To the Editor of the Piece intituled PAMELA; or, VIRTUE Rewarded.

DEAR SIR,

Have had inexpreffible pleasure in the perufal of your PAMELA. It entirely anivers the character you give of it in your Preface; nor have you faid one word too much in commendation of a piece that has advantages and excellencies peculiar to itfelf. For, beides the beautiful fimplicity of the file, and a happy propriety and clearness of expreffion, (the Letters being written under the immediate impreffion of every circumstance which occafioned them, and that to thofe who had a right to know the fair writer's most fecret thoughts) the feveral paffions of the mind muft, of courfe, be more affectingly defcribed, and Nature may be traced in her undifguifed inclinations with much more propriety and exactness than can poffibly be found in a detail of actions long paft, which are never recollected with the fame affections, hopes, and dreads, with which they were felt when they occurred.

This little book will infallibly be looked upon as the hitherto much-wanted ftandard or pattern for this kind of writing: for it abounds with lively images and pictures; with incidents natural, furprizing, and perfectly adapted to the ftory; with circumstances interefting to perfons in common life, as well as to thofe in exalted stations. The greatest regard is every-where paid in it to decency, and to every duty of life: there is a conftant fitness of the file to the perfons and characters described; pleasure and inftruction here always go hand in hand; vice and virtue are fet in conftant oppofition, and religion every where inculcated in it's native beauty, and cheerful amiableness; not dreffed up in ftiff, melancholy, or gloomy forms, on one hand; nor yet, on the other, debafed below it's due dignity, and noble requifites, in compliment to a too fashionable, but depraved tafte. And this I will boldly fay, that if it's numerous beauties are added to it's excellent tendency, it will be found worthy a place, not only in all families, (especially fuch as have in them young perfons of either fex) but in the collections of the most curious and polite readers. For as it borrows none of it's excellencies from the romantick flights of unnatural fancy, it's being founded in truth and nature, and built upon experience, will be a lasting recommendation to the difcerning and judicious; while the agreeable variety of occurrences and characters, in which it abounds, will not fail to engage the attention of the gay and more fprightly readers.

The moral reflections and uses to be drawn from the feveral parts of this admirable hiftory, are to happily deduced from a crowd of different events and characters, in the conclufion of the work, that I fhall. fay the lefs on that head. But, I think, the hints you have given me, fhould alfo prefatorily be given to the publick; viz. That it will ap

pear

pear from feveral things mentioned in the letters, that the ftory muft have happened within thefe thirty years paft: that you have been obliged to vary fome of the names of perfons, places, &c. and to difguife a few of the circumftances, in order to avoid giving offence to fome perfons, who would not chufe to be pointed out too plainly in it; though they would be glad it may do the good fo laudably intended by the publication. And as you have in confidence fubmitted to my opinion fome of thofe variations, I am much pleased, that you have fo managed the matter, as to make no alteration in the facts; and, at the fame time, have avoided the digreffive prolixity too frequently made ufe of on fuch occafions.

Little Book, Charming PAMELA! face the world, and never doubt of finding friends and admirers, not only in thine own country, but far from home. The reigning depravity of the times has yet left Virtue many votaries. Of their protection you need not defpair. May every headstrong libertine, whofe hands you reach, be reclaimed; and every tempted virgin who reads you, imitate the virtue, and meet the reward of the high-meriting, though low defcended PAMELA! I am, Sir, Your most obedient,

And faithful Servant,

J. B. D. F.

To

To my worthy Friend the Editor of PAMELA.

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SIR,

Return the manufcript of Pamela by the bearer, which I have read with a great deal of pleasure. It is written with that spirit of truth, and agreeable fimplicity, which, though much wanted, is feldom found in thofe pieces which are calculated for the entertainment and inftruction of the publick. It carries conviction in every part of it; and the incidents are fo natural and interefling, that I have gone hand-in-hand, and fympathized with the pretty heroine in all her fufferings, and been extremely anxious for her fafety, under the apprehenfions of the bad confequences which I expected, every page, would enfue from the laudable refiftance fhe made. I have interested myself. in, all her fchemes of efcape; been alternately pleafed and angry with her in her reftraint; pleafed with the little machinations and contrivances the fet on foot for her release, and angry for fuffering her fear to defeat them; always lamenting, with a molt fenfible concern, the miscarriages of her hopes and projects. In fhort, the whole is fo affecting, that there is no reading it without uncommon concern and emotion. Thus far only as to the entertainment it gives.

As to inftruction and morality, the piece is full of both. It fhews virtue in the strongest light, and renders the practice of it amiable and lovely. The beautiful fufferer keeps it ever in her view, without the least oftentation or pride; fhe has it fo ftrongly implanted in her, that, through the whole courfe of her fufferings, he does not fo much as hefitate once whether the fhall facrifice it to liberty and ambition, or not; but, as if there were no other way to free and fave herfelf, carries on a determined purpose to perfevere in her innocence, and wade with it throughout all difficulties and temptations, or perish under them. It is furprifing, and exemplary, that a young perfon, fo circumftanced as he was, could, in contempt of proffered grandeur on the one fide, and in defiance of penury on the other, fo happily and prudently conduct he. felf through fuch a feries of perplexities and troubles, and with fland the alluring baits and offers of a fine gentleman, fo generally admired and eftecmed for the agreeablenefs of his perfon and his good qualities, defeat all his meatures with fo much addrefs, and oblige him, at laft, to give over his purfait, and facrifice his pride and ambition to virtue, and become the protetor of that innocence which he fo long and fo indefatigably laboured to fupplant: and all this without ever having entertained the lealt previous defign or thought for that purpofe: no art ufed to inflame him; no coquetry practifed to tempt or entice him; and no pradery or affecta. tion to tamper with his paffions; but, on the contrary, artless and unpractifed in the wiles of the world, all her endeavours, and even all her wishes, tended only to render herfelf as unamiable as fhe could in his eyes; though at the fame time the is fo far from having any averfion to his perfon, that fhe feems rather prepoffeffed in his favour, and admires his excellences, while fhe condemns his paffion for her. A glorious inftance of felf-denial. Thus her very repulfes became attractions: the more fhe refifted, the more fhe charmed; and the very means she used to guard her virtue, the more endangered it, by in

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flaming his paffions: till at last, by perfeverance, and a refolute defence, the befieged not only obtained a glorious victory over the befieger, but took him prifoner too.

I am charmed with the beautiful reflections fhe makes in the courfe of her diftreffes; her foliloquies, and little reafonings with herfelf, are exceeding pretty and entertaining: fhe pours out all her foul in them before her parents without difguife; fo that one may judge of, nay almost fee, the inmoft receffes of her mind. A pure, clear fountain of truth and innocence; a magazine of virtue, and unblemished thoughts!

I cannot conceive why you should hefitate a moment as to the publication of this very natural and uncommon piece. I could with to fee it out in it's own native fimplicity, which will affect and please the reader beyond all the ftrokes of oratory in the world; for thofe will but fpoil it: and fhould you permit fuch a murdering hand to be laid upon it, to glofs and tinge it over with fuperfluous and needlefs decorations, which, like too much drapery in fculpture and ftatuary, will but encumber it; it may difguise the facts, mar the reflections, and unnaturalize the incidents, fo as to be loft in a multiplicity of fine idle words and phrafes, and reduce our fterling fubflance into an empty fhadow, or rather frenchify our English folidity into froth and whipfyllabub. No; let us have Pamela as Pamela wrote it; in her own words, without amputation or addition. Produce her to us in her neat country-apparel, fuch as the appeared in on her intended departure to her parents; for fuch beft becomes her innocence and beautiful fimplicity. Such a drefs will beft edify and entertain. The flowing robes of oratory may indeed amuse and amaze, but will never strike the mind with folid attention.

In fhort, Sir, a piece of this kind is much wanted in the world, which is too much, as well as too early, debauched by pernicious novels. I know nothing entertaining of that kind, that one might venture to recommend to the perufal (much lefs the imitation) of the youth of either fex: all that I have hitherto read, tends only to corrupt their principles, mislead their judgments, and initiate them into gallantry and loofe pleasures.

Publish, then, this good, this edifying and inftructive little piece, for their fakes. The honour of Pamela's fex demands Pamela at your hands, to fhew the world an heroine, almost beyond example, in an unusual scene of life, whom no temptations or fufferings could fubdue. It is a fine and glorious original for the fair to copy out and imitate. Our own fex, too, require it of you, to free us, in some meafure, from the imputation of being incapable of the impreffions of virtue and honour.

In short, the caufe of virtue calls for the publication of fuch a piece as this. Oblige then, Sir, the concurrent voices of both fexes, and give us Pamela for the benefit of mankind. It will form the tender minds of youth for the reception and practice of virtue and honour; confirm and establish thofe of maturer years on good and steady principles; reclaim the vicious, and mend the age in general: infomuch. that as I doubt not Pamela will become the bright example and imitation of all the fashionable young ladies of Great Britain; fo the truly generous benefactor and rewarder of her exemplary virtue will be no lefs admired and imitated among the beau monde of our own fex. I am, Your affectionate Friend, &c.

TH

Introduction to the present Edition.

HE kind reception which this piece has met with from the publick, deferves not only acknowledgment, but that fome notice should be taken of objections that have come to hand against it.

But difficulties having arifen from different opinions, fome applauding the very things that others found fault with, we have thought it neceffary to infert the Praijer in the following letters, with the critical remarks; because the writer has fo kindly mixed them, that they cannot be disjoined (however earnestly the author of the piece defired it) without obfcuring, and, indeed, defacing, all the fpirit of the reafoning.

TO THE EDITOR OF PAMELA.

DEAR SIR,

YOU have agreeably deceived me into a furprize, which it will be as hard to express, as the beauties of PAMELA. Though I opened this powerful little piece with more expectation than from common defigns, of like promife, because it came from your hands, for my daughters; yet, who could have dreamt, he fhould find, under the modeft difguife of a novel, all the foul of religion, good-breeding, difcretion, good-nature, wit, fancy, fine thought, and morality?-I have done nothing but read it to others, and hear others again read it to me, ever fince it came into my hands; and I find I am likely to do nothing elfe, for I know not how long yet to come: becaufe, if I lay the book down, it comes after me.-When it has dwelt all day long upon the ear, it takes pofkfhion all night of the fancy. It has witchcraft in every page of it; but it is the witchcraft of paffion and meaning. Who is there that will not defpife the falfe, empty pomp of the poets, when he obierves in this little unpretending, mild triumph of nature, the whole force of invention and genius, creat ing new powers of emotion, and tranfplanting ideas of pleasure into that unweeded low garden the heart, from the dry and sharp fummit of reafon.

Yet, I confefs there is one in the world, of whom, I think with ftill greater re fpect, than of PAMELA; and That is, of the AUTHOR of PAMELA.-Pray, who is he, dear Sir? and where and how has he been able to hide, hitherto, fuch an incircling and all-mastering fpirit? He poffeffes every quality that ART could have charmed by; yet has lent it to, and concealed it in, NATURE.—The comprehenfiveness of his imagination must be truly prodigious! It has ftretched out this di minutive mere grain of mustard-feed (a poor girl's little, innocent ftory) into a refemblance of that heaven, which the best of good books has compared it to.-All the paffions are his, in their most close and abstracted recesses; and by selecting the molt delicate, and yet, at the fame time, moft powerful, of the fprings, thereby to act, wind, and manage, the heart, he nerves us, every-where, with the force of & TRAGEDY. WHAT is there, throughout the whole, that I do not fincerely a Imire!-I admire, in it, the ftrong diftinguishing variety, and picturefque glowing likeness to life, of the characters. I know, hear, fee, and live among them all; and, if I could paint, could return you their faces. I admire, in it, the noble fimplicity, force, aptnefs and truth, of fo many modeft, economical, moral, prudential, religious, fatirical, and cautionary leffons; which are introduced with fich feafonable dexterity, and with to polished and exquifite a delicacy of expreffion and fentiment, that I am only apprehenfive for the interefts of virtue, lett icme of the finest,

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and