Fanny Hill: Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure (Wordsworth Classics)

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For my part, I was transported, confused, and out of myself: feelings so new were too much for me; my heated and alarm'd senses were in a tumult that robbed me of all liberty of thought; tears of pleasure gush'd from my eyes, and somewhat assuaged the fire that rag'd all over me.

Fanny Hill or Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure by John Cleland Fanny Hill or Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure by John Cleland

In the mean time, one could not help observing the swell of his shirt before, that bolster'd out, and pointed out the condition of things behind the curtain: but he soon remov'd it, by slipping his shirt over his head; and now, as to ​nakedness, they had nothing to reproach one another. Places then being taken for Esther and me, in the Chester-Waggon, I pass over a very immaterial scene of leave-taking, at which I dropt a few tears betwixt grief and joy; and for the same reasons of insignificance, skip over all that happened to me on the road, such as the Waggoner's looking liquorish on me, the schemes laid for me by some of the passengers, which were defeated by the vigilance of my guardian Esther, who, to do her justice, took a motherly care of me, at the same time that she taxed me for her protection, by making me bear all travelling charges, which I defray'd with the utmost chearfulness, and thought ​myself much obliged to her into the bargain. She took indeed great care that we were not over-rated, or imposed on, as well as of managing as frugally as possible; expensiveness was not her vice.

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When I saw him thus mov'd, and fir'd for my purpose, I inflam'd him yet more, by asking him several leading questions; such as, "had he a mistress?⸻ was she prettier than me?⸻ could he love such a one as I was?⸻ and ​the like;" to all which the blushing simpleton answer'd to my wish, in a strain of perfect nature, perfect undebauch'd innocence, but with all the aukwardness and simplicity of country-breeding. Easily then reading in my eyes the full permission of myself to all his wishes, he scarce pleas'd himself more than me, when having insinuated his hand under my petticoat and shift, he presently remov'd those bars to the sight, by slily lifting them upwards, under favour of a thousand kisses, which he thought, perhaps, necessary to divert my attention to what he was about. All my drapery being now roll'd up to my waist, I threw myself into such a posture upon the couch, as gave up to him, in full view, the whole region of delight, and all the luxurious landscape round it. The transported youth devour'd every thing with his eyes, and try'd with his fingers to lay more open to his sight the secrets of that dark and delicious deep: he opens the folding lips, the softness of which yielding entry to any thing of a hard body, close round it, and oppose the sight: and feeling further, meets with, and wonders at, a soft ​fleshy excrescence, which, limber and relax'd after the late enjoyment, now grew, under the touch and examination of his fiery fingers, more and more stiff and considerable, till the titillating ardours of that so sensible part, made me sigh, as if he had hurt me. On which he withdrew his curious probing fingers, asking me pardon, as it were, in a kiss that rather increas'd the flame there. Cleland, John (1985). Fanny Hill Or Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure. Penguin Books Limited. ISBN 978-0-14-043249-7.

Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure - John Cleland - Google Books Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure - John Cleland - Google Books

After a sufficient length of dialogue, my bed-fellow left me to my rest, and I fell asleep, through pure weariness, from the violent emotions I had been led into, when nature (which had been too warmly stir'd and fermented to subside without ​allaying by some means or other) relieved me by one of those luscious dreams, the transports of which are scarce inferior to those of waking, real action. I would recommend this book to open minded people who want to study and see how historically the literature has changed. And I would imagine people interested in sex and how sexual life “of a Woman of Pleasure” has been described. Phœbe 's compliments, however, in which her own share in dressing me was ​not forgot, did not a little confirm me in now the first notions I had ever entertained concerning my person, which, be it said without vanity, was then tolerable enough to justify a taste for me, and of which it may not be out of place here to sketch you an unflatter'd picture. Bates, Stephen. "Father Hill and Fanny Hill: an Activist Group's Crusade to Remake Obscenity Law". UNC / First Amendment Law Journal. 8 (2): 2.Browne, Ray Broadus; Browne, Pat (2001). The Guide to United States Popular Culture. Popular Press. p.273. ISBN 978-0-87972-821-2.

Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure : John Cleland Fanny Hill: Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure : John Cleland

Phœbe lay down by me, and ask'd me archly, if now that I had seen the enemy, and fully considered him, I was still afraid of him? or did I think I could venture to come to a close engagement with him? to all which not a word on my side: I sigh'd, and could scarce breathe: She takes hold of my hand, and having roll'd up her own petticoats, forced it half-strivingly towards those parts, where now grown more knowing, I mist the main object of my wishes; and finding not even the shadow of what I wanted, where every thing was so flat! or so hollow! In the vexation I was in at it, I should have withdrawn my ​hand, but for fear of disobliging her. Abandoning it then entirely to her management, she made use of it as she thought proper, to procure herself rather the shadow than the substance of any pleasure. For my part, I now pin'd for more solid food, and promis'd tacitly to myself that I would not be put off much longer with this foolery from woman to woman, if Mrs. Brown did not soon provide me with the essential specific: in short I had all the air of not being able to wait the arrival of my lord B ———, tho' he was now expected in a very few days: nor did I wait for him, for love itself took charge of the disposal of me, in spite of interest, or gross lust.The least delicate of all affairs of this sort being now over, I retir'd softly into my closet, where I began to consider what I should do: my first scheme naturally was to rush in and upbraid them: ​this, indeed, flatter'd my present emotions and vexations, as it would have given immediate vent to them; but, on second thoughts, not being so clear as to the consequences to be apprehended from such a step, I began to doubt whether it was not better to dissemble my discovery, till a safer season, when Mr. H⸻ should have perfected the settlement he had made overtures to me of, and which I was not to think such a violent explanation, as I was indeed not equal to the management of, could possibly forward, and might destroy. On the other hand, the provocation seem'd too gross, too flagrant, not to give me some thoughts of revenge; the very start of which idea restor'd me to perfect composure; and delighted as I was with the confus'd plan of it in my head, I was easily mistress enough of myself to support the part of ignorance I had prescrib'd to myself; and as all this circle of reflections was instantly over, I stole a tip-toe to the passage door, and opening it with a noise, past for having ​that moment come home; and after a short pause, as if to pull off my things, I open'd the door into the dining room, where I found the dowdy blowing the fire, and my faithful shepherd walking about the room, and whistling, as cool and unconcern'd, as if nothing had happen'd: I think, however, he had not much to brag of having out-dissembled me; for I kept up, nobly, the character of our sex for art, and went up to him with the same air of frankness, as I had ever receiv'd him. He staid but a little while, made some excuse for not being able to stay the evening with me, and went out. I complain'd, but tenderly complain'd; "I could not bear it ———" Indeed! he hurt me ——still he thought no more than that being so young, the largeness of his machine (for few men could dispute size with him) made all the dificulty, and that possible I had not been enjoy'd by any so advantageously made in that part as himself; for still, that my virgin-flower was yet uncrop'd never once enter'd into his head, and he would have thought it idling with time and words to have question'd me upon it. At table, the conversation was chiefly kept up by the two madams, and carried on in double-meaning expressions, interrupted every now and then by kind assurance to me, all tending to confirm and fix my satisfaction with my present condition: augment it they could not, so very a novice was I then. After saluting her, he led her to a couch that fronted us, where they both sat down, and the young Genoese help'd her to a glass of wine, with some Naples bisket on a salver. We had certainly been but a few instants away from it, and yet on our return we saw every thing in good ​forwardness for recommencing the tender hostilities.