Clarissa Harlowe; or the history of a young lady — Volume 8

by Samuel Richardson

  LETTER XLI

  MR. BRAND, TO JOHN HARLOWE, ESQ.[ENCLOSED IN THE PRECEDING.]

  WORTHY SIR, MY VERY GOOD FRIEND AND PATRON,

  I arrived in town yesterday, after a tolerably pleasant journey(considering the hot weather and dusty roads). I put up at the Bull andGate in Holborn, and hastened to Covent-garden. I soon found the housewhere the unhappy lady lodgeth. And, in the back shop, had a good dealof discourse* with Mrs. Smith, (her landlady,) whom I found to be so'highly prepossessed'** in her 'favour,' that I saw it would not answeryour desires to take my informations 'altogether' from her: and beingobliged to attend my patron, (who to my sorrow,

  * See Vol. VII. Letter LXXXI.** Transcriber's note: Mr. Brand's letters are characterized by a stylethat makes excessive use of italics for emphasis. Although in theremainder of _Clarissa_ I have largely disregarded italics for the sakeof plain-text formatting, this style makes such emphatic use of italicsthat I have indicated all such instances in his letters by placing theitalicized words and phrases in quotations, thus ' '.

  'Miserum et aliena vivere quadra,')

  I find wanteth much waiting upon, and is 'another' sort of man than hewas at college: for, Sir, 'inter nos,' 'honours change manners.' For the'aforesaid causes,' I thought it would best answer all the ends of thecommission with which you honoured me, to engage, in the desiredscrutiny, the wife of a 'particular friend,' who liveth almostover-against the house where she lodgeth, and who is a gentlewoman of'character,' and 'sobriety,' a 'mother of children,' and one who'knoweth' the 'world' well.

  To her I applied myself, therefore, and gave her a short history of thecase, and desired she would very particularly inquire into the 'conduct'of the unhappy young lady; her 'present way of life' and 'subsistence';her 'visiters,' her 'employments,' and such-like: for these, Sir, youknow, are the things whereof you wished to be informed.

  Accordingly, Sir, I waited upon the gentlewoman aforesaid, this day; and,to 'my' very great trouble, (because I know it will be to 'your's,' andlikewise to all your worthy family's,) I must say, that I do find thingslook a little more 'darkly' than I hoped the would. For, alas! Sir, thegentlewoman's report turneth out not so 'favourable' for Miss'sreputation, as 'I' wished, as 'you' wished, and as 'every one' of herfriends wished. But so it is throughout the world, that 'one false step'generally brings on 'another'; and peradventure 'a worse,' and 'a stillworse'; till the poor 'limed soul' (a very fit epithet of the DivineQuarles's!) is quite 'entangled,' and (without infinite mercy) lost forever.

  It seemeth, Sir, she is, notwithstanding, in a very 'ill state ofhealth.' In this, 'both' gentlewomen (that is to say, Mrs. Smith, herlandlady, and my friend's wife) agree. Yet she goeth often out in achair, to 'prayers' (as it is said). But my friend's wife told me, thatnothing is more common in London, than that the frequenting of the churchat morning prayers is made the 'pretence' and 'cover' for 'privateassignations.' What a sad thing is this! that what was designed for'wholesome nourishment' to the 'poor soul,' should be turned into 'rankpoison!' But as Mr. Daniel de Foe (an ingenious man, though a'dissenter') observeth (but indeed it is an old proverb; only I think hewas the first that put it into verse)

  God never had a house of pray'r But Satan had a chapel there.

  Yet to do the lady 'justice,' nobody cometh home with her: nor indeed'can' they, because she goeth forward and backward in a 'sedan,' or'chair,' (as they call it). But then there is a gentleman of 'no goodcharacter' (an 'intimado' of Mr. Lovelace) who is a 'constant' visiterof her, and of the people of the house, whom he 'regaleth' and'treateth,' and hath (of consequence) their 'high good words.'

  I have thereupon taken the trouble (for I love to be 'exact' in any'commission' I undertake) to inquire 'particularly' about this'gentleman,' as he is called (albeit I hold no man so but by his actions:for, as Juvenal saith,

  --'Nobilitas sola est, atque unica virtus')

  And this I did 'before' I would sit down to write to you.

  His name is Belford. He hath a paternal estate of upwards of onethousand pounds by the year; and is now in mourning for an uncle who lefthim very considerably besides. He beareth a very profligate character asto 'women,' (for I inquired particularly about 'that,') and is Mr.Lovelace's more especial 'privado,' with whom he holdeth a 'regularcorrespondence'; and hath been often seen with Miss (tete a tete) at the'window'--in no 'bad way,' indeed: but my friend's wife is of opinionthat all is not 'as it should be.' And, indeed, it is mighty strange tome, if Miss be so 'notable a penitent' (as is represented) and if shehave such an 'aversion' to Mr. Lovelace, that she will admit his'privado' into 'her retirements,' and see 'no other company.'

  I understand, from Mrs. Smith, that Mr. Hickman was to see her some timeago, from Miss Howe; and I am told, by 'another' hand, (you see, Sir, howdiligent I have been to execute the 'commissions' you gave me,) that hehad no 'extraordinary opinion' of this Belford at first; though they wereseen together one morning by the opposite neighbour, at 'breakfast': andanother time this Belford was observed to 'watch' Mr. Hickman's comingfrom her; so that, as it should seem, he was mighty zealous to'ingratiate' himself with Mr. Hickman; no doubt to engage him to make a'favourable report to Miss Howe' of the 'intimacy' he was admitted intoby her unhappy friend; who ('as she is very ill') may 'mean no harm' inallowing his visits, (for he, it seemeth, brought to her, or recommended,at least, the doctor and apothecary that attend her:) but I think (uponthe whole) 'it looketh not well.'

  I am sorry, Sir, I cannot give you a better account of the young lady's'prudence.' But, what shall we say?

  'Uvaque conspecta livorem ducit ab uva,'

  as Juvenal observeth.

  One thing I am afraid of; which is, that Miss may be under 'necessities';and that this Belford (who, as Mrs. Smith owns, hath 'offered her money,'which she, 'at the time,' refused) may find an opportunity to 'takeadvantage' of those 'necessities': and it is well observed by that poet,that

  'AEgre formosam poteris servare puellam: Nunc prece, nunc pretio, forma petita ruit.'

  And this Belford (who is a 'bold man,' and hath, as they say, the 'look'of one) may make good that of Horace, (with whose writings you are sowell acquainted; nobody better;)

  'Audax omnia perpeti, Gens humana ruit per vetitum nefas.'

  Forgive me, Sir, for what I am going to write: but if you could prevailupon the rest of your family to join in the scheme which 'you,' and her'virtuous sister,' Miss Arabella, and the Archdeacon, and I, once talkedof, (which is to persuade the unhappy young lady to go, in some'creditable' manner, to some one of the foreign colonies,) it might notsave only her 'own credit' and 'reputation,' but the 'reputation' and'credit' of all her 'family,' and a great deal of 'vexation' moreover.For it is my humble opinion, that you will hardly (any of you) enjoyyourselves while this ('once' innocent) young lady is in the way of beingso frequently heard of by you: and this would put her 'out of the way'both of 'this Belford' and of 'that Lovelace,' and it might,peradventure, prevent as much 'evil' as 'scandal.'

  You will forgive me, Sir, for this my 'plainness.' Ovid pleadeth for me,

  '----Adulator nullus amicus erit.'

  And I have no view but that of approving myself a 'zealous well-wisher'to 'all' your worthy family, (whereto I owe a great number ofobligations,) and very particularly, Sir,

  Your obliged and humble servant,ELIAS BRAND.

  WEDN. AUG. 9.

  P.S. I shall give you 'farther hints' when I come down, (which will be in a few days;) and who my 'informants' were; but by 'these' you will see, that I have been very assiduous (for the time) in the task you set me upon.

  The 'length' of my letter you will excuse: for I need not tell you, Sir, what 'narrative,' 'complex,' and 'conversation' letters (such a one as 'mine') require. Every one to his 'talent.' 'Letter-writing' is mine. I will be bold to say; and that my 'correspondence' was much coveted in the university, on that account, by 't
yros,' and by 'sophs,' when I was hardly a 'soph' myself. But this I should not have taken upon myself to mention, but only in defence of the 'length' of my letter; for nobody writeth 'shorter' or 'pithier,' when the subject requireth 'common forms' only--but, in apologizing for my 'prolixity,' I am 'adding' to the 'fault,' (if it were one, which, however, I cannot think it to be, the 'subject' considered: but this I have said before in other words:) so, Sir, if you will excuse my 'post-script,' I am sure you will not find fault with my 'letter.'

  One word more as to a matter of 'erudition,' which you greatly love to hear me 'start' and 'dwell upon.' Dr. Lewen once, in 'your' presence, (as you, 'my good patron,' cannot but remember,) in a 'smartish' kind of debate between 'him' and 'me,' took upon him to censure the 'paranthetical' style, as I call it. He was a very learned and judicious man, to be sure, and an ornament to 'our function': but yet I must needs say, that it is a style which I greatly like; and the good Doctor was then past his 'youth,' and that time of life, of consequence, when a 'fertile imagination,' and a 'rich fancy,' pour in ideas so fast upon a writer, that parentheses are often wanted (and that for the sake of 'brevity,' as well as 'perspicuity') to save the reader the trouble of reading a passage 'more than once.' Every man to his talent, (as I said before.) We are all so apt to set up our 'natural biasses' for 'general standards,' that I wondered 'the less' at the worthy Doctor's 'stiffness' on this occasion. He 'smiled at me,' you may remember, Sir--and, whether I was right or not, I am sure I 'smiled at him.' And 'you,' my 'worthy patron,' (as I had the satisfaction to observe,) seemed to be of 'my party.' But was it not strange, that the 'old gentleman' and 'I' should so widely differ, when the 'end' with 'both' (that is to say, 'perspicuity' or 'clearness,') was the same?--But what shall we say?--

  'Errare est hominis, sed non persistere.'

  I think I have nothing to add until I have the honour of attending you in 'person'; but I am, (as above,) &c. &c. &c.

  E.B.