Miss Clarissa Harlowe, To Miss Howe.
Jan. 13, 14.
And thus, as Mr. Lovelace thought fit to take it, had he his answer
from my sister. It was with very great regret, as he pretended (I doubt
the man is an hypocrite, my dear!), that he acquiesced in it. 'So much
determinedness; such a noble firmness in my sister; that there was no
hope of prevailing upon her to alter sentiments she had adopted on full
consideration.' 'He sigh'd, as Bella told us, when he took his leave of
her: Profoundly sigh'd: Grasp'd her hand, and kissed it with such an
ardor. ---Withdrew with such an air of solemn respect. ---She had him
then before her. ---She could almost find in her heart, altho' he had
vex'd her, to pity him.' A good intentional preparative, this pity;
since, at the time, she little thought that he would not renew his
offer.
He waited on my mamma, after he had taken leave of Bella, and
reported his ill success, in so respectful a manner, both with regard
to my sister, and to the whole family, and with so much concern that he
was not accepted as a relation to it, that it left upon them all (my
brother being then, as I have said, in Scotland) impressions in his
favour; and a belief, that this matter would certainly be brought on
again. But Mr. Lovelace going up directly to town, where he stay'd a
whole fortnight; and meeting there with my uncle Antony, to whom he
regretted his niece's unhappy resolution not to change her state; it
was seen that there was a total end put to the affair.
My sister was not wanting to herself on this occasion; but made a
virtue of necessity; and the man was quite another man with her. 'A
vain creature! too well knowing his advantages: Yet those, not what she
had conceived them to be! ---Cool and warm by fits and starts: An
ague-like lover: A steady man, a man of virtue, a man of morals, was
worth a thousand of such gay flutterers. Her sister Clary might think
it worth her while perhaps, to try to engage such a man: She had
patience: She was mistress of persuasion; and indeed, to do the girl
justice, had something of a person: But as for her, she would not have
a man, of whose heart she could not be sure for one moment; no, not for
the world: And most sincerely glad was she, that she had rejected him.'
But when Mr. Lovelace return'd into the country, he thought fit to
visit my papa and mamma; hoping, as he told them, that, however unhappy
he had been in the rejection of the wish'd-for alliance; he might be
allowed to keep up an acquaintance and friendship with a family which
he should always respect. And then, unhappily, as I may say, was I at
home, and present.
It was immediately observed, that his attention was fixed on me. My
sister, as soon as he was gone, in a spirit of bravery, seem'd desirous
to promote his address, should it be tendered.
My aunt Hervey was there; and was pleased to say, We should make the
finest couple in England; if my sister had no objection. ---No, indeed,
with a haughty toss, was my sister's reply! ---It would be strange if
she had, after the denial she had given him upon full deliberation.
My mamma declared, That her only dislike of his alliance with either daughter, was on account of his faulty morals.
My uncle Harlowe, That his daughter Clary, as he delighted to call
me from childhood, would reform him, if any woman in the world could.
My uncle Antony gave his approbation in high terms: But referr'd, as my aunt had done, to my sister.
She repeated her contempt of him; and declar'd, that were there not
another man in England, she would not have him. She was ready, on the
contrary, she could assure them, to resign her pretensions under hand
and seal, if Miss Clary were taken with his tinsel; and if every one
else approved of his address to the girl.
My papa, indeed, after a long silence, being urged to speak his
mind, by my uncle Antony, said, That he had a letter from his son
James, on his hearing of Mr. Lovelace's visits to his daughter
Arabella; which he had not shewn to any-body but my mamma; that treaty
being at an end when he received it: That in this letter he expressed
great dislikes to an alliance with Mr. Lovelace, on the score of his
immoralities: That he knew, indeed, there was an old grudge between
them: That, being desirous to prevent all occasions of disunion and
animosity in his family, he would suspend the declaration of his own
mind, till his son arrived, and till he had heard his further
objections: That he was the more inclined to make his son this
compliment, as Mr. Lovelace's general character gave but too much
ground for his son's dislike of him; adding, That he had heard, (So, he
supposed, had every-one) that he was a very extravagant man: that he
had contracted debts in his travels: And, indeed, he was pleased to
say, he had the air of a spendthrift.
These particulars I had partly from my aunt Hervey, and partly from
my sister; for I was called out, as soon as the subject was entered
upon. And, when I returned, my uncle Antony asked me, How I should like
Mr. Lovelace? Every-body saw, he was pleased to say, that I had made a
conquest.
I immediately answered, Not at all: He seemed to have too good an
opinion both of his person and parts, to have any great regard to his
wife, let him marry whom he would.
My sister, particularly, was pleased with this answer, and confirmed
it to be just; with a compliment to my judgment: ---For it was hers.
But the very next day Lord M. came to Harlowe-Place: I was then
absent: And, in his nephew's name, made a proposal in form; declaring,
That it was the ambition of all his family to be related to ours: And
he hoped his kinsman would not have such an answer on the part of the
younger sister, as he had had on that of the elder.
In short, Mr. Lovelace's visits were admitted, as those of a man who
had not deserved disrespect from our family; but, as to his address to
me, with a reservation, as above, on my papa's part, that he would
determine nothing without his son. My discretion, as to the rest, was
confided in: For still I had the same objections as to the man: Nor
would I, when we were better acquainted, hear any-thing but general
talk from him; giving him no opportunity of conversing with me in
private.
He bore this with a resignation little expected from his natural
temper, which is generally reported to be quick and hasty; unused, it
seems, from childhood, to check or controul: A case too common in
considerable families, where there is an only son: And his mother never
had any other child. But, as I have heretofore told you, I could
perceive, notwithstanding this resignation, that he had so good an
opinion of himself, as not to doubt, that his person and
accomplishments would insensibly engage me: And could That be once
done, he told my aunt Hervey, he should hope from so steady a temper,
that his hold in my affections would be durable: While my sister
accounted for his patience in another manner, which would perhaps have
had more force, if it had come from a person less prejudiced: 'That the
man was not fond of marrying at all: That he might perhaps have
half-a-score mistresses; and that delay might be as convenient for his
roving, as for my well-acted indifference.' ---That was her kind
expression.
Whatever were his motive for a patience so generally believed to be
out of his usual character, and where the object of his address was
supposed to be of fortune considerable enough to engage his warmest
attention, he certainly escaped many mortifications by it: For while my
papa suspended his approbation till my brother's arrival, he received
from every-one those civilities which were due to his birth: And altho'
we heard, from time to time, reports to his disadvantage with regard to
morals; yet could we not question him upon them, without giving him
greater advantages, than the situation he was in with us would justify
to prudence; since it was much more likely, that his address would not
be allowed of, than that it would.
And thus was he admitted to converse with our family, almost upon
his own terms; for while my friends saw nothing in his behaviour but
what was extremely respectful, and observed in him no violent
importunity, they seemed to have taken a great liking to his
conversation: While I considered him only as a a common guest, when he
came; and thought myself no more concerned in his visits, nor at his
entrance or departure, than any other of the family.
But this indifference of my side was the means of procuring him one
very great advantage; for upon it was grounded that correspondence by
letters, which succeeded;---and which, had it been to be begun, when
the family animosity broke out, would never have been entered into on
my part. The occasion was this:
My uncle Hervey has a young gentleman intrusted to his care, whom he
has thoughts of sending abroad, a year or two hence, to make the Grand
Tour, as it is called; and, finding Mr. Lovelace could give a good
account of every-thing necessary for a young traveller to observe upon
such an occasion, he desired him to write down a description of the
courts and countries he had visited; and what was most worthy of
curiosity in them.
He consented, on condition that I would direct his subjects, as he
called it: And, as every-one had heard his manner of writing commended;
and thought his relations might be agreeable amusements in winter
evenings; and that he could have no opportunity particularly to address
me in them, since they were to be read in full assembly, before they
were to be given to the young gentleman; I made the less scruple to
write, and to make observations, and put questions, for our further
information---Still the less, perhaps, as I love writing; and those who
do, are fond, you know, of occasions to use the pen: And then, having
every one's consent, and my uncle Hervey's desire that I would, I
thought, that if I had been the only scrupulous person, it would have
shewn a particularity, that a vain man would construe to his advantage;
and which my sister would not fail to animadvert upon.
You have seen some of these letters; and have been pleased with his
account of persons, places, and things; and we have both agreed, that
he was no common observer upon what he had seen.
My sister herself allowed, that the man had a tolerable knack of
writing and describing: And my papa, who had been abroad in his youth,
said, That his remarks were curious, and shewed him to be a person of
reading, judgment, and taste.
Thus was a kind of correspondence begun between him and me, with
general approbation; while everyone wonder'd at, and was pleased with,
his patient veneration of me; for so they called it. However, it was
not doubted, that he would soon be more importunate; since his visits
were more frequent, and he acknowleged to my aunt Hervey a passion for
me, accompany'd with an awe, that he had never known before; to which
he attributed what he called his but seeming acquiescence with my
papa's pleasure, and the distance I kept him at. And yet, my dear, this
may be his usual manner of behaviour to our sex; for had not my sister,
at first, all his reverences?
Mean time, my father, expecting this importunity, kept in readiness
the reports he had heard in his disfavour, to charge them upon him
then, as so many objections to his address. And it was highly agreeable
to me, that he did so: It would have been strange, if it were not;
since the person who could reject Mr. Wyerley's address for the sake of
his free opinions, must have been inexcusable, had she not rejected
another's for his freer practices.
But I should own, that in the letters he sent me, upon the general
subject, he more than once inclosed a particular one, declaring his
passionate regards for me, and complaining, with fervour enough, of my
reserves: But of these I took not the least notice; for as I had not
written to him at all, but upon a subject so general, I thought it was
but right, to let what he wrote upon one so particular, pass off as if
I never had seen it; and the rather, as I was not then at liberty, from
the approbation his letters met with, to break off the correspondence,
without assigning the true reason for doing so. Besides, with all his
respectful assiduities, it was easy to observe, (if it had not been his
general character) that his temper is naturally haughty and violent;
and I had seen enough of that untractable spirit in my brother, to like
it in one who hoped to be still nearer related to me.
I had a little specimen of this temper of his, upon the very
occasion I have mentioned: For, after he had sent me a third particular
letter with the general one, he asked me, the next time he came to
Harlowe-Place, If I had not received such a one from him? ---I told
him, I should never answer one, so sent; and, that I had waited for
such an occasion as he had now given me, to tell him so: I desired him
therefore not to write again on the subject; assuring him, that if he
did, I would return both, and never write another line to him.
You cannot imagine how saucily the man looked; as if, in short, he
was disappointed, that he had not made a more sensible impression upon
me: And when he recollected himself (as he did immediately), what a
visible Struggle it cost him to change his haughty airs for more placid
ones. But I took no notice of either; for I thought it best to convince
him, by the coolness and indifference, with which I repulsed his
forward hopes (at the same time intending to avoid the affectation of
pride or vanity), that he was not considerable enough in my eyes to
make me take over-ready offence at what he said, or how he looked:
In other words, that I had not value enough for him, to treat him
with peculiarity either by smiles or frowns. Indeed, he had cunning
enough to give me, undesignedly, a piece of instruction which taught me
this caution; for he had said in conversation once, 'That if a man
could not make a lady in courtship own herself pleased with him, it was
as much, and oftentimes more, to his purpose, to make her angry with
him.'
I must break off here. But will continue the subject the very first opportunity. Mean time, I am,
Your most affectionate friend and servant,
Cl. Harlowe.