Description: In the development of English fiction Samuel Richardson stands pre-eminent among the earlier writers, chiefly because of his invention and establishment of the trend of the novel for many succeeding generations. There is no great amount of available material in connection with the early life of Richardson, but there is sufficient evidence to support the statement that he was somewhat of a precocious sentimentalist, or a dreamy romanticist, who was quite affectionate and sensitive throughout his life.