Smollett, Tobias (1721-1777)

The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle.

London

Printed for the author

1751

The imagination may be "incessantly haunted" by the "apprehensions of a jail"

This pathetic remonstrance had the desired effect upon his representative, who spared no pains to fulfil the request of the deceased; but exerted all the capacity with which nature had endowed him, in a series of efforts, which, however, did not succeed; for, by that time he had been fifteen years in trade, he found himself five thousand pounds worse than he was when he first took possession of his father's effects: a circumstance that affected him so nearly, as to detach his inclinations from business, and induce him to retire from the world, to some place where he might at leisure deplore his misfortunes, and, by frugality, secure himself from want, and the apprehensions of a jail, with which his imagination was incessantly haunted. He was often heard to express his fears of coming upon the parish; and to bless God, that, on account of his having been so long a housekeeper, he was intitled to that provision. In short, his talents were not naturally active, and there was a sort of inconsistency in his character; for, with all the desire of amassing which any citizen could possibly entertain, he was encumbered by a certain indolence and sluggishness that prevailed over every interested consideration, and even hindered him from profiting by that singleness of apprehension, and moderation of appetites, which have so frequently conduced to the acquisition of immense fortunes, and which he possessed in a very remarkable degree. Nature, in all probability, had mixed little or nothing inflammable in his composition; or, whatever seeds of excess she might have sown within him, were effectually stifled and destroyed by the austerity of his education.
(I.i, pp. 2-3)

Uncategorized::Haunting

Searching haunt and imagination in HDIS

33 entries in ESTC (1751, 1758, 1763, 1765, 1769, 1773, 1775, 1776, 1778, 1779, 1781, 1784, 1785, 1786, 1787, 1788, 1791, 1793, 1794, 1798, 1799, 1800).

Smollett, Tobias. The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle. In which are included, Memoirs of a Lady of Quality., 4 vols. (London: printed for the author, 1751). <Link to ESTC>

04/27/2004