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latter part is very true indeed; yes! yes! there are multa cum bile, many acrimonious."

These little occasional touches of austerity would naturally arise in a life so sequestered: but how just a subject of surprize and admiration is it, to behold an author starting under such a load of disadvantages, and displaying, on the sudden, such a variety of excellence! For neglected, as it was, for a few years, the first volume of Cowper exhibits such a diversity of poetical powers, as have been given very rarely indeed to any individual of the modern, or of the antient world. He is not only great in passages of pathos, and sublimity, but he is equally admirable in wit and humour. After descanting, most copiously, on sacred subjects, with the animation of a prophet, and the simplicity of an apostle, he paints the ludicrous characters of common life with the comic force of Moliere; particularly in his poem on Conversation, and his exquisite portrait of a fretful temper; a piece of moral painting so highly finished, and so happily calculated to promote good humour, that a transcript of the verses shall close the first Part of these memoirs.

Some fretful tempers wince at every touch ;
You always do too little, or too much :
You speak with life, in hopes to entertain;

Your elevated voice goes through the brain:

You fall at once into a lower key;

That's worse :— -the drone-pipe of an humble bee!
The southern sash admits too strong a light;

You rise and drop the curtain:

He shakes with cold ;

To make a blaze :

-now it's hight.

-you stir the fire and strive

-that's roasting him alive.

Serve him with ven'son, and he chuses fish ;
With soal, that's just the sort he would not wish.
He takes what he at first profess'd to loath;
And in due time feeds heartily on both ;
Yet, still o'erclouded with a constant frown
He does not swallow, but he gulps it down.
Your hope to please him vain on every plan,
Himself should work that wonder, if he can.
Alas! his efforts double his distress;

He likes your's little, and his own still less.
Thus always teazing others, always teaz'd,
His only pleasure is to be displeas'd.

END OF THE FIRST PART,

2ND OF THE FIRST VOLUME.

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INDE X.

An introductory Letter to the Right Honourable Earl Cowper. DESULTORY REMARKS

On the Letters of eminent persons, particularly those of Pope and Cowper.

LIFE OF COWPER, PART THE FIRST.

The Family, birth, and first residence of Cowper....
His verses on the portrait of his mother

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The schools, that Cowper attended.

His sufferings during childhood...

...

....

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His removal from Westminster to an attorney's office......14

Verses on his early afflictions•••••

His settlement in the Inner-temple...

16

...

17

18

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19

23

24

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27

His acquaintance with eminent authors.
His epistle to Robert Lloyd, Esquire•••
His translations in Duncombe's Horace.
His own account of his early life
Stanzas on reading Sir Charles Grandison.
His verses on finding the heel of a shoe..
His nomination to the office of Reading Clerk in the House of
Commons..

...

...

His nomination to be Clerk of the Journals in the House of Lords.

Letter.

.29

.30

1 To Lady Hesketh, Journals of the house of Commons; reflection on the singular temper of his mind. Aug. 9, 1763..30 His extreme dread of appearing in public.. His illness, and removal to St. Alban's

His recovery

....

33

34

.36

His settlement at Huntingdon to be near his Brother.• • • • • • • 37 The translation of Voltaire's Henriade by the two Brothers 38 The origin of Cowper's acquaintance with the Unwins......38

Letter.

His adoption into the family

Page,
.42

His early friendship with Lord Thurlow, and J. Hill, Esqr..43

1765.

2 To Joseph Hill, Esq. Account of his situation at Huntingdon.
June 24. 44

3 To Lady Hesketh. On his illness and subsequent recovery

July 1..46

4 To the same. Salutary effects of affliction on the human mind.

July 4..48

Account of Huntingdon; distance from his

5 To the same.
Brother, &c.......

....

••••• July 5••52
6. To the same. Newton's treatise on prophecy; reflections
of Dr. Young, on the truth of Christianity. . . . . July12.55
On the beauty and sublimity of scriptural

7 To the same.
language.

8 To the same.

....

Aug. 1..58
Pearsall's meditations; definition of faith.

Aug. 17..62

Sept. 4..64

On a particular providence; experience

9. To the same.

of mercy, &c.

....

10 To the same. First introduction to the Unwin family; their

characters.

.....Sept. 14..69

On the thankfulness of the heart, its inequa-

11 To the same.
lities, &c. ....

.Oct. 10.72
12 To the same. Miss Unwin, her character and piety.Oct. 18.73
13 To Major Cowper. Situation at Huntingdon; his perfect
Oct. 18..77
14 To Joseph Hill, Esq. On those, who confine all merits to
their own acquaintance.
. Oct. 25..80

satisfaction, &c.

1766.

15 To Lady Hesketh. On solitude; on the desertion of his

friends.

....

March 6..82

16 To Mrs. Cowper. Mrs. Unwin, and her son; his cousin
Martin.

85

17 To the same. Letters the fruit of friendship; his conversion."
April 4.87

18 To the same. The probability of knowing each other in
Heaven
April 17.89

Letter:

19 To the same. On the recollection of earthly affairs by de-

parted spirits. .••

Pagei

•April 18..94
20 To the same. On the same subject; on his own state of
body and mind.••••

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21 To the same. His manner of living; reasons for his not
taking orders....
...Oct. 20.102

1767.

22 To the same. Reflections on reading Marshal. March 11..105
23 To the same. Introduction of Mr. Unwin's son; his garden-
ing; on Marshall

24 To the same.

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March 14.108

On the motive of his introducing Mr. Un-

win's son to her.

...

April 3..110
25 To the same. Mr. Unwin's death; doubts concerning his

...

.....

future abode.
••••• July 13....112
26 To Joseph Hill, Esqr. Reflections arising from Mr. Un-
win's death.
July 16..114
The origin of Cowper's acquaintance with Mr. Newton....115
The death of Mr. Unwin, and Cowper's removal with Mrs.
Unwin to Olney...

His devotion and charity in his new residence.

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27 To Joseph Hill, Esq. On the occurrences during his visit
.June 16, 1768..117

Alban's.

1769.

28 To the same. On the difference of dispositions; his love of
retirement.

118

His poem in memory of John Thornton, Esqr........... 120
His beneficence to a necessitous child.

122

The composition of his hymns....

123

29 To Mrs. Cowper. His new situation; reasons for mixture
of evil in the world.

124

30 To the same. The consolations of religion on the death of
her husband. •

.Aug. 31..127

Cowper's journey to Cambridge on his Brother's....illness 129

1770.

31 To the same. Dangerous illness of his brother. March 5..130

The death and character of Cowper's Brother

....... .131

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