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hold the horse-folks, as you humbly delightful spot, and to a lady of whom phrase it!-who can anticipate the she is so fond, and who was always yellow harvest, the busy hinds, and so fond of her? the reward of industry!—who can "I hope the vain girl (say you) figure out, in still superior lights, the has not represented herself of too beauties of contemplation, which she much consequence." You have not, enjoys in her Clarissa-closet (as she my dear. Do we not all know that is pleased to call it), with pen, pen- you are of the utmost to that indulcil, and books!-the agreeable con- gent parent; and of very high to all versation, at other times, of her enli- who have the pleasure of your acvening friends; and the charms of quaintance? But looks it not as if one dear variety, that soul of female plea- of the frankest-hearted girls in Brisure and fifty and fifty other no tain took a little hardly some of my less delightful subjects; and bring past truly paternal freedoms, when them all into the compass of a letter she adds-"If she has, I am sure Mr. of fifty or sixty short lines!-This is Richardson will cure her of that misgiven to miss Highmore to do; but take." Well, but my dear Highmore, this shall not hinder me from telling

not to me.

Dr. Knatchbull desires his affec- you of your faults, if any appear to tionate compliments to all at Hatch. me; and I hope you will deal as He gives me his countenance in freely with me ;-I have multitudeswishing to see you all here. My re- I wish I were but half as good as I spectful ones to sir Wyndham and think you. Mrs. Knatchbull. Mr. Cibber's duty Your papa writes so well, and is attends you. And I am, my dear so fond of writing to his beloved miss Highmore, your, &c. daughter, that I will leave it to him to tell you how happy he thinks himP. S. You might have gone on self in knowing you to be so; and with your subject of happiness: for that you are right in supposing, who is it that tastes it, knows it, and "that his benevolent heart expands deserves it, if miss Highmore does with delight at the account he renot?

LETTER LXIII.

Mr. Richardson to Miss Highmore.

London, July 15, 1753.

ceives of your health and felicity." When, therefore, you can turn the bright side of things outward, as you do, your mental Esculapius (as you do a certain man the honour to call him) tells you, that you have prudence and reflection enough to be your own physician; and that, had My dear miss Highmore was very not your spirits been weakened by good to write so soon after her arri- indisposition, and a train of disagreeval at Weston House: and had I not able perplexities, that have affected been obliged to pass two days at En-one of the evenest tempers in woman, field, which set me behind-hand with you would not have had reason to all my business, she should have had paint your sensibilities in such dark her kind expectations answered be- colours, on your leaving, for such fore the last week had elapsed. agreeable friends, even a father, But why filled my amiable girl the whose paternal goodness you have first side of her sheet with so melan- from infancy so largely experienced. choly an account of her depression How sweetly, as you describe, do of spirits, on leaving a father, so well you pass your time! I rejoice, with beloved by every body, to go to a all my heart, in Mrs. God-ll's hap

piness. One of the greatest plea-low company "he keeps," so as he sures that a beneficent mind can confines himself "to an obscure corknow, is to have it in her power to ner of his own magnificent house lay an obligation on a worthy, on a with them ;" and leaves her (in the grateful, mind. character of "an amiable woman,'

·

"A strong taste for literature; a and, in every one's eye, the more mind well stocked and improved by amiable for her misfortunes) "to rethe productions of authors, ancient ceive in the rest, and nobler parts of and modern; an amiable disposition; the house, the visits of every creditgood sense." Where could your fair able family around her?"—so long

friend have made a better choice? as she finds herself "honoured and Where else so good a one, in such an beloved by her visitors; and has the age as this, of foplings and petit maî- credit, as well as the power, of havtres? I wonder not that such a ing ornamented the noble house she young gentleman "behaves so pro- reigns in, with absolute sovereignty, perly (as you say) to his lady; and according to her own directions?"that your esteem for him rises every so long as she has "an equipage and day, more and more, as you are a retinue of her own, every prospect witness of that his proper and affec-art or nature can afford to please tionate behaviour to her." I had both surrounding her stately habitation?" reverence and love for her excellent With all these advantages, and such mother; methinks I could wish her a lord, ask you, can she be tolerably to be permitted to look down from happy? Yes, madam, exquisitely so, her heaven, to see how happy that as a managing woman, and as one beloved daughter is, for whose happi- who knew (as I hinted) beforehand ness she was so anxious. God con- the wretched creature she chose to tinue it to them both-and them to marry. And, indeed, you answer each other, as an example of that con- your own question :-"She appears jugal piety, which is so very rare in so," say you "(well she may!); and the present age, among people of having been long accustomed to the condition! present method (an enviable one it "What a strange character does may be called! for must not the man that of Cicero always appear to you." be a loathsome creature?) may really It is a strange one; yet he was a be (the deuce is in her if she be glorious creature. Great geniuses, not!) as tranquil and cheerful as her we are told, have not small faults. easy and polite deportment seems to You have made such proper obser- denote."

vations on this great man's failings, This advantage she moreover reaps that it is needless to add to them. from the low and servile company he And charmingly do you say, "that keeps, that through them she can the truly noble and exemplary cha- manage her lord as she pleases; since racter is that, which is uniformly good, they and he are hers in absolute progreat, and wise, in every trial." perty. Come, come, madam, let us What a wretched creature is the show our pity in the right place. man of title you mention! But I The tranquil lady deserves it not-she have not so much pity for the lady is a managing woman, as I said: all as you have. She knew whom she women love power; she has it in its married, and, I doubt not, proposed perfection. She has, perhaps, shown to herself at first counterbalances it, eccentrically, in more instances which would content her; and this than one; and every body knows, is evident to me, by the way in which that lady O- can be lord as well she lives. What signifies to her the as lady Owhenever she pleases

-and fit she should, when the poor observations you make on the consecreature, her lord, so behaves as to quence it is for young persons to be be the jest as well as companion of thrown early into good and improvhis own menials. ing company! I had a good mind

Next Thursday my good-natured- to transcribe every word you wrote ly perverse wife thinks of going to on this subject, and to beg of you to North End!!! O, miss Highmore! let it pass for my own. What a poor women ought to be controlled, if creature was I at your age! they are like my wife-in pity to you were always so good-were you themselves they ought. For, when not?

And

left to their own will, how do they But, though I love you for your choose! how are they puzzled! charity, when you infer from pre

Mrs. G- has done me favour mises very laudable, that we should⚫ in her remembrance of me. My best make great allowances in errors, not respects attend her, and, if accepta- grossly immoral, for those who have ble, hers. I am involved in senti- not had the benefit of being accusmentizing :-very hard, among so tomed in their youth to good and im. many charming girls, that I could proving company, I cannot allow of not get myself excused from this task. the abatement you mention to be No helps from any of you. Go, made, of the merit of those who have naughty, idle chits-to pretend to had better opportunities, and improvapprove what I am about, as if it ed by them. I will not, my dear miss would be promotive of the public Highmore, allow of your level; in good; and yet, when I hoped a fin- order to bring down to a state of ger from every one of you, to find nature, those who owe their meno aid-not so much as extracts from rit to actions that are the consea work ready written to your hands! quences of habitual virtue. Let us yet call me papa, boast of filial re-judge of merit and demerit as they gards, and so forth: yet, dotard as I appear to us, from whatever source am, I cannot forbear priding myself they spring; and not, my dear child, in my girls-and on every occasion think it assurance to condemn the styling myself, as now to you, your, contemptible. We shall then en

&c.

LETTER LXIV.

Mr. Richardson to Miss Highmore.

courage merit (too apt to be despised by such, in order to bring it down to their own level), and, through shame, have a chance to amend the faulty, and make them strive to be measured by the standard of the others. It is not to be imagined what it London, Jan. 31, 1751. is in the power of women to do in this I AM, when I recollect some of the particular: especially of those who free things I have formerly written are amiable in person, and have a to my dear miss Highmore, extreme- reputation for good sense. Often ly angry with myself. I believe I have I seen a coxcomb, who set out loved to blame rather than commend, with all the confidence of a laughing some years ago. Fie upon me, for Sir Hargrave, shrink into himself, my ill-nature, if so-and vainly too merely at the reproving eye, and re-setting up for a Mentor, when I strained smile, of a young lady of was but a Momus. But do I grow judgment; and particularly, if she better-natured, and see clearer, as I has had the address to turn round on grow older? I congratulate myself the spot, and distinguish, by her upon that, if I do. What admirable smiling familiarity, another man in

company, with whom she had reason key, &c. were you in my case; but to be better pleased. what ought to be done. I know that No vain woman can be more fond your observation is rather owing to of admiration than men of this cast: facts than justice. But we will not, let them be conscious of a judicious- if you please, too readily give up jusly given disappointment, and no men tice to facts, lest we should make are such nothings. The sensible custom a law; where it would be of woman, who laughs with the crea- general use to applaud the exception, ture she should laugh at, debases and to endeavour to weaken the force herself; puts herself on a level with of the faulty rule.

him. But this is the judgment, to Give me leave to say, that I inavoid superciliousness, and being tended more by setting in strong really prudish (no matter for the as- lights the frankness of Harriet's chapersion) in the correction she looks; racter, in one of the most delicate for a look will give it. I am speaking circumstances of female life, than of a sensible woman, you know!- what, at first sight, may be thought such women, scores of which, I was of, on a cursory reading. What do going to say, I have the happiness to you think I have had the confidence know. to answer to the pressing instances "The admonitions of parents can of two persons, for whom I have great never have the effect on young minds, honour, that I would begin a new that the examples of persons near piece?-that I would think of doing their own age will produce; and rea- so, when I had reason to believe, that sons why it must be so are obvious the many delicate situations that this and natural enough." Never, miss last piece, as well as Clarissa, aboundH! where the parents are com-ed with, were generally understood panionable to their children; and and attended to! What a deuce! can allow for the foibles of youth-must a man be always writing? such as yours, suppose! Where the Fie upon me, for taking the first children are reasonable, and have no sheet of paper that came to hand: I points in view, which they are asham-am come to the end of it already; ed to own!-What! never, miss and how much unsaid!I have no H- -? And are there no such room to add more, than that I am cases? Cannot there be such open-|your, &c.

hearted, frank girls as Harriet, where there is a Mrs. Harley or Mrs. Selby?-Unhappy that there are not more such indulgent parents, and

LETTER LXV.

such undisguisedly-minded children! Mr. Richardson to Miss Highmore. How obvious soever the reason for what you say is, there cannot be a London, Sept. 19, 1757. more dangerous doctrine propagated I WRITE, my dear miss Highmore, among young people, than that which in gratitude, in fear, in love, in hope, springs from an allowance of this na- in pain. In gratitude for your favour ture. And I have, therefore, taken to me of Sept. 6th, and to thank good notice in print that young people, in Mrs. God-ll, through your hands, certain cases, should never be deter- for her kind remembrance of me. mined by the advice of young peo- In fear of hurting your good papa, ple; and the less by that of those who grudges me the favour of so who are in the same circumstances kindly-long a letter from you (the with themselves. It is not, I have thanks I got for communicating it to said, what you would do, Polly, Su- him), by doing offence to your eyes:

-but a little bit of jealousy in his into it last. No one has a higher fear, for all that, lest any should, by opinion of these names, and of Mrs. accident, receive from you a letter D- -'s judgment, than I.

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one line longer than any one of those 'My opinion of Mr. Gray's Odes?" you wrote to himself. What will he You know I admire the author. I do, if you should take heart at last, have heard that you and Mr. G————— and marry, and your husband be have both studied them together, sometimes distant from you! and have found out all their Beauties.

In love-because I cannot help it, I have no doubt but they are numif I would; and take delight in the berless-but indeed have not had head account you give of that health, and clear enough to read them more than serenity of mind, which I pray may once, as yet. But from you I expect ever attend you. the result of Mr. G's studies and

In pain-because I cannot pour discoveries on the subject, as also out my heart as glibly as usual, or your marginal notes; which will not, rather as formerly to my beloved I hope, be too severe, &c.-Why friends, when I paid my duty to them that caution to me, my miss High-. on paper, by reason of paralytic and more? I am glad I did not say all failing fingers, when that heart is as I said to lady B― about Henry sincerely theirs as ever. and Francis.

In hope-(I had like to have for- "And then comes the kindly feligot that, having so little left for my- citating subject;" to which I directself) that you and all you love, if ed Patty to answer. She did, I hope. that be possible, continue always as And there, Mr. Highmore, is an happy, with some necessary varia- end, I hope, of your tender solicitude tions, however, to keep the pool of for the eyes of our dear girl, on my life from stagnating, as you describe account, for the present! yourself to be at the penning of the letter before me.

Re

Excuse bad writing, interlining, &c.-"Was it not always bad?" Hush! hush! hush! dear Mr. High- Yes; but never so bad as now. more! No such thing, as the above peated respects to Mrs. God-ll. I particularization, being an infallible am, &c.

brief in the rest, for your sake; and also for my own; though once I loved

to prattle to this dear girl.

LETTER LXVI.

I am delighted with your account Lady Echlin to Mr. Richardson. of your studies, your pursuits, your diversions, and with those of the more

Sept. 27, 1754. athletic of your own sex with you, I THANK you, dear sir, for your mentioned by you with so much ad- tender concern, good wishes, and vantage to them all. hearty prayer for my worthy friend, "Your well-furnished library," Mr. Tickell. I have the satisfaction amusement equally entertaining and to assure you, his late disorder has instructive! not so greatly impaired his strength, Henry and Francis;" of all books nor sunk his spirits to that miseraof the kind? That it has been read bly low state, which his over-anxious by Mrs. is recommendation mother's fear made her apprehend. with numbers! Mrs. Montague, lady God be praised, she is comforted, by Bradshaigh, miss Highmore. Well, a hopeful appearance of her beloved I'll take it up again, and try to like son's perfect recovery. He is pretty it better than I did, when I dipped well in health, at present, thank God.