Pamela or Virtue Rewarded - Dover Thrift Editions Author:Samuel Richardson A quick-witted maidservant repeatedly thwarts a country gentleman's increasingly urgent attempts to seduce her. Upon reading the virtuous young woman's letters, the master is captivated by her intelligence and falls in love ? as readers have done since the story's 1740 publication. An enduring literary landmark, Pamela is considered the first En... more »glish-language novel.« less