CHAPTER 8.

The two Ladies continued walking together till rejoined by the others, who as they issued from the Library were followed by a young Whitby running off with 5 vols. under his arm to Sir Edward’s Gig--and Sir Edw: approaching Charlotte, said “You may perceive what has been our Occupation. My Sister wanted my Counsel in the selection of some books.--We have many leisure hours, & read a great deal.--I am no indiscriminate Novel- Reader. The mere Trash of the common Circulating Library, I hold in the highest contempt. You will never hear me advocating those puerile Emanations which detail nothing but

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discordant Principles incapable of Amalgamation, or those vapid tissues of ordinary Occurrences from which no useful Deductions can be drawn.--In vain may we put them into a literary Alembic;--we distil nothing which can add to Science.--You understand me I am sure?” “I am not quite certain that I do.--But if you will describe the sort of Novels which you _do_ approve, I dare say it will give me a clearer idea.” “Most willingly, Fair Questioner.-- The Novels which I approve are such as display Human Nature with Grandeur --such as shew her in the Sublimities of intense Feeling--such as exhibit the progress of strong Passion from the first Germ of incipient Susceptibility to the utmost Energies of Reason half-dethroned,--where we see the strong spark of Woman’s Captivations elicit such Fire in the Soul of Man as

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leads him--(though at the risk of some Aberration from the strict line of Primitive Obligations)--to hazard all, dare all, atcheive all, to obtain her.--Such are the Works which I peruse with delight, & I hope I may say, with amelioration. They hold forth the most splendid Portraitures of high Conceptions, Unbounded Veiws, illimitable Ardour, indomptible Decision-- and even when the Event is mainly anti-prosperous to the high-toned Machinations of the prime Character, the potent, pervading Hero of the Story, it leaves us full of Generous Emotions for him;--our Hearts are paralized--. T’were Pseudo-Philosophy to assert that we do not feel more enwraped by the brilliancy of his Career, than by the tranquil & morbid Virtues of any opposing Character. Our approbation of the Latter is but

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Eleemosynary.--These are the Novels which enlarge the primitive Capabilities of the Heart, & which it cannot impugn the Sense or be any Dereliction of the character, of the most anti-puerile Man, to be conversant with.”--“If I understand you aright--said Charlotte --our taste in Novels is not at all the same.” And here they were obliged to part--Miss D. being too much tired of them all, to stay any longer.--The truth was that Sir Edw: whom circumstances had confined very much to one spot had read more sentimental Novels than agreed with him. His fancy had been early caught by all the impassioned, & most exceptionable parts of Richardsons; & such Authors as have since appeared to tread in Richardson’s steps, so far as Man’s determined pursuit of Woman in defiance of every opposition of feeling & convenience is

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concerned, had since occupied the greater part of his literary hours, & formed his Character.--With a perversity of Judgement, which must be attributed to his not having by Nature a very strong head, the Graces, the Spirit, the Sagacity, & the Perseverance, of the Villain of the Story outweighed all his absurdities & all his Atrocities with Sir Edward. With him, such Conduct was Genius, Fire & Feeling. --It interested & inflamed him; & he was always more anxious for its Success & mourned over its Discomfitures with more Tenderness than c^d ever have been contemplated by the Authors.--Though he owed many of his ideas to this sort of reading, it were unjust to say that he read nothing else, or that his Language were not formed on a more general Knowledge of modern Literature.--He read all the

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Essays, Letters, Tours & Criticisms of the day--& with the same ill-luck which made him derive only false Principles from Lessons of Morality, & incentives to Vice from the History of it’s Overthrow, he gathered only hard words & involved sentences from the style of our most approved Writers.--

Sir Edw:’s great object in life was to be seductive.--With such personal advantages as he knew himself to possess, & such Talents as he did also give himself credit for, he regarded it as his Duty.--He felt that he was formed to be a dangerous Man--quite in the line of the Lovelaces.--The very name of Sir Edward he thought, carried some degree of fascination with it.--To be generally gallant & assiduous about the fair, to make fine speeches to every pretty Girl, was but the inferior part of the Character he had to play.--

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Miss Heywood, or any other young Woman with any pretensions to Beauty, he was entitled (according to his own veiws of Society) to approach with high Compliment & Rhapsody on the slightest acquaintance; but it was Clara alone on whom he had serious designs; it was Clara whom he meant to seduce.--Her seduction was quite determined on. Her Situation in every way called for it. She was his rival in Lady D.’s favour, she was young, lovely & dependant.--He had very early seen the necessity of the case, & had now been long trying with cautious assiduity to make an impression on her heart, and to undermine her Principles.--Clara saw through him, & had not the least intention of being seduced--but she bore with him patiently enough to confirm the sort of attachment which her personal

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Charms had raised.--A greater degree of discouragement indeed would not have affected Sir Edw:--. He was armed against the highest pitch of Disdain or Aversion.--If she could not be won by affection, he must carry her off. He knew his Business.--Already had he had many Musings on the Subject. If he _were_ constrained so to act, he must naturally wish to strike out something new, to exceed those who had gone before him--and he felt a strong curiosity to ascertain whether the Neighbourhood of Tombuctoo might not afford some solitary House adapted for Clara’s reception;--but the Expence alas! of Measures in that masterly style was ill-suited to his Purse, & Prudence obliged him to prefer the quietest sort of ruin & disgrace for the object of his Affections, to the more renowned.--

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