NOTES TO PAMELA CENSURED
Reading edition
Title page
The epigraph is from Horace's Odes II. viii. 13-16: "All this but makes sport for Venus (upon my word, it does!) and for the artless Nymphs, and cruel Cupid, ever whetting his fiery darts on blood-stained stone" (Horace: The Odes and Epodes, trans. C. E. Bennett [Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard Univ. Press, Loeb Classics, 1952], p. 127).
Title page
Little is known about James Roberts, the bookseller (see Henry R. Plomer, A Dictionary of the Printers and Booksellers Who Were at Work in England, Scotland and Ireland from 1668 to 1725, ed. Arundell Esdaile [Oxford: Oxford Univ. Press, 1922], p. 255). Undoubtedly familiar with Richardson, Roberts sold the Weekly Miscellany, which Richardson printed during the 1730's, and he printed Charles Povey's Virgin in Eden (1741), which like Pamela Censured attacks the morality of Richardson's novel.
Dedication
After recommending Pamela from his pulpit sometime before 6 January 1741, Dr. Benjamin Slocock (1691-1753) earned the undeserved reputation of having been paid by Richardson for this praise (see Eaves and Kimpel, Samuel Richardson, pp. 123-24).
5.1-2
The third (duodecimo) edition of Pamela, published 12 March 1741, is virtually the same in content and collation as the second edition, published less than a month earlier (see William Merritt Sale, Jr., Samuel Richardson: A Bibliographical Record [New Haven: Yale Univ. Press, 1936], pp. 18-19).
6.9-8.17
An attack on the various promises made by Richardson on the title page of Pamela.
8.18-12.27
An attack on Pamela's "Preface by the Editor." Concerning these objections, the "Introduction" to Pamela's Conduct in High Life finds fault with the author of Pamela Censured: "I shall pass by his Contradictions with Regard to the Character he draws of the Editor, or as he will have it Author, who appears in his Party-colour'd Writing a very artful, silly Writer, a Man of fine Sense, and excellent in his Method of conducting the whole Piece, but at the same time vain, ignorant, and incorrect" (I, xiii).
9.26
The "certain Noble Lord" is probably either Sir Arthur Hesilrige or Lord Gainsborough (see McKillop, Samuel Richardson, pp. 27-29).
10.1-3
Quotation from the "Abstract of a second Letter from the Same Gentleman" in the "Introduction to this Second Edition." The "complemental" friend is Aaron Hill.
10.21-12.5
Paraphrase of Richardson's "Preface by the Editor."
12.8
Colley Cibber (1671-1757), the "worthy Gentleman" who then presided over the muses as poet laureate, frequently mentions his own vanity in An Apology for the Life of Mr. Colley Cibber, Comedian (1740).
14.16
Advertised during the spring of 1741, the first French translation of Pamela did not appear until the end of October 1741 (see McKillop, Samuel Richardson, p. 92). Jean Baptiste de Freval, author of "To the Editor of the Piece intitled Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded," probably had at least some hand in this French translation (see Paul Dottin, Samuel Richardson [Paris: Perrin et Cie., 1931], p. 117).
15.2-10
Partially a paraphrase, partially a quotation of "To my worthy Friend, the Editor of Pamela, &c."
15.17-19.2
An attack on the "Introduction to This Second Edition." Aaron Hill is the "Person of distinguish'd Taste and Abilities."
22.22-24
Pamela Censured here refuses to employ Pamela's tactic of including parts of letters to support opinions.
26.7-13
Quotation from Letter VII.
26.13-25
Pamela's Conduct in High Life brands the remarks on this page "too poor to censure" and "downright silly" (I, xiii).
26.26-28.17
Quotation from Letter XI.
28.22-29.1
This comment, according to Pamela's Conduct in High Life, "is like the Roman Persecution of the Christians, who sewed them in Bears Skins and then baited them. How unfair he is, and how much of the Goat he has in his Constitution are visible" (I, xiii).
29.1-30.27
Quotation from Letter XV. Concerning this passage, Pamela's Conduct in High Life asks: "What is there immodest in this Account, what to excite any Passions but those of Pity for a virtuous young Creature, and Indignation to a tyrannical lewd Man of Fortune? How do the Fright, the Terror, and Apprehensions of a defenceless Virgin kindle Desire? and when they have deprived her of Sense, how can we fairly from the Words of Pamela's Letter gather, that she fell in an indecent Posture?" "The Warmth of Imagination in this virtuous Censurer," continues Pamela's Conduct in High Life, "supplies the rest: He can't suppose that she could possibly fall but as he has painted her, and if the Editor has been defective in CONVEYING THE MOST ARTFUL AND ALLURING AMOROUS IDEAS, if the Letters do not abound with Incidents which must necessarily raise in the unwary Youth that read them EMOTIONS far distant from the PRINCIPLES of VIRTUE. If they are not replete with Images to enflame, the Censurer endeavours to repair the Fault[. H]e, not the Editor, contrives to give an Idea of Pamela's hidden Beauties, and would have you imagine she lies in the most immodest Posture, such a one as Mrs. Jervis thought Things had gone farther, but can this be gathered from Pamela's Account, or is not this virtuous Censurer endeavouring to impress in the Minds of Youth that read his Defence of Modesty and Virtue, Images that may enflame? Was not, says he, the 'Squire very modest to withdraw? for she lay in such a pretty Posture that Mrs. Jervis thought it was worse. Why did Mrs. Jervis think this from the pretty Posture? Nay, how could she think it from any Posture? when the same Account tells us she and the 'Squire were obliged to burst open the Door, for Mrs. Jervis to get in to her Assistance; Is it not more reasonable for Mrs. Jervis to conclude as she did, from the unruly lawless Passion with which she knew her Master tormented, from the Obstinacy of his Temper, and from the Hopes he might entertain, being Master of a large Fortune, that he might, born up by that, stem the Tide of Justice, and perpetrate the greatest Villainy with Impunity? We are told in the Letters that she fainted away, and fell on the Floor stretch'd at her Length, and as her Gown was caught in, and torn by the Door, she must fall too near it, in whatever Posture, to shew any latent Beauties, but what is there indecent in this Relation? Is there any particular Posture described? Oh, but the Censurer lays her in one which may enflame, you must imagine as lusciously as he does; if the Letter has not discover'd enough, the pious Censurer lends a Hand, and endeavours to surfeit your Sight by lifting the Covering which was left by the Editor, and with the Hand of a boisterous Ravisher takes the Opportunity of Pamela's being in a Swoon to ——" (I, xiv-xv).
30.28
Concerning "whether the 'Squire was not modest," Pamela's Conduct in High Life explains that Mr. B "shews he had some Humanity, and was touch'd with Remorse at the Distress he himself occasioned. This, no doubt the Censurer, who seems as much divested of Humanity as a Stranger to Virtue or even Decency, blames the 'Squire for in his Heart, thinks him a silly Country Booby, a half-paced Sinner, a Milk-sop to be capable of Compassion, and no doubt would gladly have had him gone thorough, that he might have had the Pleasure of imaginary Pimping, and have surfeited his Sight" (I, xv-(xvi)).
31.6-32.19
Concerning this passage, Pamela's Conduct in High Life sums up its argument by saying: "But this unfair Censurer fearing he has not yet warm'd the Imagination of his Readers, lays Pamela in a Posture, and particularizes her latent charms, p. 31, and then charges his own luxurious Fancy on the Author, as he calls the Editor" (I, [xvi]).
33.1-20
Quotation from Letter XVIII.
33.25-34.13
Quotation from Letter XIX. Concerning this passage, Pamela's Conduct in High Life exclaims: "Pamela talks very rationally to Mrs. Jervis, foresees Consequences, and concludes, she that can't keep her Virtue ought to live in Disgrace. At this our Censurer cries out, Fine Instructions truly!" With this, Pamela's Conduct in High Life makes its parting stab at Pamela Censured: "But it is impossible with Decency to follow this luscious Censurer, really I had scarce Patience to read, and therefore you will not expect me to rake longer in his Dirt. I have written enough to shew you of what Stamp are all the Calumniators of the virtuous Pamela. How sensual and coarse their Ideas, how inhumane their Sentiments, how immoral their Principles, how vile their Endeavours, how unfair their Quotations, how lewd and weak their Remarks" (I. [xvi]).
35.12-29
Quotation from Letter XXIV.
37.2-38.6
Quotation from Letter XXIV.
38.10-25
Quotation from Letter XXIV.
39.12-20
Quotation from Letter XXV.
39.24-40.10
Quotation from Letter XXV.
40.15-41.19
Quotation from Letter XXV.
42.2-17
Quotation from Letter XXV.
42.26-28
Quotation from Letter XXVII.
43.5-16
Quotation from Letter XXVII.
43.20-44.3
Quotation from Letter XXVII.
44.9-17
Quotation from Letter XXVII.
45.20-46.3
Quotation from Letter XXVII.
46.19-20
Reference to Letter XXIX.
46.26-48.4
Quotation from Letter XXX.
48.17-49.15
Quotation from the narrative break at the end of Letter XXXI.
50.3-13
Quotation from Letter XXXII.
50.15-25
Quotation from Letter XXXII.
51.10-14
Quotation from the journal entry for "TUESDAY and WEDNESDAY," the 6th and 7th days of "Bondage."
51.23-52.2
Quotation from the journal entry for "THURSDAY," the 8th day of "Bondage."
52.7-15
Quotation from the journal entry for "MONDAY, TUESDAY, the 25th and 26th Days of my heavy Restraint."
52.25-54.5
Quotation from the journal entry for "SATURDAY Morning," the 37th day of "Bondage."
55.10-60.4
Quotation from the journal entry for "TUESDAY Night," the 40th day of "Bondage."
61.18-62.2
Quotation from the journal entry for "WEDNESDAY Morning," the 41st day of "Bondage."
62.11-16
References to the journal entry for "SATURDAY, Six o'Clock," the 44th day of "Bondage."
63.2-6
Reference to the journal entry for "WEDNESDAY Evening," the night before Pamela's wedding.
63.10-11
Reference to the journal entry for "SUNDAY, the Fourth Day of my Happiness."