though they may have none of Lady Davers's infolence, will be apt to feel one of her fears that the example of a gentleman fo amiable as Mr. B may be followed by the Jackies, their fons, with too blind and unreflecting a readiness. Nor does the anfwer of that gentleman to his fifter's reproach come quite up to the point they will reft on. For, though indeed it is true, all the world would acquit the belt gentleman in it, if he married fuch a waiting-maid as Pamela, yet there is an ill-defigning partiality, in paffion, that will overthrow all the force of that argument; becaufe every beloved maid will be PAMELA, in a judgment obfcured by her influence.

6

And, fince the ground of this fear will feem folid, I do not know how to be easy, till it is fhewn (nor ought it to be left to the author's modefty) that they who con⚫fider his defign in that light will be found but fhort-fighted obfervers.

Request it of him, then, to fuffer it to be told them, that not a limited, but gene'ral, excitement to virtue, was the firit and great end to his ftory: and that this ex⚫citement must have been deficient, and very imperfectly offered, if he had not looked quite as low as he could for his example; becaufe if there had been any degree or condition, more remote from the profpect, than that which he had chofen to work on, that degree might have feemed out of reach of the hope, which it was his generous purpose to encourage-And fo he was under an evident necefity to find fuch a jewel in a cottage; and expofed, too, as the was, to the fevereft diftreffes of fortune, with parents unable to fupport their own lives, but from the daily hard pro'd:&t of labour.

Nor would it have been fufficient to have placed her thus low and diftrefful, if he had not alfo fuppofed her a fervant; and that too in fome elegant family; for if she had always remained a fellow-cottager with her father, it malt have car⚫ried an air of romantick improbability to account for her polite education.

• If the had wanted those improvements, which the found means to acquire in her fervice, it would have been very unlikely that the fhould have fucceeded fo well; and had destroyed one great use of the story, to have allowed fuch uncornmon felicity to the effect of mere perfonal beauty-And it had not been judicious to have reprefented her as educated in a fuperior condition of life with the proper accomplishments, before she became reduced by misfortunes, and fo not a fervant, but rather an orphan under hopeless diftreffes-because opportunities which had made it no wonder how the came to be fo winningly qualified, would have lessened her merit in being fo. And, befides, where had then been the purpofed excite⚫ment of perfons in PAMELA's condition of life, by an emulation of her sweetness, humility, modefty, patience, and industry, to attain fome faint hope of arriving, in time, within view of her happiness?-And what a delightful reformation should 'we fee, in all families, where the vanity of their maids took no turn towards ambition to please, but by fuch innocent meafures as PAMELA's!

As it is clear, then, the author was under a ne effity to fuppofe her a fervant, he is not to be accountable for mistaken impreffions, which the charmus he has given her may happen to make, on wrong heads, or weak hearts, though in favour of maids the reverie of her likeness.

"What is it then," they may fay, "that the lownefs, and distance of Pamela's "condition from the gentleman's who married her, propofes to teach the gay world, "and the fortunate?"-It is this.-By comparifon with that infinite remoteness of ⚫her condition from the reward which her virtue procured her, one great proof is ⚫ derived (which is part of the moral of PAMELA) that advantages from birth, and distinction of fortune, have no power at all when confidered against those from bebaviour and temper of mind: because where the last are not added, all the firft will be boafted in vain: whereas fhe who poffeffes the laf, finds no want of the first, in her influence.

In that light alone let the ladies of rank look at PAMELA. Such an alarming ⚫ reflection as that, will, at the fame time that it raifes the hope and ambition of the bumble, correct and mortify the difdain of the proud: for it will compel them to ⚫ obferve, and acknowledge, that it is the turn of their mind, not the claims of their quality, by which (and which only) women's charms can be lafing: and that, C

while

while the baughty expectations, infeparable from an elevated rank, ferve but to multiply it's complaints and afflictions, the condefcenfions of accomplished humility, attracting pity, affection, and reverence, fecure an hourly increase of felicity. So that the moral meaning of PAMELA'S good-fortune, far from tempting young gentlemen to marry fuch maids as are found in their families, is, by teaching maids to deferve to be mistresses, to ftir up miftreffes to fupport their dif tination.

VERSES

Verfes fent to the Bookfeller; directed to the

unknown Author of Pamela.

LEST be thy pow'rful pen, whoe'er thou art,

Where hast thou lain conceal'd?-or why thought fit,
At this dire period, to unveil thy wit?

O! late befriended ifle! had this broad blaze,
With earlier beamings, blefs'd our fathers' days,
The pilot radiance pointing out the fource,
Whence publick health derives it's moral courfe,
Each timely draught fome healing pow'r had shown,
Ere gen'ral gangrene blacken'd to the bone.
But, feft'ring now, beyond all fenfe of pain,
'Tis hopeless; and the helper's hand is vain.

Sweet Pamela! for ever blooming maid!
Thou dear, unliving, yet immortal, shade!
Why are thy virtues fcatter'd to the wind?
Why are thy beauties flah'd upon the blind?

What tho' thy flutt'ring fex might learn, from thee,
That merit forms a rank, above degree?
That pride too confcious, falls, from ev'ry claim,
While humble fweetness climbs, beyond it's aim?
What tho' religion fmiling from thy eyes,
Shews her plain pow'r, and charms without difguife?
What tho' thy warmly-pleafing moral fcheme
Gives livelier rapture than the loofe can dream?
What tho' thou build't, by thy perfuafive life,
Maid, child, friend, miftrefs, mother, neighbour, wife?
Tho' tafte like thine each void of time can fill,
Unfunk by fpleen, unquicken'd by quadrille !
What tho' 'us thine to blefs the lengthen'd hour!.
Give prmanence to joy, and use to pow'r!
Lend late-felt blufhes to the vain and Smart,
And fqueeze crampt pity from the mifer's heart!
What, tho' 'tis thine to hufh the marriage breeze,
Teach liberty to tire, and chains to please?
Thine, tho' from itiffness to divest restraint,
And to the charm.r, reconcile the faint?
Tho' files and tears obey thy moving skill,
And Paton's ruffled empire waits thy wili!

Cz

Tho

Tho' thine the fancied fields. of flow'ry wit,

Thine, Art's whole pow'r in Nature's language writ!
Thine, to convey ftrong thought, with modeft eafe,
And, copying converfe, teach it's file to please!
Tho' thine each virtue, that a god could lend;
Thine ev'ry help, that ev'ry heart can mend
"Tis thine in vain!-Thou wak'ft a dying land,
And lift'ft departed hope, with fruitless hand:
Death has NO CURE. Thou haft mif-tim'd thy aim,
Rome had her GOTHS; and all, beyond, was fhame.

PAMELA.