LETTERS OF VOLUME I
LETTER I. Miss Howe to Miss Clarissa Harlowe.--Desires from her theparticulars of the rencounter between Mr. Lovelace and her brother; andof the usage she receives upon it: also the whole of her story from thetime Lovelace was introduced as a suitor to her sister Arabella. Admiresher great qualities, and glories in the friendship between them.
LETTER II. III. IV. Clarissa to Miss Howe.--Gives the requestedparticulars. Together with the grounds of her brother's and sister'sill-will to her; and of the animosity between her brother andLovelace.--Her mother connives at the private correspondence betweenher and Lovelace, for the sake of preventing greater evils. Characterof Lovelace, from an enemy.--Copy of the preamble to her grandfather'swill.
LETTER V. From the same.--Her father, mother, brother, brieflycharacterized. Her brother's consequence in the family. Wishes Miss Howehad encouraged her brother's address. Endeavors to find excuses for herfather's ill temper, and for her mother's passiveness.
LETTER VI. From the same.--Mr. Symmes, Mr. Mullins, Mr. Wyerley, inreturn, proposed to her, in malice to Lovelace; and, on their beingrejected, Mr. Solmes. Leave given her to visit Miss Howe for a few days.Her brother's insolent behaviour upon it.
LETTER VII. From the same.--The harsh reception she meets with on herreturn from Miss Howe. Solmes's first visit.
LETTER VIII. From the same.--All her family determined in Solmes'sfavour. Her aversion to him. She rejects him, and is forbid going tochurch, visiting, receiving visits, or writing to any body out of thehouse.
LETTER IX. Clarissa to Miss Howe.--Her expedient to carry on a privatecorrespondence with Miss Howe. Regrets the necessity she is laid underto take such a clandestine step.
LETTER X. Miss Howe to Clarissa.--Inveighs against the Harlowe familyfor proposing such a man as Solmes. Characterizes them. Is jealousof Antony Harlowe's visits to her mother. Rallies her friend on hersupposed regard to Lovelace.
LETTER XI. Clarissa to Miss Howe.--Is nettled and alarmed at herraillery. Her reasons for not giving way to a passion for Lovelace.
LETTER XII. Miss Howe in reply.--Continues her raillery. GivesLovelace's character from Mrs. Fortescue.
LETTER XIII. XIV. Clarissa to Miss Howe.--The views of her family infavouring the address of Solmes. Her brother's and sister's triumph uponthe difficulties into which they have plunged her.
LETTER XV. Miss Howe to Clarissa.--She accounts for Arabella's malice.Blames her for having given up the power over the estate left her by hergrandfather.
LETTER XVI. XVII. Clarissa to Miss Howe.--Offends her father by herbehaviour to Solmes in his presence. Tender conversation between hermother and her.--Offers to give up all thoughts of Lovelace, if she maybe freed from Solmes's address. Substance of one of Lovelace's letters,of her answer, and of his reply. Makes a proposal. Her mother goes downwith it.
LETTER XVIII. From the same.--The proposal rejected. Her mother affectsseverity to her. Another interesting conversation between them.
LETTER XIX. From the same.--Her dutiful motives for putting her estateinto her father's power. Why she thinks she ought not to have Solmes.Afflicted on her mother's account.
LETTER XX. XXI. From the same.--Another conference with her mother, wholeaves her in anger.--She goes down to beg her favour. Solmes comes in.She offers to withdraw; but is forbid. What follows upon it.
LETTER XXII. Clarissa to Miss Howe.--Substance of a letter fromLovelace. She desires leave to go to church. Is referred to her brother,and insultingly refused by him. Her letter to him. His answer.
LETTER XXIII. XXIV. XXV. From the same.--Her faithful Hannahdisgracefully dismissed. Betty Barnes, her sister's maid, set over her.A letter from her brother forbidding her to appear in the presence ofany of her relations without leave. Her answer. Writes to her mother.Her mother's answer. Writes to her father. His answer.
LETTER XXVI. From the same.--Is desirous to know the opinion Lord M.'sfamily have of her. Substance of a letter from Lovelace, resenting theindignities he receives from her relations. She freely acquaints himthat he has nothing to expect from her contrary to her duty. Insiststhat his next letter shall be his last.
LETTER XXVII. Miss Howe to Clarissa.--Advises her to resume her estate.Her satirical description of Solmes. Rallies her on her curiosity toknow what opinion Lord M. and his family have of her. Ascribes to thedifference in each of their tempers their mutual love. Gives particularsof a conversation between her mother and her on Clarissa's case.Reflects on the Harlowe family, and particularly on Mrs. Harlowe, forher passiveness.
LETTER XXVIII. Clarissa. In answer.--Chides her for the liberties shetakes with her relations. Particularly defends her mother. Chides heralso for her lively airs to her own mother. Desires her to treat herfreely; but wishes not that she should impute love to her; and why.
LETTER XXIX. From the same.--Her expostulatory letter to her brother andsister. Their answers.
LETTER XXX. From the same.--Exceedingly angry with Lovelace, on hiscoming to their church. Reflections on pride, &c.
LETTER XXXI. Mr. Lovelace to John Belford, Esq.--Pride, revenge, love,ambition, or a desire of conquest, his avowedly predominant passions.His early vow to ruin as many of the fair sex as he can get into hispower. His pretences for it. Breathes revenge against the Harlowefamily. Glories in his contrivances. Is passionately in love withClarissa. His high notions of her beauty and merit. Yet is incensedagainst her for preferring her own relations to him. Clears her,however, of intentional pride, scorn, haughtiness, or want ofsensibility. What a triumph over the sex, and over her whole family, ifhe can carry off a lady so watchful and so prudent! Is resolved, if hecannot have the sister, to carry off the brother. Libertine as he is,can have no thoughts of any other woman but Clarissa. Warns Belford,Mowbray, Tourville, and Belton, to hold themselves in readiness toobey his summons, on the likelihood there is of room for what he callsglorious mischief.
LETTER XXXII. XXXIII. Clarissa to Miss Howe.--Copies of her letters toher two uncles; and of their characteristic answer.--Her expostulatoryletter to Solmes. His answer.--An insolent letter from her brother, onher writing to Solmes.
LETTER XXXIV. Lovelace to Belford.--He directs him to come down to him.For what end. Description of the poor inn he puts up at in disguise; andof the innocent daughter there, whom he calls his Rosebud. He resolvesto spare her. Pride and policy his motives, and not principle. Ingenuousreflections on his own vicious disposition. He had been a rogue, hesays, had he been a plough-boy. Resolves on an act of generosity forhis Rosebud, by way of atonement, as he calls it, for some of his badactions; and for other reasons which appear in the sequel.
LETTER XXXV. From the same.--His artful contrivances and dealings withJoseph Leman. His revenge and his love uppermost by turns. If the lattersucceeds not, he vows that the Harlowes shall feel the former, althoughfor it he become an exile from his country forever. He will throwhimself into Clarissa's presence in the woodhouse. If he thought he hadno prospect of her favour, he would attempt to carry her off: that, hesays, would be a rape worthy of a Jupiter. The arts he is resolved topractise when he sees her, in order to engage her future reliance uponhis honour.
LETTER XXXVI. Clarissa to Miss Howe.--Lovelace, in disguise, surprisesher in the woodhouse. Her terrors on first seeing him. He greatlyengages her confidence (as he had designed) by his respectful behaviour.
LETTER XXXVII. Miss Howe to Clarissa.--After rallying her on her notreadily owning the passion which she supposes she has for Lovelace, shedesires to know how far she thinks him eligible for his best qualities,how far rejectable for his worst.
LETTER XXXVIII. XXXIX. Clarissa to Miss Howe.--She disclaims tyranny toa man who respects her. Her unhappy situation to be considered, inwhich the imputed love is held by her parents to be an undutiful, andtherefore a criminal passion, and where the supposed object of it is aman of faulty morals. Is interrupted by a visit from Mrs. Norton, whois sent up to her to influence her in Solmes's favour. An affectingconversation between
them. What passes upon it, and after it.
LETTER XL. From the same.--Resumes the requested subject. What sort ofman she could have preferred to Mr. Lovelace. Arguments she has used toherself in his favour, and in his disfavour. Frankly owns that were henow a moral man, she would prefer him to all the men she ever saw. Yetis persuaded, that she could freely give up the one man to get rid ofthe other, as she had offered to her friends. Her delicacy affectedby Miss Howe's raillery; and why. Gives her opinion of the force whichfigure or person may be allowed to have upon her sex.
LETTER XLI. From the same.--A letter from her mother (with patterns ofrich silks) in which she entreats her to comply with all their wishes.What ought to be the principal view of a good wife in adorning herperson. Her distress. Begs leave to wait upon her mother alone. Herfather's angry letter, ordering her to prepare for her wedding-day.Solmes requests to see her. She refuses. All in tumults below uponit. Her brother and her sister desire that she may be left to theirmanagement.
LETTER XLII. From the same.--A very warm dialogue between her sisterand her. Her sister's envy, unnatural behaviour, and violence. Clarissasends down proposals in writing to her friends, and a letter to herbrother. His insolent answer; in which he tells her, that her proposalwill be considered in full assembly next morning; but that, if theyshall be complied with, he will retire to Scotland, and never morereturn to Harlowe-place.
LETTER XLIII. Clarissa to Miss Howe.--Hardly doubts but her proposalswill be accepted. Paints to herself, as her relations arrive one by one,what their deliberations, and the result of them will be, when they areall assembled. Her proposals rejected. Her sister's cruel insults on theoccasion produce another warm dialogue between them. Her sister leavesher in a fury. She is greatly disturbed at the contents of a letter fromLovelace.
LETTER XLIV. From the same.--Her aunt Hervey, accompanied by her sister,makes her a visit. Farther insults from her sister. Her aunt's fruitlesspleas in Solmes's favour.
THE HISTORY OF CLARISSA HARLOWE