What 1749 Henry Fielding novel, often cited as a foundational English picaresque, follows the misadventures and romantic pursuits of a high-spirited foundling?

The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling

The novel ranges across high and low social classes, offering a broad comic portrait of 18th-century English life. Its conspicuous narrator repeatedly interrupts the story to address readers, serve as a moral guide, and comment on literature.