ossessed
by Men, who are notorious for Luxury, Pride, Cruelty, Treachery, and
the most abandoned Prostitution; Wretches who are ready to invent and
maintain Schemes repugnant to the Interest, the Liberty, and the
Happiness of Mankind, not to supply their Necessities, or even
Conveniencies, but to pamper their Avarice and Ambition. And if this
be the Road to worldly Honours, God forbid the Clergy should be even
suspected of walking in it.

The History of _Pamela_ I was acquainted with long before I received
it from you, from my Neighbourhood to the Scene of Action. Indeed I
was in hopes that young Woman would have contented herself with the
Good-fortune she hath attained; and rather suffered her little Arts
to have been forgotten than have revived their Remembrance, and
endeavoured by perverting and misrepresenting Facts to be thought to
deserve what she now enjoys: for though we do not imagine her the
Author of the Narrative itself, yet we must suppose the Instructions
were given by her, as well as the Reward, to the Composer. Who that
is, though you so earnestly require of me, I shall leave you to guess
from that _Ciceronian_ Eloquence, with which the Work abounds; and
that excellent Knack of making every Character amiable, which he lays
his hands on.

But before I send you some Papers relating to this Matter, which will
set _Pamela_ and some others in a very different Light, than that in
which they appear in the printed Book, I must beg leave to make some
few Remarks on the Book itself, and its Tendency, (admitting it to be
a true Relation,) towards improving Morality, or doing any good,
either to the present Age, or Posterity: which when I have done, I
shall, I flatter myself, stand excused from delivering it, either
into the hands of my Daughter, or my Servant-Maid.

The Instruction which it conveys to Servant-Maids, is, I think, very
plainly this, To look out for their Masters as sharp as they can. The
Consequences of which will be, besides Neglect of their Business, and
the using all manner of Means to come at Ornaments of their Persons,
that if the Master is not a Fool, they will be debauched by him; and
if he is a Fool, they will marry him. Neither of which, I apprehend,
my good Friend, we desire should be the Case of our Sons.

And notwithstanding our Author's Professions of Modesty, which in my
Youth I have heard at the Beginning of an Epilogue, I cannot agree
that my Daughter should entertain herself wit