Fielding, Henry (1707-1754)

The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling

London

Printed for A. Millar

1749

"[L]et the Remembrance of what past at Upton blot me for ever from your Mind"

After a short Pause, Jones, with faultering Accents, said,--'I see, Madam, you are surprized.' --'Surprized!' answered she; 'Oh Heavens! Indeed, I am surprized. I almost doubt whether you are the Person you seem.' 'Indeed,' cries he, 'my Sophia, pardon me, Madam, for this once calling you so, I am that very wretched Jones, whom Fortune, after so many Disappointments, hath, at last, kindly conducted to you. Oh! mySophia, did you know the thousand Torments I have suffered in this long, fruitless Pursuit'--'Pursuit of whom?' said Sophia, a little recollecting herself, and assuming a reserved Air. --'Can you be so cruel to ask that Question?' cries Jones. 'Need I say of you?' 'Of me?' answered Sophia: 'Hath Mr. Jones then any such important Business with me?' 'To some, Madam,' cries Jones, 'this might seem an important Business,' (giving her the Pocket-Book). 'I hope, Madam, you will find it of the same Value, as when it was lost.' Sophia took the Pocket-Book, and was going to speak, when he interrupted her, thus; --'Let us not, I beseech you, lose one of these precious Moments which Fortune hath so kindly sent us. --O my Sophia, I have Business of a much superior Kind. --Thus, on my Knees, let me ask your Pardon.' --'My Pardon?' cries she;--'Sure, Sir, after what is past you cannot expect, after what I have heard--'I scarce know what I say,' answered Jones. 'By Heavens! I scarce wish you should pardon me. O my Sophia, henceforth never cast away a Thought on such a Wretch as I am. If any Remembrance of me should ever intrude to give a Moment's Uneasiness to that tender Bosom, think of my Unworthiness; and let the Remembrance of what past at Upton blot me for ever from your Mind'--
(pp. 89-91)

Writing::Blotting

Searching "blot" and "mind" in HDIS (Prose

Over 75 entries in the ESTC (1749, 1750, 1751, 1759, 1763, 1764, 1765, 1766, 1767, 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1773, 1774, 1775, 1776, 1777, 1780, 1782, 1783, 1784, 1786, 1787, 1789, 1791, 1792, 1794, 1795, 1797, 1800).

See The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling. In Six Volumes. By Henry Fielding. (London: Printed for A. Millar, 1749). <Link to ECCO><Link to LION>

See also three-volume Dublin edition in ECCO-TCP <Link to Vol. I in ECCO-TCP><Vol. II><Vol. III>

Reading The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling. Norton Critical Edition, ed. Sheridan W. Baker. (New York: W. W. Norton and Company, Inc., 1973).

Also reading Henry Fielding, Tom Jones, eds. John Bender and Simon Stern (Oxford: OUP, 1996).

03/11/2005