But he had it here: and it is not a fair argument to say (as even in these days I have known it said) that Pamela's honour is a commodity of too little importance to justify such a pother about it.
This may bring us to the characters.

They also are not of the absolutely first class--excepting, as to be discussed later, the great attempt of Lovelace, Richardson's never are.

But they are an immense advance on the personages that did duty as persons in preceding novels, even in Defoe.
"Mr.B." himself is indeed not very capital.

One does not quite see why a man who went on as long as he did and used the means which he permitted himself to use, did not go on longer or use them more thoroughly.

But Richardson has at least vindicated his much-praised "knowledge of the human heart" by recognising two truths: first, that there are many natures (perhaps most) who are constantly tempted to "over-bid"-- to give more and more for something that they want and cannot get; and, secondly, that there are others (again, perhaps, the majority, if not always the same individuals) who, when they are peremptorily told _not_ to do a thing, at once determine to do it.