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    An Apology for the Life of Mrs. Shamela Andrews
    An Apology for the Life of Mrs. Shamela Andrews
    An Apology for the Life of Mrs. Shamela Andrews
    Ebook103 pages1 hour

    An Apology for the Life of Mrs. Shamela Andrews

    By Henry Fielding

    3.5/5

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    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArchive Classics
    Release dateJan 1, 1930
    Author

    Henry Fielding

    Henry Fielding (1707-1754) was an English novelist, dramatist, and prominent magistrate. He was born into noble lineage, yet was cut off from his allowance as a young man and subsequently began a career writing plays. He wrote over 25 dramatic works, primarily satires addressing political injustice. When Fielding's career as a playwright ended with new censorship laws, he turned to writing fiction. His work as a novelist is considered to have ushered in a new genre of literature. Among his best known masterpieces are The Life and Death of Jonathan Wild (1743) and The History of Tom Jones (1749).

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    Reviews for An Apology for the Life of Mrs. Shamela Andrews

    3.5/5

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    • 4/5
      Everyone loves a good cat fight...but a fair one. An Apology... was Fielding's direct satirical attack on Samuel Richardson's Pamela, however Fielding was a coward. He first published An Apology...under the false name of Conny Keyber. It was supposed to be the true events or what really happened with Pamela in a mere sixty pages. According to Fielding, Pamela is not a chaste and sweet girl. Instead she is wicked and full of lust. Instead of being seduced by her former employer's son, Fielding thinks she entrapped him into marrying her. I have to admit I can't speak to the steadfast morality of a teenager, but I agreed with Fielding in that I found it completely unbelievable that a fifteen year old girl would continue her diaries through all the chaos and upheaval.
    • 3/5
      This is Henry Fielding's satiric response to Samuel Richardson's famous and successful "Pamela" where, rather than being virtue personified, Shamela is a scheming shrew, intent on catching the Squire.The result is a bit patchy and falls a bit flat. Fielding can't quite sustain the gibes to form them into a meaningful whole.Read Dec 2017

    Book preview

    An Apology for the Life of Mrs. Shamela Andrews - Henry Fielding

    The Project Gutenberg EBook of An Apology for the Life of Mrs. Shamela

    Andrews, by Conny Keyber

    This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with

    almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or

    re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included

    with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

    Title: An Apology for the Life of Mrs. Shamela Andrews

    Author: Conny Keyber

    Release Date: January 14, 2010 [EBook #30962]

    Language: English

    *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK APOLOGY FOR LIFE OF MRS. SHAMELA ANDREWS ***

    Produced by Michael Roe and the Online Distributed

    Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This book was

    produced from scanned images of public domain material

    from the Google Print project.)

    AN

    APOLOGY

    FOR THE

    LIFE

    OF

    Mrs. Shamela Andrews.

    (Price One Shilling and Six-Pence)

    AN

    APOLOGY

    FOR THE

    LIFE

    OF

    Mrs. Shamela Andrews.

    In which, the many notorious Falshoods and Misreprsentations of a Book called

    PAMELA,

    Are exposed and refuted; and all the matchless Arts of that young Politician, set in a true and just Light.

    Together with

    A full Account of all that passed between her and Parson Arthur Williams; whose Character is represented in a manner something different from that which he bears in PAMELA. The whole being exact Copies of authentick Papers delivered to the Editor.

    Necessary to be had in all Families.

    By Mr. CONNY KEYBER.

    LONDON:

    Printed for A. Dodd, at the Peacock, without Temple-bar.

    M. DCC. XLI.

    To Miss Fanny, &c.

    Madam,

    It will be naturally expected, that when I write the Life of Shamela, I should dedicate it to some young Lady, whose Wit and Beauty might be the proper Subject of a Comparison with the Heroine of my Piece. This, those, who see I have done it in prefixing your Name to my Work, will much more confirmedly expect me to do; and, indeed, your Character would enable me to run some Length into a Parallel, tho' you, nor any one else, are at all like the matchless Shamela.

    You see, Madam, I have some Value for your Good-nature, when in a Dedication, which is properly a Panegyrick, I speak against, not for you; but I remember it is a Life which I am presenting you, and why should I expose my Veracity to any Hazard in the Front of the Work, considering what I have done in the Body. Indeed, I wish it was possible to write a Dedication, and get any thing by it, without one Word of Flattery; but since it is not, come on, and I hope to shew my Delicacy at least in the Compliments I intend to pay you.

    First, then, Madam, I must tell the World, that you have tickled up and brightned many Strokes in this Work by your Pencil.

    Secondly, You have intimately conversed with me, one of the greatest Wits and Scholars of my Age.

    Thirdly, You keep very good Hours, and frequently spend an useful Day before others begin to enjoy it. This I will take my Oath on; for I am admitted to your Presence in a Morning before other People's Servants are up; when I have constantly found you reading in good Books; and if ever I have drawn you upon me, I have always felt you very heavy.

    Fourthly, You have a Virtue which enables you to rise early and study hard, and that is, forbearing to over-eat yourself, and this in spite of all the luscious Temptations of Puddings and Custards, exciting the Brute (as Dr. Woodward calls it) to rebel. This is a Virtue which I can greatly admire, though I much question whether I could imitate it.

    Fifthly, A Circumstance greatly to your Honour, that by means of your extraordinary Merit and Beauty; you was carried into the Ball-Room at the Bath, by the discerning Mr. Nash; before the Age that other young Ladies generally arrived at that Honour, and while your Mamma herself existed in her perfect Bloom. Here you was observed in Dancing to balance your Body exactly, and to weigh every Motion with the exact and equal Measure of Time and Tune; and though you sometimes made a false Step, by leaning too much to one Side; yet every body said you would one time or other, dance perfectly well, and uprightly.

    Sixthly, I cannot forbear mentioning those pretty little Sonnets, and sprightly Compositions, which though they came from you with so much Ease, might be mentioned to the Praise of a great or grave Character.

    And now, Madam, I have done with you; it only remains to pay my Acknowledgments to an Author, whose Stile I have exactly followed in this Life, it being the properest for Biography. The Reader, I believe, easily guesses, I mean Euclid's Elements; it was Euclid who taught me to write. It is you, Madam, who pay me for Writing. Therefore I am to both,

    A most Obedient, and

    obliged humble Servant,

    Conny Keyber.

    LETTERS

    TO THE

    EDITOR.

    The Editor to Himself.

    Dear SIR,

    However you came by the excellent Shamela, out with it, without Fear or Favour, Dedication and all; believe me, it will go through many Editions, be translated into all Languages, read in all Nations and Ages, and to say a bold Word, it will do more good than the C——y have done harm in the World,

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