LETTER VII
MR. LOVELACE, TO JOHN BELFORD, ESQ.
I have begun another letter to thee, in continuation of my narrative: butI believe I shall send thee this before I shall finish that. By theenclosed thou wilt see, that neither of the correspondents deserve mercyfrom me: and I am resolved to make the ending with one the beginning withthe other.
If thou sayest that the provocations I have given to one of them willjustify her freedoms; I answer, so they will, to any other person butmyself. But he that is capable of giving those provocations, and has thepower to punish those who abuse him for giving them, will show hisresentment; and the more remorselessly, perhaps, as he has deserved thefreedoms.
If thou sayest, it is, however, wrong to do so; I reply, that it isnevertheless human nature:--And wouldst thou not have me to be a man,Jack?
Here read the letter, if thou wilt. But thou art not my friend, if thouofferest to plead for either of the saucy creatures, after thou hast readit.
TO MRS. HARRIOT LUCAS,
AT MRS. MOORE'S, AT HAMPSTEAD.JUNE 10.
After the discoveries I had made of the villanous machinations of themost abandoned of men, particularized in my long letter of Wednesday*last, you will believe, my dearest friend, that my surprise upon perusingyour's of Thursday evening from Hampstead** was not so great as myindignation. Had the villain attempted to fire a city instead of ahouse, I should not have wondered at it. All that I am amazed at is,that he (whose boast, as I am told, it is, that no woman shall keep himout of her bed-chamber, when he has made a resolution to be in it) didnot discover his foot before. And it is as strange to me, that, havinggot you at such a shocking advantage, and in such a horrid house, youcould, at the time, escape dishonour, and afterwards get from such a setof infernals.
* See Vol. V. Letter XX.** Ibid. See Letter XXI.
I gave you, in my long letter of Wednesday and Thursday last, reasons whyyou ought to mistrust that specious Tomlinson. That man, my dear, mustbe a solemn villain. May lightning from Heaven blast the wretch, who hasset him and the rest of his REMORSELESS GANG at work, to endeavour todestroy the most consummate virtue!--Heaven be praised! you have escapedfrom all their snares, and now are out of danger.--So I will not troubleyou at present with the particulars I have further collected relating tothis abominable imposture.
For the same reason, I forbear to communicate to you some new stories ofthe abhorred wretch himself which have come to my ears. One, inparticular, of so shocking a nature!--Indeed, my dear, the man's a devil.
The whole story of Mrs. Fretchville, and her house, I have no doubt topronounce, likewise, an absolute fiction.--Fellow!--How my soul spurnsthe villain!
Your thought of going abroad, and your reasons for so doing, mostsensibly affect me. But be comforted, my dear; I hope you will not beunder a necessity of quitting your native country. Were I sure that thatmust be the cruel case, I would abandon all my better prospects, and soonbe with you. And I would accompany you whithersoever you went, and sharefortunes with you: for it is impossible that I should be happy, if I knewthat you were exposed not only to the perils of the sea, but to theattempts of other vile men; your personal graces attracting every eye;and exposing you to those hourly dangers, which others, lessdistinguished by the gifts of nature, might avoid.--All that I know thatbeauty (so greatly coveted, and so greatly admired) is good for.
O my dear, were I ever to marry, and to be the mother of a CLARISSA,[Clarissa must be the name, if promisingly lovely,] how often would myheart ache for the dear creature, as she grew up, when I reflected that aprudence and discretion, unexampled in woman, had not, in you, been asufficient protection to that beauty, which had drawn after it as manyadmirers as beholders!--How little should I regret the attacks of thatcruel distemper, as it is called, which frequently makes the greatestravages in the finest faces!
SAT. AFTERNOON.
I have just parted with Mrs. Townsend.* I thought you had once seen herwith me; but she says she never had the honour to be personally known toyou. She has a manlike spirit. She knows the world. And her twobrothers being in town, she is sure she can engage them in so good acause, and (if there should be occasion) both their ships' crews, in yourservice.
* For the account of Mrs. Townsend, &c. see Vol. IV. Letter XLII.
Give your consent, my dear; and the horrid villain shall be repaid withbroken bones, at least, for all his vileness!
The misfortune is, Mrs. Townsend cannot be with you till Thursday next,or Wednesday, at soonest: Are you sure you can be safe where you are tillthen? I think you are too near London; and perhaps you had better be init. If you remove, let me, the very moment, know whither.
How my heart is torn, to think of the necessity so dear a creature isdriven to of hiding herself! Devilish fellow! He must have beensportive and wanton in his inventions--yet that cruel, that savagesportiveness has saved you from the sudden violence to which he has hadrecourse in the violation of others, of names and families notcontemptible. For such the villain always gloried to spread his snares.
The vileness of this specious monster has done more, than any otherconsideration could do, to bring Mr. Hickman into credit with me. Mr.Hickman alone knows (from me) of your flight, and the reason of it. HadI not given him the reason, he might have thought still worse of the vileattempt. I communicated it to him by showing him your letter fromHampstead. When he had read it, [and he trembled and reddened, as heread,] he threw himself at my feet, and besought me to permit him toattend you, and to give you the protection of his house. Thegood-natured man had tears in his eyes, and was repeatedly earnest on thissubject; proposing to take his chariot-and-four, or a set, and in person,in the face of all the world, give himself the glory of protecting suchan oppressed innocent.
I could not but be pleased with him. And I let him know that I was. Ihardly expected so much spirit from him. But a man's passiveness to abeloved object of our sex may not, perhaps, argue want of courage onproper occasions.
I thought I ought, in return, to have some consideration for his safety,as such an open step would draw upon him the vengeance of the mostvillanous enterpriser in the world, who has always a gang of fellows,such as himself, at his call, ready to support one another in the vilestoutrages. But yet, as Mr. Hickman might have strengthened his hands bylegal recourses, I should not have stood upon it, had I not known yourdelicacy, [since such a step must have made a great noise, and givenoccasion for scandal, as if some advantage had been gained over you,] andwere there not the greatest probability that all might be more silently,and more effectually, managed, by Mrs. Townsend's means.
Mrs. Townsend will in person attend you--she hopes, on Wednesday--herbrothers, and some of their people, will scatteringly, and as if theyknew nothing of you, [so we have contrived,] see you safe not only toLondon, but to her house at Deptford.
She has a kinswoman, who will take your commands there, if she herselfbe obliged to leave you. And there you may stay, till the wretch's fury,on losing you, and his search, are over.
He will very soon, 'tis likely, enter upon some new villany, which mayengross him: and it may be given out, that you are gone to lay claim tothe protection of your cousin Morden at Florence.
Possibly, if he can be made to believe it, he will go over, in hopes tofind you there.
After a while, I can procure you a lodging in one of our neighbouringvillages, where I may have the happiness to be your daily visiter. Andif this Hickman be not silly and apish, and if my mother do not dounaccountable things, I may the sooner think of marrying, that I may,without controul, receive and entertain the darling of my heart.
Many, very many, happy days do I hope we shall yet see together; and asthis is my hope, I expect that it will be your consolation.
As to your estate, since you are resolved not to litigate for it, we willbe patient, either till Colonel Morden arrives, or till shame compelssome people to be just.
Upon the whole, I cannot but think your prospec
ts now much happier thanthey could have been, had you been actually married to such a man asthis. I must therefore congratulate you upon your escape, not only froma horrid libertine, but from so vile a husband, as he must have made toany woman; but more especially to a person of your virtue and delicacy.
You hate him, heartily hate him, I hope, my dear--I am sure you do. Itwould be strange, if so much purity of life and manners were not to abhorwhat is so repugnant to itself.
In your letter before me, you mention one written to me for a feint.* Ihave not received any such. Depend upon it, therefore, that he must haveit. And if he has, it is a wonder that he did not likewise get my longone of the 7th. Heaven be praised that he did not; and that it came safeto your hands!
* See Vol. V. Letters XXI. and XXII.
I send this by a young fellow, whose father is one of our tenants, withcommand to deliver it to no other hands but your's. He is to returndirectly, if you give him any letter. If not, he will proceed to Londonupon his own pleasures. He is a simple fellow; but very honest. So youmay say anything to him. If you write not by him, I desire a line ortwo, as soon as possible.
My mother knows nothing of his going to you; nor yet of your abandoningthe fellow. Forgive me! But he is not entitled to good manners.
I shall long to hear how you and Mrs. Townsend order matters. I wishshe could have been with you sooner. But I have lost no time in engagingher, as you will suppose. I refer to her, what I have further to say andadvise. So shall conclude with my prayers, that Heaven will direct andprotect my dearest creature, and make your future days happy!
ANNA HOWE.
And now, Jack, I will suppose that thou hast read this cursed letter.Allow me to make a few observations upon some of its contents.
It is strange to Miss Howe, that having got her friend at such a shockingadvantage, &c. And it is strange to me, too. If ever I have suchanother opportunity given to me, the cause of both our wonder, I believe,will cease.
So thou seest Tomlinson is further detected.--No such person as Mrs.Fretchville.--May lightning from Heaven--O Lord, O Lord, O Lord!--What ahorrid vixen is this!--My gang, my remorseless gang, too, is brought in--and thou wilt plead for these girls again; wilt thou? heaven be praised,she says, that her friend is out of danger--Miss Howe should be sure ofthat, and that she herself is safe.--But for this termagant, (as I oftensaid,) I must surely have made a better hand of it.--
New stories of me, Jack!--What can they be?--I have not found that mygenerosity to my Rose-bud ever did me due credit with this pair offriends. Very hard, Belford, that credits cannot be set against debits,and a balance struck in a rake's favour, as well as in that of everycommon man!--But he, from whom no good is expected, is not allowed themerit of the good he does.
I ought to have been a little more attentive to character than I havebeen. For, notwithstanding that the measures of right and wrong are saidto be so manifest, let me tell thee, that character biases and runs awaywith all mankind. Let a man or woman once establish themselves in theworld's opinion, and all that either of them do will be sanctified. Nay,in the very courts of justice, does not character acquit or condemn asoften as facts, and sometimes even in spite of facts?--Yet, [impoliticthat I have been and am!] to be so careless of mine!--And now, I doubt,it is irretrievable.--But to leave moralizing.
Thou, Jack, knowest almost all my enterprises worth remembering. Canthis particular story, which this girl hints at, be that of Lucy Villars?--Or can she have heard of my intrigue with the pretty gipsey, who met mein Norwood, and of the trap I caught her cruel husband in, [a fellow asgloomy and tyrannical as old Harlowe,] when he pursued a wife, who wouldnot have deserved ill of him, if he had deserved well of her!--But he wasnot quite drowned. The man is alive at this day, and Miss Howe mentionsthe story as a very shocking one. Besides, both these are a twelve-monthold, or more.
But evil fame and scandal are always new. When the offender has forgot avile fact, it is often told to one and to another, who, having neverheard of it before, trumpet it about as a novelty to others. But wellsaid the honest corregidor at Madrid, [a saying with which I encroachedLord M.'s collection,]--Good actions are remembered but for a day: badones for many years after the life of the guilty. Such is the relishthat the world has for scandal. In other words, such is the desire whichevery one has to exculpate himself by blackening his neighbour. You andI, Belford, have been very kind to the world, in furnishing it withopportunities to gratify its devil.
[Miss Howe will abandon her own better prospects, and share fortunes withher, were she to go abroad.]--Charming romancer!--I must set about thisgirl, Jack. I have always had hopes of a woman whose passions carry herto such altitudes.--Had I attacked Miss Howe first, her passions,(inflamed and guided as I could have managed them,) would have broughther into my lure in a fortnight.
But thinkest thou, [and yet I think thou dost,] that there is any thingin these high flights among the sex?--Verily, Jack, these vehementfriendships are nothing but chaff and stubble, liable to be blown away bythe very wind that raises them. Apes, mere apes of us! they think theword friendship has a pretty sound with it; and it is much talked of--afashionable word. And so, truly, a single woman, who thinks she has asoul, and knows that she wants something, would be thought to have founda fellow-soul for it in her own sex. But I repeat, that the word is amere word, the thing a mere name with them; a cork-bottomed shuttle-cock,which they are fond of striking to and fro, to make one another glow inthe frosty weather of a single-state; but which, when a man comes inbetween the pretended inseparables, is given up, like their music andother maidenly amusements; which, nevertheless, may be necessary to keepthe pretty rogues out of active mischief. They then, in short, havingcaught the fish, lay aside the net.*
* He alludes here to the story of a pope, who, (once a poor fisherman,)through every preferment he rose to, even to that of the cardinalate,hung up in view of all his guests his net, as a token of humility. But,when he arrived at the pontificate, he took it down, saying, that therewas no need of the net, when he had caught the fish.
Thou hast a mind, perhaps, to make an exception for these two ladies.--With all my heart. My Clarissa has, if woman has, a soul capable offriendship. Her flame is bright and steady. But Miss Howe's, were itnot kept up by her mother's opposition, is too vehement to endure. Howoften have I known opposition not only cement friendship, but createlove? I doubt not but poor Hickman would fare the better with thisvixen, if her mother were as heartily against him, as she is for him.
Thus much, indeed, as to these two ladies, I will grant thee, that theactive spirit of the one, and the meek disposition of the other, may maketheir friendship more durable than it would otherwise be; for this iscertain, that in every friendship, whether male or female, there must bea man and a woman spirit, (that is to say, one of them must be aforbearing one,) to make it permanent.
But this I pronounce, as a truth, which all experience confirms, thatfriendship between women never holds to the sacrifice of capitalgratifications, or to the endangering of life, limb, or estate, as itoften does in our nobler sex.
Well, but next comes an indictment against poor beauty! What has beautydone that Miss Howe should be offended at it?--Miss Howe, Jack, is acharming girl. She has no reason to quarrel with beauty!--Didst ever seeher?--Too much fire and spirit in her eye, indeed, for a girl!--Butthat's no fault with a man that can lower that fire and spirit atpleasure; and I know I am the man that can.
For my own part, when I was first introduced to this lady, which was bymy goddess when she herself was a visiter at Mrs. Howe's, I had not beenhalf an hour with her, but I even hungered and thirsted after a romping'bout with the lively rogue; and, in the second or third visit, was moredeterred by the delicacy of her friend, than by what I apprehended fromher own. This charming creature's presence, thought I, awes us both.And I wished her absence, though any other woman were present, that Imight try the differences in Miss Howe's behaviour before her friend'
sface, or behind her back.
Delicate women make delicate women, as well as decent men. With all MissHowe's fire and spirit, it was easy to see, by her very eye, that shewatched for lessons and feared reproof from the penetrating eye of hermilder dispositioned friend;* and yet it was as easy to observe, in thecandour and sweet manners of the other, that the fear which Miss Howestood in of her, was more owing to her own generous apprehension that shefell short of her excellencies, than to Miss Harlowe's consciousness ofexcellence over her. I have often since I came at Miss Howe's letters,revolved this just and fine praise contained in one of them:** 'Every onesaw that the preference they gave you to themselves exalted you not intoany visible triumph over them; for you had always something to say, onevery point you carried, that raised the yielding heart, and left everyone pleased and satisfied with themselves, though they carried not offthe palm.'
* Miss Howe, in Vol. III. Letter XIX. says, That she was always moreafraid of Clarissa than of her mother; and, in Vol. III. Letter XLIV.That she fears her almost as much as she loves her; and in many otherplaces, in her letters, verifies this observation of Lovelace.** See Vol. IV. Letter XXXI.
As I propose, in a more advanced life, to endeavour to atone for myuseful freedoms with individuals of the sex, by giving cautions andinstructions to the whole, I have made a memorandum to enlarge upon thisdoctrine;--to wit, that it is full as necessary to direct daughters inthe choice of their female companions, as it is to guard them against thedesigns of men.
I say not this, however, to the disparagement of Miss Howe. She has frompride, what her friend has from principle. [The Lord help the sex, ifthey had not pride!] But yet I am confident, that Miss Howe is indebtedto the conversation and correspondence of Miss Harlowe for her highestimprovements. But, both these ladies out of the question, I make noscruple to aver, [and I, Jack, should know something of the matter,] thatthere have been more girls ruined, at least prepared for ruin, by theirown sex, (taking in servants, as well as companions,) than directly bythe attempts and delusions of men.
But it is time enough when I am old and joyless, to enlarge upon thistopic.
As to the comparison between the two ladies, I will expatiate more onthat subject, (for I like it,) when I have had them both. Which thisletter of the vixen girl's, I hope thou wilt allow, warrants me to tryfor.
I return to the consideration of a few more of its contents, to justifymy vengeances so nearly now in view.
As to Mrs. Townsend,--her manlike spirit--her two brothers--and theships' crews--I say nothing but this to the insolent threatening--Let 'emcome!--But as to her sordid menace--To repay the horrid villain, as shecalls me, for all my vileness by BROKEN BONES!--Broken bones, Belford!--Who can bear this porterly threatening!--Broken bones, Jack!--D--n thelittle vulgar!--Give me a name for her--but I banish all furiousresentment. If I get these two girls into my power, Heaven forbid that Ishould be a second Phalaris, who turned his bull upon the artist!--Nobones of their's will I break--They shall come off with me upon muchlighter terms!--
But these fellows are smugglers, it seems. And am not I a smuggler too?--I am--and have not the least doubt but I shall have secured my goodsbefore Thursday, or Wednesday either.
But did I want a plot, what a charming new one does this letter of MissHowe strike me out! I am almost sorry, that I have fixed upon one.--Forhere, how easy would it be for me to assemble a crew of swabbers, and tocreate a Mrs. Townsend (whose person, thou seest, my beloved knows not)to come on Tuesday, at Miss Howe's repeated solicitations, in order tocarry my beloved to a warehouse of my own providing?
This, however, is my triumphant hope, that at the very time that theseragamuffins will be at Hampstead (looking for us) my dear Miss Harloweand I [so the Fates I imagine have ordained] shall be fast asleep ineach other's arms in town.--Lie still, villain, till the time comes.--My heart, Jack! my heart!--It is always thumping away on the remotestprospects of this nature.
But it seems that the vileness of this specious monster [meaning me,Jack!] has brought Hickman into credit with her. So I have done somegood! But to whom I cannot tell: for this poor fellow, should I permithim to have this termagant, will be punished, as many times we all are,by the enjoyment of his own wishes--nor can she be happy, as I take it,with him, were he to govern himself by her will, and have none of hisown; since never was there a directing wife who knew where to stop: powermakes such a one wanton--she despises the man she can govern. LikeAlexander, who wept, that he had no more worlds to conquer, she will belooking out for new exercises for her power, till she grow uneasy toherself, a discredit to her husband, and a plague to all about her.
But this honest fellow, it seems, with tears in his eyes, and with humbleprostration, besought the vixen to permit him to set out in hischariot-and-four, in order to give himself the glory of protecting such anoppressed innocent, in the face of the whole world. Nay, he reddened, itseems: and trembled too! as he read the fair complainant's letter.--Howvaliant is all this!--Women love brave men; and no wonder that his tears,his trembling, and his prostration, gave him high reputation with the meekMiss Howe.
But dost think, Jack, that I in the like case (and equally affected withthe distress) should have acted thus? Dost think, that I should notfirst have rescued the lady, and then, if needful, have asked excuse forit, the lady in my hand?--Wouldst not thou have done thus, as well as I?
But, 'tis best as it is. Honest Hickman may now sleep in a whole skin.And yet that is more perhaps than he would have done (the lady'sdeliverance unattempted) had I come at this requested permission of hisany other way than by a letter that it must not be known that I haveintercepted.
Miss Howe thinks I may be diverted from pursuing my charmer, by somenew-started villany. Villany is a word that she is extremely fond of.But I can tell her, that it is impossible I should, till the end of thisvillany be obtained. Difficulty is a stimulus with such a spirit as mine.I thought Miss Howe knew me better. Were she to offer herself, person forperson, in the romancing zeal of her friendship, to save her friend, itshould not do, while the dear creature is on this side the moon.
She thanks Heaven, that her friend has received her letter of the 7th.We are all glad of it. She ought to thank me too. But I will not atpresent claim her thanks.
But when she rejoices that the letter went safe, does she not, in effect,call out for vengeance, and expect it!--All in good time, Miss Howe.When settest thou out for the Isle of Wight, love?
I will close at this time with desiring thee to make a list of thevirulent terms with which the enclosed letter abounds: and then, if thousupposest that I have made such another, and have added to it all theflowers of the same blow, in the former letters of the same saucycreature, and those in that of Miss Harlowe, which she left for me on herelopement, thou wilt certainly think, that I have provocations sufficientto justify me in all that I shall do to either.
Return the enclosed the moment thou hast perused it.