Richardson had, even more than other men of his century in England, a strong Gallic touch: and he always tends to the type rather than the individual.

Beatrix Esmond is a coquette of the highest--almost of the heroic-poetic--class, but she is first of all Beatrix Esmond.

Blanche Amory is a middle-class minx, hardly heroic at all, but she is first of all Blanche Amory.

Becky Sharp is an adventuress who would go pretty close to, and perhaps not stop at, positive crime, but she is first of all Becky Sharp.

Pamela Andrews is not first of all--perhaps she is hardly at all--Pamela Andrews.