SMOLLET (Dr Tobias), was born in Scotland in the year 1720, and in the early part of his life served as a surgeon's mate in the navy. The incidents that befel him during his continuance in this capacity served as a foundation for one of the most entertaining novels in the English tongue, The Adventures of Roderick Random, 2 vols, 12mo; a book which still continues to have a most extensive sale, and first established the Doctor's reputation. All the first volume, and the beginning of the second, appears to consist of real incident and character, though certainly a good deal heightened and disguised. The Judge his grandfather, Crab and Potion the two apothecaries, and Squire Gawkey, were characters well known in that part of the kingdom where the scene was laid. Captains Oakum and Whiffle, Doctors Mackshane and Morgan, were also said to be real personages; but their names we have either never learnt, or have now forgotten. A bookbinder and barber long eagerly contended for being shadowed under the name of Strap. The Doctor seems to have enjoyed a peculiar felicity in describing sea-characters, particularly the officers and sailors of the navy. His Truncheon, Hatchway, and Pipes, are highly-finished originals; but what exceeds them all, and perhaps equals any character that has yet been painted by the happiest genius of ancient or modern times, is his Lieutenant Bowling. This is indeed nature itself; original, unique, and sui generis.
It is surprising that, notwithstanding Dr Smollet was so very successful in hitting off original characters in narration, he could never succeed in the drama. Very early in life, he wrote a tragedy intitled The Regicide, founded on the story of the assassination of James I. of Scotland; which, with all his interest and address, he never could get represented on the stage. He after-
wards published it by subscription; with what success we cannot now recollect: but we are much mistaken if he has not alluded to some of his own theatrical occurrences, in the story of Melopoyne, in Roderick Random.
By the publication of that work the Doctor had acquired so great a reputation, that henceforth a certain degree of success was insured to every thing known or suspected to proceed from his hand. In the course of a few years, The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle appeared; a work of great ingenuity and contrivance in the composition, and in which an uncommon degree of erudition is displayed, particularly in the description of the entertainment given by the Republican Doctor, after the manner of the ancients. Under this personage the late Dr Akenfide, author of a famous poem intitled The Pleasures of Imagination, is supposed to be typified; and it would be difficult to determine whether profound learning or genuine humour predominate most in this episode. Another episode of The Adventures of a Lady of Quality, likewise inserted in this work, contributed greatly to its success, and is indeed admirably well executed; the materials, it is said, the lady herself (the celebrated lady Vane) furnished.
These were not the only original compositions of this stamp with which the Doctor has favoured the public. Ferdinand Count Fathom and Sir Lancelot Greaves, are still in the list of what may be called reading novels, and have gone through several editions; but there is no injustice in placing them in a rank far below the former. No doubt invention, character, composition, and contrivance, are to be found in both; but then situations are described which are hardly possible, and characters are painted which, if not altogether unexampled, are at least incompatible with modern manners; and which ought not to be, as the scenes are laid in modern times.
The last work which we believe the Doctor published, was of much the same species, but cast into a different form—The Expedition of Humphrey Clinker. It consists of a series of letters, written by different persons to their respective correspondents. He has here carefully avoided the faults which may be justly charged to his two former productions. Here are no extravagant characters nor unnatural situations. On the contrary, an admirable knowledge of life and manners is displayed; and most useful lessons are given applicable to interesting, but to very common situations.
It appears from Roderick Random, that Mr Smollet was at the siege of Carthegenas; of which expedition he gives a faithful, though no very pleasing account. Soon after his return he must have taken his degree of Doctor of Physic, though we have not been able to learn at what time and at what place. It is said that, before he took a house at Chelsea, he attempted to settle as practitioner of physic at Bath; and with that view wrote a treatise on the waters—but was unsuccessful, chiefly because he could not render himself agreeable to the women, whose favour is certainly of great consequence to all candidates for eminence, whether in medicine or divinity. This, however, was a little extraordinary; for those who remembered Dr Smollet at that time, cannot but acknowledge that he was as graceful and handsome a man as
any of the age he lived in; besides, there was a certain dignity in his air and manner which could not but inspire respect wherever he appeared. Perhaps he was too soon discouraged; in all probability, had he persevered, a man of his great learning, profound sagacity, and intense application, besides being endued with every other external as well as internal accomplishment, must have at last succeeded, and, had he attained to common old age, been at the head of his profession.
Abandoning physic altogether as a profession, he fixed his residence at Chelsea, and turned his thoughts entirely to writing. Yet, as an author, he was not near so successful as his happy genius and acknowledged merit certainly deserved. He never acquired a patron among the great, who by his favour or beneficence relieved him from the necessity of writing for a subsistence. The truth is, Dr Smollet possessed a loftiness and elevation of sentiment and character which appears to have disqualified him for currying favour among those who were able to confer favours. It would be wrong to call this disposition of his pride or haughtiness; for to his equals and inferiors he was ever polite, friendly, and generous. Booksellers may therefore be said to have been his only patrons; and from them he had constant employment in translating, compiling, and reviewing. He translated Gil Blas and Don Quixote, both so happily, that all the former translations of these excellent productions of genius are in a fair way of being superseded by his. His name likewise appears to a translation of Voltaire's Prose Works: but little of it was done by his own hand; he only revised it, and added a few notes. He was concerned in a great variety of compilations. His History of England was the principal work of that kind. It had a most extensive sale; and the Doctor is said to have received 2000l. for writing it and the continuation.
In the year 1755 he set on foot the Critical Review, and continued the principal manager of it till he went abroad for the first time in the year 1763. To speak impartially, he was, perhaps, too acrimonious sometimes in the conduct of that work. Having, in particular, made some very severe strictures on a pamphlet published by Admiral Knowles, as well as on the writer's character, the latter commenced a prosecution against the printer, declaring, it was said, he only wanted to know the author, that, if a gentleman, he might obtain the satisfaction of a gentleman from him. In this affair the Doctor behaved with great spirit. Just as sentence was going to be pronounced against the printer, he came into court, avowed himself the author of the strictures in question, and declared himself ready to give the Admiral any satisfaction he chose. Upon this, the Admiral began a fresh action against the Doctor, who was found guilty, fined 100l. and condemned to three months imprisonment in the King's Bench. It is there he is said to have written the Adventures of Sir Lancelot Greaves; in which he has described some remarkable characters, then his fellow-prisoners.
When Lord Bute was called to the chief administration of affairs, he was prevailed upon to write in defence of that nobleman's measures; which he did in a weekly paper, called the Briton. This gave rise to the famous North-Briton; wherein, according to the opinion of the public, he was rather baffled. The truth
is, the Doctor did not seem to possess the talents necessary for political altercation. He wanted temper and coolness; and his friends accused his patron of having denied him the necessary information, and even neglected the fulfilling of some of his other engagements with him. Be that as it will, the Doctor is said not to have forgotten him in his subsequent performances.
His constitution being at last greatly impaired by a sedentary life and assiduous application to study, he went abroad for his health in the year 1763. He wrote an account of his travels in a Series of Letters to some friends, which were afterwards published in two volumes 8vo. During all that time he appears to have laboured under a constant fit of chagrin. But the state of his mind will be best learnt from himself. Thus he writes in his first letter: "In gratifying your curiosity, I shall find some amusement to beguile the tedious hours; which, without some such employment, would be rendered insupportable by distemper and disquiet. You knew and pitied my situation, traduced by malice, persecuted by faction, abandoned by false patrons, and overwhelmed by the sense of a domestic calamity, which it was not in the power of fortune to repair." By this domestic calamity he means the loss of his only child, a daughter, whom he loved with the tenderest affection. The Doctor lived to return to his native country: but his health continuing to decline, and meeting with fresh mortifications and disappointments, he went back to Italy, where he died in October the 21st 1771, having been born in the year 1720. He was employed, during the last years of his life, in abridging the Modern Universal History, great part of which he had originally written himself, particularly the histories of France, Italy, and Germany.
It would be needless to expatiate on the character of a man so well known as Dr Smollet, who has, besides, given so many strictures of his own character and manner of living in his writings, particularly in Humphrey Clinker; where he appears under the appellation of Mr Serle, and has an interview with Mr Bramble; and his manner of living is described in another letter, where young Melford is supposed to dine with him at his house in Chelsea. No doubt, he made a great deal of money by his connections with the booksellers; and had he been a rigid economist, or endued with the gift of retention, (an expression of his own), he might have lived and died very independent. However, to do justice to his memory, his difficulties, whatever they were, proceeded not from extravagance or want of economy. He was hospitable, but not ostentatiously so; and his table was plentiful, but not extravagant. No doubt he had his failings; but still it would be difficult to name a man who was so respectable for the qualities of his head, or more amiable for the virtues of his heart.