Now that I am on holidays, I have the great pleasure of being able to pick up Clarissa once again. It is a compelling novel about a young girl who is being forced against her will to marry a man, who can only be referred to as odious, in the hopes of securing the family's fortunes. Clarissa is loath to marry the dreaded Mr Solmes, yet is unable to find an ally to help her resist her family's plans. Clarissa's family believe her to be in love with the rakish Mr Lovelace and remain firm in their resolve to prevent her from uniting with such a libertine. As the novel progresses, Clarissa finds herself more fully abandoned by her family who even resort to locking her in her room in the hopes of forcing her to comply.
So far, Clarissa is compelling, heartbreaking, disturbing and impassioned and I have only read the first 256 pages. I have 1243 to go. Reading this novel is going to be a life project, yet I'm sure it will be worth it. Here's but a taste of the literary goodness the materful Richardson has created:
MISS CLARISSA HARLOWE, TO MISS HOWEMONDAY MORNING, MARCH 27.
This morning early my uncle Harlowe came hither. He sent up the enclosed very tender letter. It has made me wish I could oblige him. You will see how Mr. Solmes's ill qualities are glossed over in it. What blemishes does affection hide!--But perhaps they may say to me, What faults does antipathy bring to light!
.
Be pleased to send me back this letter of my uncle by the first return.
.
SUNDAY NIGHT, OR RATHER MINDAY MORNING.
I must answer you, though against my own resolution. Every body loves you; and you know they do. The very ground you walk upon is dear to most of us. But how can we resolve to see you? There is no standing against your looks and language. It is our loves makes us decline to see you. How can we, when you are resolved not to do what we are resolved you shall do? I never, for my part, loved any creature, as I loved you from your infancy till now. And indeed, as I have often said, never was there a young creature so deserving of our love. But what is come to you now! Alas! alas! my dear kinswoman, how you fail in the trial!
. .I have read the letters you enclosed. At a proper time, I may shew them to my brother and sister: but they will receive nothing from you at present.
. .For my part, I could not read your letter to me, without being unmanned.How can you be so unmoved yourself, yet so able to move every body else? How could you send such a letter to Mr. Solmes? Fie upon you! How strangely are you altered!
. .Then to treat your brother and sister as you did, that they don't care to write to you, or to see you! Don't you know where it is written, That soft answers turn away wrath? But if you will trust to you sharp-pointed wit, you may wound. Yet a club will beat down a sword: And how can you expect that they who are hurt by you will not hurt you again? Was this the way you used to take to make us all adore you as we did?--No, it was your gentleness of heart and manners, that made every body, even strangers, at first sight, treat you as a lady, and call you a lady,though not born one, while your elder sister had no such distinctions paid her. If you were envied, why should you sharpen envy, and file upits teeth to an edge?--You see I write like an impartial man, and as one that loves you still.
. .But since you have displayed your talents, and spared nobody, and moved every body, without being moved, you have but made us stand the closer and firmer together. This is what I likened to an embattled phalanx, once before. Your aunt Hervey forbids your writing for the same reason that I must not countenance it. We are all afraid to see you, because we know we shall be made as so many fools. Nay, your mother is so afraid of you, that once or twice, when she thought you were coming to force yourself into her presence, she shut the door, and locked herself in, because she knew she must not see you upon your terms, and you are resolved you will not see her upon hers.
. .Resolves but to oblige us all, my dearest Miss Clary, and you shall see how we will clasp you every one by turns to our rejoicing hearts. If the one man has not the wit, and the parts, and the person, of the other, noone breathing has a worse heart than that other: and is not the love of all your friends, and a sober man (if he be not so polished) to be preferred to a debauchee, though ever so fine a man to look at? You have such talents that you will be adored by the one: but the other has as much advantage in those respects, as you have yourself, and will not set by them one straw: for husbands are sometimes jealous of their authority with witty wives. You will have in one, a man of virtue. Had you not been so rudely affronting to him, he would have made your ears tingle with what he could have told you of the other.
. .Come, my dear niece, let me have the honour of doing with you what nobody else yet has been able to do. Your father, mother, and I, will divide the pleasure, and the honour, I will again call it, between us;and all past offences shall be forgiven; and Mr. Solmes, we will engage, shall take nothing amiss hereafter, of what has passed.
. .He knows, he says, what a jewel that man will have, who can obtain your favour; and he will think light of all he has suffered, or shall suffer, in obtaining you.
. .Dear, sweet creature, oblige us: and oblige us with a grace. It must be done, whether with a grace or not. I do assure you it must. You must not conquer father, mother, uncles, every body: depend upon that.
. .I have set up half the night to write this. You do not know how I am touched at reading yours, and writing this. Yet will I be at Harlowe-place early in the morning. So, upon reading this, if you will oblige us all, send me word to come up to your apartment: and I will lead you down, and present you to the embraces of every one: and you will then see, you have more of a brother and sister in them both, than of late your prejudices will let you think you have. This from one who used to love to style himself,
Your paternal uncle,
JOHN HARLOWE.
So far, Clarissa is compelling, heartbreaking, disturbing and impassioned and I have only read the first 256 pages. I have 1243 to go. Reading this novel is going to be a life project, yet I'm sure it will be worth it. Here's but a taste of the literary goodness the materful Richardson has created:
MISS CLARISSA HARLOWE, TO MISS HOWEMONDAY MORNING, MARCH 27.
This morning early my uncle Harlowe came hither. He sent up the enclosed very tender letter. It has made me wish I could oblige him. You will see how Mr. Solmes's ill qualities are glossed over in it. What blemishes does affection hide!--But perhaps they may say to me, What faults does antipathy bring to light!
.
Be pleased to send me back this letter of my uncle by the first return.
.
SUNDAY NIGHT, OR RATHER MINDAY MORNING.
I must answer you, though against my own resolution. Every body loves you; and you know they do. The very ground you walk upon is dear to most of us. But how can we resolve to see you? There is no standing against your looks and language. It is our loves makes us decline to see you. How can we, when you are resolved not to do what we are resolved you shall do? I never, for my part, loved any creature, as I loved you from your infancy till now. And indeed, as I have often said, never was there a young creature so deserving of our love. But what is come to you now! Alas! alas! my dear kinswoman, how you fail in the trial!
. .I have read the letters you enclosed. At a proper time, I may shew them to my brother and sister: but they will receive nothing from you at present.
. .For my part, I could not read your letter to me, without being unmanned.How can you be so unmoved yourself, yet so able to move every body else? How could you send such a letter to Mr. Solmes? Fie upon you! How strangely are you altered!
. .Then to treat your brother and sister as you did, that they don't care to write to you, or to see you! Don't you know where it is written, That soft answers turn away wrath? But if you will trust to you sharp-pointed wit, you may wound. Yet a club will beat down a sword: And how can you expect that they who are hurt by you will not hurt you again? Was this the way you used to take to make us all adore you as we did?--No, it was your gentleness of heart and manners, that made every body, even strangers, at first sight, treat you as a lady, and call you a lady,though not born one, while your elder sister had no such distinctions paid her. If you were envied, why should you sharpen envy, and file upits teeth to an edge?--You see I write like an impartial man, and as one that loves you still.
. .But since you have displayed your talents, and spared nobody, and moved every body, without being moved, you have but made us stand the closer and firmer together. This is what I likened to an embattled phalanx, once before. Your aunt Hervey forbids your writing for the same reason that I must not countenance it. We are all afraid to see you, because we know we shall be made as so many fools. Nay, your mother is so afraid of you, that once or twice, when she thought you were coming to force yourself into her presence, she shut the door, and locked herself in, because she knew she must not see you upon your terms, and you are resolved you will not see her upon hers.
. .Resolves but to oblige us all, my dearest Miss Clary, and you shall see how we will clasp you every one by turns to our rejoicing hearts. If the one man has not the wit, and the parts, and the person, of the other, noone breathing has a worse heart than that other: and is not the love of all your friends, and a sober man (if he be not so polished) to be preferred to a debauchee, though ever so fine a man to look at? You have such talents that you will be adored by the one: but the other has as much advantage in those respects, as you have yourself, and will not set by them one straw: for husbands are sometimes jealous of their authority with witty wives. You will have in one, a man of virtue. Had you not been so rudely affronting to him, he would have made your ears tingle with what he could have told you of the other.
. .Come, my dear niece, let me have the honour of doing with you what nobody else yet has been able to do. Your father, mother, and I, will divide the pleasure, and the honour, I will again call it, between us;and all past offences shall be forgiven; and Mr. Solmes, we will engage, shall take nothing amiss hereafter, of what has passed.
. .He knows, he says, what a jewel that man will have, who can obtain your favour; and he will think light of all he has suffered, or shall suffer, in obtaining you.
. .Dear, sweet creature, oblige us: and oblige us with a grace. It must be done, whether with a grace or not. I do assure you it must. You must not conquer father, mother, uncles, every body: depend upon that.
. .I have set up half the night to write this. You do not know how I am touched at reading yours, and writing this. Yet will I be at Harlowe-place early in the morning. So, upon reading this, if you will oblige us all, send me word to come up to your apartment: and I will lead you down, and present you to the embraces of every one: and you will then see, you have more of a brother and sister in them both, than of late your prejudices will let you think you have. This from one who used to love to style himself,
Your paternal uncle,
JOHN HARLOWE.
Samuel Richardson, Clarissa, London: Penguin, 1985, pp253-254
And now I must away for there is so much more to read!
posted by missmellifluous at 7:35 pm
1 Comments:
I think I read that book in Renaissance Lit, years ago. I can't remember anything about it, but that it was a chore. And maybe I've even got the wrong book in mind. :-)
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