THE

LIFE AND WORKS

OF

WILLIAM COWPER

NOW FIRST COMPLETED BY THE INTRODUCTION OF HIS

"PRIVATE CORRESPONDENCE."

REVISED, ARRANGED, AND 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.

WITH

AN ESSAY ON THE GENIUS AND POETRY OF COWPER.

BY THE

REV. J. W. CUNNINGHAM, A. M.

VICAR OF HARROW.

Second Edition.

VOL. V.

LONDON

SAUNDERS AND OTLEY, CONDUIT STREET.

MDCCCXXXVI.

5p.

1BOTSON AND PALMER, PRINTERS, SAVOY STREET, STRAND.

CONTENTS.

PAGE

Remarks on a report respecting Cowper's sentiments

relative to the Slave Trade

Reflections on Popularity

Letter to the Rev. J. Jekyll Rye. April 16, 1792.

Cowper asserts the falsehood of a report that he was

friendly to the Slave Trade

.

To the Printers of the Northampton Mercury; on the
same subject, with a Sonnet addressed to Mr. Wil-
berforce
Remarks on the relative merits of rhyme and blank
verse, with reference to a translation of Homer
Cowper's sentiments on the subject, and on translation

in general

To the Lord Thurlow. On the inconvenience of rhyme

in translation

Lord Thurlow to William Cowper, Esq. On the value of
rhyme in certain kinds of poems; on metrical trans-
lations; close translation of a passage in Homer
To the Lord Thurlow. Vindication of Cowper's choice of
blank verse for his translation of Homer; his version
of the passage given by Lord T.

Lord Thurlow to William Cowper, Esq. On his trans-

To the Lord Thurlow. On the same subject

Passages from Cowper's translation

Facts respecting it

1

2

3

5

6

8

10

12

16

18

19

To Mr. Johnson, the bookseller. Feb. 11, 1790. Cowper
acknowledges his obligations to Mr. Fuseli, for his
remarks on his translation of Homer

PAGE

25

ib.

To the same. Sept. 7, 1790. On the same subject
Indignant remonstrance of Cowper's, addressed to John-
son on the alteration of a line in one of his poems
To Thomas Park, Esq. April 27, 1792. Remarks on
some Poems of Mr. P.'s, and on his own literary en-
gagements

Marriage of Mr. Courtenay to Miss Stapleton

28

30

To Lady Hesketh. May 20, 1792. On the marriage of

Mr. Courtenay; Dr. Madan's promotion to a

Bishopric; complimentary Sonnet produced by

Cowper, addressed to Mr. Wilberforce; Lines to

Warren Hastings, Esq.

To John Johnson, Esq. May 20, 1792. On the post-

ponement of his Ordination, &c.

Hayley's visit to Cowper, and his account of it

Sonnet addressed by Cowper to Mrs. Unwin

ib.

33

34

35

36

37

ib.

39

40

Mrs. Unwin's paralytic attack

Kind attentions of Hayley

To Lady Hesketh. May 24, 1792. Seizure and state of

Mrs.Unwin

To the same. May 26, 1792. State of Mrs. Unwin

Lines addressed to Dr. Austen

To Mrs. Bodham. June 4, 1792. On the postponement
of Mr. Johnson's Ordination

To William Hayley, Esq. June 4, 1792. State of Mrs.

Unwin

To the same.

To the same.

To the same.

June 5, 1792.

June 7, 1792.

Origin of Darwin's Poem of the "Botanic Garden" 48

To Lady Hesketh. June 11, 1792. On his growing

correspondence; improvement in Mrs. Unwin's

health; events of the past two months; arrival of

Mr. Johnson

49