The Works of William Cowper

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. III.

LONDON

SAUNDERS AND OTLEY, CONDUIT STREET.

MDCCCXXXV.

LENOX LIBRARY

NEWYORK

CONTENTS

OF THE THIRD VOLUME.

Part the Second-continued.

Remarks on the completion of the second volume of

Cowper's Poems

Gibbon's record of his feelings on the conclusion of his

History

Moral drawn from the evanescence of life

To the Rev. John Newton, Jan. 5, 1785.

nouncement of the Christian character;

To the Rev. William Unwin, Jan. 15, 1785. On delay in

letter-writing; sentiments of Rev. Mr. Newton; Cow-

per's contributions to the Gentleman's Magazine; Lu-

nardi's narrative

Explanation respecting Cowper's poem, entitled "The

Poplar Field"

To Joseph Hill, Esq., Jan. 22, 1785. Breaking up of

the Frost; anticipations of proceedings in Parliament.

To the Rev. William Unwin, Feb. 7, 1785. Progress of

Cowper's second volume of Poems; his pieces in the

Gentleman's Magazine; sentiments of a neighbouring

nobleman and gentleman respecting Cowper

To the Rev. John Newton, Feb. 19, 1785. An ingenious

bookbinder; poverty at Olney; severity of the late

To Joseph Hill, Esq., Feb. 27, 1785.

cerning his health, and account of his own

To the Rev. John Newton, March 19, 1785. Uses and

description of an old card table; want of exercise

during the winter; petition against concessions to

Ireland

To the Rev. William Unwin, March 20, 1785. Remarks
on a Nobleman's eye; progress of his new volume;
political reflections; celebrity of " John Gilpin"

To the Rev. John Newton, April 9, 1785. On the pre-

diction of a destructive earthquake, by a German

ecclesiastic

To the Rev. John Newton, April 22, 1785. On the po-

pularity of "John Gilpin"

18

22

To the Rev. William Unwin, April 30, 1785. On the

celebrity of John Gilpin ;" progress of Cowper's

new volume; Mr. Newton's sentiments in regard to

him; mention of some old acquaintances; discovery of

a bird's nest in a gate-post

25

27

28

To the Rev. John Newton, May 1785. Sudden death

of Mr. Ashburner; remarks on the state of Cowper's

mind; reference to his first acquaintance with Newton 32

To the Rev. John Newton, June 4, 1785. Character of
the Rev. Mr. Greatheed; completion of Cowper's new
volume; Bacon's monument of Lord Chatham

To Joseph Hill, Esq., June 25, 1785. Cowper's summer-
house; dilatoriness of his bookseller

To the Rev. John Newton, June 25, 1785. Allusion to
the mental depression under which Cowper laboured;
Nathan's last moments; complaint of Johnson's delay;
effects of drought; tax on gloves

To the Rev. John Newton, July 9, 1785. Mention of
letters in praise of his Poems; conduct of the Lord
Chancellor and G. Colman; reference to the comme-
moration of Handel; cutting down of the spinney

To the Rev. William Unwin, July 27, 1785. Violent

thunder-storm; courage of a dog; on the love of

46

To the Rev. John Newton, Aug. 6, 1785. Feelings on
the subject of authorship; reasons for introducing John
Gilpin in his new volume

To the Rev. John Newton, Aug. 17, 1785. Reasons
for not writing to Mr. Bacon; Dr. Johnson's Diary;
illness of Mr. Perry

Character of Dr. Johnson's Diary

Extracts from it