THE HISTORY OF CLARISSA HARLOWE

SAMUEL RICHARDSON

VOL. I. LETTER I

MISS ANNA HOWE TO CLARISSA HARLOWE

Jan. 10.

I AM extremely concerned, my dearest friend, for the disturbances that have happened in your family. I know how it must hurt you to become the subject of the public talk: and yet upon an 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, whom I sent for at the first hearing of the rencounter, 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 had been increased by the perturbation of his spirits.

Mr. Wyerley drank tea with us yesterday; and though he is far from being partial to Mr. Lovelace, as it may be well supposed, yet both he and Mr. Symmes, 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 unskilfulness 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. Harlowe - your violence puts you out of your defence. You give me too much advantage. For your sister's sake, I will pass by every thing: 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) with such patience, as was far from making a visit afterwards from that adversary to inquire after his health, appear either insulting or improper.

Be this as it may, every body pities you. So steady, so uniform in your conduct: so desirous, as you always said, of sliding through life to the end of it unnoted; 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 and 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 families on both sides are now engaged, I must desire you to enable me, on the authority of your own 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 any decency, either see him, or correspond with him. She is a good deal prepossessed by your uncle Antony; who occasionally calls upon us, as you know; and on this rencounter, 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 her brother.

Write to me therefore, my dear, the whole of your story from the time that Mr. Lovelace was first introduced into your family; and particularly an account of all that passed 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 write in so full a manner as may satisfy those who know not so much of your affairs as I do. If any thing 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 draw 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, admirably 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 expatiate 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, Your ever grateful and affectionate, ANNA HOWE.

Will you oblige 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 my aunt Harman? She is very desirous to see it. Yet your character has so charmed her, that, though a stranger to you personally, she assents to the preference given you in that will, before she knows the testator's reasons for giving you that preference.

LETTER VII

MISS CLARISSA HARLOWE TO MISS HOWE

[After her return from her.']

Harlowe Place, Feb. 20.

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; an hideous one! Yet he is encouraged by every body. No wonder that I was ordered home so suddenly. It was for fear, as I have been informed [an unworthy fear!] that I should have entered into any concert 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 Solmes! - Could you have believed it? And they are all determined too; my mother with the rest! Dear, dear excellence! how could she be thus brought over, when I am assured, that on his first being proposed she was pleased to say, That had Mr. Solmes the Indies in possession, and would endow me with them, she would 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 three weeks) convinced me that I was to suffer for the happiness I had had in your company and 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: "Pray, Miss, 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 every body's health, (although I was so soon to see them, and there was hardly time for answers) into the great parlour; where were my father, mother, my two uncles, and sister.

1 Author's note.

I was struck to the heart as soon as I entered, to see a solemnity. 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 her usual indulgent ardour.

After I had paid my duty to my uncles, and my compliments to my sister, which she received with solemn and 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 Howe's from the man they had all so much reason to hate [that was the expression;] notwithstanding the commands I had had to the contrary. And he bid me deny it, if I could.

now.

I had never been used, I said, to deny the truth, nor would I I owned I had in the three weeks past seen the person I presumed he meant, oftener 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.

You see, my dear, I made 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 aggravatingly held up her hands. While I begged to be heard out; - and my mother said, "Let the child," that was her kind word, "be heard."

And my uncle Antony, 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 did not know, I said, that I had given occasion for this harsh

1 Her grandfather, as an inducement to her to make him frequent visits, had fitted up a dairy house for her on his own estate.