LETTER L.

To JOSEPH HILL, Esq.

April 5, 1786.

I DID, as you fuppofe, beftow all poffible confideration on the fubject of an apology for my Homerican undertaking. I turned the matter about in my mind an hundred different ways, and in every way in which it would prefent itself, found it an impracticable bufinefs. It is impoffible for me, with what delicacy foever I may manage it, to ftate the objections that lie against Pope's tranflation, without incurring odium, and the imputation of arrogance; foreseeing this danger, I choofe to fay nothing. W. C.

P. S. You may well wonder at my courage, who have undertaken a work of fuch enormous length. You would wonder more if you knew that I tranflated the whole Iliad with no other help than a Clavis. But I have fince equipped myfelf better for this immenfe journey, and am revifing the work in company with a good commentator.

IF

LETTER LI.

To Lady HESKETH.

OLNEY, April 17, 1786. you will not quote Solomon, my dearest coufin, I will. He fays, and as beautifully as truly"Hope deferred maketh the heart.fick, but when the defire cometh, it is a tree of life!" I feel how much reafon he had on his fide when he made this obfervation, and am myself fick of your fortnight's delay.

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The Vicarage was built by Lord Dartmouth, and was not finifhed till fome time after we arrived at Olney,

confequently it is new. It is a smart ftone building well fashed, by much too good for the living, but just what I would wish for you. It has, as you juftly concluded from my premifes, a garden, but rather calculated for use than ornament. It is fquare, and well walled, but has neither arbour nor alcove, nor other shade, except the fhadow of the house. But we have two gardens, which are yours. Between your manfion and ours is interpofed nothing but an orchard, into which a door, opening out of our garden, affords us the easiest communication imaginable, will fave the round about by the town, and make both houses one. Your chamber windows look over the river, and over the meadows, to a village called Emberton, and command the whole length of a long bridge, defcribed by a certain Poet, together with a view of the road at a distance. Should you wish for books at Olney, you muft bring them with you, or you will wifh in vain, for I have none but the works of a certain Poet, Cowper, of whom perhaps you have heard, and they are as yet but two volumes. They may multiply hereafter, but at present they are no more.

You are the first perfon for whom I have heard Mrs. Unwin exprefs fuch feelings as fhe does for you. She is not profufe in profeffions, nor forward to enter into trea ties of friendship with new faces, but when her friendfhip is once engaged, it may be confided in even unto death. She loves you already, and how much more will fhe love you before this time twelvemonth! I have indeed endeavoured to defcribe you to her, but perfectly as I have you by heart, I am fenfible that my picture cannot do you justice; I never faw one that did. Be you what you may, you are much beloved, and will be fo at Olney, and Mrs. Unwin expects you with the pleasure that one feels at the return of a long absent, dear relation; that is to fay, with a pleasure fuch as mine. She fends you her warmest affections.

On Friday I received a letter from dear Anonymous, apprifing me of a parcel that the coach would bring me on Saturday. Who is there in the world that has, or thinks he has, reason to love me to the degree that he does? But it is no matter. He chooses to be unknown, and his choice is and ever shall be fo facred to me, that if his name lay on the table before me reverfed, I would not turn the paper about that I might read it.. Much as it would gratify me to thank him, I would turn my eyes away from the forbidden difcovery. I long to affure him that those fame eyes, concerning which he expreffes fuch kind apprehenfions least they should suffer by this laborious undertaking, are as well as I could expect them to be, if I were never to touch either book or pen. Subject to weakness, and occafional flight inflammations, it is probable that they will always be; but I cannot remember the time when they enjoyed any thing fo like an exemption from thofe infirmities as at prefent. One would almoft fuppofe, that reading Homer were the best Ophthalmic in the world. I fhould be happy to remove his folicitude on the fubject, but it is a pleasure. that he will not let me enjoy. Well then, I will be content without it; and fo content, that though I believe you, my dear, to be in full poffeffion of all this myftery, you fhall never know me while you live, either directly, or by hints of any fort, attempt to extort, or to fteal the fecret from you. I fhould think myfelf as juftly punishable as the Bethfhemites, for looking into the Ark, which they were not allowed to touch.

I have not fent for Kerr, for Kerr can do nothing but fend me to Bath, and to Bath I cannot go for a thoufand reafons. The fummer will fet me up again; I grow fat every day, and shall be as big as Gog, or Magog, or both put together, before you come.

I did actually live three years with Mr. Chapman, a folicitor, that is to fay, I flept three years in his

houfe, but I lived, that is to fay, I fpent my days in Southampton-Row, as you very well remember. There was I, and the future Lord Chancellor, conftantly employed from morning to night in giggling, and making giggle, instead of studying the law. Oh fie, coufin! how could you do fo? I am pleafed with Lord Thurlow's inquiries about me. If he takes it into that inimitable head of his, he may make a man of me yet. I could love him heartily, if he would but deserve it at my hands. That I did fo once is certain. The Duchefs of who in the world fet her a going? But if all the Ducheffes in the world were spinning like so many whirligigs for my benefit, I would not stop them. It is a noble thing to be a poet, it makes all the world fo lively. I might have preached more fermons than even Tillotfon did, and better, and the world would have been still faft afleep, but a volume of verfe is a fiddle that puts the universe in motion. W. C.

LETTER LII.

To Lady HESKETH.

OLNEY, April 24, 1786.

YOUR letters are fo much my comfort that I often tremble leaft by any accident I fhould be disappointed; and the more because you have been, more than once, fo engaged in company on the writing day, that I have had a narrow escape. Let me give you a piece of good counfel, my coufin: Follow my laudable example, write when you can, take Time's forelock in one hand, and a pen in the other, and fo make fure of your opportunity. It is well for me that you write fafter than any body, and more in an hour than other people in two, elfe I know not what would

become of me. When I read your letters I hear you talk, and I love talking letters dearly, efpecially from you. Well, the middle of June will not be always a thousand years off, and when it comes I fhall hear you, and see you too, and shall not care a farthing then if you do not touch a pen in a month. By the way you must either fend me or bring me fome more paper, for before the moon fhall have performed a few more revolutions, I shall not have a ferap left, and tedious revolutions they are just now, that is certain.

I give you leave to be as peremptory as you please, especially at a distance; but when you fay that you are a Cowper, (and the better it is for the Cowpers that fuch you are, and I give them joy of you with all my heart) you must not forget, that I boat myfelf a Cowper too, and have my humours, and fancies, and purpofes, and determinations, as well as others of my name, and hold them as fast as they can. You indeed tell me how often I fhall fee you when you come.

A pretty ftory truly. I am a He Cowper, my dear, and claim the privileges that belong to my noble fex. But theiet matters fhall be fettled, as my coufin Agamemnon ufed to fay, at a more convenient time.

I fhall rejoice to fee the letter you promife me, for though I met with a morfel of praise laft week, I do not know that the week current is likely to produce me any, and having lately been pretty much pampered with that diet, I expect to find myself rather hungry by the time when your next letter fhall arrive. It will therefore be very opportune. The morfel above alluded to, came from-whom do you think? From

but

the defires that her authorship may be a fecret. And in my answer I promised not to divulge it, except to you. It is a pretty copy of verfes neatly written, and well turned, and when you come, you shall fee them. I in