The history of Pamela, or, Virtue rewarded : a narrative which has its foundation in truth, adapted to inculcate in the minds of both sexes the principles of virtue and religion / by Samuel Richardson.
Sometimes regarded as the first romance novel, Samuel Richardson's Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded tells the story of a 15-year-old maid named Pamela, whose master, Mr. B, is infatuated by her beauty and intelligence.ℓ Unable to propose marriage because of his high rank, Mr. B kidnaps Pamela and locks her away in one of his homes. While Pamela hates her master at the beginning, she comes to realize his true nature and falls in love. A comment on the class structure in English society, the novel was very popular upon its publication in 1740, but came under much criticism because of its perceived vulgarity.