About this book
My library
Books on Google Play
CONTENTS
OF THE SECOND VOLUME.
Part the First-continued.
Circumstances under which Cowper commenced his career
as an author
Letter to the Rev. John Newton, Dec. 17, 1781. Re-
marks on his poems on Friendship, Retirement, Heroism
and Ætna; Nineveh and Britain
To the Rev. William Unwin, Dec. 19, 1781. Idea of a
theocracy; the American war
To the Rev. John Newton; shortest day, 1781. On a
national miscarriage; with lines on a flatting-mill
To the same, last day of 1781. Concerning the printing
of his Poems; the American contest
To the Rev. William Unwin, Jan. 5, 1782. Dr. Johnson's
critique on Prior and Pope
To the Rev. John Newton, Jan. 13, 1782. The American
contest
To the Rev. William Unwin, Jan. 17, 1782. Conduct of
critics; Dr. Johnson's remarks on Prior's Poems; re-
marks on Dr. Johnson's Lives of the Poets; poetry
suitable for the reading of a boy
PAGE
1
2
5
7
8
10
14
15
To Joseph Hill, Esq., Jan. 31, 1782. Political reflections 22
To the Rev. John Newton, Feb. 2, 1782. On his Poems
then printing; Dr. Johnson's character as a critic;
severity of the winter
To the Rev. William Unwin, Feb. 9, 1782. Bishop Lowth's
juvenile verses; acquaintance with Lady Austen
Attentions of Lady Austen to Cowper
24
27
29
Letter from him to Lady Austen
She becomes his next door neighbour
To the Rev. William Unwin. On Lady Austen's opinion of him; attempts at robbery; observations on religious characters; genuine benevolence
To the Rev. John Newton, Feb. 16, 1782. Charms of
authorship
•
To the Rev. William Unwin, Feb. 24, 1782. On the pub-
lication of his poems; his letter to the Lord Chancellor
To Lord Thurlow, Feb. 25, 1782, enclosed to Mr. Unwin
To the Rev. John Newton, Feb. 1782. On Mr. N.'s Pre-
face to his Poems. Remarks on a Fast Sermon
30
31
ib.
35
36
37
38
To the same, March 6, 1782. Political remarks; cha-
racter of Oliver Cromwell
41
Decision and boldness of Cromwell
To the Rev. William Unwin, March 7, 1782. Remon-
43
strance against Sunday routs
44
Remarks on the reasons for rejecting the Rev. Mr. New-
ton's Preface to Cowper's Poems
46
To the Rev. John Newton, March 14, 1782. On the in-
tended Preface to his Poems; critical tact of Johnson,
the bookseller
47
To Joseph Hill, Esq., March 14, 1782. On the publica-
tion of his Poems
To the Rev. William Unwin, March 18, 1782. On his
and Mrs. Unwin's opinion of his Poems
mprovements in prison discipline
To the Rev. John Newton, March 24, 1782. Case of
Mr. B. compared with Cowper's
49
50
53
54
To the Rev. William Unwin, April 1, 1782. On his
commendations of his Poems
55
To the same, April 27, 1782. Military music; Mr. Un-
win's expected visit; dignity of the Latin language;
use of parentheses
56
To the same, May 27, 1782. Dr. Franklin's opinion of
his poems; remarkable instance of providential deli.
verance from dangers; effects of the weather; Rodney's
victory in the West Indies
59
To the same, June 12, 1782. Anxiety of authors respect-
ing the opinion of others on their works
Reception of the first volume of Cowper's Poems
Portrait of the true poet
Picture of a person of fretful temper
Part the Second.
To the Rev. William Bull, June 22, 1782. Poetical
epistle on Tobacco
To the Rev. William Unwin, July 16, 1782. Remarks
on political affairs; Lady Austen and her project
To the same, August 3, 1782. On Dr. Johnson's ex-
pected opinion of his Poems; encounter with a viper;
Lady Austen; Mr. Bull; Madame Guion's Poems
63
65
67
68
70
74
The Colubriad, a poem
78
Lady Austen comes to reside at the parsonage at Olney 79
To Joseph Hill, Esq., Sept. 6, 1782. Visit of Mr. Small 85
To the Rev. William Unwin, Nov. 4, 1782. On the ballad
of John Gilpin; on Mr. Unwin's exertions in behalf of
the prisoners at Chelmsford; subscription for the widows
of seamen lost in the Royal George
87
To the Rev. William Bull, Nov. 5, 1782. On his ex-
pected visit
To Joseph Hill, Esq., Nov. 11, 1782.
89
On the state of
90
his health; encouragement of planting; Mr. P,
of Hastings
To Joseph Hill, Esq., Nov. 1782. Thanks for a present
of fish; on Mr. Small's report of Mr. Hill and his im-
provements
To the Rev. William Unwin, Nov. 18, 1782. Acknow-
ledgments to a beneficent friend to the poor of Olney;
on the appearance of John Gilpin in print
92
93
To the Rev. William Unwin. No date. Character of Dr.
Beattie and his poems; Cowper's translation of
Madame Guion's poems
To Mrs. Newton, Nov. 23, 1782. On his Poems; severity
of the winter; contrast between a spendthrift and an
Olney cottager; method recommended for settling
disputes
To Joseph Hill, Esq., Dec. 7, 1782. Recollections of the
coffee-house; Cowper's mode of spending his evenings;
political contradictions
96
98
101
To the Rev. William Unwin, Jan. 19, 1783. His occupa-
tions; beneficence of Mr. Thornton to the poor of Olney 102
To the Rev. John Newton, Jan. 26, 1783. On the antici-
pations of peace; conduct of the belligerent powers
To the Rev. William Unwin, Feb. 2, 1783. Ironical con-
gratulations on the peace; generosity of England to
France
To the Rev. John Newton, Feb. 8, 1783. Remarks on
the peace
105
107
109
To Joseph Hill, Esq., Feb. 13 1783. Remarks on his
poems
112
To the same. Feb.20, 1783. With Dr. Franklin's letter on his Poems
To the same. No date. On the coalition ministry; Lord
Chancellor Thurlow
114
Neglect of Cowper by Lord Thurlow
115
Lord Thurlow's generosity in the case of Dr. Johnson, and Crabbe, the poet
To the Rev. John Newton, Feb. 24, 1783. On the peace 116
To the Rev. William Bull, March 7, 1783. On the peace;
Scotch Highlanders at Newport Pagnel
118
To the Rev. John Newton, March 7, 1783. Comparison
of his and Mr. Newton's letters; march of Highlanders
belonging to a mutinous regiment
120
To the same. April 5, 1788. Illness of Mrs. C.; new
method of treating consumptive cases
122
To the same. April 20, 1783. His occupations and
studies; writings of Mr.
; probability of his
conversion in his last moments
123
FAGE
To the Rev. John Newton. May 5, 1783. Vulgarity in a
minister particularly offensive
To the Rev. William Unwin, May 12, 1783. Remarks
on a sermon preached by Paley at the consecration of
Bishop L.
Severity of Cowper's strictures on Paley
Important question of a church establishment
Increase of true piety in the Church of England
126
127
129
130
Language of Beza respecting the established church
131
To Joseph Hill, Esq., May 26, 1783. On the death of his uncle's wife
:
To the Rev. John Newton, May 31, 1783. On Mrs.C.'s
death
132
To the Rev. William Bull, June 3, 1783. With stanzas
on peace
133
134
To the Rev. William Unwin, June 8, 1783. Beauties of
the green-house; character of the Rev. Mr.Bull
To the Rev. John Newton, June 13, 1783. On his Re-
view of Ecclesiastical History; the day of judgment;
observation of natural phenomena
136
Extraordinary natural phenomena in the summer of 1783 139
De la Lande's explanation of them
Earthquakes in Calabria and Sicily
To the Rev. John Newton, June 17, 1783.
140
141
Ministers
142
143
144
must not expect to scold men out of their sins
Tenderness an important qualification in a minister
To the Rev. John Newton, June 19, 1783. On the
Dutch translation of his "Cardiphonia"
To the same. July 27, 1783. A country life barren of
incident; Cowper's attachment to his solitude; praise
of Mr. Newton's style as an historian
Remarks on the influence of local associations
Dr. Johnson's allusion to that subject
To the Rev. William Unwin, August 4, 1783. inquiry concerning the sale of his Poems; remarks on English ballads; anecdote of Cowper's goldfinches ib.
To the same. Sept. 7, 1783. Fault of Madame Guion's
writings, too great familiarity in addressing the Deity 153