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PREFACE.

THE following History is given those other moral duties which in a Series of Letters, written bind man to man. principally in a double, yet separate correspondence;

On the contrary, it will be found, in the progress of the work, that they very often make such reflections upon each other, and each upon himself and his own actions, as reasonable beings must make, who disbelieve not a future state

Between two young ladies of virtue and honour, bearing an inviolable friendship for each other, and writing not merely for amusement, but upon the most interesting subjects; in which every pri- of rewards and punishments, and vate family, more or less, may find itself concerned: and,

Between two gentlemen of free lives; one of them glorying in his talents for stratagem and invention, and communicating to the other, in confidence, all the secret purposes of an intriguing head and resolute heart.

who one day propose to reform One of them actually reforming, and by that means giving an opportunity to censure the freedoms which fall from the gayer pen and lighter heart of the other.

And yet that other, although in unbosoming himself to a select friend, he discovers wickedness But here it will be proper to ob- enough to entitle him to general serve, for the sake of such as may detestation, preserves a decency, apprehend hurt to the morals of as well in his images as in his youth, from the more freely language, which is not always to written letters that the gentle- be found in the works of some men, though professed libertines of the most celebrated modern as to the female sex, and making writers, whose subjects and charit one of their wicked maxims, to acters have less warranted the keep no faith with any of the in- liberties they have taken. dividuals of it, who are thrown In the letters of the two young into their power, are not, how- ladies, it is presumed, will be ever, either infidels or scoffers; found not only the highest exernor yet such as think themselves cise of a reasonable and practicable freed from the observance of friendship, between minds en

dowed with the noblest principles esteemed by the man whose heart of virtue and religion, but occa- was so corrupt, that he could sionally interspersed, such de- hardly believe human nature calicacy of sentiments, particularly pable of the purity, which, on every with regard to the other sex; such trial or temptation, shone out in instances of impartiality, each hers. freely, as a fundamental principle Besides the four principal perof their friendship, blaming, sons, several others are introduced, praising, and setting right the whose letters are characteristic: other, as are strongly to be re- and it is presumed, that there will commended to the observation of be found in some of them, but the younger part (more especially) more especially in those of the of female readers. chief character among the men,

The principal of these two and the second character among young ladies is proposed as an the women, such strokes of gaiety, exemplar to her sex. Nor is it fancy, and humour, as will enterany objection to her being so, tain and divert; and at the same that she is not in all respects a time both warn and instruct. perfect character. It was not All the letters are written while only natural, but it was necessary, the hearts of the writers must be that she should have some faults, supposed to be wholly engaged in were it only to shew the reader, their subjects (the events at the how laudably she could mistrust time generally dubious): so that and blame herself, and carry to they abound not only with critical her own heart, divested of self- situations, but with what may be partiality, the censure which arose called instantaneous descriptions from her own convictions, and that and reflections (proper to be even to the acquittal of those, be- brought home to the breast of the cause revered characters, whom youthful reader); as also with no one else would acquit, and affecting conversations; many of to whose much greater faults her them written in the dialogue or errors were owing, and not to a dramatic way.

weak or reproachable heart. As "Much more lively and affectfar as is consistent with human ing, says one of the principal frailty, and as far as she could be characters, (Vol. IV.) must be the perfect, considering the people style of those who write in the she had to deal with, and those height of a present distress; the with whom she was inseparably mind tortured by the pangs of unconnected, she is perfect. To have certainty (the events then hidden been impeccable, must have left in the womb of fate); than the dry, nothing for the Divine Grace and narrative, unanimated style of a Purified State to do, and carried a person relating difficulties and our idea of her from woman to dangers surmounted, can be; the angel. As such is she often relater perfectly at ease; and if

himself umoved by his own story, upon the perusal of the piece benot likely greatly to affect the fore them, as if it were designed reader." only to divert and amuse. It will What will be found to be more probably be thought tedious to all particularly aimed at in the such as dip into it, expecting a following work, is to warn the light novel, or transitory romance; inconsiderate and thoughtless of and look upon the story in it the one sex, against the base arts (interesting as that is generally and designs of specious contrivers allowed to be) as its sole end, of the other to caution parents rather than as a vehicle to the against the undue exercise of their instruction.

natural authority over their chil- Different persons, as might be dren in the great article of mar- expected, have been of different riage to warn children against opinions, in relation to the conpreferring a man of pleasure to a duct of the heroine in partiman of probity, upon that danger- cular situations; and several ous but too commonly received no- very worthy persons have objected tion, that a reformed rake makes the to the general catastrophe, and best husband but above all, to other parts of the History. Whatinvestigate the highest and most ever is thought material of these important doctrines not only of shall be taken notice of by way of morality, but of Christianity, by POSTSCRIPT, at the conclusion of the shewing them thrown into action History; for this work being adin the conduct of the worthy char- dressed to the public as a history acters while the unworthy, who of life and manners, those parts of set those doctrines at defiance, are condignly, and, as it may be said, consequentially punished.

it which are proposed to carry with them the force of an example, ought to be as unobjectionable as From what has been said, con- is consistent with the design of the siderate readers will not enter whole, and with human nature,

NAMES OF THE PRINCIPAL PERSONS.

Miss Clarissa Harlowe,
Robert Lovelace, Esq.
James Harlowe, Esq.
Mrs. Harlowe,
James Harlowe,
Arabella.

John Harlowe, Esq..
Antony Harlowe, Esq.
Roger Solmes, Esq.
Mrs. Hervey,
Miss Dolly Hervey,
Mrs. Judith Norton,
Col. Wm. Morden,
Miss Howe,.

Mrs. Howe,

Charles Hickman, Esq.
Earl of M.

Lady Sarah Sadleir,
Lady Betty Lawrence,
Miss Charl. Montague,
Miss Patty Montague,
Dr. Lewen,
Mr. Elias Brand
Dr. H.

Mr. Goddard,
John Belford. Esq.
Richard Mowbray,
Thomas Doleman, .
James Tourville,
Thomas Bellon

Mrs. Moore,.

Miss Rawlins,

Mrs. Bevis

Mrs. Sinclair,

Capt. Tomlinson,

Sally Martin,
Polly Horton,

Dorcas Wykes,.

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JA woman of great piety and discretion, who had a principal share in the education of Clarissa.

A near relation of the Harlowes.

The most intimate friend, companion, and correspondent of Clarissa.

Her mother.

An admirer of Miss Howe.

Uncle to Mr. Lovelace.

Sisters of Earl of M.

Nieces of the same nobleman.

A worthy divine.

A pedantic young clergyman.

A humane physician.

An honest and skilful apothecary.

Mr. Lovelace's principal intimate and confidant.

Esqrs. libertine friends of Mr. Lovelace.

A widow keeping a lodging-house at Hampstead.

A notable young gentlewoman there.

A lively young widow of the same place.

The pretended name of a private brothel-keeper at 1 London.

The assumed name of a vile pander to the debaucheries of Mr. Lovelace.

Assistants of, and partners with, the infamous Sinclair. An artful servant in the vile house.

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