‘Pamela’, Samuel Richardson’s first novel, was published in 1740. It went against the grain of Georgian fiction by adopting a high moral tone, leading some admirers to cry it up as second only to the Bible, apparently overlooking several racy scenes. Indeed, that same blend of morality and realism was what made ‘Pamela’ appeal to ordinary people.

Pamela, a lovely working-class girl, is a servant in a great house. Her master subjects her to ceaseless sexual harassment, but Pamela wears him down until at last he reforms, and begs her to marry him. In one English village, the tale so gripped the inhabitants then when they heard of the wedding they rang the church bells.

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