Lennox, née Ramsay, (Barbara) Charlotte (1730/1?-1804)

The Female Quixote; or the Adventures of Arabella. In Two Volumes

London

Printed for A. Millar

1752

"Heroism, romantick Heroism, was rooted deeply in her Heart; it was her Habit of thinking, a Principle imbib'd from Education"

The secret Charm in the Countenance, Voice, and Manner of the Countess, join'd to the Force of her reasoning, could not fail of making some Impression on the Mind of Arabella; but it was such an Impression as came far short of Conviction. She was surpriz'd, embarrass'd, perplex'd, but not convinc'd. Heroism, romantick Heroism, was rooted deeply in her Heart; it was her Habit of thinking, a Principle imbib'd from Education. She could not separate her Ideas of Glory, Virtue, Courage, Generosity, and Honour, from the false Representations of them in the Actions of Oroondates, Juba, Artaxerxes, and the rest of the imaginary Heroes. The Countess's Discourse had raised a Kind of Tumult in her Thoughts, which gave an Air of Perplexity to her lovely Face, and made that Lady apprehensive she had gone too far, and lost that Ground in her Esteem, which she had endeavour'd to acquire by a Conformity to some of her Notions and Language. In this however, she was mistaken; Arabella felt a Tenderness for her that had already the Force of a long contracted Friendship, and an Esteem little less than Veneration.
(Bk. VIII, Chapter vii, p. 329)

Plant::Root

Reading

The Female Quixote; or, the Adventures of Arabella. In Two Volumes. (London: Printed for A. Millar, over-against Catharine-Street in the Strand, 1752). <Link to ESTC>

Reading The Female Quixote. World's Classics. Ed. Margaret Dalziel. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 1989.

09/14/2009

10/23/2003