Clarissa, Volume 6 - The History Of A Young Lady

Clarissa, Volume 6 − The History Of A Young Lady 124
I imagine, if there be such a thing as future punishment, it must be none of the smallest mortifications, that a
new devil shall be punished by a worse old one. And, take that! And, take that! to have the old satyr cry to the
screaming sufferer, laying on with a cat−o'−nine−tails, with a star of burning brass at the end of each: and, for
what! for what!−−−Why, if the truth may be fairly told, for not being so bad a devil as myself.
Thou art, surely, casuist good enough to know, (what I have insisted upon* heretofore,) that the sin of
seducing a credulous and easy girl, is as great as that of bringing to your lure an incredulous and watchful one.
* See Vol. IV. Letter XVII.
However ungenerous an appearance what I am going to say may have from my pen, let me tell thee, that if
such a woman as Miss Harlowe chose to enter into the matrimonial state, [I am resolved to disappoint thee in
thy meditated triumph over my rage and despair!] and, according to the old patriarchal system, to go on
contributing to get sons and daughters, with no other view than to bring them up piously, and to be good and
useful members of the commonwealth, what a devil had she to do, to let her fancy run a gadding after a rake?
one whom she knew to be a rake?
Oh! but truly she hoped to have the merit of reclaiming him. She had formed pretty notions how charming it
would look to have a penitent of her own making dangling at her side at church, through an applauding
neighbourhood: and, as their family increased, marching with her thither, at the head of their boys and girls,
processionally, as it were, boasting of the fruits of their honest desires, as my good lord bishop has it in his
license. And then, what a comely sight, all kneeling down together in one pew, according to eldership as we
have seen in effigy, a whole family upon some old monument, where the honest chevalier in armour is
presented kneeling, with up−lifted hands, and half a dozen jolter−headed crop−eared boys behind him, ranged
gradatim, or step−fashion according to age and size, all in the same posture−−facing his pious dame, with a
ruff about her neck, and as many whey−faced girls all kneeling behind her: an altar between them, and an
open book upon it: over their heads semiluminary rays darting from gilded clouds, surrounding an
achievement− motto, IN COELO SALUS−−or QUIES−−perhaps, if they have happened to live the usual
married life of brawl and contradiction.
It is certainly as much my misfortune to have fallen in with Miss Clarissa Harlowe, were I to have valued my
reputation or ease, as it is that of Miss Harlowe to have been acquainted with me. And, after all, what have I
done more than prosecute the maxim, by which thou and I and every rake are governed, and which, before I
knew this lady, we have pursued from pretty girl to pretty girl, as fast as we have set one down, taking another
up;−−just as the fellows do with their flying coaches and flying horses at a country fair−−−−with a Who rides
next! Who rides next!
But here in the present case, to carry on the volant metaphor, (for I must either be merry, or mad,) is a pretty
little miss just come out of her hanging−sleeve−coat, brought to buy a pretty little fairing; for the world, Jack,
is but a great fair, thou knowest; and, to give thee serious reflection for serious, all its joys but tinselled
hobby−horses, gilt gingerbread, squeaking trumpets, painted drums, and so forth.
Now behold this pretty little miss skimming from booth to booth, in a very pretty manner. One pretty little
fellow called Wyerley, perhaps; another jiggeting rascal called Biron, a third simpering varlet of the name of
Symmes, and a more hideous villain than any of the reset, with a long bag under his arm, and parchment
settlements tagged to his heels, yelped Solmes: pursue her from raree−show to raree−show, shouldering upon
one another at every turn, stopping when she stops, and set a spinning again when she moves. And thus
dangled after, but still in the eye of her watchful guardians, traverses the pretty little miss through the whole
fair, equally delighted and delighting: till at last, taken with the invitation of the laced−hat orator, and seeing
several pretty little bib−wearers stuck together in the flying−coaches, cutting safely the yielding air, in the
one−go−up the other go−down picture−of−the−world vehicle, and all with as little fear as wit, is tempted to
ride next.