Excerpt from The History of the Adventures of Joseph Andrews, and His Friend Mr. Abraham Adams, Vol. 2 of 2: Written in Imitation of the Manner of Cervantes, Author of Don Quixote

A curious dialogue which pafl'ed' between Mr Abraham Adams and Mr. Peter Pounce, better worth reading than all the florist of Colley Cibber and many others.

In a reversal of roles, Fielding has Joseph resisting the lustful advances of his employer, Mrs Booby, who is the aunt of the Mr. Booby who endeavored artfully to seduce his servant, Pamela Andrews.

When Joseph is cast out by Mrs. Booby for rejecting her lustful propositions (the handsome man is also the object of carnal desire for Mrs. Booby's housekeeper, Mrs. Slipslop), he embarks on a set of hapless adventures with his friend Adams, the well-meaning but naive and trouble-prone parson.

The two are repeatedly left in dire circumstances, penniless and hungry, and at the mercy of others who are less often charitable than pernicious. The true object of Joseph Andrews' affections is Fanny Goodwill, a beautiful young lass who was also a servant in the Booby household. Andrews has occasion to rescue Fanny from a potential rape, and she joins Andrews and Adams on their travels, sharing a number of their perils and awkward situations. Fanny remains an object of lustful desire for almost every man they meet, but her chastity, which is keenly desired, remains safely intact.

Joseph and Fanny are determined to marry, but others contrive vigorously against that outcome. Adams is supportive, but is insistent that they follow the correct process, issuing the necessary banns three times before a licence can be issued.  At length, the origins and parentage of both Fanny and Joseph are brought into question, further putting at risk the legality of a potential marriage between them, but after a couple of clever plot twists, Fielding resolves matters to ensure a satisfying conclusion.

Henry Fielding was born in Somerset in 1707. The son of an army lieutenant and a judge's daughter, he was educated at Eton School and the University of Leiden before returning to England where he wrote a series of farces, operas and light comedies. Fielding formed his own company and was running the Little Theatre, Haymarket, when one of his satirical plays began to upset the government. The passing of the Theatrical Licensing Act in 1737 effectively ended Fielding's career as a playwright.

In 1739 Fielding turned to journalism and became editor of The Champion. He also began writing novels, including: The Adventures of Joseph Andrews (1742), Abraham Adams (1742) and Jonathan Wild (1743).