RICHARDSON 307 uncertain, his son Samuel was born in 1689. As a little boy he was very grave and earnest, preferred the society of women, and, characteristically, earned his first money by composing letters for people who could not write for themselves. His father was too poor to give him the necessary education to study for the Church, which was his obvious career. Throughout his life Richardson suffered from the insufficiency of his early training. In 1706 he was apprenticed to a printer in London, was a long while serving as a diligent compositor and press corrector, and finally, in 1719, was able to start in business for himself in Fleet Street, and then in Salisbury Court. Speaker Onslow employed him to print the Journals of the House of Commons. He slowly prospered, and indulged in a handsome brick house at North End, Fulham. Meanwhile, in 1739, some publishers, conscious of his epistolary facility, persuaded him to compose a collection of Familiar Letters, to be issued as a guide to the illiterate. He undertook this task, presently bethought him of a chain of incidents and a moral purpose, and in 1740-41 produced, in four volumes, and as a separate work, what is usually called the first English novel of manners, Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded. This work, or at least the earlier instalment of it, enjoyed a great popularity, but Richardson was slow in following it up. His next book, Clarissa; or, The History of a Young Lady, did not appear until 1747-48, and of this novel, a production vastly superior in conception and execution to Illustration by Stothard to "Clarissa" Pamela, the success was extraordinary. The strangest legends are on record to exemplify the hysterical anxiety with which most women and some men followed the slowly developed fortunes of so much "merit and innocence and beauty." A still more complicated study of modern life followed in 1754 in the shape of the adventures of the incomparable Sir Charles Grandison. This was the apogee of Richardson's career. Extremely famous, and the centre of a choir of adoring women, he slackened the activity of his business, was elected Master of the Stationers' Company, and moved to a house at Parson's Green. He wrote no more books, but continued to attend in a measure to his business as a printer, and rebuilt his premises at Salisbury Court on a handsomer scale. He died of apoplexy, with which he had long been threatened, on the 4th of July 1761, in London. There was little external incident in this decorous and prosperous life. Richardson was married twice and had twelve children, so many of whom died early that by 1741 his nerves-he suffered "eleven affecting deaths in two years "-had become permanently injured by the constant strain on his emotions. All through middle life he was the victim of "sudden startings and dizziness," which made him extremely solicitous to avoid excitement. He has left, in one of his letters, a description of his person, so close and evidently faithful, that it enables us to reconstruct with exactitude the short, plump, ruddy printer, with his important manner, his grey eye "always on the ladies," toddling about among "the very large hoops" of his admirers with an expression "as if he would be thought wise, but perhaps the sillier for that." Richardson had some weaknesses; in particular, his vanity was great, and unfortunately it led him easily to the detraction of his contemporaries. He was "very shy of obtruding himself on persons of condition," to whose company Lady Mary Wortley Montagu unkindly says that he was never admitted, but he watched their movements closely out of his keen, down-looking eyes. In that age, when successful authors easily took the fashionable world by storm, Richardson remained a tradesman. He was happiest with his pen in his hand, writing long epistles to his "dearest ladies," the younger of whom became at last so numerous that they called him in return their "dear papa." Of his correspondents the most enthusiastic and the most voluminous was a certain Lady Bradshaigh, to whom we owe much of our knowledge of the excellent little moralist. It should be pointed out that in each of his novels Richardson employs the form of letters, the only one in which he was at ease, for the evolution of his story. Illustration by Stothard to "Clarissa" FROM "CLARISSA." I am just returned from attending the afflicted parents in an effort they made to see the corpse of their beloved child. They had requested my company, and that of the good Mrs. Norton. A last leave, the Mother said, she must take. An effort, however, it was, and no more. The moment they came in sight of the coffin, before the lid could be put aside: "O my dear," said the Father, retreating, "I cannot, زندگی Your Letter, unfulforbed and without a Date, cause as well as wollent a Home, by the Perry Post on Fulfday last, inclofat in one from a Gentleman who sufferber W. S. " you in your You de five to know, if I concur with lating to the Compromise between Sir Charlos Grandigen and Clementina, in the Article of Religion. Those Sentiments are contamed in your Wisher, that I had given another Furn to it, and had gone further. in the Subject: "Der Jay yes, as fuck an Agreement is now almos a Point in Couple in the Mamage of Perfour of different Religious, if you head "made use of that Handle to expose the Inquity of fuck a Practice and pow Girls Souls were as much to be regarded of those Reasons which Boys, Jome Faw " more Service towards putting a Step to to wiehed a Practice, thes would have then Bong hik, unght have Force you the best het Discours's could have Love, Muthtudes of young People " of both Perfuafiour reading the one, who must have been retter Strang. " that "1 to the other." I am very much obliged to you, Sir, for your good Opomon of my dertaking, and is genome of the Execution, and of the Sevence to man. kind that may refult from it. Give me Leave to say, that I have shewn in the Volmes, when the Feljub requited it, that I have the Heraer to be of your Opimon, as to this Coraprowife. I have in Vol. 11. Octwo, p. 105, 106. made the Porshers (Clementina's Brother) then Jay to run Grandifon, after a debute between them on the low Religions, "You will call to mind, Chavation, that Church allows of a Poffi"bility of Salvation out of its Pole - own does not. "My Lord, "an fours she Chevalier, "Our Chaurale allows not of its thembers indulging there falvos in capi4 bol Emon, against Conviction." your " Mr. Grandifer was a gang Man: The pretends not to be divaled of Paffion. It isas neceffing to let les Powette Family, and the Reader, who, it was •supposed, would not be unconcerned in the Desting of Clementing fee, that be was defrow to make fome Sarri'fices, for those a the Family made, in confideration of to excellent a Crea bere, who had sufferd to unch, and was actually in a Stale of Justering for law Love of hom. What could be do encore, be ashes Dr. Barblatt, than to make fuck an Ala He confiders it as every great conceffion the west Relation, the Femin be must know, treat it yous, as yo offere, a too usual one, and the tell her warmest Facsimile Letter from Samuel Richardson to Dr. Cox Macro in answer to in particular, "that he would not have come into fuck a Compromife, no, not 11 is favour of a Pris refs, in a Beginning Address." Find this be says, and he poure to the generals Question, fucering by parts, "Which, Chevalier, wash obe poor Daughters have done, that they should have been lost to konditions And then just by him, when he knew that jour. Grandifon was of a olid in feire its Profeffors with move Charity, than does that which allows not Salvation out of its own Pake. 4 Religio Who theat thinks the Poweliz Ramity begotted, unus och have allound & han to think an Grandison fo. lcd be not made some fuch fort of Conceffor, a be expected seem to make; and even a much greater than be offered the For of the Chamily ;] And who were much more apguve benfive of sheem Steryls. Tos fidlarence to her Religion, if his wife, then lepeful of robed they catted Lin Converfior. The was Loves Conceffion are expected to be made in all Juhaninge - Preation; and from frang to what was proposed in theii) greater on the man's thean on the women Like, fines it is understood, that the Wife is more the Property of the Her band than the is here, and be therefore makes an Acquisition. Pecuniary Son crifices cand not have affected her. Grandifer. Nothing but what touched his Principles could. The west a severe tried to luna Clementine, at the Fine, was the only Womson be could have loved. He knew not the plight Agron: Bish we love Reader to belicae, from differins Park of the Story, these be thighs Cominoff not con happy that it was owning to Clementina Curfolg, and not to him, Eisch he was nd put upon carrying the; Compromise who that notwill reading the Frequency of fuck Stipulations in Marriage. Treatise between People of Lifferent Persuasion. Phat Hefe Offimaation lie feathered, as I may Jay; in differeal differeal Parts of this Rexy, or asing, a good deal to the manner of writing, to the Riement, as if may be cated, as Ocenfions amole as the Stery procceded it maner of writing, teak than do Commericnein and Inconveniensis. The latter, in fuck Cafés as that before us; the former, in giving Opportunition to deforibe the Agitation, that fill the start on a material and interesting Event being underiled. You will be pleased to obferve, that I had a very nice and diffients Task to manage. To convince vice and delicato Ladies, who might be imagined, wond fit in Judgement upon the Condast of a man in a Live- lafe, who was a. happated to be reary per fat, and proposed as a Pattern; that a Lady to excellent or lo mentina, off to high a Family and Fortuna; all her Relations adorning here, So deeply in Love with brin; yet to delicate in ther whole, Behaviour to bim; was not flighted by him. I hisse hard. He was to make some facrifino It lies Distress, are different Feeness of the Ptery, avere dily attended to the the cirap at bachol on the side of lesi Geroxoftly, bin Compaffion. bis Gratitude. Ces Love) togdier C. los withe lie stadfashef, in his Raike, I presume, that be wold be theory or a Ane baffer for Cisi Aeligion, in the whole chiffrin between him and Clementina fet only what be suffered, and how his per sogned in his Duly, Dr. Bartletts D. Letter, soha to 18 to 192. And felling 4th and 5te Laverne ୩ urth In an Onviffion is the. Sixth sblume Octave, which is supplied to pr. 401 is made them to express her felly, retrospecting this Compromesfe, is 402. Lucy Salty order to weaken the Danger to Religion, that might be appreluded heem & Exan Englishman, have been happy ample" How could fir Charler to thorough Italian wife. Iti Steach indeed is generously opels and benevolent to People of Il Countries. He is in the noblest seyle a Citizen of the world: But, fee we riot. ce shine bis long Refidevise abrood, bas only the more endeared him the Religion, the Goverment, the Maxnion of England!""" " “ A this noble-minded Man entangled by Delicacies for filations by Friendship, by Compaffion, that be should cover leave been likely to be ero"gaged in a hamily of Rerman Calbotics, and lived half of his days own of " his beloved Country; and the other Half to have fet, as to the Worldi Eyes fuck an Excepte in it! " "I know he would have made it his Study to prevent any Mifilised to bein Neighban from the active Leal of his Lady's Confeffor, had a corbain Corso promife taken Effect. I remember the Hint he gave to haller than • refiotti, But world even that good Man have thought himself berend to offerne Raille with Heretics is fuck a case?", And in the Connaluding Bote to the work, I have, as Editor, this furthen-endeavored to obviate the apprebonded Muselief, by not conteriding arth fuck of my Readers, whose laudable Real for the true Faith, led thesis is confider this Commonrife as Blemish in Lie Charton's Char rectivo See the Place, p 300, Octave Edition. a I need not. Sir, I presume, intrude further on your Palvence, on this Subje. Repealedt I thank you for your you for your kind Letter. I could wish these Juight knas to whan I have they explained, and pier traps. exposed very fiff: At least, for a fear Lines to acquarit me, whether what yo hase witter, withour Referve, and as any Memory Soved noe, is in any Jurge manuer fatisfactory to fuch a folid Reafener, and worthy of Religion and Moral Subjects, Esafe, Lii, my Dad writing. Praus serving is always painful to me. as you appear to be to, a Your obliged humble Servants Salisbury Court, Fleet Street, March 22.175t |