Simile: Sure as a Gun
Now in her new place of employment at Squire Booby's, Shamela notifies her mother, “O what News, since I writ my last! the young Squire hath been here, and as sure as a Gun he hath taken a Fancy to me; Pamela, says he, (for so I am called here) you was a great Favourite of your late Mistress's" (14). Shamela compares the surety of the Squire's affection for her to a gun, which, if aimed properly, does not often miss and is thus very reliable.
Metaphor: Seeds of Affection
Parson Williams is distressed that the Squire is after him for his debt, and writes him a letter in which he suggests, "I cannot avoid thinking some malicious Persons have insinuated false Suggestions against me; intending thereby, to eradicate those Seeds of Affection which I have hardly travailed to sowe [sic] in your Heart, and which promised to produce such excellent Fruit" (32-33). This metaphor is of seeds and planting and bearing fruit, which is an effective way for the parson to indicate that such small rumors took on a life of their own and conspired to bring him down.
Metaphor: Reins
Shamela is proud of herself for managing to marry the Squire and still continue sleeping with the parson, and muses, "How foolish it is in a Woman, who hath once got the Reins into her own Hand, ever to quit them again" (38). The metaphor is of reins used to control a horse, which is an apt way for Shamela to indicate how in command of her situation she is (or thinks she is).
Simile: The Parson's Face
Shamela is disturbed that her husband and the parson have taken to each other, and that their dinner gathering has turned into an inscrutable evening of political conversation. As the two men and others smoke and talk, Shamela thinks of the parson, "his Face look'd all the World to nothing like the Sun in a Fog" (39). This simile suggests that for all of Shamela's allure, the parson is still swayed by the world of men and cannot give her all the attention she desires.
Simile: Hare
While in their carriage, Shamela and Squire Booby see the parson hunting a hare, which prompts the Squire to complain about the parson's behavior. Shamela is annoyed at the critique of her lover, and says "Here's a Fuss, indeed, about a nasty little pitiful Creature, that is not half so useful as a Cat" (37). She is suggesting that cats are useless, and that a hare is no different than said useless cat. This simile is amusing and ironic because a few sentences later Shamela decides she is the hare. She does not really think that, but she is trying to evoke sympathy in her husband in order to continue getting her way.
