ABSTRACT
Anthony Burgess likened Fielding's life to a play in four acts. The curtain rose on Act III of that crowded little drama in November 1739. Unaware of the long apprenticeship Fielding served as a political humorist in The Craftsman, the public may have found his metamorphosis from “Pasquin” to “Hercules Vinegar” surprising. Cooke's remarks square very well with what the people know of The Champion as it began publication in the winter of 1739-40. It was Cogan, in particular, who along with Nourse and Chandler assumed primary responsibility for the enterprise. The design and format of the paper were in several respects novel enough to elicit comment from its readers. Fielding had launched The Champion at a time when he was sinking deeper into debt. To complete the dismal scene, in November 1739 began the worst frost England had experienced in living memory.
