TO MISS CLARISSA HARLOWE These most humbly present.
DEAREST MISS,
Your letter has had a very contrary effect upon me, to what you seem tohave expected from it. It has doubly convinced me of the excellency ofyour mind, and of the honour of your disposition. Call it selfish, orwhat you please, I must persist in my suit; and happy shall I be, if bypatience and perseverance, and a steady and unalterable devoir, I may atlast overcome the difficulty laid in my way.
As your good parents, your uncles, and other friends, are absolutelydetermined you shall never have Mr. Lovelace, if they can help it; andas I presume no other person is in the way, I will contentedly wait theissue of this matter. And forgive me, dearest Miss, but a person shouldsooner persuade me to give up to him my estate, as an instance of mygenerosity, because he could not be happy without it, than I would amuch more valuable treasure, to promote the felicity of another, andmake his way easier to circumvent myself.
Pardon me, dear Miss; but I must persevere, though I am sorry you sufferon my account, as you are pleased to think; for I never before saw thewoman I could love: and while there is any hope, and that you remainundisposed of to some happier man, I must and will be
Your faithful and obsequious admirer, ROGER SOLMES.
MARCH 16.
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MR. JAMES HARLOWE, TO MISS CL. HARLOWE MARCH 16.
What a fine whim you took into your head, to write a letter to Mr.Solmes, to persuade him to give up his pretensions to you!--Of all thepretty romantic flights you have delighted in, this was certainly oneof the most extraordinary. But to say nothing of what fires us all withindignation against you (your owning your prepossession in a villain'sfavour, and your impertinence to me, and your sister, and your uncles;one of which has given it you home, child), how can you lay at Mr.Solmes's door the usage you so bitterly complain of?--You know, littlefool as you are, that it is your fondness for Lovelace that has broughtupon you all these things; and which would have happened, whether Mr.Solmes had honoured you with his addresses or not.
As you must needs know this to be true, consider, pretty witty Miss, ifyour fond, love-sick heart can let you consider, what a fine figure allyour expostulations with us, and charges upon Mr. Solmes, make!--Withwhat propriety do you demand of him to restore to you your formerhappiness (as you call it, and merely call it; for if you thought ourfavour so, you would restore it to yourself), since it is yet in yourown power to do so? Therefore, Miss Pert, none of your pathetics, exceptin the right place. Depend upon it, whether you have Mr. Solmes, or not,you shall never have your heart's delight, the vile rake Lovelace, ifour parents, if our uncles, if I, can hinder it. No! you fallen angel,you shall not give your father and mother such a son, nor me such abrother, in giving yourself that profligate wretch for a husband. And soset your heart at rest, and lay aside all thoughts of him, if ever youexpect forgiveness, reconciliation, or a kind opinion, from any of yourfamily; but especially from him, who, at present, styles himself
Your brother, JAMES HARLOWE.
P.S. I know your knack at letter-writing. If you send me an answerfor this, I will return it unopened; for I will not argue with yourperverseness in so plain a case--Only once for all, I was willing to putyou right as to Mr. Solmes; whom I think to blame to trouble his headabout you.