The History of the Life of the Late Mr. Jonathan Wild the Great

General Fiction

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The History of the Life of the Late Mr. Jonathan Wild the Great

By Henry Fielding

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Length7h 36m

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This dark satire presents a mock-heroic biography of a notorious criminal, praising his villainy as a form of "greatness" comparable to political leaders. Fielding uses the life of a cold-blooded thief to expose the corruption and amoral ambition inherent in high society and government. Through sharp irony, the narrative argues that there is little difference between the "great" men of history and the common crook. It is a scathing and intellectually rigorous critique of power.

Satire Antihero Betrayal Psychological Crime Grief Redemption Historical Romance Identity

Audiobook details

GenreGeneral Fiction

Length7 hrs 36 mins

Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices

FormateBook with Audio

Publish dateFeb 24, 2026

LanguageEnglish

1BOOK I

32CHAPTER TWO — A SOLILOQUY OF HEARTFREE'S, FULL OF LOW AND BASE IDEAS, WITHOUT A SYLLABLE OF GREATNESS.

2CHAPTER ONE — SHEWING THE WHOLESOME USES DRAWN FROM RECORDING THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THOSE WONDERFUL PRODUCTIONS OF NATURE CALLED GREAT MEN.

33CHAPTER THREE — WHEREIN OUR HERO PROCEEDS IN THE ROAD TO GREATNESS.

3CHAPTER TWO — GIVING AN ACCOUNT OF AS MANY OF OUR HERO'S ANCESTORS AS CAN BE GATHERED OUT OF THE RUBBISH OF ANTIQUITY, WHICH HATH BEEN CAREFULLY SIFTED FOR THAT PURPOSE.

34CHAPTER FOUR — IN WHICH A YOUNG HERO, OF WONDERFUL GOOD PROMISE, MAKES HIS FIRST APPEARANCE, WITH MANY OTHER GREAT MATTERS.

4CHAPTER THREE — THE BIRTH, PARENTAGE, AND EDUCATION OF MR. JONATHAN WILD THE GREAT.: GLORIOUS BOOTY.

35CHAPTER FIVE — MORE AND MORE GREATNESS, UNPARALLELED IN HISTORY OR ROMANCE.

5CHAPTER FOUR — MR. WILD'S FIRST ENTRANCE INTO THE WORLD. HIS ACQUAINTANCE WITH COUNT LA RUSE.

36CHAPTER SIX — THE EVENT OF FIREBLOOD'S ADVENTURE; AND A THREAT OF MARRIAGE, WHICH MIGHT HAVE BEEN CONCLUDED EITHER AT SMITHFIELD OR ST. JAMES'S.

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6CHAPTER FIVE — A DIALOGUE BETWEEN YOUNG MASTER WILD AND COUNT LA RUSE, WHICH, HAVING EXTENDED TO THE REJOINDER, HAD A VERY QUIET, EASY, AND NATURAL CONCLUSION.

37CHAPTER SEVEN — MATTERS PRELIMINARY TO THE MARRIAGE BETWEEN MR. JONATHAN WILD AND THE CHASTE LAETITIA.

7CHAPTER SIX — FURTHER CONFERENCES BETWEEN THE COUNT AND MASTER WILD, WITH OTHER MATTERS OF THE GREAT KIND.

38CHAPTER EIGHT — A DIALOGUE MATRIMONIAL, WHICH PASSED BETWEEN JONATHAN WILD, ESQ., AND LAETITIA HIS WIFE, ON THE MORNING OF THE DAY FORTNIGHT ON WHICH HIS NUPTIALS WERE CELEBRATED; WHICH CONCLUDED MORE AMICABLY THAN THOSE DEBATES GENERALLY DO.

8CHAPTER SEVEN — MASTER WILD SETS OUT ON HIS TRAVELS, AND RETURNS HOME AGAIN. A VERY SHORT CHAPTER, CONTAINING INFINITELY MORE TIME AND LESS MATTER THAN ANY OTHER IN THE WHOLE STORY.

39CHAPTER NINE — OBSERVATIONS ON THE FOREGOING DIALOGUE, TOGETHER WITH A BASE DESIGN ON OUR HERO, WHICH MUST BE DETESTED BY EVERY LOVER OF GREATNESS.: OTHER OF A SMILE.

9CHAPTER EIGHT — AN ADVENTURE WHERE WILD, IN THE DIVISION OF THE BOOTY, EXHIBITS AN ASTONISHING INSTANCE OF GREATNESS.

40CHAPTER TEN — MR. WILD WITH UNPRECEDENTED GENEROSITY VISITS HIS FRIEND HEARTFREE, AND THE UNGRATEFUL RECEPTION HE MET WITH.

10CHAPTER NINE — WILD PAYS A VISIT TO MISS LETITIA SNAP. A DESCRIPTION OF THAT LOVELY YOUNG CREATURE, AND THE SUCCESSLESS ISSUE OF MR. WILD'S ADDRESSES.

41CHAPTER ELEVEN — A SCHEME SO DEEPLY LAID, THAT IT SHAMES ALL THE POLITICS OF THIS OUR AGE; WITH DIGRESSION AND SUBDIGRESSION.

11CHAPTER TEN — A DISCOVERY OF SOME MATTERS CONCERNING THE CHASTE LAETITIA WHICH MUST WONDERFULLY SURPRISE, AND PERHAPS AFFECT, OUR READER.

42CHAPTER TWELVE — NEW INSTANCES OF FRIENDLY'S FOLLY, ETC.

12CHAPTER ELEVEN — CONTAINING AS NOTABLE INSTANCES OF HUMAN GREATNESS AS ARE TO BE MET WITH IN ANCIENT OR MODERN HISTORY. CONCLUDING WITH SOME WHOLESOME HINTS TO THE GAY PART OF MANKIND.

43CHAPTER THIRTEEN — SOMETHING CONCERNING FIREBLOOD WHICH WILL SURPRIZE; AND SOMEWHAT TOUCHING ONE OF THE MISS SNAPS, WHICH WILL GREATLY CONCERN THE READER.

13CHAPTER TWELVE — OTHER PARTICULARS RELATING TO MISS TISHY, WHICH PERHAPS MAY NOT GREATLY SURPRISE AFTER THE FORMER. THE DESCRIPTION OF A VERY FINE GENTLEMAN. AND A DIALOGUE BETWEEN WILD AND THE COUNT, IN WHICH PUBLIC VIRTUE IS JUST HINTED AT, WITH, ETC.

44CHAPTER FOURTEEN — IN WHICH OUR HERO MAKES A SPEECH WELL WORTHY TO BE CELEBRATED; AND THE BEHAVIOUR OF ONE OF THE GANG, PERHAPS MORE UNNATURAL THAN ANY OTHER PART OF THIS HISTORY.

14CHAPTER THIRTEEN — A CHAPTER OF WHICH WE ARE EXTREMELY VAIN, AND WHICH INDEED WE LOOK ON AS OUR CHEF-D'OEUVRE; CONTAINING A WONDERFUL STORY CONCERNING THE DEVIL, AND AS NICE A SCENE OF HONOUR AS EVER HAPPENED.

45BOOK IV

15CHAPTER FOURTEEN — IN WHICH THE HISTORY OF GREATNESS IS CONTINUED.

46CHAPTER ONE — SENTIMENT OF THE ORDINARY'S, WORTHY TO BE WRITTEN IN LETTERS OF GOLD; A VERY EXTRAORDINARY INSTANCE OF FOLLY IN FRIENDLY, AND A DREADFUL ACCIDENT WHICH BEFEL OUR HERO.

16BOOK II

47CHAPTER TWO — A SHORT HINT CONCERNING POPULAR INGRATITUDE. MR. WILD'S ARRIVAL IN THE CASTLE, WITH OTHER OCCURRENCES TO BE FOUND IN NO OTHER HISTORY.

17CHAPTER ONE — CHARACTERS OF SILLY PEOPLE, WITH THE PROPER USES FOR WHICH SUCH ARE DESIGNED.

48CHAPTER THREE — CURIOUS ANECDOTES RELATING TO THE HISTORY OF NEWGATE.

18CHAPTER TWO — GREAT EXAMPLES OF GREATNESS IN WILD, SHEWN AS WELL BY HIS BEHAVIOUR TO BAGSHOT AS IN A SCHEME LAID, FIRST, TO IMPOSE ON HEARTFREE BY MEANS OF THE COUNT, AND THEN TO CHEAT THE COUNT OF THE BOOTY.

49CHAPTER FOUR — THE DEAD-WARRANT ARRIVES FOR HEARTFREE; ON WHICH OCCASION WILD BETRAYS SOME HUMAN WEAKNESS.

19CHAPTER THREE — CONTAINING SCENES OF SOFTNESS, LOVE, AND HONOUR ALL IN THE GREAT STILE.

50CHAPTER FIVE — CONTAINING VARIOUS MATTERS.

20CHAPTER FOUR — IN WHICH WILD, AFTER MANY FRUITLESS ENDEAVOURS TO DISCOVER HIS FRIEND, MORALISES ON HIS MISFORTUNE IN A SPEECH, WHICH MAY BE OF USE (IF RIGHTLY UNDERSTOOD) TO SOME OTHER CONSIDERABLE SPEECH- MAKERS.

51CHAPTER SIX — IN WHICH THE FOREGOING HAPPY INCIDENT IS ACCOUNTED FOR.

21CHAPTER FIVE — CONTAINING MANY SURPRISING ADVENTURES, WHICH OUR HERO, WITH GREAT GREATNESS, ACHIEVED.

52CHAPTER SEVEN — MRS. HEARTFREE RELATES HER ADVENTURES.

22CHAPTER SIX — OF HATS.

53CHAPTER EIGHT — IN WHICH MRS. HEARTFREE CONTINUES THE RELATION OF HER ADVENTURES.

23CHAPTER SEVEN — SHEWING THE CONSEQUENCE WHICH ATTENDED HEARTFREE'S ADVENTURES WITH WILD; ALL NATURAL AND COMMON ENOUGH TO LITTLE WRETCHES WHO DEAL WITH GREAT MEN; TOGETHER WITH SOME PRECEDENTS OF LETTERS, BEING THE DIFFERENT METHODS OF ANSWERING A DUN.

54CHAPTER NINE — CONTAINING INCIDENTS VERY SURPRIZING.

24CHAPTER EIGHT — IN WHICH OUR HERO CARRIES GREATNESS TO AN IMMODERATE HEIGHT.

55CHAPTER TEN — A HORRIBLE UPROAR IN THE GATE.

25CHAPTER NINE — MORE GREATNESS IN WILD. A LOW SCENE BETWEEN MRS. HEARTFREE AND HER CHILDREN, AND A SCHEME OF OUR HERO WORTHY THE HIGHEST ADMIRATION, AND EVEN ASTONISHMENT.

56CHAPTER ELEVEN — THE CONCLUSION OF MRS. HEARTFREE'S ADVENTURES.

26CHAPTER TEN — SEA-ADVENTURES VERY NEW AND SURPRISING.

57CHAPTER TWELVE — THE HISTORY RETURNS TO THE CONTEMPLATION OF GREATNESS.

27CHAPTER ELEVEN — THE GREAT AND WONDERFUL BEHAVIOUR OF OUR HERO IN THE BOAT.

58CHAPTER THIRTEEN — A DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE ORDINARY OF NEWGATE AND MR. JONATHAN WILD THE GREAT; IN WHICH THE SUBJECTS OF DEATH, IMMORTALITY, AND OTHER GRAVE MATTERS, ARE VERY LEARNEDLY HANDLED BY THE FORMER.

28CHAPTER TWELVE — THE STRANGE AND YET NATURAL ESCAPE OF OUR HERO.

59CHAPTER FOURTEEN — WILD PROCEEDS TO THE HIGHEST CONSUMMATION OF HUMAN GREATNESS.

29CHAPTER THIRTEEN — THE CONCLUSION OF THE BOAT ADVENTURE, AND THE END OF THE SECOND BOOK.

60CHAPTER FIFTEEN — THE CHARACTER OF OUR HERO, AND THE CONCLUSION OF THIS HISTORY.: THE END

30BOOK III

61IMPRINT | DISCLAIMER

31CHAPTER ONE — THE LOW AND PITIFUL BEHAVIOUR OF HEARTFREE; AND THE FOOLISH CONDUCT OF HIS APPRENTICE.