Private correspondence of William Cowper ... with several of his most intimate friends, publ. from the originals in the possession of [the editor] J. Johnson, Volume 21824 |
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Common terms and phrases
Adieu Æneid affection agreeable amuse believe best compliments best respects breakfast called cern comfort concerning correspondence cousin Cowper DEAR FRIEND dear Madam doubt Eartham engaged expect favourable feel give glad happy haps hear heard Homer honour hope Iliad JOHN NEWTON Johnson JOSEPH HILL June 24 kind KING labours Lady Hesketh lately least less letter live Lord March 12 Martyn mean melancholy ment mind Miss Catlett morning never obliged occasion Odyssey Olney pain passed perhaps pleasure poem poet portunity possible present probably proposition mathematically prove racter reason received rejoice remember seems seen sensible sent silence sincerely soon spirits suffered suppose tell thanks thing thought tion told transcribe translating Homer translation truly truth uncon Unwin verse W. C. MY DEAR Weston Weston Underwood whole wish worth write written
Popular passages
Page 82 - The very head and front of my offending Hath this extent, no more. Rude am I in my speech, And little bless'd with the set phrase of peace ; For since these arms of mine had seven years...
Page 94 - God's agency upon it, as the heart, for the exercise of its graces, upon the influence of the Holy Spirit. According to this persuasion, I may very reasonably affirm, that it was not God's pleasure that I should proceed in the same track, because he did not enable me to do it. A whole year I waited, and waited in circumstances of mind that made a state of non-employment peculiarly irksome to me. I longed for the pen, as the only remedy, but I could find no subject: extreme distress of spirit at last...
Page 73 - It was an observation," said he, " of a sensible man whom I knew well in ancient days, (I mean when I was very young,) that people are never in reality happy when they boast much of being so. I feel myself accordingly well content to say, without any enlargement on the subject, that an inquirer after happiness might travel far, and not find a happier trio than meet every day either in our parlour, or in the parlour of the vicarage. I will not say...
Page 217 - Homer all the morning, and Homer all the evening. Thus have I been held in constant employment, I know not exactly how many, but I believe these six years, an interval of eight months excepted. It is now become so familiar to me to take Homer from my shelf at a certain hour, that I shall, no doubt, continue to take him from my shelf at the same time, even after I have ceased to want him. That period is not far distant. I am now giving the last touches to a work, which had I foreseen the difficulty...
Page 215 - I have not seen these five and thirty years, a picture of my own mother. She died when I wanted two days of being six years old ; yet I remember her perfectly, find the picture a strong likeness of her, and because her memory has been ever precious to me, have written a poem on the receipt of it ; a poem which, one excepted, I had more pleasure in writing than any that I ever wrote.
Page 37 - As to the rest, your history of your happy niece is just what it should be, — clear, affectionate, and plain; worthy of her, and worthy of yourself. How much more beneficial to the world might such a memorial of an unknown, but pious and believing child, eventually prove, would the supercilious learned condescend to read it, than the history of all the kings and heroes that ever lived ! But the world has its objects of admiration, and God has objects of his love. Those make a noise and perish ;...
Page 301 - This seems the sound of my own voice reflected to me from a distance; I have so often had the same thought and desire. A day scarcely passes, at this season of the year, when I do not contemplate the trees so soon to be stript, and say, ' perhaps I shall never see you clothed again.
Page 200 - ... grumbling at my silence. In your case, perhaps I have been less anxious than in the case of some others ; because, if you have not heard from myself, you have heard from Mrs. Unwin. From her you have learned that I live, that I am as well as usual, and that I translate Homer : three short items, but in which is comprised the whole detail of my present history. Thus I fared when you were here ; thus I have fared ever since you were here ; and thus, if it please God, I shall continue to fare for...
Page 74 - ... occasionally somewhat dashed with the sable hue of those notions concerning myself and my situation, that have occupied or rather possessed me so long : but, on the other hand, I can also affirm that my cousin's affectionate behavior to us both, the sweetness of her temper, and the sprightliness of her conversation, relieve me in no small degree from the presence of them.
Page 66 - Antitype has been now almost these thirteen years, a short interval of three or four days, which passed about this time twelvemonth, alone excepted. For what reason it is that I am thus long excluded, if I am ever again to be admitted, is known to God only. I can say but this : that if he...