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English Edition

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Pamela

English BooksWhale Edition by Samuel Richardson

An epistolary novel of virtue, power, class, persuasion, and the contested voice of Pamela Andrews.

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Pamela

Pamela tells its story through letters and journals, following Pamela Andrews as she resists, negotiates, fears, writes, and defines herself under pressure from social power. Samuel Richardson’s landmark English novel shaped the history of fiction through psychological immediacy, moral debate, class tension, gendered vulnerability, and the drama of written self-expression.

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Why this edition can be shared

Samuel Richardson died in 1761, and Pamela was first published in 1740. These dates support the public-domain basis for this original-language edition.

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Pamela

By Samuel Richardson

PUBLISHERS’ NOTE PAMELA, or VIRTUE REWARDED LETTER I LETTER II LETTER III LETTER IV LETTER V LETTER VI LETTER VII LETTER VIII LETTER IX LETTER X LETTER XI LETTER XII LETTER XIII LETTER XIV LETTER XV LETTER XVI LETTER XVII LETTER XVIII LETTER XIX LETTER XX LETTER XXI LETTER XXII LETTER XXIII LETTER XXIV LETTER XXV LETTER XXVI LETTER XXVII LETTER XXVIII LETTER XXIX LETTER XXX LETTER XXXI LETTER XXXII

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Samuel Richardson, the first, in order of time, of the great English novelists, was born in 1689 and died at London in 1761. He was a printer by trade, and rose to be master of the Stationers’ Company. That he also became a novelist was due to his skill as a letter-writer, which brought him, in his fiftieth year, a commission to write a volume of model “familiar letters” as an aid to persons too illiterate to compose their own. The notion of connecting these letters by a story which had interested him suggested the plot of “Pamela”; and determined its epistolary form—a form which was retained in his later works.

This novel (published 1740) created an epoch in the history of English fiction, and, with its successors, exerted a wide influence upon Continental literature. It is appropriately included in a series which is designed to form a group of studies of English life by the masters of English fiction. For it marked the transition from the novel of adventure to the novel of character—from the narration of entertaining events to the study of men and of manners, of motives and of sentiments. In it the romantic interest of the story (which is of the slightest) is subordinated to the moral interest in the conduct of its characters in the various situations in which they are placed. Upon this aspect of the “drama of human life” Richardson cast a most observant, if not always a penetrating glance. His works are an almost microscopically detailed picture of English domestic life in the early part of the eighteenth century.

PAMELA, or VIRTUE REWARDED

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LETTER I

Table of contents

Inside this edition

  1. 01Full text
  2. 02PUBLISHERS’ NOTE
  3. 03LETTER I
  4. 04DEAR FATHER AND MOTHER,
  5. 05LETTER II
  6. 06DEAR PAMELA,
  7. 07JOHN AND ELIZABETH ANDREWS.
  8. 08LETTER III
  9. 09DEAR FATHER,
  10. 10LETTER IV
  11. 11DEAR MOTHER,
  12. 12LETTER V
  13. 13MY DEAR FATHER AND MOTHER,
  14. 14LETTER VI
  15. 15DEAR FATHER AND MOTHER,
  16. 16LETTER VII
  17. 17DEAR FATHER,
  18. 18LETTER VIII
  19. 19DEAR PAMELA,
  20. 20LETTER IX
  21. 21DEAR FATHER AND MOTHER,
  22. 22LETTER X
  23. 23DEAR MOTHER,
  24. 24LETTER XI
  25. 25DEAR MOTHER,
  26. 26I stood still confounded, and began to tremble, and the more when he took me by the hand; for now no soul was near us.
  27. 27LETTER XII
  28. 28DEAR MOTHER,
  29. 29PAMELA.
  30. 30LETTER XIII
  31. 31LETTER XIV
  32. 32DEAR FATHER AND MOTHER,
  33. 33I will soon write again; but must now end with saying, that I am, and shall always be, Your honest DAUGHTER.
  34. 34LETTER XV
  35. 35DEAR MOTHER,
  36. 36LETTER XVI
  37. 37MY DEAR PARENTS,
  38. 38I know you longed to hear from me soon; and I send you as soon as I could.
  39. 39v LETTER XVII
  40. 40MY DEAREST DAUGHTER,
  41. 41LETTER XVIII
  42. 42DEAR FATHER AND MOTHER,
  43. 43LETTER XIX
  44. 44DEAR FATHER AND MOTHER,
  45. 45LETTER XX
  46. 46DEAR FATHER AND MOTHER,
  47. 47LETTER XXI
  48. 48MY DEAR FATHER AND MOTHER,
  49. 49LETTER XXII
  50. 50MY DEAR FATHER AND MOTHER,
  51. 51LETTER XXIII
  52. 52MY DEAR FATHER AND MOTHER,
  53. 53I know what I could have said, if I durst. But they are ladies—and ladies may say any thing.
  54. 54LETTER XXIV
  55. 55DEAR FATHER AND MOTHER,
  56. 56LETTER XXV
  57. 57MY DEAR PARENTS,
  58. 58LETTER XXVI
  59. 59MY DEAR FATHER AND MOTHER,
  60. 60LETTER XXVII
  61. 61DEAR FATHER AND MOTHER,
  62. 62LETTER XXVIII
  63. 63DEAR FATHER AND MOTHER,
  64. 64LETTER XXIX
  65. 65MY DEAR FATHER AND MOTHER,
  66. 66LETTER XXX
  67. 67MY DEAR FATHER AND MOTHER,
  68. 68LETTER XXXI
  69. 69DEAR FATHER AND MOTHER,
  70. 70‘HONOURED SIR,
  71. 71VERSES ON MY GOING AWAY.
  72. 72III.
  73. 73VII.
  74. 74VIII.
  75. 75XII.
  76. 76XIII.
  77. 77XIV.
  78. 78‘GOODMAN ANDREWS,
  79. 79‘DEAR MRS. JERVIS,
  80. 80‘PAMELA ANDREWS.’
  81. 81LETTER XXXII
  82. 82O MY DEAREST FATHER AND MOTHER!
  83. 83I thought to have told you a deal about this; but I have worse things to employ my thoughts.
  84. 84‘DEAR PAMELA,
  85. 85‘FARMER NORTON,
  86. 86I am now come down in my writing to this present SATURDAY, and a deal I have written.
  87. 87I am now come to SUNDAY.
  88. 88‘SIR,
  89. 89I am now come to MONDAY, the 5th Day of my Bondage and Misery.
  90. 90‘GOOD MRS. PAMELA,
  91. 91‘REVEREND SIR,
  92. 92I went up to my closet, locked myself in, and opening my letter, found in it these words:
  93. 93‘ARTHUR WILLIAMS.’
  94. 94I instantly, in answer to this pleasing letter, wrote as follows:
  95. 95‘REVEREND SIR,
  96. 96‘MY DEAR PAMELA,
  97. 97‘HONOURED SIR,
  98. 98III.
  99. 99VII.
  100. 100VIII.
  101. 101‘REVEREND SIR,
  102. 102‘MR. WILLIAMS,
  103. 103‘MRS. JEWKES,
  104. 104MY DEAR FATHER AND MOTHER,
  105. 105‘GOOD MRS. JEWKES,
  106. 106I have the following answer:
  107. 107‘DEAREST MADAM,
  108. 108‘SIR,
  109. 109‘MADAM,
  110. 110‘MRS. JEWKES,
  111. 111I will conclude my sad relation.
  112. 112I got from him, and run up stairs, and went to the closet, and was quite uneasy and fearful.
  113. 113‘MRS. JEWKES,
  114. 114‘SIR,
  115. 115I opened the letter to Monsieur Colbrand; which was in these words:—
  116. 116‘MONSIEUR,
  117. 117‘BROTHER,
  118. 118I will now continue my most pleasing relation.
  119. 119III.
  120. 120I heard my master say, Where’s Pamela? And so I broke off sooner than I would, and went up to him.
  121. 121I knew, said my master, I should get no credit by shewing this. But let us read on, Mr. Williams. So Mr. Williams read:
  122. 122III.
  123. 123III.
  124. 124I ev’n in thought should slide, Then let my fingers quite forget
  125. 125VII.
  126. 126VIII.
  127. 127VII.
  128. 128VIII.
  129. 129I had bid Mrs. Jewkes not to dress herself, lest she should give cause of mistrust; and she took my advice.
  130. 130PAMELA B——
  131. 131TO MRS. ANDREWS
  132. 132I cried sadly for vexation; and said, Say what you please, madam; if I can help it, I will not answer another word.
  133. 133I believe, said she, my next question will make up half a dozen; and then, modest one, I shall be entitled to an answer.
  134. 134I won’t put it up neither, said my master, except you’ll assure me you have seen her serve her lord so.
  135. 135I wonder whether poor Miss Sally Godfrey be living or dead!
  136. 136I am afraid, my dear father and mother, I shall now be too proud indeed.
  137. 137HONOURED FATHER AND MOTHER!
  138. 138I will now proceed with my journal.
  139. 139III.
  140. 140THE END

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