PAGE

147

.

163

.

.

To Lady Hesketh, April 24, 1786. On her letters; anti-

cipations of her coming; General Cowper

To the same, May 8, 1786. On Dr. Maty's censure of

Cowper's translation of Homer; Colman's opinion of

it; Cowper's stanzas on Lord Thurlow; invitation to

Olney; specimen of Maty's animadversions; recom-

mendation of a house at Weston ; blunder of Mr.

Throckmorton's bailiff; recovery of General Cowper 150

To the same, May 15, 1786. Anticipations of her ar-

rival at Olney; proposed arrangements for the occa-

sion; presumed motive of Maty's censures; confession

of ambition

155

To the Rev. Walter Bagot, May 20, 1786. His transla-

tion of Homer; reasons for not adopting Horace's

maxim about publishing, to the letter

160

Secret sorrows of Cowper
To the Rev. John Newton, May 20, 1786. Cowper's
unhappy state of mind; his connexions

ib.

Remarks on Cowper's depression of spirit

· 167

Delusion of supposing himself excluded from the mercy

of God

168

Religious consolation recommended in cases of disordered

intellect

To Lady Hesketh, May 25, 1786. Delay of her coming ;

visit to a house at Weston; the Throckmortons; anec-

dote of a quotation from “ The Task;" nervous affections 171

To the same, May 29, 1786. Delay of her coming ;

preparations for it; allusion to his fits of dejection 175

To the same, June 4 and 5, 1786. Cowper rallies her

on her fears of their expected meeting; dinner at Mr.

Throckmorton's

177

To Joseph Hill, Esq., June 9, 1786. Relapse of the

Lord Chancellor; renewal of correspondence with

Colman ; the Nonsense Club; expectation of Lady Hes.

keth's arrival

181

Arrival of Lady Hesketh at Olney

· 182

Influence of that event on Cowper

183

Extract from a letter from bim to Mr. Bull

.

170

184
PAGE

.

from Olney

.

.

Description of a thunder-storm, from a letter to the same 184

Cowper's House at Olney

185

His intimacy with Mr. Newton

186

His pious and benevolent habits

ib.

He removes from Olney to the Lodge at Weston

187

His acquaintance with Samuel Rose, Esq. and the late

Rev. Dr. Johnson

ib.

To Joseph Hill, Esq. June 19, 1786. His intended removal

188

To the Rev. John Newton, June 22, 1786. His em-

ployments; interruption given to them by Lady Hes-

keth's arrival ; Newton's Sermons .

189

To the Rev. William Unwin, July 3, 1786. Lady Hes-

keth's arrival and character; state of his old abode and

description of the new one at Weston; books recom-

mended for Mr. Unwin's son

191

To the Rev. Walter Bagot, July 4, 1786. Particulars re-

lative to the translation of Homer

194

To the Rev. John Newton, Aug. 5, 1786. His intended

removal from Olney ; its unhealthy situation; his un-

happy state of mind; comfort of Lady Hesketh's pre-

197

Cowper's spirits not affected apparently by his mental

malady

200

To the Rev. William Unwin, Aug. 24, 1786. Progress
of his Translation ; the Throckmortons

ib.

To the same, (without date.) His lyric productions;

recollections of boyhood

202

Extract of a letter to the Rev. Mr. Unwin

203

Lines addressed to a young lady on her birth-day 20+
Proposed plan of Mr. Unwin for checking sabbath-
breaking and drunkenness

ib,

To the Rev. William Unwin, (no date.) Cowper's

opinion of the inutility of Mr. Unwin's efforts

205

Exhortation to perseverance in a good cause

• 207

Hopes of present improvement

208

To the Rev. William Unwin, (no date.) State of the

national affairs

209

sence

.

PAGE

.

.

To the Rev. William Unwin, (no date.) Character of

Churchill's poetry

211

To the same, (no date.) Cowper's discovery in the Re-

gister of poems long composed and forgotten by him 213

To the Rev. Walter Bagot, Aug. 31, 1786. Defence of

elisions ; intended removal to Weston

215

To the Rev. John Newton, Sept. 30, 1786. Defence

of his and Mrs. Unwin's conduct.

217

Explanatory Remarks on the preceding letter

220

Amiable spirit and temper of Newton

221
To Joseph Hill, Esq. Oct. 6, 1786. Loss of the MS. of
part of his translation

ib.

Cowper's removal to Weston

222

To the Rev. Walter Bagot, Nov. 17, 1786. On his re-
moval from Olney ; invitation to Weston

ib.

To the Rev. John Newton, Nov. 17, 1786. Excuse for

delay in writing; his new residence ; affection for his

old abode

224

To Lady Hesketh, Nov. 26, 1786. Comforts of his new

residence;

the cliffs ; his rambles

226

Unexpected death of the Rev. Mr. Unwin

229

To Lady Hesketh, Dec. 4, 1786. On the death of Mr. Unwin 230

To the same, Dec. 9, 1786. On a singular circumstance

relating to an intended pupil of Mr. Unwin's

232

To Joseph Hill, Esq., Dec. 9, 1786. Death of Mr.

Unwin; Cowper's new situation at Weston

234

To the Rev.John Newton, Dec.16, 1786. Death of Mr.

Unwin; forlorn state of his old dwelling

235

To Lady Hesketh, Dec. 21, 1786. Cowper's opinion of

praise ; Mr. Throckmorton's chaplain

237

To the Rev. Walter Bagot, Jan. 3, 1787. Reason why a

translator of Homer should not be calm; praises of his

works; death of Mr. Unwin

238

Cowper has a severe attack of nervous fever

1

PAGE

O

• 249

To the Rev.John Newton, Jan. 13, 1787. Inscription

for Mr. Unwin's tomb; government of Providence in

his poetical labours

243

To Lady Hesketh, Jan. 18, 1787. Suspension of his

translation by fever; his sentiments respecting dreams;

visit of Mr. Rose

246

To Samuel Rose, Esq., July 24, 1787. On Burns' poems 248

Remarks on Burns and his poetry

Passages from his poems

251

To Samuel Rose, Esq., Aug. 27, 1787. Invitation to

Weston; state of Cowper's health ; remarks on Bar.

clay's “Argenis," and on Burns

253

To Lady Hesketh, August 30, 1787. Improvement in

his health ; kindness of the Throckmortons

255

To the same, Sept. 4, 1787. Delay of her coming ; Mrs.

Throckmorton's uncle; books read by Cowper

257

To the same, Sept. 15, 1787. His meeting with her

friend, Miss J-- ; new gravel-walk

258

To the same, Sept. 29, 1787. Remarks on the relative

situation of Russia and Turkey

259

To the Rev. John Newton, Oct. 2, 1787. Cowper con-

fesses that for thirteen years he doubted Mr. N.'s

identity; acknowledgments for the kind offers of the

Newtons; preparations for Lady Hesketh's coming 261

To Samuel Rose, Esq., Oct. 19, 1787. State of his

health; strength of local attachments

263

To the Rev.John Newton, Oct. 20, 1787. His miserable

state during his recent indisposition; petition to Lord

Dartmouth in behalf of the Rev. Mr. Postlethwaite 265

To Lady Hesketh, Nov. 10, 1787. On the delay of her

coming; Cowper's kitten; changes of weather foretold

by a leech

To Joseph Hill, Esq., Nov. 16, 1787.

On his own pre-

sent occupation

269

To Lady Hesketh, Nov. 27, 1787. Walks and scenes

about Weston; application from a parish clerk for a

copy of verses; papers in “The Lounger;" anecdote

of a beggar and vermicelli soup

269

.

• 267

verses

PAGE

To Lady Hesketh, Dec. 4, 1787. Character of the

Throckmortons

272

To the Rev. Walter Bagot, Dec. 6, 1787. Visit to Mr.

B.'s sister at Chichely; Bishop Bagot; a case of ridi.

culous distress

274

To Lady Hesketh, Dec. 10, 1787. Progress of his

Homer; changes in life

276

To Samuel Rose, Esq., Dec. 13, 1787. Requisites in a

translator of Homer

278

To Lady Hesketh, Jan. 1, 1788. Extraordinary coinci-

dence between a piece of his own and one of Mr.

Merry's; “ The Poet's New Year's Gift;" compulsory

inoculation for small-pox

280

To the Rev. Walter Bagot, Jan. 5, 1788. Translation

of the commencing lines of the Iliad, by Lord

Bagot; revisal of Cowper's translation; the clerk's

283

To Lady Hesketh, Jan. 19, 1788. His engagement with

Homer prevents the production of occasional poems;

remarks on a new print of Bunbury's

285

To the Rev. John Newton, Jan. 21, 1788. Reasons for

not writing to him; expected arrival of the Rev. Mr.

Bean; changes of neighbouring ministers; narrow

escape of Mrs. Unwin from being burned

288

To Lady Hesketh, Jan. 30, 1788. His anxiety on ac-

count of her silence .

291

To the same, Feb. 1, 1788. Excuse for his melancholy;

bis Homer; visit from Mr. Greatheed

292

Causes of Cowper's correspondence with Mrs. King 294

To Mrs. King, Feb. 12, 1788. Reference to his de-

ceased brother; he ascribes the effect produced by his

295

To Samuel Rose, Esq., Feb. 14, 1788. A sense of the

poems to God