Originally published in 1974, this volume of The History of Pompey the Little includes a critical introduction and a biographical sketch of the author based on new material from unpublished documents, together with explanatory notes for the novel's many classical and contemporary allusions. Francis Coventry's The History of Pompey the Little was the talk of London in 1751; it continued to captivate readers throughout the century. Satirizing notable persons and events of its day, it startled the public by having as its 'hero' a Bologna lapdog, and created a new and popular form in English fiction - the 'spy'-novel with a non-human observer.

Excerpt from The History of Pompey the Little: Or, the Life and Adventures of a Lap-Dog PO M PE the Son of yulio and Phyllis, was born A. D. 1735 at ologna in I tat}, a Place famous fur Lap Dogs and Saufages. Bath his Parents were 0 the mofi illufirious Families, de fecude from a long Train of Aneefiors, 'who had figured in many Parts of Eu roge, and lived in' Intimacy with the Men of the Times. They had nted the Chambers of the proudefi Beauties, and had Acetla to the 00d of the greatefi Princes Cardinals, Kings, Popes, and Emperors were all happy in 'their Acquaintance; and I am told the elder Branch of the Family now lives with his prerent H'olinels in the papal Palace at Rome. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.