northern home to win his fortune in the world, and to fight his way, armed with courage, hunger, and keen wits. His crest is a shattered oak tree, with green leaves yet springing from it. On his ancient coat-of-arms there is a lion and a horn; this shield of his was battered and dinted in a hundred fights and brawls,[1] through which the stout Scotchman bore it courage-
- ↑ A good specimen of the old "slashing" style of writing is presented by the paragraph on Admiral Knowles, which subjected Smollett to prosecution and imprisonment, The admiral's defence on the occasion of the failure of the Rochfort expedition came to be examined before the tribunal of the "Critical Review."
"He is," said our author, "an admiral without conduct, an engineer without knowledge, an officer without resolution, and a man without veracity!"
board a line-of-battle ship, and served in the Carthagena expedition, in 1741. He left the service in the West Indies, and, after residing some time in Jamaica, returned to England in 1746.
He was now unsuccessful as a physician, to begin with; published the satires, "Advice" and "Reproof"—without any luck; and (1747) married the "beautiful and accomplished Miss Lascelles."
In 1748 he brought out his "Roderick Random," which at once made a "hit" The subsequent events of his life may be presented, chronologically, in a bird's-eye view:—
1750. Made a tour to Paris, where he chiefly wrote "Peregrine Pickle."
1751. Published "Peregrine Pickle."
1753. Published "Adventures of Ferdinand Count Fathom."
1755. Published version of "Don Quixote."
1756. Began the "Critical Review."
1758. Published his "History of England."
1763—1766. Travelling in France and Italy; published his "Travels."
1769. Published "Adventures of an Atom."
1770. Set out for Italy; died at Leghorn 21st of Oct., 1771, in the fifty-first year of his age.
