31. True friendship has in short a grace That proves it heav'n-descended: Man's love of woman not so pure, To last 'till life is ended. XXXI. VARIATIONS. -The noblest friendship ever shown Tho' some have turn'd and turn'd it, Have not (it seems) discern'd it. Oh friendship, if my soul forego Thy dear delights, while here below, Or may my friend deceive me! This sprightly little poem contains the essence of all, that has been said on this interesting subject by the best writers of different countries. It is pleasing to reflect, that a man, who entertained such refined ideas of friendship, and expressed them so happily, was singularly fortunate in this very important article of human life. Indeed he was fortunate in this respect to such a degree, that providence seems to have supplied him most unexpectedly, at different periods of his troubled existence, with exactly such friends, as the peculiar exigencies of his situation required. The truth of this remark is exemplified in the seasonable assistance, that his tender spirits derived from the kindness of Mrs. Unwin, at Huntingdon, of Lady Austen and Lady Hesketh, at Olney, and of his young kinsman, in Norfolk, who will soon attract the notice, and obtain the esteem of my reader, as the affectionate superintendant of Cowper's declining days. To the honour of human nature and of the present times, it will appear, that a sequestered poet, pre-eminent in genius and calamity, was beloved and assisted by his friends of both sexes, with a purity of zeal, and an inexhaustible ardour of affection, more resembling the friendship of the heroic ages, than the precarious attachments of the modern world. END OF THE SECOND VOLUME. INDE X. LIFE OF COWPER, PART THE SECOND. Page. The origin of Cowper's acquaintance with Lady Austen, .. 1 His poetical epistle to that Lady, Letter. 1781. 1 To the Revd. W. Unwin. Duty of submitting to injury: story of an Abbé, ... 3 •July 29. 9 His poem, Retirement; Lady Austen's set 2 To the same. tling at Olney, •••Aug. 25.. 13 1782. 3 To the same. On some verses of Lowth's; on the origin of his correspondence with Lady Austen, ...... Fed. 9. 17 .... 20 A billet and verses from Cowper to Lady Austen, 4 To the Revd.W. Unwin. Observations on religious characters, 22 5 To the same. On his own Volume of poems; on his LetMarch 18.. 26 ter to the Chancellor, 6 To the same. 7 To the same. renthesis, On the same subject,.......... April 1. 30 .. 32 8 To the same. Dr. Franklin's Letter; providential escape of Captain Cook, 9 To the same. On the anxiety of an author, June 12. 40 .... 10 To the same. Dispensations of Providence,.... July 16.. 42 Account of a viper in the green-house; Three songs written for Lady Austen's harpsichord, Page 54 The origin of the pleasant poem of John Gilpin,... 60 Letter. 12 To the Revd. W. Unwin. John Gilpin's feats, 13 To the same. On a charitable donation to the 14 To the same. Dr. Beattie; translation of Madame Guion's poems, 1783. 69 15 To the same. Mr.'s charity and benevolence, Jan. 19.71 of Providence, ..Feb. 8.. 74 17 To J. Hill, Esq. Favourable reception given to his poems, Feb. 13. 75 18 To the same. Dr. Franklin's Letter transcribed, Feb. 20..76 78 friend, April 5.79 24 To the Revd. J. Newton. Death of Mrs. C. May 26..86 May 31..88 Mr. Bull, 26 To the Revd. J. Newton. On his ecclesiastical history; remarkable mists, 27 To the same. On religious zeal, 28 To the same. 29 To the same. June 13.91 ..June 17.95 Translation of Mr. Newton's Letters into His love of home; style of Robertson and 30 To the Revd. W. Unwin. On ballads; anecdote of his gold- finch, Aug. 4..102 |