The Correspondence of Samuel Richardson

Samuel Richardson (1689–1761), the English writer and printer best known for his epistolary novels, including Pamela (1740) and Clarissa (1748), had preserved copies of his extensive correspondence with a view to its eventual publication, and these volumes, edited by Anna Laetitia Barbauld and first published in 1804, contain her selection from his papers. Richardson became a printer's apprentice in 1706 and for the rest of his life managed a successful printing business in addition to writing his highly popular and influential novels. After the success of Pamela, Richardson regularly corresponded with leading contemporary literary figures including Henry Fielding and Samuel Johnson. The letters provide fascinating insights into Richardson's life and literary and social activities, as well as discussions of current affairs. Volume 1 contains a biography of Richardson by Mrs Barbauld; this is followed by his correspondence with friends such as Aaron Hill and the Scots printer William Strahan.