Her History Books Told Her That They Were Always So

Miss R. The gentleman neither looks nor talks like a bad man - Not a very bad man; as men go.  

As men go!- Poor Miss Rawlins, thought I - And dost thou know, how men go? 

Cl. Oh madam, you know him not! - He can put on the appearance of an angel of light; but has a black, a very black heart!- 

Poor I! - 

Miss R. I could not have thought it, truly!- But men are very deceitful nowadays!

Nowadays! - a fool! - Have not her history books told her that they were always so? 

Richardson, Samuel. Clarissa. New York: Penguin Classics, 2004, 790.

What emerges from this initial reading of Clarissa is how pessimistic Richardson is about human nature. There's so much rudeness, violence and indecency in this novel. It paints a picture of an ultimately corrupted humanity by means of the brutal ruination of its innocent title character. Lovelace, head corrupter, sums it up succinctly: "human nature is such a well-known rogue."

Helpful coincidence then that I've been reading so much John Gray recently. Perfect compliment to Richardson.