Even in his 'prentice work, every flutter of Pamela's little heart is registered, and registered probably enough: nor could the registry have been effected, perhaps, in any other way that should be in the least probable so well as by the letter and journal method.

Of course this analysis was not quite new; it had existed in a sort of way in the heroic novel: and it had been eminently present in the famous _Princesse de Cleves_ of Madame de la Fayette as well as in her French successors.

But these stories had generally been as short as the heroics had been long: and no one had risen (or descended) to anything like the minuteness and fullness of Richardson.

As was before pointed out in regard to the letter-system generally, this method of treatment is exposed to special dangers, particularly those of verbosity and "overdoing"-- not to mention the greater one of missing the mark.

Richardson can hardly be charged with error, though he may be with excess, in regard to Pamela herself in the earlier part of the book--perhaps even not in regard to Mr.B.'s intricacies of courtship, matrimonial compliment, and arbitrary temper later.