Tobias Smollett
Tobias Smollett
#### A Scottish Author, Physician, and Traveler
Full Name and Common Aliases
Tobias George Smollett was a Scottish author, physician, and traveler who is widely recognized for his literary works. He often signed his name as "G.T.S." or "Smollet," which has led to some confusion among scholars regarding the correct spelling of his surname.
Birth and Death Dates
Born on March 19, 1721, in Dumbarton, Scotland, Smollett passed away on September 17, 1771, at the age of 50 in Livorno, Italy.
Nationality and Profession(s)
Smollett was a Scottish national, and his profession spanned multiple fields: author, physician, journalist, and translator. He is best known for his contributions to literature as an author of novels, plays, and poetry.
Early Life and Background
Growing up in Dumbarton, Smollett's early life was marked by economic difficulties due to the family's modest means. His father, James Smollett, was a shoemaker who struggled to provide for his children. Despite these challenges, Tobias demonstrated an early aptitude for writing and developed a passion for literature.
Smollett's education began at the University of Glasgow, where he studied medicine. He later moved to Edinburgh to pursue further studies in medicine, but his interests shifted towards literature. After completing his medical degree, Smollett became a licensed physician and practiced medicine in various locations throughout Scotland.
Major Accomplishments
During his lifetime, Smollett achieved several notable accomplishments that cemented his reputation as a talented author:
Novelist: He wrote numerous novels, including _The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle_ (1751), _The Expedition of Humphry Clinker_ (1771), and _Ferdinand Count Fathom_ (1753). These works showcased his ability to craft engaging narratives that often satirized the social norms of 18th-century England.
Playwright: Smollett wrote several plays, including a comedy called _The Regicide_, which premiered in London's Theatre Royal in 1760.
* Journalist and Translator: He worked as a journalist for various publications and translated numerous works from French into English.
Quotes by Tobias Smollett
I find that the old Roman baths of this quarter, were found covered by an old burying ground, belonging to the Abbey; through which, in all probability, the water drains in its passage; so that as we drink the decoction of the living bodies at the Pump-room, we swallow the strainings of rotten bones and carcasses at the private bath – I vow to God, the very idea turns my stomach!
As for the liberty of the press, like every other privilege, it must be restrained within certain bounds; for if it is carried to a breach of law, religion, and charity, it becomes one of the greatest evils that ever annoyed the community. If the lowest ruffian may stab your good-name with impunity in England, will you be so uncandid as to exclaim against Italy for the practice of common assassination? To what purpose is our property secured, if our moral character is left defenceless? People.
At every place where we halted, did she mount the stage, and flourished her rusty arms, without being able to make one conquest.
Every shot has its commission, d’ye see? We must all die at one time, as the saying is.
We have many obligations to this good lady, who is a kind neighbour, an obliging friend, and a most agreeable companion: she speaks English prettily, and is greatly attached to the people and the customs of our nation. They.
Writing is all a lottery – I have been a loser by the works of the greatest men of the age.
For the first time, Smollett adopted a device that Barbara Foley calls “pseudofactual imposture,” a strategy of presentation that we associate with the fictions of Behn, Defoe, and Richardson.
A novel is a large diffused picture, comprehending the characters of life, disposed in different groups, and exhibited in various attitudes, for the purposes of an uniform plan, and general occurrence, to which every individual figure is subservient. But this plan cannot be executed with propriety, probability, or success, without a principal personage to attract the attention, unite the incidents, unwind the clue of the labyrinth, and at last close the scene, by virtue of his own importance.
A man’s opinion of danger varies at different times, in consequence of an irregular tide of animal spirits; and he is actuated by considerations which he dares not avow.
