LETTER I. II. Lovelace to Belford.—His conditional promise to Tomlinson
in the lady’s favour. His pleas and arguments on their present
situation, and on his darling and hitherto-baffled views. His whimsical
contest with his conscience. His latest adieu to it. His strange
levity, which he calls gravity, on the death of Belford’s uncle.
LETTER III. IV. From the same.—She favours him with a meeting in the
garden. Her composure. Her conversation great and noble. But will not
determine any thing in his favour. It is however evident, he says, that
she has still some tenderness for him. His reasons. An affecting scene
between them. Her ingenuousness and openness of heart. She resolves to
go to church; but will not suffer him to accompany her thither. His
whimsical debate with the God of Love, whom he introduced as pleading
for the lady.
LETTER V. VI. VII. From the same.—He has got the wished-for letter from
Miss Howe.—Informs him of the manner of obtaining it.—His remarks upon
it. Observations on female friendships. Comparison between Clarissa and
Miss Howe.
LETTER VIII. From the same.—Another conversation with the lady. His
plausible arguments to re-obtain her favour ineffectual. His pride
piqued. His revenge incited. New arguments in favour of his wicked
prospects. His notice that a license is actually obtained.
LETTER IX. X. From the same.—Copy of the license; with his observations
upon it. His scheme for annual marriages. He is preparing with Lady
Betty and Miss Montague to wait upon Clarissa. Who these pretended
ladies are. How dressed. They give themselves airs of quality.
Humourously instructs them how to act up their assumed characters.
LETTER XI. XII. Lovelace to Belford.—Once more is the charmer of his
soul in her old lodgings. Brief account of the horrid imposture. Steels
his heart by revengeful recollections. Her agonizing apprehensions.
Temporary distraction. Is ready to fall into fits. But all her
distress, all her prayers, her innocence, her virtue, cannot save her
from the most villanous outrage.
LETTER XIII. Belford to Lovelace.—Vehemently inveighs against him.
Grieves for the lady. Is now convinced that there must be a world after
this to do justice to injured merit. Beseeches him, if he be a man, and
not a devil, to do all the poor justice now in his power.
LETTER XIV. Lovelace to Belford.—Regrets that he ever attempted her.
Aims at extenuation. Does he not see that he has journeyed on to this
stage, with one determined point in view from the first? She is at
present stupified, he says.
LETTER XV. From the same.—The lady’s affecting behaviour in her
delirium. He owns that art has been used to her. Begins to feel
remorse.
LETTER XVI. From the same.—The lady writes upon scraps of paper, which
she tears, and throws under the table. Copies of ten of these rambling
papers; and of a letter to him most affectingly incoherent. He attempts
farther to extenuate his villany. Tries to resume his usual levity; and
forms a scheme to decoy the people at Hampstead to the infamous woman’s
in town. The lady seems to be recovering.
LETTER XVII. From the same.—She attempts to get away in his absence. Is
prevented by the odious Sinclair. He exults in the hope of looking her
into confusion when he sees her. Is told by Dorcas that she is coming
into the dining-room to find him out.
LETTER XVIII. From the same.—A high scene of her exalted, and of his
depressed, behaviour. Offers to make her amends by matrimony. She
treats his offer with contempt. Afraid Belford plays him false.
LETTER XIX. From the same.—Wishes he had never seen her. With all the
women he had known till now, it was once subdued, and always subdued.
His miserable dejection. His remorse. She attempts to escape. A mob
raised. His quick invention to pacify it. Out of conceit with himself
and his contrivances.
LETTER XX. XXI. Lovelace to Belford.—Lord M. very ill. His presence
necessary at M. Hall. Puts Dorcas upon ingratiating herself with her
lady.—He re-urges marriage to her. She absolutely, from the most noble
motives, rejects him.
LETTER XXII. From the same.—Reflects upon himself. It costs, he says,
more pain to be wicked than to be good. The lady’s solemn expostulation
with him. Extols her greatness of soul. Dorcas coming into favour with
her. He is alarmed by another attempt of the lady to get off. She is in
agonies at being prevented. He tried to intimidate her. Dorcas pleads
for her. On the point of drawing his sword against himself. The
occasion.
LETTER XXIII. From the same.—Cannot yet persuade himself but the lady
will be his. Reasons for his opinion. Opens his heart to Belford, as to
his intentions by her. Mortified that she refuses his honest vows. Her
violation but notional. Her triumph greater than her sufferings. Her
will unviolated. He is a better man, he says, than most rakes; and why.
LETTER XXIV. XXV. From the same.—The lady gives a promissory note to
Dorcas, to induce her to further her escape.—A fair trial of skill now,
he says. A conversation between the vile Dorcas and her lady: in which
she engages her lady’s pity. The bonds of wickedness stronger than the
ties of virtue. Observations on that subject.
LETTER XXVI. XXVII. XXVIII. From the same.—A new contrivance to
advantage of the lady’s intended escape.—A letter from Tomlinson.
Intent of it.—He goes out to give opportunity for the lady to attempt
an escape. His designs frustrated.
LETTER XXIX. From the same.—An interesting conversation between the
lady and him. No concession in his favour. By his soul, he swears, this
dear girl gives the lie to all their rakish maxims. He has laid all the
sex under obligation to him; and why.
LETTER XXX. Lovelace to Belford.—Lord M. in extreme danger. The family
desire his presence. He intercepts a severe letter from Miss Howe to
her friend. Copy of it.
LETTER XXXI. From the same.—The lady, suspecting Dorcas, tries to
prevail upon him to give her her liberty. She disclaims vengeance, and
affectingly tells him all her future views. Denied, she once more
attempts an escape. Prevented, and terrified with apprehensions of
instant dishonour, she is obliged to make some concession.
LETTER XXXII. From the same.—Accuses her of explaining away her
concession. Made desperate, he seeks occasion to quarrel with her. She
exerts a spirit which overawes him. He is ridiculed by the infamous
copartnership. Calls to Belford to help a gay heart to a little of his
dismal, on the expected death of Lord M.
LETTER XXXIII. From the same.—Another message from M. Hall, to engage
him to go down the next morning.
LETTER XXXIV. XXXV. From the same.—The women’s instigations. His
farther schemes against the lady. What, he asks, is the injury which a
church-rite will not at any time repair?
LETTER XXXVI. From the same.—Himself, the mother, her nymphs, all
assembled with intent to execute his detestable purposes. Her glorious
behaviour on the occasion. He execrates, detests, despises himself; and
admires her more than ever. Obliged to set out early that morning for
M. Hall, he will press her with letters to meet him next Thursday, her
uncle’s birthday, at the altar.
LETTER XXXVII. XXXVIII. XXXIX. Lovelace to Clarissa, from M.
Hall.—Urging her accordingly, (the license in her hands,) by the most
engaging pleas and arguments.
LETTER XL. Lovelace to Belford.—Begs he will wait on the lady, and
induce her to write but four words to him, signifying the church and
the day. Is now resolved on wedlock. Curses his plots and contrivances;
which all end, he says, in one grand plot upon himself.
LETTER XLI. Belford to Lovelace. In answer.—Refuses to undertake for
him, unless he can be sure of his honour. Why he doubts it.
LETTER XLII. Lovelace. In reply.—Curses him for scrupulousness. Is in
earnest to marry. After one more letter of entreaty to her, if she keep
sullen silence, she must take the consequence.
LETTER XLIII. Lovelace to Clarissa.—Once more earnestly entreats her to
meet him at the altar. Not to be forbidden coming, he will take for
leave to come.
LETTER XLIV. Lovelace to Patrick M’Donald.—Ordering him to visit the
lady, and instructing him what to say, and how to behave to her.
LETTER XLV. To the same, as Captain Tomlinson.—Calculated to be shown
to the lady, as in confidence.
LETTER XLVI. M’Donald to Lovelace.—Goes to attend the lady according to
direction. Finds the house in an uproar; and the lady escaped.
LETTER XLVII. Mowbray to Lovelace.—With the same news.
LETTER XLVIII. Belford to Lovelace.—Ample particulars of the lady’s
escape. Makes serious reflections on the distress she must be in; and
on his (Lovelace’s) ungrateful usage of her. What he takes the sum of
religion.
LETTER XLIX. Lovelace to Belford.—Runs into affected levity and
ridicule, yet at last owns all his gayety but counterfeit. Regrets his
baseness to the lady. Inveighs against the women for their
instigations. Will still marry her, if she can be found out. One
misfortune seldom comes alone; Lord M. is recovering. He had bespoken
mourning for him.
LETTER L. Clarissa to Miss Howe.—Writes with incoherence, to inquire
after her health. Lets her know whither to direct to her. But forgets,
in her rambling, her private address. By which means her letter falls
into the hands of Miss Howe’s mother.
LETTER LI. Mrs. Howe to Clarissa.—Reproaches her for making all her
friends unhappy. Forbids her to write any more to her daughter.
LETTER LII. Clarissa’s meek reply.
LETTER LIII. Clarissa to Hannah Burton.
LETTER LIV. Hannah Burton. In answer.
LETTER LV. Clarissa to Miss Norton.—Excuses her long silence. Asks her
a question, with a view to detect Lovelace. Hints at his ungrateful
villany. Self-recrimination.
LETTER LVI. Mrs. Norton to Clarissa.—Answers her question. Inveighs
against Lovelace. Hopes she has escaped with her honour. Consoles her
by a brief relation of her own case, and from motives truly pious.
LETTER LVII. Clarissa to Lady Betty Lawrance.—Requests an answer to
three questions, with a view farther to detect Lovelace.
LETTER LVIII. Lady Betty to Clarissa.—Answers her questions. In the
kindest manner offers to mediate between her nephew and her.
LETTER LIX. LX. Clarissa to Mrs. Hodges, her uncle Harlowe’s
housekeeper; with a view of still farther detecting Lovelace.—Mrs.
Hodges’s answer.
LETTER LXI. Clarissa to Lady Betty Lawrance.—Acquaints her with her
nephew’s baseness. Charitably wishes his reformation; but utterly, and
from principle, rejects him.
LETTER LXII. Clarissa to Mrs. Norton.—Is comforted by her kind
soothings. Wishes she had been her child. Will not allow her to come up
to her; why. Some account of the people she is with; and of a worthy
woman, Mrs. Lovick, who lodges in the house. Briefly hints to her the
vile usage she has received from Lovelace.
LETTER LXIII. Mrs. Norton to Clarissa.—Inveighs against Lovelace.
Wishes Miss Howe might be induced to refrain from freedoms that do
hurt, and can do no good. Farther piously consoles her.
LETTER LXIV. Clarissa to Mrs. Norton.—A new trouble. An angry letter
from Miss Howe. The occasion. Her heart is broken. Shall be uneasy,
till she can get her father’s curse revoked. Casts about to whom she
can apply for this purpose. At last resolves to write to her sister to
beg her mediation.
LETTER LXV. Miss Howe to Clarissa.—Her angry and reproachful letter
above-mentioned; demands from her the clearing up of her conduct.
LETTER LXVI. Clarissa to Miss Howe.—Gently remonstrates upon her
severity. To this hour knows not all the methods taken to deceive and
ruin her. But will briefly, yet circumstantially, enter into the darker
part of her sad story, though her heart sinks under the thoughts of a
recollection so painful.
LETTER LXVII. LXVIII. LXIX. LXX. From the same.—She gives the promised
particulars of her story. Begs that the blackest parts of it may be
kept secret; and why. Desires one friendly tear, and no more, may be
dropt from her gentle eye, on the happy day that shall shut up all her
sorrows.
LETTER LXXI. LXXII. Miss Howe to Clarissa.—Execrates the abandoned
profligate. She must, she tells her, look to the world beyond this for
her reward. Unravels some of Lovelace’s plots; and detects his
forgeries. Is apprehensive for her own as well as Clarissa’s safety.
Advises her to pursue a legal vengeance. Laudable custom in the Isle of
Man. Offers personally to attend her in a court of justice.
LETTER LXXIII. Clarissa to Miss Howe.—Cannot consent to a prosecution.
Discovers who it was that personated her at Hampstead. She is quite
sick of life, and of an earth in which innocent and benevolent spirits
are sure to be considered as aliens.