THE

WORK S

O F.

HENRY FIELDING, Efq;

WITH

The LIFE of the AUTHOR.

VOL. VII.

THE THIRD EDITION.

LONDON:
Printed for A. MILLAR, in the Strand.

MDCCLXVI.

Ο Τ

THE

HISTORY

OF

TOM JONES,

A

FOUNDLING.

To the HONOURABLE

GEORGE LYTTLETON, Efq;

One of the Lords Commiffioners of the TREASURY.

N

Otwithstanding your conftant refufal, when I have asked leave to prefix your name to this dedication, I muft ftill infift on my right to defire your protection of this work.

To you, Sir, it is owing that this history was ever begun. It was by your defire that I first thought of fuch a compofition. Só many years have fince paft that you may have, perhaps, forgotten this circumftance: but your defires are to me in the nature of commands; and the impreffion of them is never to be erafed from my memory.

Again, Sir, without your affiftance this history had never been completed. Be not ftartled at the affertion. I do not intend to draw on you the fufpicion of being a ro1 mance writer. I mean no more than that I partly owe to you my exiftence during great part of the time which I have employed in compofing

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