The Works of William Cowper, Esq

CONTENTS.

To the Rev. John Newton. April 16. A loquacious

visitor

To the same. May 3. Variety of his topics. Rural

scenery. Amusement in trifles

To Joseph Hill, Esq. May 6. Cowper's reputation at

Olney as a lawyer. Thurlow's illness

To the Rev. William Unwin.

Ardour in his employ-

ment. Expects a visit from his friend. Remarks on the
great Rebellion
To Mrs. Cowper. May 10. On the loss of her brother,
Frederick Madan, a soldier, who died in America
To the Rev. John Newton. May 10. False reading of
Mr. Newton's in a former letter. Bentley
To the Rev. William Unwin. June 8. Pope's letters.
Question whether a clergyman can be compelled to take
a parish apprentice. Translation of a simile in the Para-
dise Lost. Versification of a thought

To the Rev. John Newton. June 12. Riots in London . 17

To the Rev. William, Unwin. June 18. Report that
French emissaries were concerned in the riots. Latin
epigram on that subject

To the same. June 22. Robertson. Summer idleness. 21

Page

To the Rev. John Newton. June 23. Prophecies unwit-
tingly made. Character of his own letters. Mr. New-
ton slandered. Lace-makers' petition

To the Rev. William Unwin. July 2. Care in correct-

ing his verses. Latin epitaph

23

25

To Joseph Hill, Esq. July 8. Lace-makers' petition 27

To the Rev. William Unwin. July 11. Gardening. Epi-
grams translated. Thelyphthora

To Mrs. Cowper. July 20. On his own advancing in
years.
Riots. His former taciturnity.

To the Rev. William Unwin. July 27. Breaking silence.
Lawsuit concerning Olney Bridge

To the Rev. John Newton. July 30. Why he sends his
trifles in verse to Mr. Unwin rather than to him. A
riddle

To the Rev. William Unwin. Aug. 6. Writing upon any
thing. Human nature continues the same, though fash-
ions change
To the Rev. John Newton. Aug. 21. Escape of one of
his hares

To Mrs. Cowper. Aug. 31. Lady Cowper's death.
Effects of age. Separation from his kindred . . .
To the Rev. William Unwin. Sept. 3. Biographia Bri-
Commission for books

tannica.

To the same.

Oct. 5. Public schools. School friend-

To Mrs. Newton. Oct. 5. On Mr. Newton's going to

Ramsgate

To the Rev. William Unwin. Nov. 9. Proposes a pay-

ment for his verses

To the same. Dec. 24. Declines writing upon certain
desired measures of reform. Mr. and Mrs. Powley.
Thelyphthora. Mr. Riland, of Birmingham. Cowper
not a Malthusite

To Joseph Hill, Esq. Dec. 25. Sending his "Report of

58

With the same

To the Rev. William Unwin. Dec.

poem. Advantages of putting laws and law cases in

rhyme

1781.

59

To the Rev. William Unwin. Jan. 14. John Cross's

To the Rev. John Newton. Feb. 4.
poems. Thelyphthora. Mr. Scott's arrival as curate
To the Rev. William Unwin. Feb. 6. Advice how to
deal with the unjust and ungenerous. Poor at Olney.
Lord George Gordon's acquittal. Pity for criminals.
Wigs

To Joseph Hill, Esq. Feb. 15. Metrical law-cases. Old
age

To the Rev. John Newton. Feb. 18. Character of his
volume. Mr. Newton's objection to coarse epithets.
Mr. (afterwards Sir Richard) Hill's answer to Mr. Ma-
dan. Olney religious meetings. Reflections on his
past life.

To the Rev. William Unwin. Feb. 27. Bond of resig-
nation. Vestris and the public. Invitation to Stock
declined. Fish

To the Rev. William Unwin. April 2. His time fully

employed. Rough manners

To the Rev. John Newton. April 8. Asking for a pre-
face. Squint at Thelyphthora. A riddle.
To the same. April 23. Preface. Future state of the
heathen. Solution of the riddle. Thelyphthora.

To the same. April 25. Contents of his volume. Pre-
face

To the Rev. William Unwin. May 1. A woman's must.

Intimation that he has a volume in the press

To Joseph Hill, Esq. May 9. The same announcement . 89

To the Rev. John Newton. May 13. Martin Madan.
Epigram. Political guesses

To the same. May 21. Intention of correcting the proofs

90

Page

himself. Martin Madan. Expected visit of the New-

tons

93

To the Rev. William Unwin. May 23. Delays in print-
ing. Mischief of a careless or conceited corrector of the
press. Request for franks. Vincent Bourne. Scanda-
lous clergymen .

To the same. May- Franks. Cowper no horseman. 101

To the Rev. John Newton. May 28. Johnson's diligence.

99

Warmth of the season. Recollections on a future state. 102

To the Rev. William Unwin. June 5. His motives for
writing. Providence

To the same. June 24. Design of his poem upon Truth.
An Independent gardener. Mr. Unwin's diffidence
To the Rev. John Newton. July 12. On rhyme.
To the same. July 22. Slow progress in the press.
Excursion to the Spinnie

104

107

. 111

To the Rev. William Unwin. July 29. Whether it be

better to submit to injuries or seek legal redress. Party

in the Spinnie

To Mrs. Newton. Aug. Thanks for an account of his
family Ashley Cowper. Remarks on fashion.

To the Rev. John Newton. Aug. 25.

Johnson's useful suggestions

To the Rev. William Unwin. Aug. 25.

Congratula-

tions on the birth of a son. Poem on Retirement in

To the same. Sept. 26. The sea. Lady Austen
To the Rev. John Newton. Oct. 4. Dr. Johnson and
Watts. Willing that Mr. Newton's name should ap-
pear in the title-page as editor

To the Rev. William Unwin. Oct. 6. Ways of the

world. Feelings with regard to the approaching publi-

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To the Rev. William Unwin. Nov. 5. Reflections on the

careless state of the higher classes. Hints to a father. 135

Page

Wonder at becom-

To the Rev. John Newton. Nov. 7.

ing an author. Mr. Bull and Mr. Scott.

To the same.

Nov. 19. Martin Madan.

Olney news 138

Mr. Haweis's

To the Rev. William Unwin. Nov. 24. Paul White-

head's ghost. Cowper's dislike of imitation .

To the same. Nov. 26. Pleasure of writing letters.

Social feeling. A poco-curante. Fish

To the same.

American war .

Providence. Moses Browne.

To the Rev. John Newton. Nov. 27. American war.

A passage in one of his poems suppressed. Mr. New-

ton's address to his parishioners. Martin Madan 154

To the same. Same date. A fragment. A paragraph in
Latin. Lines inserted in the poem at Mrs. Unwin's
suggestion. Origin of his epigram of Mary and John.
A visitor
To the same.

Dec. 4. Politics renounced thenceforth.
Cowper bred up to delight in political songs. Mr. Bar-
ham

To the same. The shortest day. Admiral Kempenfelt
and the French fleet. England not yet brought to reli-
gious humiliation. Mr. Fletcher at Dewsbury. Mr.
Powley preaches against him. Mr. Wesley. Lines on
a Flatting Mill enclosed.

To the same. Last day of the year. Poem on Friendship

laid aside. England and America. Specimen of a

visitor's conversation