ade
to correspond with him at first, thus he writes:

Very true, my precious!--And innumerable have been the difficulties
thou hast made me struggle with. But one day thou mayest wish, that thou
hadst spared this boast; as well as those other pretty haughtinesses,
'That thou didst not reject Solmes for my sake: that my glory, if I
valued myself upon carrying thee off, was thy shame: that I have more
merit with myself than with thee, or any body else: [what a coxcomb she
makes me, Jack!] that thou wishest thyself in thy father's house again,
whatever were to be the consequence.'--If I forgive thee, charmer,
for these hints, for these reflections, for these wishes, for these
contempts, I am not the Lovelace I have been reputed to be; and that thy
treatment of me shews that thou thinkest I am.

In short, her whole air throughout this debate expressed a majestic kind
of indignation, which implied a believed superiority of talents over the
person to whom she spoke.

Thou hast heard me often expatiate upon the pitiful figure a man must
make, whose wife has, or believes she has, more sense than himself. A
thousand reasons could I give why I ought not to think of marrying Miss
Clarissa Harlowe; at least till I can be sure, that she loves me with
the preference I must expect from a wife.

I begin to stagger in my resolutions. Ever averse as I was to the
hymeneal shackles, how easily will prejudices recur! Heaven give me the
heart to be honest to my Clarissa!--There's a prayer, Jack! If I should
not be heard, what a sad thing would that be, for the most admirable of
women!--Yet, as I do no often trouble Heaven with my prayers, who knows
but this may be granted?

But there lie before me such charming difficulties, such scenery for
intrigue, for stratagem, for enterprize. What a horrible thing, that my
talents point all that way!--When I know what is honourable and just;
and would almost wish to be honest?--Almost, I say; for such a varlet am
I, that I cannot altogether wish it, for the soul of me!--Such a triumph
over the whole sex, if I can subdue this lady! My maiden vow, as I may
call it!--For did not the sex begin with me? And does this lady spare
me? Thinkest thou, Jack, that I should have spared my Rosebud, had I
been set at defiance thus?--Her grandmother besought me, at first, to
spare her Rosebud: and when a girl is put, or puts herself into a
man's power, what can he wish for further? while I always considere