The Adventures of Sir Launcelot Greaves

The Adventures of Sir Launcelot
Greaves
by Tobias Smollett

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Greaves
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Title: The Adventures of Sir Launcelot Greaves
Author: Tobias Smollett
Release Date: September 9, 2004 [EBook #6758]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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LAUNCELOT GREAVES ***

Produced by Tapio Riikonen and David Widger

THE ADVENTURES OF SIR LAUNCELOT GREAVES
by Tobias Smollett

With the Author's Preface, and an Introduction by G. H. Maynadier,
Ph.D. Department of English, Harvard University

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER I
In which certain Personages of this delightful History are introduced to
the Reader's Acquaintance II In which the Hero of these Adventures
makes his First Appearance on the Stage of Action III Which the
Reader, on perusal, may wish were Chapter the last IV In which it
appears that the Knight, when heartily set in for sleeping, was not
easily disturbed V In which this Recapitulation draws to a close VI In
which the Reader will perceive that in some Cases Madness is catching
VII In which the Knight resumes his Importance VIII Which is within a
hair's-breadth of proving highly interesting will interest the Curiosity of
the Reader IX Which may serve to show, that true Patriotism is of no
Party X Which showeth that he who plays at Bowls, will sometimes
meet with Rubbers XI Description of a modern Magistrate XII Which
shows there are more Ways to kill a Dog than Hanging XIII In which
our Knight is tantalised with a transient Glimpse of Felicity XIV Which
shows that a Man cannot always sip, when the Cup is at his Lip XV
Exhibiting an Interview, which, it is to be hoped, will interest the
Curiosity of the Reader XVI Which, it is to be hoped, the Reader will
find an agreeable Medley of Mirth and Madness, Sense and Absurdity
XVII Containing Adventures of Chivalry equally new and surprising
XVIII In which the Rays of Chivalry shine with renovated Lustre XIX
Containing the Achievements of the Knights of the Griffin and
Crescent XX In which our Hero descends into the Mansions of the
Damned XXI Containing further Anecdotes relating to the Children of
Wretchedness XXII In which Captain Crowe is sublimed into the
Regions of Astrology XXIII In which the Clouds that cover the
Catastrophe begin to disperse XXIV The Knot that puzzles human
Wisdom, the Hand of Fortune sometimes will untie familiar as her

Garter XXV Which, it is to be hoped, will be, on more accounts than
one, agreeable to the Reader

INTRODUCTION
It was on the great northern road from York to London, about the
beginning of the month of October, and the hour of eight in the evening,
that four travellers were, by a violent shower of rain, driven for shelter
into a little public-house on the side of the highway, distinguished by a
sign which was said to exhibit the figure of a black lion. The kitchen, in
which they assembled, was the only room for entertainment in the
house, paved with red bricks, remarkably clean, furnished with three or
four Windsor chairs, adorned with shining plates of pewter, and copper
saucepans, nicely scoured, that even dazzled the eyes of the beholder;
while a cheerful fire of sea-coal blazed in the chimney.
It would be hard to find a better beginning for a wholesome novel of
English life, than these first two sentences in The Adventures of Sir
Launcelot Greaves. They are full of comfort and promise. They
promise that we shall get rapidly into the story; and so we do. They
give us the hope, in which we are not to be disappointed, that we shall
see a good deal of those English inns which to this day are delightful in
reality, and which to generations of readers, have been delightful in
fancy. Truly, English fiction, without its inns, were as much poorer as
the English country, without these same hostelries, were less
comfortable. For few things in the world has the so-called
"Anglo-Saxon" race more reason to be grateful than for good old
English inns. Finally there is a third promise in these opening sentences
of Sir Launcelot Greaves. "The great northern road!" It was that over
which the youthful Smollett made his way to London in 1739; it was
that over which, less than nine years later, he sent us travelling in
company with Random and Strap and the queer people whom they met
on their way. And so there