I am extremely
concerned, my dearest friend, for the disturbance that have happened in your
family. I know how it must hurt you to become the subject of the public talk:
and yet, upon an occasion so generally known, it is impossible but that
whatever relates to a young lady, whose distinguished merits have made her the
public care, should engage every body's attention. I long to have the
particulars from yourself; and of the usage I am told you receive upon an
accident you could not help; and in which, as far as I can learn, the sufferer
was the aggressor.
Mr. Diggs, the
surgeon, whom I sent for at the first hearing of the rencounter, to inquire, for your sake, how your brother was, told
me, that there was no danger from the wound, if there were none from the fever;
which it seems has been increased by the perturbation of his spirits.
Mr. Wyerley
drank tea with us yesterday; and though he is far from being partial to Mr.
Lovelace, as it may well be supposed, yet both he and Mr. Symmes blame your
family for the treatment they gave him when he went in person to inquire after
your brother's health, and to express his concern for what had happened.
They say, that
Mr. Lovelace could not avoid drawing his sword: and that either your brother's
unskilfulness or passion left him from the very first pass entirely in his
power…
First edition |
There are people
who love not your brother, because of his natural imperiousness and fierce and uncontroulable temper: these say, that
the young gentleman's passion was abated
on seeing his blood gush plentifully
down his arm…
Be this as it
may, every body pities you. So steady, so uniform in your conduct: so desirous,
as you always said, of sliding through life to the end of it unnoted; and, as I
may add, not wishing to be observed even for your silent benevolence;
sufficiently happy in the noble consciousness which attends it: Rather useful
than glaring, your deserved motto; though now, to your regret, pushed into
blaze, as I may say: and yet blamed at home for the faults of others—how must
such a virtue suffer on every hand!—yet it must be allowed, that your present
trial is but proportioned to your prudence.
As all your
friends without doors are apprehensive that some other unhappy event may result
from so violent a contention, in which it seems the families on both sides are
now engaged, I must desire you to enable me, on the authority of your own
information, to do you occasional justice.
My mother, and
all of us, like the rest of the world, talk of nobody but you on this occasion,
and of the consequences which may follow from the resentments of a man of Mr.
Lovelace's spirit; who, as he gives out, has been treated with high indignity
by your uncles. My mother will have it, that you cannot now, with any decency,
either see him, or correspond with him. She is a good deal prepossessed by your
uncle Antony; who occasionally calls upon us, as you know; and, on this
rencounter, has represented to her the crime which it would be in a sister to encourage
a man who is to wade into her favour (this was his expression) through the
blood of her brother.
Write to me
therefore, my dear, the whole of your story from the time that Mr. Lovelace was
first introduced into your family; and particularly an account of all that
passed between him and your sister; about which there are different reports;
some people scrupling not to
insinuate that the younger sister has stolen a lover from the elder: and pray
write in so full a manner as may satisfy those who know not so much of your
affairs as I do. If anything unhappy should fall out from the violence of such
spirits as you have to deal with, your account of all things previous to it
will be your best justification.
You see what you
draw upon yourself by excelling all your sex. Every individual of it who knows
you, or has heard of you, seems to think you answerable to her for your conduct
in points so very delicate and concerning.
Every eye, in
short, is upon you with the expectation of an example. I wish to heaven you
were at liberty to pursue your own methods…
Your ever
grateful and affectionate, ANNA HOWE?
Will you oblige
me with a copy of the preamble to the clauses in your grandfather's will in
your favour; and allow me to send it to my aunt Harman?—She is very desirous to
see it. Yet your character has so charmed her, that, though a stranger to you
personally, she assents to the preference given you in that will, before she
knows the testator's reasons for giving you that preference.
Vocabulary
Rencounter: A hostile encounter or
contest.
Imperiousness: Arrogance.
Abated: To reduce in amount, degree, or intensity.
Gush: To flow forth suddenly in great volume.
Scrupling: Hesitating.
Book: Clarissa by Samuel
Richardson, chapter 1
Published: 1748
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