Remarks on Clarissa (1749)

by Sarah Fielding

Nosooner had the State of blooming Youth taken place of that of prattlingInfancy, than she became the Object of publick Admiration, and Lovers ofall Degrees with Emulation strove to gain the fair _Emma's_ Favour; butas yet her Heart was free, and her Father's paternal tender Indulgencenever once endeavoured to force her Choice. At last the happy _Henry_ invarious Disguises found the means to obtain her Favour, and she becomespassionately in Love with him: But not content with this, he resolves ona Trial of her Constancy, and therefore tells her, that he is aMurderer, must fly from Justice, and herd amongst the lowest and basestof Mankind; that he despised her, and the fond Heart she had given him;a younger and fairer Nymph now engaging his Pursuit, and that if shewould follow him, she also must herd with Outlaws his Companions, wholike himself were fled from Justice; where Impiety, Blasphemy andObscenity would be all the Language she could hear.

  _Emma_ on this Trial, ignorant who _Henry_ was, or what Brothel had lastgiven him up, without one Enquiry whether the Murder he confessed wasnot of the blackest Die, remorseless for all the Agonies with which shemust tear her Father's tender Bosom, resolves at all Events, as _Henry_himself says,

  _Name, Habit, Parents, Woman, left behind_.

  to follow him through the World; not admitted to share his Fate, but tobe scorned and insulted by him. Thus _victoriously_ she stood her Trial._Henry_ turns out a great Man; consequently his Wife is greatly admired;Success crowns all, and both Grandeur and Love join to reward hersupposed heroic Virtue.

  But had the Poet thought proper, that _Henry_ should have turned out theMurderer, the Vagabond, the insolent and ungrateful Scorner of her Lovehe represented himself to be; had her Father's Sorrow for her Fateshortned his miserable Days; had she been abandoned by the Wretch shehad so much Reason to expect the worst of Treatment from, and, betweenRage, Despair, and a thousand conflicting Passions, been led by anatural Gradation from one Vice to another, till she had been lost inthe most abandoned Profligacy; instead of being proposed for an Example,her Name would have been only mentioned to deter others from the likerash Steps. That this was the natural Consequence of her Actions is veryapparent: Nor do I think from her Behaviour, that _Henry_ had the leastReason to be convinced that she would not leave him for the first Manwho would try to seduce her, provided the Colour of his Complexionsuited her Fancy.

  All the Company were very inclineable to yield up _Emma's_ Cause, if_Henry had_ indeed been a Villain and a Murderer; only great Part ofthem were very apt to forget one Circumstance, namely, that it wasimpossible for her to know, but that he was the Wretch he representedhimself to be; and Miss _Gibson_ seemed to be much more inclined tocompassionate her, if extreme Misery had been her Fate, than was theGentleman who first mentioned her as an Object of Admiration, onlybecause the Author of the Poem thought fit to reward her. Miss _Gibson_then addressing herself to _Bellario_, said, 'Sir, you are a Father,--anindulgent Father,--would you have your Daughter act in such aManner?--_Bellario_ honestly owned he would not. 'Why then, Sir,(replyed she) please to consider a Moment, and you will see theInjustice of wishing another Man's Daughter should act so.' _Bellario_ingenuously confessed, that when he read the Poem of _Henry_ and _Emma_,the Picture of his Mistress, and not that of his Daughter, was beforehis Eyes, and he would have his Mistress _of all Mankind love but himalone_.----'I wonder not at that, Sir, (said Miss _Gibson_) but thenyou would not be the Man _Henry_ represented himself to be. Had _Henry_had any Misfortunes by which his Heart had not been stained.

  [B]_Had it pleased Heav'n To try_ him _with Affliction, had he rain'd_ _All kind of Sores and Shames on_ his _bare Head, Steep'd_ him _in Poverty to the very Lips, Given to Captivity_ him _and_ his _utmost Hopes,_

  [B] OTHELLO.

  no one would more have applauded _Emma's_ Resolution, _of loving of allMankind but him alone_, than I should have done: But yet when I see aWoman seriously endeavour to conquer a Passion for a Man who proveshimself unworthy her Love, it will always be to me a strong Proof of hersteady Constancy to a Man she has Reason to esteem. I would have had_Emma_ stood _Henry's_ shocking Tryal as _Macduff_ in the Tragedy of_Macbeth_ does that of _Malcolm_, and when he had proved himselfunworthy her least Affection; I think, in the Words of _Macduff_ shemight have said,

  _----Fare thee well, These Evils thou repeat'st upon thyself, Have banish'd me from_ JOY.----_Oh! my Breast, Thy Hope ends here._

  On such a Behaviour, I think the Reward she met with should have beenfounded, and such I believe would have been the Behaviour of _Clarissa_in the like Circumstances.

  'The Love that is not judicious, must be as uncertain as its capriciousFoundation: But 'tis one of the distinguishing Marks of _Clarissa's_Character, to watch her own Mind, that Prejudice may not get Possessionof it, nor her Imagination run away with her Judgment. With what a nobleContempt does she treat the extravagant Offers _Solmes_ makes her, atthe Expence of Justice, and cruelly leaving his Family to starve? Buthow very few People, like _Clarissa_, can poise the Scales with an evenHand, where one Grain of Self is placed in either Scale?'

  The Gentleman, who had at first started the Objection to _Clarissa_ ofher being incapable of any strong Affection, now said, 'that he couldnot see any Proof of her Impartiality, in that she could view theActions of _Solmes_ in the proper Light: He did not know whether shewould have argued in the same manner With regard to _Lovelace_'. Miss_Gibson_ said, 'Do you speak this, Sir, as a Proof of the Justice ofyour first Objection to _Clarissa_, that her Heart was as impenetrableas Marble; is it reasonable she should be condemned both ways?' TheGentleman look'd very grave for a Moment, and then said, he was sure shehad no Affections in her, notwithstand what he had now said.

  Mr. _Johnson_ on this, told the following Story.

  "I remember (said he) I went some time ago with Mr. _Tonson_ to acelebrated Painter's, to see a Picture he had drawn of a Gentleman wewere both intimately acquainted with; the Resemblance was very strong;we were much pleased with the Picture, even to the very Drapery; theCoat was a fine Crimson Cloth, but Mr. _Tonson_, at first View, took itfor Velvet; he was soon convinced of his Mistake, but yet could neversince mention the Picture, without talking of the Velvet Coat; and whenI have bid him remember it was Cloth, he has always acknowledged it, andsaid, it's very true Sir; And yet such a strong Impression had his firstIdea of it made in his Mind, that in two Minutes he could talk again ofthe Velvet Coat, with as much Ease as if he had been perfectly ignorantof his Mistake."

  A strong Objection was raised to Mr. _Lovelace's_ being so long withoutany Attempt on the Lady's Honour, when she was under the same Roof withhim, and so much in his Power. Mr. _Johnson_ said he thought Mr._Belford_ had given a good Reason for this Delay in a Letter to_Lovelace_, where he says,

  _Thou too a Man born for Intrigue, full of Invention, intrepid, remorseless, able patiently to watch for the Opportunity, not flurried, as most Men, by Gusts of violent Passion, which often nip a Project in the Bud, and make the Snail, which was just putting out its Horns to meet the Inviter, withdraw into its Shell._

  So that it seems to be a Maxim, amongst _Lovelace_ and his Club ofRakes, not to destroy their own Schemes by a too precipitate Pursuit;and _Lovelace_ gives yet a stronger Reason for it in the followingWords.

  _O Virtue, Virtue_, says he, _what is there in thee, that can thus affect the Heart of such a Man as me against my Will!--Whence these involuntary Tremors, and fear of giving mortal Offence! What art thou that, acting in the Breast of a feeble Woman, canst strike so much awe into a Spirit so intrepid which never before, no, not in my first Attempt, young as I then was, and frighted at my own Boldness (till I found myself_ forgiven,) _had such an Effect on me._

  But Quotations from _Lovelace's_ Words to this Purpose, and that he wasresolved to be slow in order to be sure, would be endless.

  This, I think, was the last Objection raised; only _Bellario_ said, thatthe Report that the Catastrophy was to be unhappy had made a deepImpression on him; for that he c
ould not avoid thinking that, if it wastrue, it must be a great Error, and destroy all the Pleasure agood-natur'd Reader might already have received: However, he said, hewould keep his Word in not absolutely giving his Judgment till he sawthe Conclusion.

  And thus ended the second Scene of Criticism on _Clarissa_; only, as wewent down Stairs, a Lady, who had not spoke one Word the whole Evening,mutter'd out a strong Dislike, that the agreeable Mr. _Lovelace_ shouldnot become a Husband.

  And now, in the Month of _December_, appears the long expected, muchwished for Conclusion of _Clarissa's_ Story.

  The Company we have already mentioned being again assembled, the Ladywho had before grieved that the agreeable Mr. _Lovelace_ should notbecome a Husband, now lamented that Miss _Howe_ should be married to soinsipid a Man (that was the Epithet she chose for him) as Mr. _Hickman_.This passed some