A History of English Prose FictionTuckerman, Bayard
History
A History of English Prose Fiction
Tuckerman, Bayard
English fiction -- History and criticism
Of these two are brought to the world two daughters, so beyond
measure excellent in all the gifts allotted to reasonable
creatures, that we may thinke they were borne to shew, that nature
is no stepmother to that sexe, how much so ever some men (sharp
witted onely in evill speaking) have sought to disgrace them. The
elder is named Pamela, by many men not deemed inferiour to her
sister: for my part, when I marked them both, me thought there was,
(if at least such perfections may receive the word of more,) more
sweetness in Philoclea, but more majestie in Pamela: mee thought
love plaied in Philoclea's eies, & threatened in Pamela's; me
thought Philoclea's beautie only perswaded, but so perswaded that
all hearts must yield; Pamela's beautie used violence, and such
violence as no heart could resist. And it seems that such
proportion is betweene their mindes; Philoclea so bashfull, as
though her excellencies had stolne into her before she was aware,
so humble, that she will put all pride out of countenance; in
summe, such proceeding as will stirre hope, but teach hope good
maners. Pamela of high thoughts, who avoids not pride with not
knowing her excellencies, but by my making that one of her
excellencies to be void of pride: her mother's wisdome, greatnesse,
nobilitie, but (if I can guesse aright) knit with a more constant
temper.[71]
The description of an envious man in the second book,[72] which
suggested to Sir Richard Steele his essay in the nineteenth number of
the _Spectator_, is another good example of Sidney's ability in
delineating character. The passage in which Musidorus is represented
showing off the paces of his horse,[73] a subject especially adapted to
excite the best effort of the author, is a very remarkable effort of
descriptive power, for the insertion of which, unfortunately, space is
wanting here. Sidney might have quoted his description of Pamela
sewing, to justify his belief that "It is not rhyming and versing that
maketh poesy":
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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