Lady Mary Wortley Montague, Her Life and Letters (1689-1762)Melville, Lewis
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Lady Mary Wortley Montague, Her Life and Letters (1689-1762)
Melville, Lewis
Montagu, Mary Wortley, Lady 1689-1762; Montagu, Mary Wortley, Lady 1689-1762 -- Correspondence
"Richardson is as ignorant in morality as he is in anatomy, when he
declares abusing an obliging husband, or an indulgent parent, to be an
innocent recreation. His Anna How and Charlotte Grandison are
recommended as patterns of charming pleasantry, and applauded by his
saint-like dames, who mistake pert folly for wit and humour, and
impudence and ill nature for spirit and fire. Charlotte behaves like a
humorsome child, and should have been used like one, and*** well whipped
in the presence of her friendly confidante Harriet. Lord Halifax very
justly tells his daughter, that a husband's kindness is to be kindly
received by a wife, even when he is drunk, and though it is wrapped up
in never so much impertinence. Charlotte acts with an ingratitude that I
think too black for human nature, with such coarse jokes and low
expressions as are only to be heard among the lowest class of people.
Women of that rank often plead a right to beat their husbands, when they
don't cuckold them; and I believe this author was never admitted into
higher company, and should confine his pen to the amours of housemaids,
and the conversation at the steward's table, where I imagine he has
sometimes intruded, though oftener in the servants hall: yet, if the
title be not a puff, this work has passed three editions. I do not
forgive him his disrespect of old china, which is below nobody's taste,
since it has been the D. of Argyll's, whose understanding has never been
doubted either by his friends or enemies.
"Richardson never had probably money enough to purchase any, or even a
ticket for a masquerade, which gives him such an aversion to them;
though his intended satire against them is very absurd on the account of
his Harriet, since she might have been carried off in the same manner if
she had been going from supper with her grandmamma. Her whole behaviour,
which he designs to be exemplary, is equally blamable and ridiculous.
She follows the maxim of Clarissa, of declaring all she thinks to all
the people she sees, without reflecting that in this mortal state of
imperfection, fig-leaves are as necessary for our minds as our bodies,
and 'tis as indecent to show all we think, as all we have. He has no
idea of the manners of high life: his old Lord M. talks in the style of
a country justice, and his virtuous young ladies romp like the wenches
round a maypole. Such liberties as pass between Mr. Lovelace and his
cousins, are not to be excused by the relation. I should have been much
astonished if Lord Denbigh should have offered to kiss me; and I dare
swear Lord Trentham never attempted such an impertinence to you."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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