SAMUEL RICHARDSON.*

THY critical part of Mrs. Thomson's study of Richardson strikes us as being extremely well done. Her examination of the three famous novels is lucid and judicious, and, moreover, can be read with interest even by those who do not know their Clarissa or Sir Charles arandison. But the specially inter- esting part is her commentary on the meralist who was so much to the fore in all Richardson's undertakings. In his own day the ladies worshipped him; nowadays it is a lady who, more willingly than any masculine critic, trounces the mean morality-of the mug little Philistine. Slavish respect for rank was never carried further than by Richardson, who is as ready to condone the vices of a gentleman as to condemn the lapses of a servant. As for Pamela's modesty, it is inconsistent with any real delicacy; she is scarcely more anxious about preserving her character than keeping her place; the moralist's moralityis, in short, a mere matter of convention. And yet Mrs. Thomson, though expressing these views— which would have seemed strangely incomprehensible to Clarissa's -respectable creator—has also the justice to recognise that Richardson could and did rise far above con- vention. Clarissa.-'s- refusal to accept the marriage which Lovelace offers by way of reparation raises a sordid plot to the heroin level of tragedy; and it proves a reach of mind in Richardson. of which Pamela would never have led us to believe him capable. Still, as Mrs. Thomson points out in a piece of excellent-criticism, Clarissa has her creator's limita- tions, and is not exempt from a touch of priggishness. But

• Samuel Richardson: a Biographical and &Meal Study. By Clara Link. later Thomson. London: goraoe Mandl:al-and am. Casa-

we need not recapitulate the points which are made excellently in the book; rather we propose to call attention to some of its shortcomings on the biographical side.

It would be hard to name another writer of equal eminence whose life was so perfectly devoid of interest as Richardson's.

There is the one fact which everybody knows, that he used to write love-letters for damsels in distress, and this when he was a boy of thirteen. Further, Richardson himself ha e recorded the trait that his story-making faculty exercised itself at school, where he was set to "write a history on the model of Tommy Pots,—of a servant-man who was preferred by a fine young lady (for his goodness) to a lord who was a libertine."

Everybody knows also that in his later days he surrounded himself with a circle of devout flatterers, mostly women, and

that he printed the Journals of the House of Commons. Yet somehow—for documents are not wanting—it should have been possible to constitute a picture of the man and his circle that should at least bring home to us their way of living, if it did not explain the secret -ef his wonderful gift. And in this respect Mrs. Thomson has, unwisely as we think, denied her- self the most obvious assistance. Richardson kept all the letters he received, and duplicates of his own as well; and six volumes of his correspondence were printed by Mrs. Barbauld, while a great mass of stuff , yet unpublished is accessible at South Kensington. Yet Mrs. Thomson abstains almost entirely from quotation, and we are tempted to endeavour by a few brief extracts to call up an image of the man and his atmosphere.

He was kindly, even generously beneficent, so much is amply proved; but it was a beneficence that looked for return in punctilious acknowledgment for small favours and enthusiastic

veneration for greater ones. The Reverend S. Lobb _was a parson to whom the great man had done some little kindness, extending itself to a younger Mr. Lobb, an undergraduate. But the undergraduate, after the fashion of his race, had

neglected his social duties and his father wrote profuse apologies. Here is Richardson's reply; is it unfair to say that the man who wrote was a humbug ?— " Why did my dear and reverend friend so severely and re- peatedly chide his son for not calling upon me in his way to the Devizes? You say you repeated your chidings oftener than he cared you should Do we not know that love, were that in the present case wanting (the contrary of which I hope and believe), is not to be forced ? And did I not know my young friend better I should have been afraid be would have loved me less for your chidings But I know what your chidings were.—Do not I see you in the very act, with tears of joy in your honed eyes—' Billy, my love, you might have called—you should have called, ra ethints —should you not ? on our friend It' " Mrs. LEetitia Pilkington, the garrulous lady whom Swift to his misfortune tolerated and even encouraged, was not so remiss in her acknowledgment. Here is the opening of an ode, presumably on receipt of a cheque :—

"To thee, within whose heaten-illumin'd breast Resides each virtue that adorns the blest, 'Tis bold presumption to attune my lays."

Nevertheless she attunes them, as a mere makeshift; but the full reward, "the harvest of thy well-spent years," must be deferred to another and a better world :— "Then shall conspiring Angels in thy praise Their loud Hosannahe to Jehovah raise."

It was a good deal to swallow, but there is no sign that Richardson stuck at it: he was inured to flattery, and in the eighteenth century they did not do things by halves. In another letter of Mrs. Pilkington's we cannot but admire the etquisite indelicacy of the entreaties urged by herself and

Colley Cibber (" who neither of us," as she reasonably observes, "set up for immaculate chastity") to save Clarissa

from actual outrage. And a little later we find the Laureate addressing his remonstrances in person—although this time the lady in danger was not Clarissa but Miss Harriet Byron :— " Zounds ! I have not patience till I know what's become of her. Why, you—I don't know what to call you! Ah! ah ! You may laugh if you please, but how will you be able to look me in the face if the lady should never be able to show her's again P What piteous. damned, disgraceful pickle have you plunged her in? For God's sake send me the sequel, or—I don't know what to say." A Laureate is always a Laureate, even if he be Colley Cibber —and indeed there have been lesser men in the office—and who shall:Aflame Richardson if his head was slightly turned by this conspiracy of eulotrii• ne lived in a circle that literally hunrupon the Varying•fortunes -of his theraeterd-withas keen an interest as if the drama had been real.. . There are few documents *which keep more of 'the-- atmosphere of that- age than the letters preserved by Mrs. Barbauld which.passed between the ladies of that devoted: "little Senate?! Miss klighmore, to whom we . owe the- -well-known sketeh of Richardson reading aloud in his. grotto, writesto Miss :Mulao, one of the auditors who figurein the sketch :-,-- - "Oh I. thy dear; what a charming letter have you sent to Mr. Riehardson, and what a charming. one received-in answer; all the excellentvein of raillery of his Lady G. runs through it attempered with his own sweetnesi of disposition, though,.I own, there are some severities.- But are you alarmed or not at 'his dreadful imagination relating to .Sir Charles? - I am--not, for I know it-cannotbe ;. he only means to frighten. _you, and to hear what you will say on the occasion; pray say -something very streig. Sure; as Sir Charles is designed as an example in prosperous circumstaneek it would. rather frustrate the end pro- posed to take him off in that untimely manner?'

That brings us full into the tepid atmosphere by: which Richardson was Surrounded through life —certainty not -a toile, yet perhaps necessary to his peculiar teiriperithient. Here, at least, he was dictator. You feel the prophet in his references., to the " poor inefectizal history of Clarissa which he cites as a. locus', Classicize On a. point condnct. Indeed, he frequently quotes the remarks of hiSown characters as Clarissa says,"- " ai ' LoVelhee !thy§ ":—generally While discussing cases of 'Conscience, a. form Of distniiiiition which makes up the bulk of his letters. Whether a wife Should press for a separation from her husband; -what degree Of compassion should be accorded -to a wealthy Woman whe had 'Married noble of low tastes, and finds herself left to ride The house while he drinks with' tow associates; these are the themes on which-. Richardson enlarges with a feminine -rest to an audience of women. Beyond this range of interest,as Mrs. Thomson points -out, he did not go; had no interest in foreign politick no desire to satirise social &lie Indeed, he is-at prkiliet of fittle.education,:though he deplores the neglect of Cowley, and shows .a genuine enthusiasm for the Faery Queene,—"in description no man -will ever cbme up to Spenser." ' But the steady preoccupation of his mind was h kind of draMhtthed. gossip; what lie" said, what 'she ought hi have done. .And,..so curious are the conditions of artistry, this was equipment enough for a genius.