ritten them?--give them
a reperusal, O heart of adamant! 'Whither can she fly to avoid me? Her
parents will not receive her. Her uncles will not entertain her. Her
beloved Norton is in their direction, and cannot. Miss Howe dare not.
She has not one friend in town but ME--is entirely a stranger to the
town.'*--What must that heart be that can triumph in a distress so deep,
into which she has been plunged by thy elaborate arts and contrivances?
And what a sweet, yet sad reflection was that, which had like to have had
its due effect upon thee, arising from thy naming Lord M. for her nuptial
father? her tender years inclining her to wish for a father, and to hope
a friend.--O my dear Lovelace, canst thou resolve to be, instead of the
father thou hast robbed her of, a devil?

* See Letter XXI. of this volume.

Thou knowest, that I have no interest, that I can have no view, in
wishing thee to do justice to this admirable creature. For thy own sake,
once more I conjure thee, for thy family's sake, and for the sake of our
common humanity, let me beseech thee to be just to Miss Clarissa Harlowe.

No matter whether these expostulations are in character from me, or not.
I have been and am bad enough. If thou takest my advice, which is (as
the enclosed will shew thee) the advice of all thy family, thou wilt
perhaps have it to reproach me (and but perhaps neither) that thou art
not a worse man than myself. But if thou dost not, and if thou ruinest
such a virtue, all the complicated wickedness of ten devils, let loose
among the innocent with full power over them, will not do so much vile
and base mischief as thou wilt be guilty of.

It is said that the prince on his throne is not safe, if a mind so
desperate can be found, as values not its own life. So may it be said,
that the most immaculate virtue is not safe, if a man can be met with who
has no regard to his own honour, and makes a jest of the most solemn vows
and protestations.

Thou mayest by trick, chicane, and false colours, thou who art worse than
a pickeroon in love, overcome a poor lady so entangled as thou hast
entangled her; so unprotected as thou hast made her: but consider, how
much more generous and just to her, and noble to thyself, it is, to
overcome thyself.

Once more, it is no matter whether my past or future actions countenance
my preachment, as perhaps thou'lt call what I have written: but this I
promise thee, that whenever I meet with a woma