SHAMELA ANDREWS _to_ HENRIETTA MARIA HONORA ANDREWS.
_Dear Mamma_,
I Little feared when I sent away my last that all my Hopes would be
so soon frustrated; but I am certain you will blame Fortune and not
me. To proceed then. About two Hours after I had left the Squire, he
sent for me into the Parlour. _Pamela_, said he, and takes me gently
by the hand, will you walk with me in the Garden; yes, Sir, says I,
and pretended to tremble; but I hope your Honour will not be rude.
Indeed, says he, you have nothing to fear from me, and I have
something to tell you, which if it doth not please you, cannot
offend. We walked out together, and he began thus, _Pamela_, will you
tell me Truth? Doth the Resistance you make to my Attempts proceed
from Vartue only, or have I not some Rival in thy dear Bosom who
might be more successful? Sir, says I, I do assure you I never had a
thought of any Man in the World. How says he, not of Parson
_Williams_! Parson _Williams_, says I, is the last Man upon Earth;
and if I was a Dutchess, and your Honour was to make your Addresses
to me, you would have no reason to be jealous of any Rival,
especially such a Fellow as Parson _Williams_. If ever I had a
Liking, I am sure----but I am not worthy of you one Way, and no
Riches should ever bribe me the other. My Dear, says he, you are
worthy of every Thing, and suppose I should lay aside all
Considerations of Fortune, and disregard the Censure of the World,
and marry you. O Sir, says I, I am sure you can have no such
Thoughts, you cannot demean your self so low. Upon my Soul, I am in
earnest, says he,--O Pardon me, Sir, says I, you can't persuade me of
this. How Mistress, says he, in a violent Rage, do you give me the
Lie? Hussy, I have a great mind to box your saucy Ears, but I am
resolved I will never put it in your power to affront me again, and
therefore I desire you to prepare your self for your Journey this
Instant. You deserve no better Vehicle than a Cart; however, for once
you shall have a Chariot, and it shall be ready for you within this
half Hour; and so he flung from me in a Fury.
_What a foolish Thing it is for a Woman to dally too long with her
Lover's Desires; how many have owed their being old Maids to their
holding out too long._
Mrs. _Jewkes_ came me to presently, and told me, I must make ready
with all the Expedition imaginable, for that my Master had ordered
the Chariot, and that if I was not prepared to go in it, I should be
turned out of Doors, and left to find my way Home on Foot. This
startled me a little, yet I resolved, whether in the right or wrong,
not to submit nor ask Pardon: For that know you, Mamma, you never
could your self bring me to from my Childhood: Besides, I thought he
would be no more able to master his Passion for me now, than he had
been hitherto; and if he sent two Horses away with me, I concluded he
would send four to fetch me back. So, truly, I resolved to brazen it
out, and with all the Spirit I could muster up, I told Mrs. _Jewkes_
I was vastly pleased with the News she brought me; that no one ever
went more readily than I should, from a Place where my Vartue had
been in continual Danger. That as for my Master, he might easily get
those who were fit for his Purpose; but, for my Part, I preferred my
Vartue to all Rakes whatever----And for his Promises, and his Offers
to me, I don't value them of a Fig--Not of a Fig, Mrs. _Jewkes_; and
then I snapt my Fingers.
Mrs. _Jewkes_ went in with me, and helped me to pack up my little
All, which was soon done; being no more than two Day-Caps, two
Night-Caps, five Shifts, one Sham, a Hoop, a Quilted-Petticoat, two
Flannel-Petticoats, two pair of Stockings, one odd one, a pair of
lac'd Shoes, a short flowered Apron, a lac'd Neck-Handkerchief, one
Clog, and almost another, and some few Books: as, _A full Answer to a
plain and true Account_, &c. _The Whole Duty of Man_, with only the
Duty to one's Neighbour, torn out. The Third Volume of the
_Atalantis_. _Venus in the Cloyster: Or, the Nun in her Smock_.
_God's Dealings with Mr. Whitefield_. _Orfus and Eurydice_. Some
Sermon-Books; and two or three Plays, with their Titles, and Part of
the first Act torn off.
So as soon as we had put all this into a Bundle, the Chariot was
ready, and I took leave of all the Servants, and particularly Mrs.
_Jewkes_, who pretended, I believe, to be more sorry to part with me
than she was; and then crying out with an Air of Indifference, my
Service to my Master, when he condescends to enquire after me, I
flung my self into the Chariot, and bid _Robin_ drive on.
We had not gone far, before a Man on Horseback, riding full Speed,
overtook us, and coming up to the Side of the Chariot, threw a Letter
into the Window, and then departed without uttering a single
Syllable.
I immediately knew the Hand of my dear _Williams_, and was somewhat
surprised, tho' I did not apprehend the Contents to be so terrible,
as by the following exact Copy you will find them.
_Parson_ WILLIAMS _to_ PAMELA.
_Dear Mrs._ PAMELA,
That Disrespect for the Clergy, which I have formerly noted to you in
that Villain your Master, hath now broke forth in a manifest Fact. I
was proceeding to my Neighbour _Spruce's_ Church, where I purposed to
preach a Funeral Sermon, on the Death of Mr. _John Gage_, the
Exciseman; when I was met by two Persons who are, it seems, Sheriffs
Officers, and arrested for the 150_l._ which your Master had lent me;
and unless I can find Bail within these few Days, of which I see no
likelihood, I shall be carried to Goal. This accounts for my not
having visited you these two Days; which you might assure yourself, I
should not have fail'd, if the _Potestas_ had not been wanting. If
you can by any means prevail on your Master to release me, I beseech
you so to do, not scrupling any thing for Righteousness sake. I hear
he is just arrived in this Country, I have herewith sent him a
Letter, of which I transmit you a Copy. So with Prayers for your
Success, I Subscribe myself
_Your affectionate Friend_,