So begin Mr. B’s assaults upon the self-titled “poor Pamela” of Samuel Richardson’s 1740 best-selling novel, which narrates the tale of a young girl committed to her virtue and the frequent attempts to test said virtue by the libidinous Mr. B. Though little known today outside of academic circles, Samuel Richardson and his heroine were both celebrities; imagine if Hilary Mantel had written 50 Shades of Grey and you’ll get a sense of the success and ardor Pamela was met with.
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