An Apology For The Life Of Mrs. Shamela Andrews Part 2

_Dear Sham_,

Your last Letter hath put me into a great hurry of Spirits, for you have a very difficult Part to act. I hope you will remember your Slip with Parson _Williams_, and not be guilty of any more such Folly.

Truly, a Girl who hath once known what is what, is in the highest Degree inexcusable if she respects her _Digressions_; but a Hint of this is sufficient. When Mrs. _Jervis_ thinks of coming to Town, I believe I can procure her a good House, and fit for the Business; so I am,

_Your affectionate Mother_,

HENRIETTA MARIA HONORA ANDREWS.

LETTER IV.

SHAMELA ANDREWS _to_ HENRIETTA MARIA HONORA ANDREWS.

Marry come up, good Madam, the Mother had never looked into the Oven for her Daughter, if she had not been there herself. I shall never have done if you upbraid me with having had a small One by _Arthur Williams_, when you yourself--but I say no more. _O! What fine Times when the Kettle calls the Pot._ Let me do what I will, I say my Prayers as often as another, and I read in good Books, as often as I have Leisure; and Parson _William_ says, that will make amends.--So no more, but I rest

_Your afflicted Daughter_,

S----.

LETTER V.

HENRIETTA MARIA HONORA ANDREWS _to_ SHAMELA ANDREWS.

_Dear Child_,

Why will you give such way to your Pa.s.sion? How could you imagine I should be such a Simpleton, as to upbraid thee with being thy Mother's own Daughter! When I advised you not to be guilty of Folly, I meant no more than that you should take care to be well paid before-hand, and not trust to Promises, which a Man seldom keeps, after he hath had his wicked Will. And seeing you have a rich Fool to deal with, your not making a good Market will be the more inexcusable; indeed, with such Gentlemen as Parson _Williams_, there is more to be said; for they have nothing to give, and are commonly otherwise the best sort of Men. I am glad to hear you read good Books, pray continue so to do. I have inclosed you one of Mr.

_Whitefield's_ Sermons, and also the Dealings with him, and am

_Your affectionate Mother_,

HENRIETTA MARIA, _&c._

LETTER VI.

SHAMELA ANDREWS _to_ HENRIETTA MARIA HONORA ANDREWS.

O Madam, I have strange Things to tell you! As I was reading in that charming Book about the Dealings, in comes my Master--to be sure he is a precious One. _Pamela_, says he, what Book is that, I warrant you _Rochester's_ Poems.--No, forsooth, says I, as pertly as I could; why how now Saucy Chops, Boldface, says he--Mighty pretty Words, says I, pert again.--Yes (says he) you are a d--d, impudent, stinking, cursed, confounded Jade, and I have a great Mind to kick your A----.

You, kiss ---- says I. A-gad, says he, and so I will; with that he caught me in his Arms, and kissed me till he made my Face all over Fire. Now this served purely you know, to put upon the Fool for Anger. O! What precious Fools Men are! And so I flung from him in a mighty Rage, and pretended as how I would go out at the Door; but when I came to the End of the Room, I stood still, and my Master cryed out, Hussy, s.l.u.t, Saucebox, Boldface, come hither----Yes to be sure, says I; why don't you come, says he; what should I come for says I; if you don't come to me, I'll come to you, says he; I shan't come to you I a.s.sure you, says I. Upon which he run up, caught me in his Arms, and flung me upon a Chair, and began to offer to touch my Under-Petticoat. Sir, says I, you had better not offer to be rude; well, says he, no more I won't then; and away he went out of the Room. I was so mad to be sure I could have cry'd.

_Oh what a prodigious Vexation it is to a Woman to be made a Fool of._

Mrs. _Jervis_ who had been without, harkening, now came to me. She burst into a violent Laugh the Moment she came in. Well, says she, as soon as she could speak, I have Reason to bless myself that I am an Old Woman. Ah Child! if you had known the Jolly Blades of my Age, you would not have been left in the lurch in this manner. Dear Mrs.

_Jervis_, says I, don't laugh at one; and to be sure I was a little angry With her.----Come, says she, my dear Honeysuckle, I have one Game to play for you; he shall see you in Bed; he shall, my little Rosebud, he shall see those pretty, little, white, round, panting----and offer'd to pull off my Handkerchief.--Fie, Mrs.

_Jervis_, says I, you make me blush, and upon my Fackins, I believe she did: She went on thus. I know the Squire likes you, and notwithstanding the Aukwardness of his Proceeding, I am convinced hath some hot Blood in his Veins, which will not let him rest, 'till he hath communicated some of his Warmth to thee my little Angel; I heard him last Night at our Door, trying if it was open, now to-night I will take care it shall be so; I warrant that he makes the second Trial; which if he doth, he shall find us ready to receive him. I will at first counterfeit Sleep, and after a Swoon; so that he will have you naked in his Possession: and then if you are disappointed, a Plague of all young Squires, say I.----And so, Mrs. _Jervis_, says I, you would have me yield myself to him, would you; you would have me be a second Time a Fool for nothing. Thank you for that, Mrs.

_Jervis_. For nothing! marry forbid, says she, you know he hath large Sums of Money, besides abundance of fine Things; and do you think, when you have inflamed him, by giving his Hand a Liberty with that charming Person; and that you know he may easily think he obtains against your Will, he will not give any thing to come at all----.

This will not do, Mrs. _Jervis_, answered I. I Have heard my Mamma say, (and so you know, Madam, I have) that in her Youth, Fellows have often taken away in the Morning, what they gave over Night. No, Mrs.

_Jervis_, nothing under a regular taking into Keeping, a settled Settlement, for me, and all my Heirs, all my whole Life-time, shall do the Business----or else cross-legged, is the Word, faith, with _Sham_; and then I snapt my Fingers.

_Thursday Night, Twelve o'Clock._

Mrs. _Jervis_ and I are just in Bed, and the Door unlocked; if my Master should come----Odsbobs! I hear him just coming in at the Door.

You see I write in the present Tense, as Parson _Williams_ says.

Well, he is in Bed between us, we both shamming a Sleep, he steals his Hand into my Bosom, which I, as if in my Sleep, press close to me with mine, and then pretend to awake.--I no sooner see him, but I Scream out to Mrs. _Jervis_, she feigns likewise but just to come to herself; we both begin, she to becall, and I to bescratch very liberally. After having made a pretty free Use of my Fingers, without any great Regard to the Parts I attack'd, I counterfeit a Swoon. Mrs.

_Jervis_ then cries out, O, Sir, what have you done, you have murthered poor _Pamela_: she is gone, she is gone.----

_O what a Difficulty it is to keep one's Countenance, when a violent Laugh desires to burst forth._

The poor b.o.o.by frightned out of his Wits, jumped out of Bed, and, in his s.h.i.+rt, sat down by my Bed-Side, pale and trembling, for the Moon shone, and I kept my Eyes wide open, and pretended to fix them in my Head. Mrs. _Jervis_ apply'd Lavender Water, and Hartshorn, and this, for a full half Hour; when thinking I had carried it on long enough, and being likewise unable to continue the Sport any longer, I began by Degrees to come to my self.

The Squire, who had sat all this while speechless, and was almost really in that Condition, which I feigned, the Moment he Saw me give Symptoms of recovering my Senses, fell down on his Knees; and O _Pamela_, cryed he, can you forgive me, my injured Maid? by Heaven, I know not whether you are a Man or a Woman, unless by your swelling b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Will you promise to forgive me: I forgive you! D--n you (says I) and d--n you says he, if you come to that. I wish I had never seen your bold Face, saucy Sow, and so went out of the Room.

_O what a silly Fellow is a bashful young Lover!_

He was no Sooner out of hearing, as we thought, than we both burst into a violent Laugh. Well, says Mrs. _Jervis_, I never saw any thing better acted than your Part: But I wish you may not have discouraged him from any future Attempt; especially since his Pa.s.sions are so cool, that you could prevent his Hands going further than your Bosom.

Hang him, answered I, he is not quite so cold as that I a.s.sure you; our Hands, on neither side, were idle in the Scuffle, nor have left us any Doubt of each other as to that matter.

_Friday Morning._

My Master sent for Mrs. _Jervis_ as soon as he was up, and bid her give an Account of the Plate and Linnen in her Care; and told her, he was resolved that both she and the little Gipsy (I'll a.s.sure him) should set out together. Mrs. _Jervis_ made him a saucy Answer; which any Servant of Spirit, you know, would, tho' it should be one's Ruin; and came immediately in Tears to me, crying, she had lost her Place on my Account, and that she should be forced to take to a House, as I mentioned before; and that she hoped I would, at least, make her all the amends in my power, for her Loss on my Account, and come to her House whenever I was sent for. Never fear, says I, I'll warrant we are not so near being turned away, as you imagine; and, i'cod, now it comes into my Head, I have a Fetch for him, and you shall a.s.sist me in it. But it being now late, and my Letter pretty long, no more at present from

_Your Dutiful Daughter_,

SHAMELA.

LETTER VII.

_Mrs._ LUCRETIA JERVIS _to_ HENRIETTA MARIA HONORA ANDREWS.

_Madam_,

Miss _Sham_ being set out in a Hurry for my Master's House in _Lincolns.h.i.+re_, desired me to acquaint you with the Success of her Stratagem, which was to dress herself in the plain Neatness of a Farmer's Daughter, for she before wore the Cloaths of my late Mistress, and to be introduced by me as a Stranger to her Master. To say the Truth, she became the Dress extremely, and if I was to keep a House a thousand Years, I would never desire a prettier Wench in it.