Yet would I fain secure thy morals too, if matrimony will do it.—­Let me see!—­Now I have it.——­ Has not the widow Lovick a daughter, or a niece?  It is not every girl of fortune and family that will go to prayers with thee once or twice a day.  But since thou art for taking a wife to mortify with, what if thou marriest the widow herself?—­She will then have a double concern in thy conversation.  You and she may, tete a tete, pass many a comfortable winter’s evening together, comparing experiences, as the good folks call them.

* See the Postscript to Letter XL. of Vol.  VIII.

I am serious, Jack, faith I am.  And I would have thee take it into thy wise consideration.

R.L.

Mr. Belford returns a very serious answer to the preceding letter; which
      appears not.

In it, he most heartily wishes that he had withstood Mr. Lovelace,
      whatever had been the consequence, in designs so elaborately base
      and ungrateful, and so long and steadily pursued, against a lady
      whose merit and innocence entitled her to the protection of every
      man who had the least pretences to the title of a gentleman; and
      who deserved to be even the public care.

He most severely censures himself for his false notions of honour to his
      friend, on this head; and recollects what the divine lady, as he
      calls her, said to him on this very subject, as related by himself
      in his letter to Lovelace No.  XXI.  Vol.  VII., to which Lovelace
      also (both instigator and accuser) refers, and to his own regret
      and shame on the occasion.  He distinguishes, however, between an
      irreparable injury intended to a Clarissa, and one designed to such
      of the sex, as contribute by their weakness and indiscretion to
      their own fall, and thereby entitle themselves to a large share of
      the guilt which accompanies the crime.

He offers not, he says, to palliate or extenuate the crimes he himself
      has been guilty of:  but laments, for Mr. Lovelace’s own sake, that
      he gives him, with so ludicrous and unconcerned an air, such solemn
      and useful lessons and warnings.  Nevertheless, he resolves to make
      it his whole endeavour, he tells him, to render them efficacious to
      himself:  and should think himself but too happy, if he shall be
      enabled to set him such an example as may be a mean to bring about
      the reformation of a man so dear to him as he has always been, from
      the first of their acquaintance; and who is capable of thinking so
      rightly and deeply; though at present to such little purpose, as
      make his very knowledge add to his condemnation.

LETTER XLIII

Mr. Belford, to Colonel Morden
Thursday, Sept. 21.