Continued Continuations of Complete Histories: Tobias Smollett and the Work of History

摘要

Tobias Smollett wrote one of the best-selling historical works of the eighteenth century: the Complete History of England and Continuation. This work has been both neglected and misunderstood. By exploring the idea of ‘continuation’ – both as a form of publication and a narrative technique – this article seeks to recover the kind of work in which Smollett saw himself as engaged. To do so, it considers some connections with David Hume’s History of England. It suggests that, unlike Hume, Smollett attempted to sustain a media event – one that was supported by his work as both critic and translator. It is this that should be understood as Smollett’s work of history.