 8. dele by. p. 169, 1. 27. read think it material. 1. 28. d ele fo. p. 179, 1. 3. for its read ber. p. 185, 1. 14. read the Truth, of this Degree of Sufpicion I believe. I. 23. for who read which. R. 193, 1. 11. for Crime read Shame, p. 212, l. 16. for nor read and. p. 231, L 13. for by read for. p. 235, 1. 20. fer rifen read railed. p. 270, 1. 9. read Lalagen. p, 294, J. 1.3. for Alternative read' Alteration.

VOL. V. Page 66. 1. 20. for Cannifter read Miller. p. 113, 1. 1. read Characters. p. 172, 1. 6. read exifting. p. 181, 1. 6. for in read on, p, 182,.1. 11. read bringing ber into. p. 223, l. 12. dele not. p. 249, 1. 25. read fat. p. 251, 1. 27. read tavo or three. p. 263, 1. 20. read Lady. p. 272, l. 12. dele that. p. 274, 1. so. dele as. p. 282, 1. 11. for for read on. 1. 25. read ever, P. 283. 1. 9. read in bis Way.

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