behalf against me. The truth is, that in those points where I touched him, he is indefensible. Readers of the original know it; and all others must be conscious that whether he deserves my censure, or deserves it not, the matter is not for them to meddle with."

But though Cowper delivered his opinion thus freely in his letters, and under a fictitious signature in the Magazine, he was prudent enough not to provoke hostility in his Proposals. "I did," said he to Hill 15,

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as you suppose, bestow all possible consideration on the subject of an apology for my Homerican undertaking. I turned the matter about in my mind a hundred different ways, and in every way in which it would present itself found it an impracticable business. It is impossible for me, with what delicacy soever I may manage it, to state the objections that lie against Pope's translation, without incurring odium and the imputation of arrogance; foreseeing this danger, I choose to say nothing."

Upon imparting his intention to Johnson, and asking his advice and information on the subject of proposals for a subscription, the bookseller in reply 16 disapproved of the intended mode, and offered to treat with him, adding that he could make offers which he thought

15 April 5, 1786.

16 Dr. Johnson would have agreed in opinion with his namesake. He," said he," that asks subscription soon finds that he has enemies. All who do not encourage him, defame him. He that wants money will rather be thought angry than poor: and he that wishes to save his money conceals his avarice by his malice."-Life of Pope.

This is looking at the dark side,-and in a matter wherein enmity can do little, and good will may effect much.

would be approved. Cowper, however, persisted in his intention. "A subscription," said he, " is surely on every account the most eligible mode of publication. When I shall have emptied the purses of my friends, and of their friends, into my own, I am still free to levy contributions upon the world at large, and I shall then have a fund to defray the expenses of a new edition 17." He had already received great encouragement at his outset. "At Westminster," said he to Lady Hesketh 18, "I was much intimate with Walter Bagot, a brother of Lord Bagot. In the course as I suppose of more than twenty years after we left school, I saw him but twice; once when I called on him at Oxford, and once when he called on me in the Temple. He has a brother who lives about four miles from hence, a man of large estate. It happened that soon after the publication of my first volume, he came into this country on a visit to his brother. Having read my book, and liking it, he took that opportunity to renew his acquaintance with me. I felt much affection for him; and the more, because it was plain, that after so long a time he still retained his for me. He is now at his brother's; twice he visited me in the course of last week, and this morning he brought Mrs. Bagot with him. He is a good and amiable man, and she a most agreeable woman. At this second visit I made him acquainted with my translation of Homer; he was highly pleased to find me so occupied, and with all that glow of friendship that would make it criminal in me to doubt his sincerity for a moment, insisted upon being employed in promoting the subscription, and

17 To Lady Hesketh, Jan. 10, 1786. 18 Nov. 30, 1785.

engaged himself and all his connexions, which are extensive, and many of them of high rank, in my service. His chariot put up at an inn in the town while he was here, and I rather wondered that at his departure he chose to walk to his chariot, and not to be taken up at the door. But when he had been gone about a quarter of an hour, his servant came with a letter, which his master had written at the inn, and which, he said, required no answer. I opened it, and

found as follows:

MY GOOD FRIEND,

Olney, Nov. 30, 1785.

You will oblige me by accepting this early subscription to your Homer, even before you have fixed your plan and price: which, when you have done, if you will send me a parcel of your subscription papers, I will endeavour to circulate them among my friends and acquaintance as far as I can. Health and happiness attend you.

It contained a draft for 201.

Yours ever,

WALTER BAGOT.

"with en

"I meet," said he, in another letter 19, couragement from all quarters; such as I find need of, indeed, in an enterprise of such length and moment, but such as at the same time I find effectual. Homer is not a poet to be translated under the disadvantage of doubts and dejection." The bookseller having offered his opinion, did not persist in it when he saw that Cowper had made up his mind, with reasonable expectation of success. Cowper was in good spirits at 19 To Mr. Unwin, Dec. 24, 1781.

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the prospect. Johnson," said he, “behaves very well, at least according to my conception of the matter, and seems sensible that I have dealt liberally with him. He wishes me to be a gainer by my labours,— in his own words, to put something handsome into my pocket,' and recommends two large quartos for the whole. 'He would not,' he says, 'by any means advise an extravagant price,' and has fixed it at three guineas; the half, as usual, to be paid at the time of subscribing, the remainder on delivery. • Five hundred names,' he adds, at this price, will put about a thousand pounds into my purse.' I am doing my best to obtain them. I have written, I think, to all my quondam friends, except those that are dead, requiring their assistance. I have gulped and swallowed, and I have written to the Chancellor, and I have written to Colman. I now bring them both to a fair test. They can both serve me most materially, if so disposed 20." His angry feelings towards Thurlow and Colman passed away when he had given them vent in verse; and in the case of the latter, it appears by his letter 21 to him that he had received sufficient assurance of friendly recollections.

DEAR COLMAN,

For though we have not had any intercourse for more than twenty years, I cannot find in my heart to

20 To Mr. Unwin, Dec. 31, 1785.

21 For this letter I am obliged to Mr. Russell, who edited the works of the English Reformers Tyndale and Frith. The discontinuance of a design which was to have comprised the writings of all the most eminent English and Scottish reformers,

address you by any other style,—and I am the rather encouraged to the use of that in which I formerly addressed you, by a piece of intelligence that I received not long since from my friend Hill, who told me that you had inquired after me of him, and had said something about an intention to write to me. I took pretty good care that you should not be ignorant of my having commenced author, by sending you my volume. The reason why I did not send you my second, was because you omitted to send me your Art of Poetry, which, in a splenetic mood I suppose, I construed into a prohibition. But Hill's subsequent information has cured me of that malady, as far as you were concerned.

Once an author, and always an author: this you know, my friend, is an axiom, and admits of no dispute. In my instance, at least, it is likely to hold good, for I have more leisure than it is possible to dispose of without writing. Accordingly I write every day, and have every day been writing, since I last published, till at last I have made such a progress in a new translation of Homer into blank verse, that I am upon the point of publishing again. Hitherto I have given away my copies: but having indulged myself in that frolic twice, I now mean to try whether it may not prove equally agreeable to get something by the bargain. I come therefore humbly to solicit your vote is much to be regretted. It was caused by the Religious Tract Society's commencing an abridged series of their writings, and thereby compelling the publisher to desist from an undertaking which would have rendered great service to philologists and historians, as well as to ecclesiastical students. To either of these classes abridgements are worth nothing.