

                                Tobias Smollett

                       The Adventures of Roderick Random

                                    Preface

Of all kinds of satire, there is none so entertaining, and universally
improving, as that which is introduced, as it were, occasionally, in the course
of an interesting story, which brings every incident home to life; and by
representing familiar scenes in an uncommon and amusing point of view, invests
them with all the graces of novelty, while nature is appealed to in every
particular.
    The reader gratifies his curiosity, in pursuing the adventures of a person
in whose favour he is prepossessed; he espouses his cause, he sympathizes with
him in distress, his indignation is heated against the authors of his calamity;
the humane passions are inflamed; the contrast between dejected virtue, and
insulting vice, appears with greater aggravation, and every impression having a
double force on the imagination, the memory retains the circumstance, and the
heart improves by the example. The attention is not tired with a bare Catalogue
of characters, but agreeably diverted with all the variety of invention; and the
vicissitudes of life appear in their peculiar circumstances, opening an ample
field for wit and humour.
    Romance, no doubt, owes its origin to ignorance, vanity and superstition. In
the dark ages of the world, when a man had rendered himself famous for wisdom or
valour, his family and adherents availed themselves of his superior qualities,
magnified his virtues, and represented his character and person as sacred and
supernatural. The vulgar easily swallowed the bait, implored his protection, and
yielded the tribute of homage and praise even to adoration; his exploits were
handed down to posterity with a thousand exaggerations; they were repeated as
incitements to virtue; divine honours were paid, and altars erected to his
memory, for the encouragement of those who attempted to imitate his example; and
hence arose the heathen mythology, which is no other than a collection of
extravagant Romances. - As learning advanced, and genius received cultivation,
these stories were embellished with the graces of poetry, that they might the
better recommend themselves to the attention; they were sung in publick, at
festivals, for the instruction and delight of the audience; and rehearsed before
battle, as incentives to deeds of glory. Thus tragedy and the epic muse were
born, and, in the progress of taste, arrived at perfection. - It is no wonder,
that the ancients could not relish a fable in prose, after they had seen so many
remarkable events celebrated in verse, by their best poets; we therefore, find
no romance among them, during the æra of their excellence, unless the Cyropædia
of Zenophon may be
