LETTER LXX
MR. BELFORD, TO MISS CLARISSA HARLOWEAUG. 3, 4.
MADAM,
You have engaged me to communicate to you, upon my honour, (makingneither better nor worse of the matter,) what Mr. Lovelace has written tome, in relation to yourself, in the period preceding your going toHampstead, and in that between the 11th and 19th of June: and you assureme you have no view in this request, but to see if it be necessary foryou, from the account he gives, to touch upon the painful subjectsyourself, for the sake of your own character.
Your commands, Madam, are of a very delicate nature, as they may seem toaffect the secrets of private friendship: but as I know you are notcapable of a view, the motives to which you will not own; and as I thinkthe communication may do some credit to my unhappy friend's character, asan ingenuous man; though his actions by the most excellent woman in theworld have lost him all title to that of an honourable one; I obey youwith the greater cheerfulness.
[He then proceeds with his extracts, and concludes them with an address to her in his friend's behalf, in the following words:]
'And now, Madam, I have fulfilled your commands; and, I hope, have notdis-served my friend with you; since you will hereby see the justice hedoes to your virtue in every line he writes. He does the same in all hisletters, though to his own condemnation: and, give me leave to add, thatif this ever-amiable sufferer can think it in any manner consistent withher honour to receive his vows on the altar, on his truly penitent turnof mind, I have not the least doubt but that he will make her the bestand tenderest of husbands. What obligation will not the admirable ladyhereby lay upon all his noble family, who so greatly admire her! and, Iwill presume to say, upon her own, when the unhappy family aversion(which certainly has been carried to an unreasonable height against him)shall be got over, and a general reconciliation takes place! For who isit that would not give these two admirable persons to each other, werenot his morals an objection?
However this be, I would humbly refer to you, Madam, whether, as you willbe mistress of very delicate particulars from me his friend, you shouldnot in honour think yourself concerned to pass them by, as if you hadnever seen them; and not to take advantage of the communication, not evenin an argument, as some perhaps might lie, with respect to thepremeditated design he seems to have had, not against you, as you; but asagainst the sex; over whom (I am sorry I can bear witness myself) it isthe villanous aim of all libertines to triumph: and I would not, if anymisunderstanding should arise between him and me, give him room toreproach me that his losing of you, and (through his usage of you) of hisown friends, were owing to what perhaps he would call breach of trust,were he to judge rather by the event than by my intention.
I am, Madam, with the most profound veneration,
Your most faithful humble servant,J. BELFORD.