Happy Birthday Michael Spencer!

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Happy Birthday Bishop Spencer!

In my soul-searching in the pursuit of an excellent gift, I had to ask myself, "Self, what do you give to the man that has everything?" My answer was that it should be something unique and novel. And so, I give you my favorite novel.

The name of the novel is Sir Charles Grandison, written between 1751 and 1753 by Samuel Richardson of London.




Richardson wrote 3 novels. In addition to Grandison, he wrote Pamela, a very controversial book, and what was, until earlier this year, the longest novel in the English language, Clarrisa, a book of over 1,000,000 words. I find this to be quite remarkable, as the longest book I have written to date is 120,000 words and took almost as long.

Allow me to provide a brief description of the plot, taken from Wikipedia:

The novel begins with the character of Harriet Byron leaving the house of her uncle, George Selby, to visit Mr and Mrs Reeves, her cousins, in London. She is an orphan who was educated by her grandparents, and, though she lacks parents, she is heir to a fortune of fifteen thousand pounds, which causes many suitors to pursue her. In London, she is pursued by three suitors, Mr Greville, Mr Fenwick, and Mr Orme. This courtship is followed by more suitors: Mr Fowler, Sir Rowland Meredith, and Sir Hargrave Pollexfen. The final one, Pollexfen, pursues Byron vigorously, which causes her to criticize him over a lack of morals and decency of character. However, Pollexfen does not end his pursuits of Byron until she explains that she could never receive his visits again.
Pollexfen, unwilling to be without Byron, decides to kidnap her while she attended a masquerade at the Haymarket (ironically, the site of Henry Fielding's Little Theatre). She is then imprisoned at Lisson Grove with the support of a widow and two daughters. While he keeps her prisoner, Pollexfen makes it clear to her that she shall be his wife, and that anyone who challenges that will die by his hand. Byron attempts to escape from the house, but this fails. In order to prevent her from trying to escape again, Pollexfen transports Byron to his home at Windsor. However, he is stopped at Hounslow Heath, where Charles Grandison hears Byron's pleas for help and immediately attacks Pollexfen. After this rescue, Grandison takes Byron to Colnebrook, the home of Grandison's brother-in-law, the "Earl of L."
After Pollexfen recovers from the attack, he sets out to duel Grandison. However, Grandison refuses on the grounds that dueling is harmful to society. To Pollexfen, he says:
"It was natural for me to look into history, for the rise and progress of custom so much and so justly my aversion, so contrary to all love divine and human, and particularly to that true heroism which Christianity enjoins, when it recommends meekness, moderation, and humility, as the glory of the human nature" (II)
After explaining why obedience to God and society are important, Grandison wins Pollexfen over and obtains his apology to Byron for his actions. She accepts his apology, and he follows with a proposal to marriage. She declines because she, as she admits, is in love with Grandison. However, a new suitor, the Earl of D, appears, and it emerges that Grandison promised himself to an Italian woman, Signorina Clementina della Porretta. As Grandison explains, he was in Italy years before and rescued the Barone della Porretta and a relationship developed between himself and Clementina, the baron's only daughter. However, Grandison could not marry her, as she demanded that he, an Anglican Protestant, become a Catholic, and he was unwilling to do so. After he left, she grew ill out of despair, and the Porrettas were willing to accept his religion, if he would return and make Clementina happy once more. Grandison, feeling obligated to do what he can to restore Clementina's happiness, returns to Italy; however, Clementina determines she can never marry a "heretic", and so Grandison returns to England and Harriet who (after a certain amount of "femalities" as her Uncle Selby puts it) accepts him. They are married; and everyone is accorded their just deserts (except the Earl of D, perhaps).

It will not surprise you that this book is no longer in print. In fact, I am personally aware of only two copies, and I own them both. One is a late edition printed in 1902 as part of a complete set of all three of Richardson's book, and the other copy is a 6th edition published in 1776.

At one time, it was available on the internet in it's entirely, but that website is no longer in existence. It is there that I first read it. The "Project Gutenberg" has the 4th volume online, but I find the idea of having just a portion of the story to be revolting. I would like very much to read it again, but I've abandoned the printed word in favor of the electronic that I carry around in my Blackberry.

I hope you have a marvelous day!

Lewis