OF

WILLIAM COWPER

HIS

LIFE AND LETTERS

BY WILLIAM HAYLEY, ESQ.

NOW FIRST COMPLETED BY THE INTRODUCTION OF

COWPER'S PRIVATE CORRESPONDENCE

EDITED BY

THE REV. T. S. GRIMSHAWE, A.M.

RECTOR OF BURTON, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE, AND VICAR OF

BIDDENHAM, BEDFORDSHIRE, AUTHOR OF THE LIFE OF THE REV. LEGH RICHMOND.

Letters, such as are written from wise men, are, of all the words of men, in my
judgment the best.

LORD BACON.

VOL. V.

LONDON

SAUNDERS AND OTLEY, CONDUIT STREET.

MDCCCXXXV.

1864, Mar. 30,

LONDON:

IBOISON AND PALMER, PRINTERS, SAVOY STREET,

STRAND.

Letter to the Rev. J. Jekyll Rye. April 16, 1792.

Cowper asserts the falsehood of a report that he was

friendly to the Slave Trade

To the Printers of the Northampton Mercury; on the

same subject, with a Sonnet addressed to Mr. Wil-

berforce

Remarks on the relative merits of rhyme and blank

verse, with reference to a translation of Homer

Cowper's sentiments on the subject, and on translation

in general

PAGE

1

3

5

6

8

10

To the Lord Thurlow. On the inconvenience of rhyme

in translation

Lord Thurlow to William Cowper, Esq. On the value of
rhyme in certain kinds of poems; on metrical trans-
lations;
close translation of a passage in Homer
To the Lord Thurlow. Vindication of Cowper's choice of
blank verse for his translation of Homer; his version
of the passage given by Lord T.

Lord Thurlow to William Cowper, Esq. On his trans-

lation of Homer

To the Lord Thurlow. On the same subject

Passages from Cowper's translation

Facts respecting it

12

16

18

19

20

PAGE

To Mr. Johnson, the bookseller. Feb. 11, 1790. Cowper
acknowledges his obligations to Mr. Fuseli, for his
remarks on his translation of Homer

To the same. Sept. 7, 1790. On the same subject
Indignant remonstrance of Cowper's, addressed to John-

son on the alteration of a line in one of his poems
To Thomas Park, Esq. April 27, 1792. Remarks on
some Poems of Mr. P.'s, and on his own literary en-
gagements

Marriage of Mr. Courtenay to Miss Stapleton

25

ib.

26

28

30

To Lady Hesketh. May 20, 1792. On the marriage of

Mr. Courtenay; Dr. Madan's promotion to a

Bishopric; complimentary Sonnet produced by

Cowper, addressed to Mr. Wilberforce; Lines to

Warren Hastings, Esq.

To John Johnson, Esq. May 20, 1792. On the post-
ponement of his Ordination, &c.

Hayley's visit to Cowper, and his account of it

Sonnet addressed by Cowper to Mrs. Unwin

Mrs. Unwin's paralytic attack

Kind attentions of Hayley

To Lady Hesketh. May 24, 1792.

Mrs.Unwin

33

34

To the same. May 26, 1792. State of Mrs. Unwin
Lines addressed to Dr. Austen

To Mrs. Bodham. June 4, 1792. On the postponement
of Mr. Johnson's Ordination

To William Hayley, Esq. June 4, 1792. State of Mrs.

Lines addressed to Dr. Darwin

Origin of Darwin's Poem of the "Botanic Garden" 48

To Lady Hesketh. June 11, 1792. On his growing

correspondence; improvement in Mrs. Unwin's

health; events of the past two months; arrival of

Mr. Johnson

49

To William Hayley, Esq. June 19, 1792. State of Mrs.
Unwin; Ice-islands and cold summers; proposed
visit to Hayley at Eartham

Remarks on a supposed change in the climate, with pas-
sages from Cowper's translation of a Poem of Milton's
on that subject

To William Hayley, Esq. June 27, 1792.

Intended

PAGE

51

journey to Eartham; Catharina, on her marriage to
George Courtenay, Esq.

To the same. July 4, 1792. Suspension of his literary

labours; his solicitude for Mrs. Unwin; his visit to

Weston Hall

52

.

54

To the same. July 15, 1792. On the proposed journey
to Eartham; translations from Milton; portrait of
Cowper by Abbot

To Thomas Park, Esq. July 20, 1792. On the obstacles

to his literary engagements; reference to Cowper's

drawings, and to the Olney Hymns

To William Hayley, Esq. July 22, 1792. Preparations

for the journey to Eartham

60

To the Rev. William Bull. July 25, 1792. On his sit-

ting to Abbot for his portrait; his intended journey

to Eartham

To William Hayley, Esq. July 29, 1792. His terror

at the proposed journey; resemblance of Abbot's

portrait

To the Rev. John Newton. July 30, 1792. State of
Mrs. Unwin; intended journey to Eartham; recol-
lections awakened by Mr. N.'s visit to Weston
To the Rev. Mr. Greatheed. Aug. 6, 1792. Account
of his journey to Eartham, and situation there
To Mrs. Courtenay. Aug. 12, 1792. Particulars of the
journey to Eartham, and description of the place

To Samuel Rose, Esq. Aug. 14, 1792. Invitation to

Eartham

62

64

66

68

70

To the same. Aug. 18, 1792. Cowper wishes him to
join the party at Eartham

To Mrs. Courtenay. Aug. 25, 1792. Epitaph on Fop;