Pamela: Or Virtue Rewarded'Pamela under the Notion of being a Virtuous Modest Girl will be introduced into all Familes,and when she gets there, what Scenes does she represent? Why a fine young Gentleman endeavouring to debauch a beautiful young Girl of Sixteen.' (Pamela Censured, 1741) One of the most spectacular successes of the burgeoning literary marketplace of eighteeent-century London, Pamela also marked a defining moment in the emergence of the modern novel. In the words of one contemporary, it divided the world 'into two different Parties, Pamelists and Antipamelists', even eclipsing the sensational factional politics of the day. Preached up for its morality, and denounced as pornography in disguise, it vividly describes a young servant's long resistance to the attempts of her predatory master to seduce her. Written in the voice of its low-born heroine, but by a printer who fifteen years earlier had narrowly escaped imprisonment for the seditious output of his press, Pamela is not only a work of pioneering psychological complexity, but also a compelling and provocative study of power and its abuse. Based on the original text of 1740, from which Richardson later retreated in a series of defensive revisions, this edition makes available the version of Pamela that aroused such widespread controversy on its first appearance. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more. |
Contents
PAMELA OR VIRTUE REWARDED | |
Introduction to the Second Edition of Pamela 1741 | |
Extracts from Richardsons Edition of Esops Fables | |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Aaron Hill angry answer'd assure Bedfordshire believe bless Bradshaigh Chariot Charles Rivington Cloaths Closet Colbrand Creature Daughter dear Father dear Parents dear Sir dearest Distress doubt Duty Father and Mother Favour fear forgive Friend Garden gave Gentleman Girl give glad Guineas Hand happy hear Heart honest Honour hope House Innocence Jervis Jewkes kind kissed knew Lady Darnford Lady Davers Lady Jones Ladyship Letter Lincolnshire Longman look look'd Madam Marriage marry'd Master may-be Mind Miss Darnford never Night oblige Occasion pleas'd pleased Pleasure poor Pamela Portmanteau pray pretty Pride reply'd return'd Sabor sake Samuel Richardson seem'd Servant Shamela shew Sir Simon Sister soon stay stept sure sweet talk tell thee thing thou thought thro to-bed told took turn’d unworthy vex'd Virtue VIRTUE Rewarded wicked Wife Williams wish Woman won’t Word Wretch write