See Letter XLV. of this volume.

Perhaps, nevertheless, you will choose to give a description of her person:  and as you knew not the dear creature when her heart was easy, I will tell you what yet, in part, you can confirm: 

That her shape was so fine, her proportion so exact, her features so regular, her complexion so lovely, and her whole person and manner so distinguishedly charming, that she could not move without being admired and followed by the eyes of every one, though strangers, who never saw her before.  Col.  Morden’s letter, above referred to, will confirm this.

In her dress she was elegant beyond imitation; and generally led the fashion to all the ladies round her, without seeming to intend it, and without being proud of doing so.*

* See Vol.  VII.  Letter LXXXI.

She was rather tall than of a middling stature; and had a dignity in her aspect and air, that bespoke the mind that animated every feature.

This native dignity, as I may call it, induced some superficial persons, who knew not how to account for the reverence which involuntarily filled their hearts on her appearance, to impute pride to her.  But these were such as knew that they should have been proud of any one of her perfections:  judging therefore by their own narrowness, they thought it impossible that the lady who possessed so many, should not think herself superior to them all.  Indeed, I have heard her noble aspect found fault with, as indicating pride and superiority.  But people awed and controuled, though but by their own consciousness of inferiority, will find fault, right or wrong, with those, whose rectitude of mind and manners their own culpable hearts give them to be afraid.  But, in the bad sense of the word, Miss Clarissa Harlowe knew not what pride was.

You may, if you touch upon this subject, throw in these sentences of her’s, spoken at different times, and on different occasions: 

’Persons of accidental or shadowy merit may be proud:  but inborn worth must be always as much above conceit as arrogance.’

’Who can be better, or more worthy, than they should be?  And, who shall be proud of talents they give not to themselves?’

’The darkest and most contemptible ignorance is that of not knowing one’s self; and that all we have, and all we excel in, is the gift of God.’

’All human excellence is but comparative—­there are persons who excel us, as much as we fancy we excel the meanest.’

’In the general scale of beings, the lowest is as useful, and as much a link of the great chain, as the highest.’

‘The grace that makes every other grace amiable, is humility.’

’There is but one pride pardonable; that of being above doing a base or dishonourable action.’

Such were the sentiments by which this admirable young lady endeavoured to conduct herself, and to regulate her conduct to others.