Shamela | Page 2

it is. Who is he, what is he that could write so excellent a

Book? he must be doubtless most agreeable to the Age, and to his
Honour himself; for he is able to draw every thing to Perfection but
Virtue. Whoever the Author be, he hath one of the worst and most
fashionable Hearts in the World, and I would recommend to him, in his
next Performance, to undertake the Life of his Honour. For he who
drew the Character of Parson Williams, is equal to the Task; nay he
seems to have little more to do than to pull off the Parson's Gown, and
that which makes him so agreeable to Shamela, and the Cap will fit.
I am, Sir, Your humble Servant, John Puff.
Note, Reader, several other commendatory Letters and Copies of
Verses will be prepared against the next Edition.
----
AN A P O L O G Y For the LIFE of Mrs. Shamela Andrews.
Parson Tickletext to Parson Oliver.
Rev. SIR,
Herewith I transmit you a Copy of sweet, dear, pretty Pamela, a little
Book which this Winter hath produced; of which, I make no doubt, you
have already heard mention from some of your Neighbouring Clergy;
for we have made it our common Business here, not only to cry it up,
but to preach it up likewise: The Pulpit, as well as the Coffee-house,
hath resounded with its Praise, and it is expected shortly, that his L p
will recommend it in a Letter to our whole Body.
And this Example, I am confident, will be imitated by all our Cloth in
the Country: For besides speaking well of a Brother, in the Character of
the Reverend Mr. Williams, the useful and truly religious Doctrine of
Grace is every where inculcated.
This Book is the "Soul of Religion, Good-Breeding, Discretion,
Good-Nature, Wit, Fancy, Fine Thought, and Morality. There is an
Ease, a natural Air, a dignified Simplicity, and measured Fullness in it,

that resembling Life, out-glows it. The Author hath reconciled the
pleasing to the proper; the Thought is every where exactly cloathed by
the Expression; and becomes its Dress as roundly and as close as
Pamela her Country Habit; or as she doth her no Habit, when modest
Beauty seeks to hide itself, by casting off the Pride of Ornament, and
displays itself without any Covering;" which it frequently doth in this
admirable Work, and presents Images to the Reader, which the coldest
Zealot cannot read without Emotion.
For my own Part (and, I believe, I may say the same of all the Clergy of
my Acquaintance) I have done nothing but read it to others, and hear
others again read it to me, ever since it came into my Hands; and I find
I am like to do nothing else, for I know not how long yet to come:
because if I lay the Book down it comes after me. When it has dwelt all
Day long upon the Ear, it takes Possession all Night of the Fancy. It
hath Witchcraft in every Page of it." Oh! I feel an Emotion even while I
am relating this: Methinks I see Pamela at this Instant, with all the
Pride of Ornament cast off.
"Little Book, charming Pamala, get thee gone; face the World, in
which thou wilt find nothing like thyself." Happy would it be for
Mankind, if all other Books were burnt, that we might do nothing but
read thee all Day, and dream of thee all Night. Thou alone art sufficient
to teach us as much Morality as we want. Dost thou not teach us to pray,
to sing Psalms, and to honour the Clergy? Are not these the whole Duty
of Man? Forgive me, O Author of Pamela, mentioning the Name of a
Book so unequal to thine: But, now I think of it, who is the Author,
where is he, what is he, that hath hitherto been able to hide such an
encircling, all-mastering Spirit, "he possesses every Quality that Art
could have charm'd by: yet hath lent it to and concealed it in Nature.
The Comprehensiveness of his Imagination must be truly prodigious! It
has stretched out this diminutive mere Grain of Mustard seed (a poor
Girl's little, &c.) into a Resemblance of that Heaven, which the best of
good Books has compared it to."
To be short, this Book will live to the Age of the Patriarchs, and like
them will carry on the good Work many hundreds of Years hence,

among our Posterity, who will not hesitate their Esteem with Restraint.
If the Romans granted Exemptions to Men who begat a few Children
for the Republick, what Distinction (if Policy and we should ever be
reconciled) should we find to reward this Father of Millions, which are
to