I however was much more pleas'd for my own Part with the Opinion of a stay'd sober Gentleman, who was then call'd upon to declare his Sentiments, tho' I don't send it to you as an Extract from a Curious Letter, neither was it submitted to him, as a Gentleman of the most distinguish'd Taste and Abilities. But to the best of my Remembrance he express'd himself something like the following Manner.
I don't approve, said he, of the Extravagancies which People have run into on both sides of the Question in regard to Pamela, neither of those who have cried it up as a Masterpiece in its Kind and the most perfect Thing that ever was published; nor of those who depreciate it as the most insignificant Trifle they ever met with, and hardly worth Notice, on the contrary, I think it is very artfully work'd up, and the Passions so strongly touch'd that it is impossible for Youth to read it without Sympathy, and even wishing themselves in such a Situation, which must be attended with very bad Consequences. Pamela under the Notion of being a Virtuous Modest Girl will be introduced into all Families, and when she gets there, what Scenes does she represent? Why a fine young Gentleman endeavouring to debauch a beautiful Girl of Sixteen. The Advances are regular, and the amorous Conflicts so agreeably and warmly depicted, that the young Gentleman Reader will at the best be tempted to rehearse some of the same Scenes with some Pamela or other in the Family, and the Modest Young Lady can never read the Description of Naked Breasts being run over with the Hand, and Kisses given with such Eagerness that they cling to the Lips; but her own soft Breasts must heave at the Idea and secretly sigh for the same Pressure; what then can she do when she comes to the closer Struggles of the Bed, where the tender Virgin lies panting and exposed, if not to the last Conquest, (which I think the Author hath barely avoided) at least to all the Liberties which ungoverned Hands of a determined Lover must be supposed to take? If she is contented with only wishing for the same Trial to shew the Steadiness of her Virtue it is sufficient; but if Nature should be too powerful, as Nature at Sixteen is a very formidable Enemy tho' Shame and the Censure of the World may restrain her from openly gratifying the criminal Thought, yet she privately may seek Remedies which may drive her to the most unnatural Excesses.
This then, said he, in short is my Opinion of Pamela; that the Story is prettily related, the Passions finely wrought up, and the Catastrophe beautifully concluded, but in the Course of the Narrative, and almost interspersed throughout the Whole, there are such Scenes of Love, and such lewd Ideas, as must fill the Youth that read them with Sentiments and Desires worse than Rochester can, and for this Reason, they will start at a gross Expression, which if nicely and artfully convey'd they'll dwell on with Rapture. Therefore I think it wholly unfit for Youth, and declare freely I would by no Means trust my Daughters with reading it.
This Gentleman's Opinion induced me to read over your Pamela, and I really find it too true: There is a perfect System of Intrigue, and they begin so gently by Degrees, and are led on so methodically to the last Grand Attack, and this with amorous Attacks in View, even thro' the gravest Sentences of Morality that it is impossible to read it without endeavouring to gratify the Passion he hath raised; let us view Pamela then, divested of the Drapery in which she is enclos'd, tho' not hid, and then her Charms will appear thus: The wise Father will never think it proper for his Son's Closet, and the careful Mother banish that with other Novels and Romances from her Daughter's Cabinet.
PAMELA begins from the Death of her Lady, and tho' she gives the Narrative in her own Person, yet let us take it as a Tale only, without any Consideration had to it's being epistolary, and the loose Images will be the more connected, and glare the stronger; which Mr. Editor, that I may not misrepresent, I will quote in your own Words, and make Remarks on them as they occur.
The young Gentleman coming to take Possession of his Treasure, finds this young Virgin among it, the good old Gentlewoman, on her Death-bed, recommends her to his Care with one Design, and he receives her with quite another. Here's a fine Field open'd for a luscious Tale, the Game is started, and the Author like a staunch Sportsman never once loses Sight;——Mr. B. begins very tenderly: After a little Toying, Kissing, &c. he makes Miss a Present of several fine Things, and here, says the Author, I'll just give my Readers a soft Touch to see how they will entertain amorous Reflections; p. 12. "I was inwardly ashamed to take the Stockens; for Mrs. Jervis was not there; If she had, it would have been nothing. I believe I received them very awkwardly; for he smiled at my Awkwardness, and said, Don't blush, Pamela: Dost think I don't know pretty Maids wear Shoes and Stockens?" Yes, to be sure, and Garters and Stomachers and Smocks,——but ola! little Miss would have cried, that's a Pah Word, and my Mamma wont let me read such naughty Books!
Well! the young Gentleman grows a little bolder, his Sister indeed the good Lady Davers! She thinks the poor Girl is designed to be ruin'd: And she does no more to prevent it then shake her Head and cry, Ah Brother! Now Miss is at Work in the Summer House, and let us see the Interview, I assure you the Scene rises a little, and the innocent Girl appears mighty skillful; p. 17, 18. "I saw some Reason to suspect; for he would look upon me, whenever he saw me, in such a manner as shew'd not well; and at last he came to me, as I was in the Summer-house in the little Garden, at work with my Needle, and Mrs. Jervis was just gone from me; and I would have gone out; but he said, No, don't go, Pamela; I have something to say to you; and you always fly me, when I come near you, as if you were afraid of me. I was much out of Countenance, you may well think; but said at last, It does not become your poor Servant to stay in your Presence, Sir, without your Business requir'd it; and I hope I shall always know my Place. Well, says he, my Business does require it sometimes, and I have a Mind you should stay to hear what I have to say to you. I stood all-confounded, and began to tremble, and the more when he took me by the Hand; for now no Soul was near us. My Sister Davers, said he (and seem'd, I thought, to be as much at a Loss for Words as I) would have had you live with her; but she would not do for you what I am resolved to do, if you continue faithful and obliging. What say'st thou, my Girl? said he, with some Eagerness; had'st thou not better stay with me, than go to my Sister Davers? He look'd so, as fill'd me with Affrightment; I don't know how; wildly, I thought. I said, when I could speak, Your Honour will forgive me; but as you have no Lady for me to wait upon, and my good Lady has been now dead this Twelvemonth, I had rather, if it would not displease you, wait upon Lady Davers, because—I was proceeding, and he said a little hastily Because you are a little Fool, and know not what's good for yourself. I tell you, I will make a Gentlewoman of you, if you'll be obliging, and don't stand in your own Light, and so saying, he put his Arm about me and kiss'd me! Now you will say, all his Wickedness appear'd plainly. I struggled, and trembled, and was so benumb'd with Terror, that I sunk down, not in a Fit, and yet not myself; and I found myself in his Arms, quite void of Strength; and he kissed me two or three times, with frightful Eagerness.——At last I burst from him, and was getting out of the Summer House; but he held me back, and shut the Door." He then bids her have done blubbering, and offers her some Money. After this Miss is afraid to lie alone, and wants a Confidante. Well good Mrs. Jervis to be sure is glad of the Offer, and some Time passes 'till the 'Squire comes to Town again. And here the Author (fearing least his Male Readers should have no Entertainment, the former being more adapted to improve the Female,) contrives to give us an Idea of Pamela's hidden Beauties, and very decently to spread her upon the Floor, for all who will peep thro' the Door to surfeit on the Sight; but first takes care to put them in Life by a Flurry lest they should appear too dead and languid: p. 30. "At last he came in again, but, alas! with Mischief in his heart! and raising me up, he, said, Rise, Pamela, rise; you are your own Enemy. Your perverse Folly will be your Ruin; I tell you this, that I am very much displeased with the Freedoms you have taken with my Name to my House-keeper, as also to your Father and Mother; and you may as well have real Cause to take these Freedoms with me, as to make my Name suffer for imaginary ones. And saying so, he offered to take me on his Knee, with some Force. O how I was terrify'd! I said, like as I had read in a Book a Night or two before, Angels, and Saints, and all the Host of Heaven, defend me! And may I never survive one Moment, that fatal one in which I shall forfeit my Innocence. Pretty Fool! said he, how will you forfeit your Innocence, if you are oblig'd to yield to a Force you cannot withstand? Be easy, said he; for let the worse happen that can, you'll have the Merit, and I the Blame; and it will be a Subject for Letters to your Father and Mother, and a Tale in the Bargain for Mrs. Jervis. He by Force kissed my Neck and Lips; Who even blamed Lucretia, but the Ravisher only? And I am content to take all the Blame upon me; as I have all ready born too great a Share for what I have deservd. May I, said I, Lucretia like, justify myself with my Death, if I am used barbarously? O my good Girl! said he, tauntingly, you are well read, I see; and we shall make out between us, before we have done, a pretty Story in Romance, I warrant ye. He then put his Hand in my Bosom, and the Indignation gave me double Strength, and I got loose from him by a sudden Spring, and ran out of the Room and the next Chamber being open, I made shift to get into it, and threw-to the Door; and the Key being of the Inside, it locked; but he followed me so close, he got hold of my Gown, and tore a Piece off, which hung without the Door. I just remember I got into the Room; for I knew nothing further of the Matter till afterwards; for I fell into a Fit with my Fright and Terror, and there I lay, till he, as I suppose, looking through the Key-hole, spy'd me lying all along upon the Floor, stretch'd out at my Length; and then he call'd Mrs. Jervis to me, who, by his Assistance, bursting open the Door, he went away, I seeming to be coming to myself; and bid her say nothing of the Matter, if she was wise. Poor Mrs. Jervis thought it was worse."
Was not the Squire very modest to withdraw? for she lay in such a pretty Posture that Mrs. Jervis thought it was worse, and Mrs. Jervis was a Woman of Discernment; but however Pamela did no more than what Ladies of Fashion do to their Footmen every Morning, shew herself in Dishabille or so.
The Young Lady by thus discovering a few latent Charms, as the snowy Complexion of her Limbs, and the beautiful Symmetry and Proportion which a Girl of about fifteen or sixteen must be supposed to shew by tumbling backwards, after being put in a Flurry by her Lover, and agitated to a great Degree takes her smelling Bottle, has her Laces cut, and all the pretty little necessary Things that the most luscious and warm Description can paint, or the fondest Imagination conceive. How artfully has the Author introduced an Image that no Youth can read without Emotion! The Idea of peeping thro' a Key-hole to see a fine Woman extended on a Floor in a Posture that must naturally excite Passions of Desire, may indeed be read by one in his grand Climacteric without ever wishing to see one in the same Situation, but the Editor of Pamela directs himself to the Youth of both Sexes, therefore all the Instruction they can possibly receive from this Passage is, first to the young Men that the more they endeavour to find out the hidden Beauties of their Mistresses, the more they must approve them; and for that Purpose all they have to do, is, to move them by some amorous Dalliance to give them a transient View of the Pleasure they are afterwards to reap from the beloved Object. And Secondly, to the young Ladies that whatever Beauties they discover to their Lovers, provided they grant not the last Favour, they only ensure their Admirers the more; and by a Glimpse of Happiness captivate their Suitor the better. So that a young Lover in order to encourage his growing Virtue is not to blame to see his Mistress in her Shift, nor the young Lady to permit it, if she can discreetly do it so as not to let him think she is sensible of it, 'tis as much as to say, ye Rakes! Raise the Inclination of the Girls 'till they can scarce refuse complying, then let them fly from ye to their Chambers, and there reveal in private to your longing Sight the Beauties which upon no Account they would openly entertain ye with.
The lovely, the innocent Pamela, after her Master had seen her like a new born Venus rising from the Waves, as one of the Poets expresses it, seems to know nothing of the Matter, and yet with all the Inconsistence imaginable expresses herself as cunningly and knowing upon the Subject as the best bred Town Lass of them all could have done: The Squire offers her Money, which she refuses; and in her Conversation with Mrs. Jervis, upon that Head, she expresses herself thus: p. 41. "After such Offers, and such Threatnings, and his comparing himself to a wicked Ravisher, in the very Time of his last Offer; and making a Jest of me, that we should make a pretty Story in Romance; can I stay, and be safe? Has he not demean'd him self twice? And it behoves me to beware of the third Time, for fear he should lay his Snares surer; for mayhap he did not expect a poor Servant would resist her Master so much. And must it not be look'd upon as a sort of Warrant for such Actions, if I stay after this? For I think, when one of our Sex finds she is attempted, it is an Encouragement to a Person to proceed, if one puts one's self in the Way of it, when one can help it; and it shews one can forgive what in short ought, not to be forgiven: Which is no small Countenance to foul Actions, I'll assure you."