 Preface of Clarissa or the history of a young lady. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Clarissa or the history of a young lady by Samuel Richardson, comprehending the most important concerns of private life and particularly showing the distress that may attend the misconduct of both parents and children. Preface. The following history is given in a series of letters, written principally in a double yet separate correspondence. Between two young ladies of virtue and honour bearing an inviolable friendship for each other and writing not merely for amusement but upon the most interesting subjects in which every private family more or less may find itself concerned. And between two gentlemen of free lives, one of them glorying in his talents for strategy and invention and communicating to the other in confidence, all the secret purposes of an intriguing head and resolute heart. But here it will be proper to observe, for the sake of such as may apprehend hurt to the morals of youth, for the more free-written letters that the gentlemen, though professed libertines as the female sex, and making it one of their wicked maxims to keep no faith with any of the individuals of it who are thrown into their power, are not, however, either infidels or scoffers. Nor yet such as think themselves freed from the observance of those other moral duties which bind man to man. On the contrary, it will be found in the progress of the work that they very often make such reflections upon each other and each upon himself and his own actions as reasonable beings must make, who disbelieve not a future state of rewards and punishments, and who one day propose to reform. One of them actually reforming, and by that means giving an opportunity to censure the freedoms which fall from the gayer pen and light a heart of the other. And yet that other, although in embuzzing himself to a select friend, he discovers wickedness enough to entitle him to general detestation, preserves a decency, as well in his images as in his language, which is not always to be found in the works of some of the most celebrated, modern writers. Whose subject and characters have less warranted the liberties they have taken. In the letters of the two young ladies, it is presumed, will be found not only the highest exercise of a reasonable and practicable friendship between minds endowed with the noblest principles of virtue and religion, but occasionally interspersed such delicacy of sentiments, particularly with regard to the other sex, such instances of impartiality, each freely as a fundamental principle of their friendship, blaming, praising and setting right the other, as are strongly to be recommended to the younger part, more specially, of female readers. The principle of these two young ladies is proposed as an exemplar to her sex, nor is it any objection to her being so, that she is not in all respects a perfect character. It was not only natural, but it was necessary, that she should have some faults, where it only to show the reader how lordably she could distrust and blame herself, and carry to her own heart, divested of self partiality, the censure which arose from her own convictions, and that even to the acquittal of those, because revered characters, whom no one else would acquit, and whose much greater faults her errors were owing, and not to a weak or approachable heart. As far as it is consistent with human frailty, and as far as she could be perfect, considering the people she had to deal with, and those with whom she was inseparably connected, she is perfect. To have been impeccable, must have left nothing for the divine grace, and a purified state to do, and carried our ideal of her from woman to angel. As such, is she often esteemed by the man whose heart was so corrupt, that he could hardly believe human nature capable of the purity, which on every trial or temptation shone out of hers. Besides the four principal persons, several others are introduced whose letters are characteristic, and it is presumed that there will be found in some of them, but more especially in those of the chief characters among the men, and the second character among the women, such strokes of gherty, fancy and humour, as will entertain and divert, and at the same time both warm and instruct. All the letters are written, while the hearts of the writers must be supposed to be wholly engaged in their subjects, the event at the time generally dubious, so that they abound not only in critical situations, but with what may be called instantaneous descriptions and reflections, proper to be brought home to the breast of the youthful reader, as also with affecting conversations many of them written in the dialogue or dramatic way. Much more lively and affecting, says one of the principal character, must be the style of those who write in the height of a present distress, the mind tortured by the pangs of uncertainty, the events then hidden in the womb of fate, then the dry narrative, an animated style of a person relating difficulties and dangers surmounted can be. The relator perfectly at ease, and if himself are moved by his own story, not likely, greatly to affect the reader. What will be found to be more particularly aimed at in the following work, is to warn the inconsiderate and thoughtless of the one sex, against the base parts and designs of specious contrivers of the other, to caution parents against the undue exorcism of their natural authority over women in the great article of marriage, and to warn children against preferring a man of pleasure to a man of probity, upon that dangerous but too commonly received notion that a reformed rake makes the best husband. But above all, to investigate the highest and most important doctrines, not only of morality, but of Christianity, by showing them thrown into action in the conduct of the worthy characters, while the unworthy, who set the doctrines at defiance, are condimally, and as may be said, consequently punished. From what has been said, considerate readers will not enter upon the perusal of the piece before them, as if were designed only to divert and amuse. It will probably be thought tedious to all, such as dip into it, expecting a light novel or transitory romance, and look upon story in it, interesting as that is generally allowed to be, as its sole end, rather than as a vehicle to the instruction. Different persons, as might be expected, have been of different opinions in respect to the conduct of the heroine in particular situations, and several worthy persons have objected the general catastrophe and other parts of the history. Whatever is thought, material of thee shall be taken notice of by way of postscript, at the conclusion of the history. For this work being addressed to the public as a history of life and manners, those parts of it which are proposed to carry with them the force of an example, ought to be as unobjectionable as is consistent with the design of the whole, and with human nature. Names of the principal persons. Miss Clarissa Harlow, a young lady of great beauty and merit. Robert Lovelace Esquire, her admirer. James Harlow Esquire, father of Clarissa. Mrs Harlow, his lady. James Harlow, their only son. Arabella, their elder daughter. John Harlow Esquire, elder brother of James Harlow Sr. Anthony Harlow, third brother. Roger Somes Esquire, an admirer of Clarissa, favoured by her friends. Mrs Harvey, half-sister of Mrs Harlow. Miss Dolly Harvey, her daughter. Mrs Judith Norton, a woman of great piety and discretion who had a principal share in the education of Clarissa. Colonel William Morden, a near-relation of the Harlow's. Miss Howe, the most intimate friend, companion and correspondent of Clarissa. Mrs Howe, her mother. Charles Hickman Esquire, an admirer of Miss Howe. Lord M, uncle to Mr Lovelace. Lady Sarah Sadelier, Lady Betty Lawrence. Half-sisters of Lord M. Miss Charlotte Montague, Miss Patty Montague, nieces of the same nobleman. Dr Lewin, a worthy divine. Mr Elias Brand, a pedantic young clergyman. Dr H, a humane physician. Mr Goddard, an honest and skillful apothecary. John Belford Esquire, Mr Lovelace's principal, intimate and confidant. Richard Moebrie, Thomas Doleman, James Turville, Thomas Belton Esquire's. Libertine friends of Mr Lovelace. Mrs Moe, a widow keeping a lodging-house at Hampstead. Miss Rawlins, a notable young gentleman there. Mrs Bevis, a lively young widow of the same place. Mrs Sinclair, the pretended name of a private brothelkeeper in London. Captain Tomlinson, the assumed name of a vile panda to the debaucheries of Mr Lovelace. Sally Morton, Polly Horton. Assistants of and partners to the infamous Sinclair. Dorcas Wikes, an artful servant of the vile house. End of preface. Letter 1 of Clarissa or the history of a young lady. This is a LibraVox recording. All LibraVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibraVox.org. Recording by Bob Gillum, Betis Bledrews, Lampeder, Wales. Clarissa or the history of a young lady. By Samuel Richardson. Letter 1. Miss Anna Howe, to Miss Clarissa Harlow, January 10th. I am extremely concerned, my dearest friend, for the disturbance that have happened in your family. I know how it must hurt you to become the subject of the public talk, and yet upon occasion, so generally known, it is impossible, but that whatever relates to a young lady whose distinguished merits have made her the public care, should engage everybody's attention. I long to have the particulars from yourself, and of the usage I am told you receive upon an accident you could not help, and in which, as far as I can learn, the sufferer was the aggressor. Mr. Diggs, the surgeon for whom I sent the first hearing of the recounter to inquire for your sake how your brother was, told me that there was no danger from the wound, if there were none from the fever, which it seems has been increased by the perpetation of his spirits. Mr. Wiley drank tea with us yesterday, and though it is far from being partial to Mr. Lovelace, as it may well be supposed, yet both he and Mr. Sims blame your family for the treatment they gave him when he went in person to inquire after your brother's health, and to express his concern for what had happened. They say that Mr. Lovelace could not avoid drawing his sword, and that either your brother's unskillfulness or passion left him from the very first pass entirely in his power. This, I am told, was what Mr. Lovelace said upon it, retreating as he spoke. Have a care, Mr. Harlow. Your violence puts you out of your defence. You give me too much advantage. For your sister's sake, I will pass by everything if. But this, the more provoked his rashness to lay himself open to the advantage of his adversary, who, after a slight wound given him in the arm, took away his sword. There are people who love not your brother, because of his natural imperiousness and fierce and uncontrollable temper. These say that the young gentleman's passion was abated on seeing his blood gush plentifully down his arm, and that he received the generous offices of his adversary, who helped him off with his coat and waistcoat, and bound up his arm till the surgeon could come, where such patience, as it may seem, was the only thing he could do. He had to give up his arm till the surgeon could come, where such patience, as was far from making a visit afterwards from that adversary to inquire after his health, either appear insulting or improper. Be this as it may. Everybody pities you. So steady, so uniform in your conduct, so desirous, as you always said, of sliding through life to the end of it unnoticed, and, as I may add, not wishing to be observed even for your silent benevolence, sufficiently happy in the noble consciousness which attends it, rather useful than glaring your deserved motto, though now to your regret pushed into blaze, as I may say, yet blamed at home for the faults of others. How must such a virtue suffer on every hand? Yet it must be allowed that your present trial is but proportioned to your prudence. As all your friends, without doors, are apprehensive that some other unhappy event may result from so violent a contention, in which it seems the family of both sides are now engaged. I must desire you to enable me on the authority of your information to do you occasional justice. My mother, and all of us like the rest of the world, talk of nobody but you on this occasion, and of the consequences which may follow from the resentments of a man of Mr. Lovelace's spirit, who, as he gives out, has been treated with high indignity by your uncles. My mother will have it, that you cannot now with either any decency either see him or correspond with him. Here's a great deal prepossessed by your uncle Anthony, who occasionally accords upon us, as you know, and, on this recounter, has represented to her the crime which it would be in a sister, to encourage a man who is to wade into her favour, this was his expression, through the blood of a brother. Right to me, therefore, my dear, the whole of your story from the time that Mr. Lovelace was first introduced into your family, and particularly the account of all that pass between him and your sister, about which there are different reports some people, scrupling, not to insinuate that the younger sister has stolen a lover from the elder and pray right in so full a manner as may satisfy those who know not so much of your affairs as I do. If anything unhappy should fall out from the violence of such spirits as you have to deal with, your account of all things previous to it will be your best justification. You see what you call upon yourself by excelling all your sex. Every individual of it who knows you or has heard of you seems to think you answerable to her for your conduct in points so very delicate and concerning. Every eye, in short, is upon you with the expectation of an example. I wish to heaven you were at liberty to pursue your own methods. All would then, I dare say, be easy and honourably ended. But I dread your directors and directresses for your mother, Anna, be well qualified as she is, to lead must submit to be led. Your sister and brother will certainly put you out of your course. But this is a point you will not permit me to expiation upon. Pardon me, therefore, and I have done. Yet why should I say, pardon me, when your concerns are my concerns, when your honour is my honour, when I love you as never woman loved another, and when you have allowed of that concern and of that love and have for years which in persons so young may be called many, ranked in the first class of your friends, yours ever and affectionate, Anna Howe. Will you prides me with a copy of the preamble to the clauses in your grandfather's will in your favour, and allow me to send it to your aunt Harman. She is very desirous to see it. Yet your character has so charmed her that though a stranger to your personally, she ascends to the preference given to you in that will before she knows that Testota's reason for giving you that preference. End of letter one. Letter two of Clarissa volume one. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Ben Dutton, Lampeter, Wales. Clarissa Harlow or the History of a Young Lady volume one by Samuel Richardson. Letter two. Miss Clarissa Harlow to Miss Howe. Harlow Place, January the 13th. How you oppress me, my dearest friend, with your politeness. I cannot doubt your sincerity, but you should take care that you give me not reason from your kind partiality to call in question your judgment. You do not distinguish that I take many admirable hints from you and have the art to pass them upon you for my own. For in all you do, in all you say, nay, in your very looks so animated, you give lessons to one who loves you and observes you as I love you and observe you without knowing that you do. So pray, my dear, be more sparing of your prayers for the future, lest after this confession we should suspect that you secretly intend to praise yourself while you would be thought only to command another. Our family has indeed been strangely discomposed. Discomposed. It has been in tummels ever since the unhappy transaction and I have borne all the blame. Yet should have had too much concern for myself had I been more justly spared by everyone else. For whether it be owing to a faulty impatience, having been too indulgently treated to be inured to blame or to the regret I have to hear those censured on my account whom it is my duty to vindicate, I have sometimes wished that it had pleased God to have taken me in on my last fever when I had everybody's love and good opinion. But, oftener, that I have never been distinguished by my grandfather as I was, since that distinction has estranged from me, my brothers and sisters' affections, at least has raised a jealousy with regard to the apprehended favour of my two uncles that now and then overshadows their love. My brother, being happily recovered of his fever and his wound in a hopeful way, although he has not yet ventured abroad, I will be as particular as you desire in the little history you demand of me. But heaven forbid that anything should ever happen which may require it to be reproduced for the purpose you mention. I will begin, as you command, with Mr. Lovelace's address to my sister and be as brief as possible. I will recite facts only and leave you to judge of the truth of the report raised that the younger sister has robbed the elder. It was in pursuance of a conference between Lord M. and my uncle Anthony that Mr. Lovelace, my father and mother not forbidding, paid his respect to my sister Arabella. My brother was then in Scotland busying himself in view the condition of the considerable estate which was left him there by his generous godmother, together with one and a considerable in Yorkshire. I was also absent at my dairy house, as it is called, busied in the accounts relating to the estate which my grandfather had the goodness to devise to me and which once a year was left to my inspection, although I have given the whole into my father's power. My sister made me a visit there the day after Mr. Lovelace had been introduced and seemed highly pleased with the gentleman. His birth, his fortune in possession, a clear 2000 a year, as Lord M. had assured my uncle, presumptive heir to that nobleman's largest estate. His great expectations from Lady Sarah Saddler and Lady Betty Lawrence who with his uncle interested themselves very warmly, he being the last of his line to see him married. So handsome a man, oh her beloved Clary, for then she was ready to bowing of a good humour on his account. He was but too handsome a man for her, where she but as amiable as somebody there would be a probability of holding his affections. For he was wild, she heard, very wild, very gay, loved intrigue. But he was young, a man of sense, would see his error. Could she but have the patience with his faults if his faults were not cured by marriage? Thus she ran on and then wanted me to see the charming man as she called him, again concerned that she was not handsome enough for him with a sad thing that the man should have the advantage of the woman in that particular. But then, stepping to the glass, she complimented herself that she was very well, that there were many women deemed passable who were inferior to herself, that she was always thought comely and comeliness, let her tell me, having not so much to lose as beauty had, would hold when that would evaporate or fly off, nay, for that matter. And again she turned to the glass. Her features were not irregular, her eyes not at all amiss, and I remember they were more than usually brilliant at that time. Nothing in short to be found fault with, though nothing very engaged and she doubted, was there, Clary. Excuse me, my dear, I was never thus particular before. No, not to you, nor would I now have written thus freely of a sister, but that she makes a merit to my brother of disowning that she ever liked him. As I shall mention hereafter, and then you will always have to give me your minute descriptions, and the token that had been to be taken notice of, rightly observing that Aaron Manor often expressed more than the accompanying words. I congratulated her upon her prospects. She received my compliments with a great deal of self complacency. She liked the gentleman still more at his next visit and yet he made no particular address to her, although an opportunity was given him for it. This was wondered at and my uncle has introduced him into our family declaredly as a visitor to my sister. But as we are ever ready to make excuses when in good humour with ourselves for the perhaps not unwillful slights of those who are probation we wish to engage, so my sister found out a reason much to Mr. Lovelace's advantage for his not improving the opportunity that was given him. It was bashfulness, truly in him. Bashfulness in Mr. Lovelace, my dear. Indeed, gay and lively as he is, he is not the look of an impudent man. But I fancy it is many, many years ago since he was bashful. Thus, however, could my sister make it out. Upon her word she believed Mr. Lovelace deserved not the bad character he had as to women. He was really, to her thinking, a modest man. He would have spoken out, she believed. But once or twice, as he seemed to intend to do so, he was under so agreeable a confusion. Such a profound respect he seemed to show her. A perfect reverence, she thought. She loved dearly that a man in courtship should show a reverence to his mistress. So indeed we all do, I believe. And with reason, since if I may judge from what I have seen in many families, there is little enough of it shown afterwards. And she told my Aunt Harvey that she would be a little less upon the reserve next time he came. She was not one of those flirts, not she, who would give pain to a person that deserved to be well treated and the more pain for the greatness of his value for her. I wish she had not somebody whom I love in her eye. In his third visit, Bella governed herself by this kind and considerate principle, so that, according to her own account of the matter, the man might have spoken out. But he was still bashful. He was not able to overcome his unreasonable reverence. So this visit went off as the former. But now she began to be dissatisfied with him. She compared his general character with his particular behavior to her. And having never been courted before, she owned herself puzzled how to deal with so odd a lover. What did the man mean? She wondered. Had not her uncle bought him declaredly as a suitor to her? It could not be bashfulness. Now she thought of it, since he might have opened his mind to her uncle if he wanted courage to speak directly to her. Not that she cared much for the man, either. But it was right, surely, that a woman should be put out of doubt as to a man's intentions in such a case as this from his own mouth. But truly she had begun to think that he was more solicitous to cultivate her mamma's good opinion than hers. Everybody she owned admired her mother's conversation. But he was mistaken if he thought respect to her mother only would do it with her. And then, for his own sake, surely he should put it into her power to be as complaisant to him if he gave her reason to approve of him. This distant behaviour she must take upon herself to say was the more extraordinary as he continued his visits and declared himself extremely desirous to cultivate a friendship with the whole family. And as he could have no doubt about her sense if she might take upon her to join her own with the general opinion he, having taken great notice of and admired so many of her good things as they fell from her lips, reserves were painful. She must need say to open and free spirits like hers. And yet she must tell my aunt to whom all of this was directed that she should never forget what she owed to her sex and to herself where Mr. Lovelace as unexceptionable in his morals as in his figure and were to he urge his suit ever so warmly. I was still absent and it was agreed upon between my aunt Harvey and her that she was to be quite solemn and shy in his next visit if there were not a peculiarity in his address to her. But my sister, it seems has not considered the matter well. This was not the way as it proved to be taken for matters of mere remission with a man of Mr. Lovelace's penetration nor with any man of love has not taken root deep enough to cause it to shoot out in declaration if an opportunity to be fairly given of it there is little room to expect that the blighting winds of anger or resentment will bring it forward. Then my poor sister is not naturally good-humoured. This is too well known a truth for me to endeavour to conceal it especially from you. She must therefore, I doubt have appeared to great disadvantages when she aimed to be worse tempered than ordinary. How they managed it in their next conversation, I know not. One would be tempted to think by the issue that Mr. Lovelace was ungenerous enough to seek the occasion given and to improve it yet he thought fit to put the question too. But, she says, it will not till by some means or other. She knew not how. He had wrought her upon such a pitch of displeasure with him that it was impossible for her to recover herself at the instant. Nevertheless, he re-erged his question as expecting a definitive answer without waiting for the return of her temper or endeavouring to mollify her so that she was under a necessity of persisting in her denial yet gave him reason to think she did not dislike his address only the manner of it is caught being rather made by his mother than to herself as if he was sure of a consent at any time. A good, encouraging denial I must own as was the rest of her plea to wit, a disinclination to change her state exceedingly happy as she was she could never be happier and such like consenting negatives as I may call them and not intend a reflection upon my sister for what can any young creature in the like circumstances say when she is not sure but a too ready consent may subject her to the slights of a sex that generally values a blessing either more or less as it is obtained with difficulty or ease. Miss Bedolff's answer to a copy of verse from a gentleman reproaching our sex as acting in disguise is not a bad one although you may perhaps think it to acknowledging for the female character ungenerous sex to scorn us if we're kind and yet abraders if we seem severe do you the encouragers to tell our mind yourselves put off disguise and be sincere you talk of cockatry your own false hearts compel our sex to act disembling parts here I am obliged to lay down my pen I will soon resume it end of letter two letter three of Clarissa volume one this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Ben Dutton Lampeter Wales Clarissa Hock or the History of a Young Lady volume one by Samuel Richardson letter three Miss Clarissa Harlow to Miss Howe January the 13th and 14th and thus as Mr. Lovelace thought fit to take it had he his answer from my sister it is with very great regret as he pretended I doubt the man is a hypocrite my dear that he acquiesced in it so much determinous such a noble firmness in my sister that there was no hope of prevailing upon her to alter sentiments she had adopted on full consideration he sighed as Bella told us when he took his leave of her profoundly sighed grasped her hand and kissed it with such an ardour withdrew from such an air of solemn respect she could almost find it in her heart although he had vexed her to pity him it was a good intentional preparative to love this pity since at the time she little thought that he would not renew his offer he waited on my mother after he had taken leave of Bella and reported his ill success in so respectful a manner as well as with regard to my sister as to the whole family and with so much concern that he was not accepted as a relation to it that it left upon them all my brother being then as I have said in Scotland I believe that this matter would certainly be brought on again but Mr Lovelace going up directly to town where he stayed a whole fortnight and meeting there with my uncle Anthony to whom he regretted his niece's cruel resolution not to change her state it was seen that there was a total end of the affair my sister was not wanting to herself on this occasion she made a virtue of necessity and the man was quite another man with her a vain creature knowing his advantages yet those not what she had conceived them to be cool and warm by fits and starts an agu like lover a steady man a man of virtue a man of morals was worth a thousand of such gay flutterers her sister Clarie might think it worth her while perhaps to try and engage such a man she had patience she was a mistress of persuasion and indeed to do the girl justice had something of a person but as for her she would not have a man whose heart she could not be sure for one moment no not for the world and most sincerely glad was she that she had rejected him but when Mr Lovelace returned into the country he thought fit to visit my father and mother hoping as he told them that however unhappy he had been in the rejection of the wish for alliance he might be allowed to keep up an acquaintance and friendship with a family which he should always respect and then unhappily as I may say was I at home and present it was immediately observed that his affection was fixed on me my sister as soon as he was gone in a spirit of bravery seemed desirous to promote his address should it be tendered my aunt Harvey was there and was pleased to say we should make the finest couple in England no indeed with a haughty toss was my sister's reply it would be strange if she had after the denial she had given him upon full deliberation my mother declared that her only dislike of his alliance with either daughter was on account of his reputed faulty morals my uncle Harlow that his daughter Clary as he delighted to call me from childhood would reform him if any woman in the world could my uncle Anthony in high terms but referred as my aunt had done to my sister she repeated her contempt of him and declared that were there no other man in England she would not have him she was ready on the contrary she could assure them to resign her pretensions under hand and seal if Miss Clary were taken with his tinsel and if everyone else were proved of his address to the girl my father indeed after a long silence being urged by my uncle Anthony to speak his mind said that he had had a letter from his son on his hearing of Mr. Lovelace's visit to his daughter Arabella which he had not shown to anybody but my mother that treaty being at an end when he received it that in this letter he expressed great dislike to an alliance with Mr. Lovelace on the score of his immoralities that he knew indeed there was an old grudge between them but that being desirous of the occasions in this union and animosity in his family he would suspend the declaration of his own mind till his son arrived until he had heard his further objections that he was the more inclined to make his son the compliment as Mr. Lovelace's general character gave but too much ground for his son's dislike of him adding that he had to hear so he supposed had everyone that he was a very extravagant man that he collected debts in his travels and indeed he was pleased to say he had the heir of a spendthrift these particulars I had partly from my aunt Harvey and partly from my sister for I was called out as soon as the subject was entered upon when I returned my uncle Anthony asked me how I should like Mr. Lovelace everybody saw he was pleased to say that I had made a conquest that I did not like him at all he seemed to have too good an opinion both on his person and parts to have any regard to his wife let him marry whom he would my sister particularly was pleased with this answer and confirmed it to be just with a compliment to my judgement for it was hers but the very next day Lord Aime came to Harlow Place I was then absent and his nephew's name made a proposal in form declaring to be related to ours and he hoped his kinsmen would not have such an answer on the part of the younger sister as he had on that of the older in short Mr. Lovelace's visits were admitted as those of a man who had not deserved disrespect from our family but as to his address to me with a reservation as above on my father's part that he would determine nothing without his son my discretion as to the rest all I had the same objections as to the man nor would I when we were better acquainted hear anything but general talk from him giving him no opportunity of conversing with me in private he bore this with a resignation little expected from his natural temper which is generally reported to be quick and hasty unused it seems from childhood to check or control a case too common in considerable families where there is an only son and his mother never had any other child but as I have here to foretold you I could perceive not withstanding this resignation that he had so good an opinion of himself as not to doubt that his person and accomplishments would insensibly engage me and could that be once done he told my Aunt Harvey he should hope from so steady a temper that his hold in my affections would be durable while my sister accounted in another manner which would perhaps have had more force if he had come from a person less prejudiced that the man was not fond of marrying at all that he might perhaps have half a score mistresses and that delay might be as convenient for his roving as for my well acted indifference that was her kind expression whatever was his motive for a patient so generally believed to be out of his usual character and where the object of his address was supposed to be of fortune considerable enough to engage his warmest attention he certainly escaped many mortifications by it for while my father suspended his approbation till my brother's arrival Mr. Lovelace received from every one of these civilities which were due to his birth and although he heard from time to time reports to his disadvantage with regard to morals yet could we not question him upon them without giving him greater advantages in his own opinion than the situation he was in with us would justify to prudence since it was much more likely that his address would not be allowed of than that it would and thus was he admitted to converse with our family almost upon his own terms for while my friends saw nothing in his behaviour but what was extremely respectful and observed in him no violent importunity they seemed to have taken a great liking to his conversation while I considered him only as a common guest when he came and thought myself to no more concerned in his visits not at his entrance and departure than any other of the family but this indifference on my side was the means of procuring him one very great advantage since upon it was grounded to the correspondence by letters which exceeded and which had it been to begun when the family animosity broke out would never have been entered into on my part the occasion was thus my uncle Harvey has a young gentleman entrusted to his care whom he has thoughts of sending abroad a year or two hence to make the grand tour as it is called and finding Mr Lovelace could give a good account of everything necessary for a young traveller to observe upon such an occasion he desired him to write down a description of the courts and countries he had visited and what was most worthy of curiosity in them he consented on condition that I would direct his subjects as he called it and as everyone has heard his manner of writing commended and thought his narratives might be agreeable amusements in winter evenings and that he could have no opportunity particularly to address me directly in them since they were to be read in full assembly before they were given to the young gentleman I made the less scruple to write and to make observations and put questions out for our further information still the less perhaps as I love writing and those who do are fond you know of occasions to use the pen and then having everyone's consent and my uncle Harvey's desire that I would write I thought that if I had been the only scruple this person it would have shown a peculiarity that a vain man might construe to his advantage and which my sister would not fail to amnivert upon you have seen some of these letters and have been pleased with this account of persons, places and things and we have both agreed that he was no common observer upon what he had seen my sister allowed that the man had a tolerable knack of writing and describing and my father who had not been abroad in his youth said that his remarks were courious and showed him to be a person of reading judgment and taste thus was a kind of correspondence begun between him and me with general approbation while everyone wondered that and was pleased with his patient veneration of me for so they called it however it was not doubted but he would soon be more impotuitant since his visits were more frequent and he acknowledged to my aunt Harvey a passion for me accompanied with an awe that he had never known before to which he attributed his but seeming acquiescence with my father's pleasure and the distance I kept him at and yet my dear this may be his usual manner of behaviour to our sex for had not my sister at first all his reverence meantime my father expecting his importunity kept in readiness the reports he had heard in his disfavour to charge them upon him then and so many objections to his address and it was highly agreeable to me so it would have been strange if it were not since the person who could reject Mr. Wiley's address for the sake of his free opinions must have been inexcusable had she not rejected another for his free of practices but I should own that in the letters he sent me upon the general subject he more than once enclosed a particular one declaring his passionate regards for me and complaining with further enough of his reserves but of these I took not the least notice for as I had not written to him at all but upon a subject so general I thought it was but right to let what he wrote upon one so particular pass off as if I had never seen it and the rather as I was not then at liberty from the approbation his letters met with to break off the correspondence unless I had assigned the true reason for doing so besides with all his respectful assiduities it was easy to observe if it had not been his general character that his temper is naturally haughty and violent and I had seen too much of that intractable spirit in my brother to like it in one who hoped still more to be nearly related to me I had a little specimen of this temper of his upon the very occasion I have mentioned for after he had sent me a third particular letter with the general one he asked me the next time he came if I had not received such a one from him I told him I should never answer one so sent and that I had waited for such an occasion as he had now given me to tell him so I desired him therefore not to write again on the subject assuring him that if he did I would return both and never write another line to him you can't imagine how sorely the man looked as if ensured he was disappointed that he had not made a more sensible impression upon me he recollected himself as he did immediately what a visible struggle it cost him to change his haughty heirs for more placid ones but I took no notice of either for I thought it best to convince him by the coolness and indifference with which I repulsed his forward hopes at the same time intending to avoid the affection of pride or vanity that he was not considerable enough in my eyes to make me take over ready offence at what he said or at his haughty looks in other words that I had not value enough for him to treat him with peculiarity either by smiles or frowns indeed he had a cunning enough to give me and designedly a piece of instruction which taught me this caution for he had said in conversation once that if a man could not make a woman in courtship own herself pleased with him it was as much and oftentimes more to his purpose to make her angry with him I must break off here but will continue to subject the very first opportunity meantime I am your most affectionate friend and servant Clarissa Harlow end of letter three letter four of Clarissa volume one this is a Libravox recording all Libravox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit Libravox.org recording by Ben Dutton Lampita Wales Clarissa Harlow or the history of a young lady volume one by Samuel Richardson letter four Miss Clarissa Harlow to Miss Howe January the 15th such my dear was the situation when Mr. Lovelace and I were in when my brother arrived from Scotland the moment Mr. Lovelace's visits were mentioned to him he without either hesitation or apology expressed his disapprobation of them he found great flaws in his character and took the liberty to say in so many words that he wondered how it came into the heads of his uncles to encourage such a man at the same time returning his thanks to my father for declining his consent till he arrived in such a manner I thought as a superior would do when he commended an inferior for having well performed his duty in his absence he justified his avowed in veteracy by common fame and by what he had known of him at college declaring that he had ever hated him ever should hate him and would never own him for a brother or me for a sister if I married him that early antipathy I have heard encountered for in this manner Mr. Lovelace was always noted for his vivacity and courage and no less it seems for the swift and surprising progress he made in all parts of literature for diligence in his studies in the hours of studies he had hardly his equal as a character at the university and it gained him many friends among the more learned while those who did not love him feared him by reason of the offences of vassity made him too ready to give and of the courage he showed in supporting the offence when given which procured him as many followers as he pleased amongst the mischievous sort no very amiable character you'll say upon the whole his native haughtiness could not bear a superiority so visible and whom we fear more than love we are not far from hating and having less command of his passions than the other he was ever more the subject of his perhaps indecent ridicule so that everybody either from love or fear siding with his antagonist he had a most uneasy time of it while both continued in the same college it was the less wonder therefore that a young man who is not noted for his gentleness of his temper should resume an antipathy early begun and so deeply rooted he found my sister who waited but for the occasion ready to join him in his resentment against the man he hated she utterly disclaimed all manner of regard for him never liked him at all his estate was certainly much encumbered it was impossible it should be otherwise so entirely devoted as he was to his pleasures he kept no house had no equipage nobody pretended that he wanted pride the reason therefore was easy to be guessed at and then did she boast of and my brother praised her for refusing him and both joined on all occasions to depreciate him and not seldom made the occasions the displeasure against him causing every subject to run into this if it not began with it I was not solicitous to vindicate him when I was not joined in their reflection I told them I did not value him enough to make a difference in the family on his account and as he was supposed to have given much cause for the ill opinion of him I thought he ought to take the consequence of his own faults now and then indeed when I observed that the vermin beyond all bounds of probability in their charges against him I thought but it just is to put in a word for him but this only subjected me to reproach as having a prepossession in his favour which I would not own so that when I could not change the subject I used to retire either to my music or to my closet their behaviour to him when they could not help seeing him was very cold and disobliging but is yet not directly affrontive for they were in hopes of prevailing upon my father to forbid his visits but as there was nothing in his behaviour that might warrant such a treatment of a man of his birth and fortune they succeeded not and then they were very earnest with me to forbid them I asked what authority I had to take such a step in my father's house and when my behaviour to him was so distant that he seemed to be as much the guest of any other person of the family themselves expected as it mine in revenge they told me that it was cunning management between us and that we both understood one another better than we pretended to and at last they gave such a loose to their passions all of a sudden as I may say that instead of withdrawing as they used to do when he came they threw themselves in his way purposely to affront him Mr. Lovelace you may believe very ill brooked this but nevertheless contented himself to complain of it to me in high terms however telling me that for my sake my brother's treatment of him was not to be born I was sorry for the merit this gave him in his own opinion with me and the more as some of the affronts he received were too flagrant to be excused but I told him that I was determined not to fall out with my brother if I could help it whatever faults he had and since they could not see one another with temper should be glad that he would not throw himself for sure my brother would not seek him he was very much meddled in this answer but said he must bear his affronts if I would have it so he had been accused himself of violence in his temper but he hoped to show on this occasion that he had a command of his passions which few young men so highly provoked would be able to show and doubted not but it would be attributed to the proper motive by a person of my generosity and penetration my brother had just before with the approbation of my uncles employed a person related to discharged bailiff or steward of Lord M who had the management of some part of Mr. Lovelace's affairs from which he was also dismissed by him to inquire into his debts after his companions into his amours and the like and Harvey in confidence gave me the following particulars of what the man had said of him that he was a generous landlord that he spared nothing for solid and lasting improvements upon his estate and that he looked into his own affairs and understood them that he had been very expensive when abroad and contracted a large debt for he made no secret of his affairs to limit himself to an annual sum and to decline a quipage in order to avoid being obliged to his uncle and aunts from whom he might have what money he pleased but that he was very jealous of their control had often quarrels with them and treated them so freely that they were all afraid of him however that his estate was never mortgaged as my brother had heard it was his credit was always high and the man believed he was by this time near upon if not quite clear of the world he was a sad gentleman he said as to women if his tenants had pretty daughters they chose to keep them out of his sight he believed he kept no particular mistress for he had had that that was the man's word was everything with him but for his uncles and aunts teesings the man fancied he would not think of marriage he was never known to be disguised with liquor but was a great plotter and a great writer that he lived a wild life in town by what he had heard had six or seven companions who had as himself whom now and then he brought down with him and the country was always glad when they went up again he would have it that although passionate he was good human loved as well to take a jest as to give one and would rally himself upon occasion the freest of any man he ever knew so this was his character from an enemy thought as my aunt observed me with a must need say to do him justice etc while the contrary was delivered with a free good will and this character as a worse was expected that this was bad enough not answering the end of inquiring after it my brother and sister were more apprehensive than before that his address would be encouraged since the worst part of it was known when he was first introduced to my sister but with regard to myself I must observe in his disfavor that notwithstanding the merit he wanted to make with me for his patience upon my brother's ill treatment of him I owed him no compliments for trying to conciliate with him not that I believe it would have signified anything if he made ever such court either to him or to my sister or to the lightness and from his pretensions you know that he would have been willing to try instead of which he showed such contempt both of my brother and my sister especially my brother as he was construed into a defiance of them and for me to have hinted at an alteration in his behavior to my brother was an advantage I knew it would have been proud of and which therefore I would give him but I doubted not that having so very little encouragement from anybody his pride would soon take fire and he would of himself discontinue his visits or go to town where till he came acquainted with our family he used chiefly to reside and in his letter case he had no reason to expect that I would receive much less answer which had led me to receive any of his being by this time over but my brother's antipathy would not permit him to wait for such an event and after several excesses which Mr. Lovelace still returned with contempt and a haughtiness too much like that of the aggressor my brother took upon himself to fill up the doorway once when he came as if to oppose his entrance and upon his asking for me what was his business with his sister the other with a challenging air as my brother says told him he would answer a gentleman any question but he wished that Mr. James Harlow who had of late given him high airs would remember that he was now not at college just then the good Dr. Lewin who frequently honours me with a visit of conversation as he is pleased to call it came to the door and hearing the words interposed both having their hands upon their swords and telling Mr. Lovelace where I was he burst by my brother to come to me leaving him chafing he said like a hunted boar at bay this alarmed us all my father was pleased to hint to Mr. Lovelace that he wished he would discontinue his visits for the peace sake of the family and I spoke a great deal plainer but Mr. Lovelace is not a man easily bought to give up his purpose especially in a point wherein he pretends his heart is so much engaged I know absolute prohibition having been given things went on for a while as before for I saw plainly that to have been denied himself to his visits which however I declined receiving as often as I could was a desperate issue between the two since the offence so readily given on one side was brooked by the other only out of consideration to me and thus did my brother's rashness lay me under an obligation where I would at least have owed it the intermediate proposals of Mr. Sims and Mr. Mullins both in turn encouraged by my brother for a while as nobody thought me over-forward in Mr. Lovelace's favour for he hoped that he should engage my father and uncles to approve of the one or the other in opposition to the man he hated but when he found that I had interest enough to disengage myself from the addresses of those gentlemen as I had before he went to Scotland Mr. Lovelace visited here of Mr. Wiley's he then kept no measures and first set himself to up braid me for his supposed prepossession which he treated as if it were criminal and then to insult Mr. Lovelace in person at Mr. Edward Sims the brother of the other Sims two miles off and no good Dr. Lewing being there to interpose the unhappy encounter followed my brother was disarmed as you have heard and on being bought home and given us ground to suppose that he was much worse hurt than he really was and a fever ensuing everyone flamed out and all was laid at my door Mr. Lovelace for three days together sent twice each day to inquire after my brother's health and food and even shocking returns he thought fit on the fourth day to make in person the same inquiries and he received still greater incivilties from my two uncles who happened to be both there my father also was held by force from going to him with his sword in his hand although he had the gout upon him I fainted away with terror seeing everyone so violent Mr. Lovelace swear that he would not depart till he had made my uncles ask his pardon for the indignities he had received at their hands a door being held fast locked between him and them my mother all the time was praying and struggling to withhold my father in the great parlor meanwhile my sister who had treated Mr. Lovelace with virulence turned to me and insulted me as fast as I recovered but when Mr. Lovelace was told how ill I was he departed nevertheless vowing revenge he was ever a favourite with our domestics his bounty to them and having always something facetious to say to each had made them all his party and on this occasion they privately blamed everybody else and reported his calm and gentlemanly behaviour till the provocations given him ran very high in such favourable terms that those reports and my apprehensions of the consequence of this treatment induced me to read a letter he sent me that night and it being written in the most respectful terms offering to submit the whole to my decision and to govern himself entirely by my will to answer it in some days after to this unhappy necessity was owing our renewed correspondence as I may call it yet I did not write till I had informed myself from Mr. Symes brother that he was really insulted into the act of drawing his sword by my brothers repeatedly threatening upon his excusing himself out of regard to me to brand me if he did not and I could make that he was again the sufferer from my uncles in a more violent manner than I have related the same circumstances were related to my father and the other relations by Mr. Symes but they had gone too far in making themselves parties to the quarrel either to retract or forgive and I was forbidden to correspond with him or to be seen in a moment in his company one thing however but that in confidence because my mother commanded me not to mention it that expressing her apprehension of the consequences of the indignities offered to Mr. Lovelace she told me she would leave it to my prudence to do all I could to prevent the impending mischief on one side I am obliged to break off but I believe I have written enough to answer very fully all that you have required of me it is not for a child to seek to clear her own character or to justify her actions at the expense of the most revered ones yet as I know that the account of all those further proceedings by which I may be affected will be interesting to so dear a friend who will communicate to others no more than what is fitting I will continue to write as I have opportunity as minutely as to write to each other indeed I have no delight as I have often told you equal to that which I take in conversing with you by letter when I cannot in person meantime I cannot help saying that I am exceedingly concerned to find that I may become so much the public talk you tell of me I am your kind your precautionary guard for my fame gave me to tell my own story previous to any new accident which heaven avert is so like the warm friend I have ever found in my mere dear mishow that with redoubled obligation you bind me to be you're ever grateful and affectionate Clarissa Harlow copy of the requested preamble to the clauses in her grandfather's will enclosed in the preceding letter as the particular estate I have mentioned and described above is principally of my own raising as my three sons have been uncommonly prosperous and are very rich the eldest by means of the unexpected benefits he reaps from his newfound minds the second by what has unexpectedly fallen into him on the deaths of several relations of his present wife the worthy daughter of the most vulnerable families over and above the very large portion which he received with her in marriage my son Anthony by his East India traffic and successful voyages as furthermore my grandson James will be sufficiently provided for by his grandmother levels kindness to him who having no near relations have assured me that she have as well by deed of gift as by will left him both her Scottish and English estates for never was there a family more prosperous in all its branches blessed be God therefore and as my said son James will very probably make it up to my granddaughter Arabella to whom I intend no disrespect nor have reason for she is a very hopeful and dutiful child and as my sons John and Anthony seem not inclined to a married life so that my son James is the only one who has children or is likely to have any for all these reasons and because my dearest and beloved granddaughter Clarissa have been from her infancy a matchless young creature in her duty to me and admired by all who know her as a very extraordinary child I must therefore take the pleasure of considering her as my own peculiar child and this without intending offence and I hope it will not be taken as any since my son James can bestow his a favours accordingly and in greater proportion upon his son James and upon his daughter Arabella these I say are the reasons which move me above described as state in the precious child's favour who is the delight of my old age and I verily think has contributed by her amiable duty and kind and tender regards to prolong my life wherefore it is my express will and commandment and I enjoy my said three sons John James and Anthony and my grandson James Arabella as they value my blessing and will regard my memory and would wish their own last wills and desires to be fulfilled by their survivors that they will not impugn or contest the following bequests and devises in favour of my said grand-daughter Clarissa although they should not be strictly comfortable to law or to the forms thereof nor suffer them to be controverted whatsoever and in this confidence et cetera et cetera et cetera end of letter four letter five of Clarissa volume one this is a LibriVox recording LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Ben Dutton Lampeter Wales Clarissa Harlow or the history of a young lady volume one by Samuel Richardson letter five Miss Clarissa Harlow to Miss Howe January the 20th I have been hindered from my prosecuting my intention neither nights nor mornings I have been my own my mother has been very ill and would have no other nurse but me I have not stirred from her bedside for she has kept her bed and two nights I had the honour of sharing it with her her disorder was a very violent colic the contentions of these fears these masculine spirits and the apprehension of mischiefs that may arise from the increasing animosity which all here have against Mr. Lovelace and his too well known resenting an intrepid character she cannot bear then the foundations laid as she dreads for jealousy and hard burnings in her own family late so happy and so united afflict exceedingly a gentle and sensible mind which has from the beginning on all occasions sacrificed its own inward satisfaction to outward peace my brother and sister who used very often to jar are now so entirely one and are so much together cabaling was the word that dropped from my mother's lips as if unaware that she is very fearful of the consequences that may follow to my prejudice perhaps is her kind concern since she sees that they behave to me every hour with more and more shyness and reserve yet would she but exert that authority which the superiority of her fine talents gives her all these family feuds might perhaps be extinguished in their yet but yet beginnings especially as she may be assured that all fitting concessions shall be made by me not only as my brother and sister are my elders but for the sake of so excellent and so indulgent a mother for if I may say to you my dear what I would not to any other person living it is my opinion that she had been of a temper that would have borne less she would have a ten times less to bear than she has had no commendation you'll say of the generosity of those spirits which can turn into its own disquiet so much condescending goodness upon my word I am sometimes tempted to think we may make the world allow for us and respect us as we please if we can but sturdy in our worlds and set out accordingly it is but being the less beloved for it that's all and if we have power to oblige those we have to deal with it will not appear to us that we are our flatterers will tell us anything sooner than our faults or what they know we do not like to hear were there not truth in this observation it is possible that my brother and sister could make their very failings and vehemences of such importance to all the family how will my son how will my nephew take this or that measure what will he say to it let us consult him about it our references always previous to every resolution taken by his superiors whose will ought to be his well may he expect to be treated with this difference by other person by himself generally so absolute constantly pays it to him and the more since my godmother's bounty has given him independence to a spirit that was before under too little restraint but wither may these reflections lead me I know you do not love any of us but my mother and me and being above all disguises make me sensible than I wish ought I then to add force to your dislikes of those whom I wish you to like of my father especially for he alas has some excuse for his impatience of contradiction he is not naturally an ill tempered man and in his person and air and in his conversation too we are not under the torture of gouty paroxysm everybody distinguishes the gentleman born and educated our sex perhaps must expect to bear a little and courtliness shall I call it from the husband whom as the lover they let know the preference their hearts gave him to all other men say what they will of generosity being a manly virtue but upon my word my dear ever yet observed that it is not to be met within that sex one time in ten that it is to be found in hours but my father was soured by the cruel distemper I have named which seized him all at once in the very prime of his life in so violent a manner as to take from the most active of minds as his was all power of activity and that in all appearances of life it imprisoned as I may say his lively spirits in himself and turned the edge of them against his own peace his extraordinary prosperity adding to his impatience those I believe who want the fewest earthly blessings most regret that they want any but my brother what excuse can be made for his haughty and morose temper he is really my dear I am sorry to have occasion to say it an ill-tempered young man and treats my mother sometimes indeed he is not beautiful but possessing everything he has the vice of age mingled with the ambition of youth and enjoys nothing but his own haughtiness and ill temper I was going to say yet again I am adding force to your dislikes of some of us once my dear it was perhaps in your power to have moulded him as you pleased could you have been my sister then had I a friend in a sister but no wonder that he does not love you now who could nip in the bud and with that with the disdain let me say too much of kin to his haughtiness a passion that would not have wanted a further worthy of the object and which possibly would have made him worthy but no more of this I will prosecute my former intention in my next which I will sit down to as soon as breakfast is over dispatching this by the messenger whom you have so kindly sent inquire after us on my silence meantime I am your most affectionate and obliged friend and servant Clarissa Harlow end of letter five letter six of Clarissa volume one this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Ben Dutton Lampeter Wales Clarissa Harlow or the history of a young lady volume one by Samuel Richardson letter six Miss Clarissa Harlow to Miss Howe Harlow Place January the 20th I will now resume my narrative of proceedings here my brother being in a good way although you may be sure that his resentments are rather heightened than abated by the galling disgrace he has received my friends my father and uncles however if not my brother and sister begin to think that I have been treated unkindly my mother being so good as to tell me this since I sent away my last nevertheless I believe they all think that I receive letters from Mr. Lovelace but Lord M being inclined rather to support than to blame his nephew they seem to be so much more afraid of Mr. Lovelace that they do not put it to me whether I do not or not conniving on the contrary as it would seem at the only method left to allay the vehemence of a spirit which they have so much provoked for he still insists upon satisfaction from my uncles and this possibly for he wants not art as the best way to be introduced again with some advantage into our family and indeed my Aunt Harvey has put it to my mother whether it were not best to prevail upon my brother to take a turn to his Yorkshire estate which he was intending to do before and to stay there till it is all blown over but this is very far from being his intention for he has already began to hint again that he shall never be easy or satisfied till I am married and finding neither Mr. Sims nor Mr. Mullins will be accepted has proposed Mr. Wiley once more on the score of his great passion for me this I have again rejected and but yesterday he mentioned one who has applied to him by letter making high offers this is Mr. Sims Rich Sims you know they call him but this application has not met with the attention of one single soul if none of his schemes of me getting married take effect he has thoughts I am told of proposing to me to go to Scotland that as the compliment is I may put his house there in such order as our own is in but this my mother intends to oppose for her own sake because having relieved her as she is pleased to say of the household cares for which my sister you know has no turn they must again devolve upon her if I go and if she did not oppose it I should for believe me I have no mind to be his housekeeper and I am sure where I to go with him I should be treated rather as a servant than a sister perhaps not the better because I am his sister and if Mr. Lovely should follow me things might be worse than they are now but I have besought of my mother who is apprehensive of Mr. Lovely's visits and for fears of whom my uncles never stir out without arms and armed servants my brother also being near well enough to go abroad to procure me permission to be your guest for a fortnight or so will your mother think you my dear give me leave I dare not ask to go to my diary house as my good grandfather would call it I am now afraid of being thought to have a wish to enjoy that independence to which his will has entitled me and as matter are situated such a wish would be imputed to be my regard to the man to whom they have now so great an antipathy and indeed could I be as easy and happy here as I used to be I would defy that man and all his sex I never repent that I have given the power of my fortune to my father's hands just now my mother has rejoiced me with the news that my requested permission is granted everyone thinks it best that I should go to you except my brother but he was told that he must not expect to rule in everything I am to be sent for into the great parlor where are my two uncles and my aunt Harvey and to be acquainted with this concession in form you know my dear that there is a good deal of solumenity amongst us but never was there a family more united in its different branches than ours our uncles consider us as their own children and declare that it is for our sakes that they live single so that they are advised with upon every article relating to us or that may affect us it is therefore the less wonder at a time when they understand that Mr. Lovelace is determined to pay as an amicable visit as he calls it but which I am sure cannot end amicably that they should both be consulted upon the permission I had desired to attend you I will acquaint you with what has passed at the general leave given to me to be your guest and yet I know that you will not love my brother it is better for my communication but I am angry with him myself and cannot help it and besides it is proper to let you know the terms I go upon and their motives for permitting me to go Clary said my mother as soon as I entered the great parlor your request to go to Miss House for a few days has been taken into consideration and granted much against my liking I assure you said my brother rudely interrupting her son James said my father and knit his brows he was not daunted his arm was in a sling he often has the mean art to look upon that when anything is hinted that may be supposed to lead toward the least favour to or reconciliation with Mr. Lovelace let the girl then I am often the girl with him be prohibited seeing that vile Libertine nobody spoke do you hear sister Clary taking this silence for approbation of what he had dictated you are not to receive visits from Lord M's nephew everyone still remains silent do you so understand the license you have missed interrogated he I would be glad sir said I to understand that you are my brother and that you would understand that you are the only one my brother oh the fond fond heart with a sneer of insult lifting up his hands sir said I to my father to your justice I appeal if I have deserved reflection let me not be spared but if I am to be answerable for the rashness no more no more of either side said my father you are not to receive the visits of that Lovelace though nor are you son James to reflect upon your sister she is a worthy child sir I have done replied he and yet I have her honour at heart as much as the honour of the rest of the family and hence sir retorted I your unbrotherly reflections upon me well but you observe miss said he that is not I but your father that tells you that you are not to receive the visits of that Lovelace cousin Harlow said my Aunt Harvey allow me to say that my cousin Clary's prudence may be confided in I am convinced it may join my mother but Aunt but Madam put in my sister there is no hurt I presume in letting my sister know the condition she goes to miss how upon since if he gets a knack of visiting her there you may be sure interrupted my uncle Harlow he will endeavour to see her there sir would such an impudent man here said my uncle Anthony and is better done there than here better nowhere said my father I command you turning to me on pain of displeasure that you see him not at all I will not sir in any way of encouragement I do assure you not at all if I can properly avoid it you know with what indifference said my mother she has hitherto seen him her prudence may be trusted to as my sister Harvey says with what upper indifference drilled my brother son James said my father sternly I have done sir said he but again in a provoking manner he reminded me of the prohibition thus ended the conference will you engage my dear that the hated man shall not come near your house but what an inconsistence is his when they consent to my going thinking his visits here no otherwise to be avoided but if he does come I charge you never to leave us alone together as I have no reason to doubt a welcome from your good mother I will put everything in order here and be with you in two or three days meantime I am your most affectionate and obliged Clarissa Harlow end of letter six letter seven of Clarissa volume one this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Ben Dutton Lampeter Wales Clarissa Harlow or the history of a young lady volume one by Samuel Richardson letter seven Miss Clarissa Harlow to Miss Howell after her return from her Harlow Place February the 20th I beg your excuse for not writing sooner alas my dear I have sad prospects before me my brother and sister have succeeded in all their views they have found out another lover for me a hideous one yet he is encouraged by everybody no wonder that I was on ordered home so suddenly at an hour's warning no other notice you know than what was bought with the chariot that was to carry me back it was for fear that I have been informed an unworthy fear that I should have entered into any consort with Mr. Lovelace had I known their motive for commanding me home apprehending tis evident that I should dislike the man they had to propose to me and well might they apprehend so for who do you think he is no other than that soams could you have believed it and they are all determined too my mother with the rest dear dear excellence how could she be thus bought over when I am assured that on his first being proposed she was pleased to say that had Mr. Soames the indies in his possession and would endow me with them she should not think him deserving of her Clarissa the reception I met with at my return so different from what I used to meet with on every little absence and now I had been from them for three weeks and I knew that I was to suffer for the happiness I had had in your company and the conversation for that most agreeable period I will give you an account of it my brother met me at the door and gave me his hand when I stepped out of the chariot he bowed very low premise favour me I thought it in good humour but found it afterwards mock respect and so he led me in great form I prattling all the way inquiring of everybody's health although I was so soon to see them and there was hardly time for answers into the great parlor where were my father mother, my two uncles and sister I was struck all of a heap as soon as I entered to see a soliminity which I had been so little used to on the like occasions in the countenance of every dear relation they all kept their seats I ran to my father and kneeled then to my mother and met from both a cold salute from my father a blessing but half pronounced my mother indeed called me child but embraced me not with a usual indulgent ardour after I had paid my duty to my uncles and my compliments to my sister which she received with Solomon's stiff form I was bid to sit down but my heart was full and I said it became me to stand if I could stand upon a reception so awful and unusual I was forced to turn my face from them and pull out my handkerchief my unbrotherly accuser hereupon stood forth and charged me with having received no less than five or six visits at Miss House from the man they had all so much reason to hate that was his expression notwithstanding the commands I had had to the contrary and he bid me deny it if I could I had never been used I said to deny the truth nor would I now I owned I had had in the three weeks past seen the person I presumed he meant offener than five or six times pray hear me brother said I for he was going to flame out but he always asked for Mrs or Miss Howe when he came I proceeded that I had reason to believe that both Mrs. Howe and Miss as matters stood would much rather have excused his visits but they had more than once apologised for having not the same reason my papa had to forbid him their house his rank and fortune entitled him to civility you see my dear I may not the pleas I might have made my brother seemed ready to give a loose to his passion my father put on the countenance which always portends a gathering storm my uncles mutteringly whispered and my sister aggravitantly held up her hands while I begged to be heard out and my mother said let the child that was a kind word be heard I hoped I said that there was no harm done that it became not me to prescribe to Mrs. or Miss Howe that Mrs. Howe was always diverted with the railery that passed between Miss and him that I had no reason to challenge her guest for my visitor as I should seem to have done had I refused to go into their company when he was with them that I had never seen him out of the presence of one or both of those ladies and had signified to him once on his urging a few moments private conversation with me unless a reconciliation were affected between my family and his he must not expect that I would countenance his visits much less give him an opportunity of that sort I told him further that Miss Howe so well understood my mind that she never left me for a moment while Mr. Lovelace was there that when he came if I was not below in the parlor I would not suffer myself to be called to him I thought it would be an affectation which would give him an advantage rather than the contrary if I had left company when he came in or refused to enter into it when I found out he would stay this anytime my brother heard me out with such a kind of impatience as he showed was resolved to be dissatisfied with me say what I would the rest as the event has proved behaved as if they would have been satisfied had they not further points to me all this made it evident as I mentioned above that they themselves expected not voluntary compliance and was a tacit confession of the disagreeableness of the person they had to propose I was no sooner silent than my brother swore although in my father's presence swore unchecked either by I or countenance that for his part he would never be reconciled he would not announce me for a sister if I encouraged the addresses of a man so obnoxious to them all a man who had liked to have been my brother's murderer my sister said with a face even bursting with restraint of passion the poor Bella has a plump high fed face if I may be allowed the expression you know I know you will forgive me for this liberty of speech sooner than I can forgive myself yet how can one be such a reptile as not to turn when trampled upon my father with vehemence both of action and voice my father has you know a terrible voice when he is angry told me that I had met with too much indulgence in being allowed to refuse this gentleman and the other gentleman and it was now his turn to be obeyed very true my mother said and hoped his will would not now be disputed by a child so favoured to show they were all of a sentiment my uncle Harlow said he hoped his beloved niece only wanted to know her father's will to obey it and my uncle Anthony in his rougher manner added that surely I would not give them reason to apprehend that I thought my grandfather's favour to me had made me independent of them all if I did he would tell me the will could be set aside and should I was astonished you must need to think whose address is now thought I is this treatment preparative to Mr Wiley's again or whose and then as high comparisons where self is concerned sooner than low people's heads be it for whom it will this is wooing as the English did for the heiress of Scotland in the time of Edward the Six but that it could be for soams how should it enter into my head I did not know I said that I had been given occasion for this harshness I hoped I should always have a just sense of everyone's favour to me super added to the duty I owed as a daughter and a niece but that I was so much surprised at reception so unusual and unexpected that I hoped my papa and mama would give me leave to retire in order to recollect myself no one gain saying I made my silent compliments and withdrew leaving my brother and sister as I thought pleased and as if they wanted to congratulate each other on having occasion so severe a beginning to be made with me I went up to my chamber and there with my faithful Hannah deployed the determined face which the new proposal it was plain they had to make me well I had not recovered myself when I was sent down for tea I begged my maid to be excused attending but on the repeated command went down with as much cheerfulness as I could assume and had a new fault to clear myself off for my brother so pregnant the thing is determined ill will my intimations equally rude and intelligible charged my desire of being excused coming down to solace because a certain person had been spoken against upon whom as he supposed my fancy ran I could easily answer you sir said I as such a reflection deserves but I forebear if I do not find a brother in you you shall have a sister in me pretty meekness Bella whispering Lee said looking at my brother and lifting up her lip and contempt he with an imperious air bid me deserve his love and I should be sure to have it as we sat my mother in a admirable manner expediated upon brotherly sisterly love indulgently blamed my brother and sister for having taken up displeasure too lightly against me and politically if I may say so answered for my obedience to my father's will the it would be all well my father was pleased to say then they should doubt upon me was my brother's expression love me as well as ever was my sisters and my uncles that I then should be the pride of their hearts but alas what a forfeiture of all these I must make this was the reception I had on my return from you Mr. Soames came in before we had done tea my uncle Anthony presented him to me as a gentleman he had particular friendship for my uncle Harlow in terms equally favourable for him my father said Mr. Soames is my friend Clarissa Harlow my mother looked at him and looked at me now and then as he sat near me I thought with concern I at her with eyes appealing for pity at him when I could glance at him with disgust little short of a frightment while my brother and sister answered yet such a wretch but I will at present only add my humble thanks and duty to your honoured mother to whom I will particularly right to express the grateful sense I have of her goodness to me and that I am your ever obliged Clarissa Harlow End of Letter 7