Henry Fielding has been much quoted and imitated, but for sound philosophy, piquancy of style and accuracy in portraying human nature in all its phases he has never been outshone by any of his pupils or successors. As one of the first proponents of the English novel he set a standard in prose, like Milton and Shakespeare in poetry, that has never been excelled, and rarely equalled, by moderns. Later writers have no more improved upon his style than modern poets have improved upon Shakespeare's.