An Address to a Wealthy Libertine or, the Melancholy Effects of Seduction; with a Letter from an Unfortunate Farmer's Daughter, to her Parents in Norfolk

An Address to a Wealthy Libertine, or The Melancholy Effects of Seduction; with a Letter from an Unfortunate Farmer’s Daughter, to her Parents in Norfolk by James Parkerson is a stark early-19th-century moral tract that lays bare the human cost of seduction and social neglect. Part poetic admonition, part lamenting epistle, Parkerson’s address dramatizes the fall of “Stella,” a young woman whose seduction brings shame, family sorrow, and public reproach. Woven into the poem is a plaintive letter from a farmer’s daughter to her parents in Norfolk, amplifying themes of honor, class, gendered double standards, and the fragile social standing of rural women. Written in the register of didactic poetry and pamphlet literature popular in the Regency era, the work serves as both social critique and moral instruction—condemning reckless wealth and urging accountability while reflecting contemporary anxieties about reputation and virtue. Ideal for readers of classic literature, students of social and gender history, and anyone intrigued by seduction literature and Regency‑era pamphlets, this audiobook offers a concise, evocative glimpse into moral discourse of the period and the enduring questions it raises about power, responsibility, and public shame.