Letter 12 Commentary
Miss Howe to Miss Clarissa Harlowe
Mrs. Fortescue’s stories of Lovelace are related by Miss Howe. Clarissa is
warned that as a child Lovelace was “mischievous as a monkey.” He is also
described as being a “very faulty man.” Lovelace loves to write and is good at
it. He is also vain. He compares himself to Caesar. This letter should be a
warning for Clarissa, but instead it eventually draws her closer to him.