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 Etna; Nineveh and Britain

To the Rev. William Unwin, Dec. 19, 1781.
theocracy; the American war

Idea of a

On a

To the Rev. John Newton; shortest day, 1781.
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

PAGE

1

8

10

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

To Joseph Hill, Esq., Jan. 31, 1782. Political reflections

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

15

22

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

PAGE

30

31

ib.

35

37

To the Rev. William Unwin, Feb. 24, 1782. On the pub-

lication of his poems; his letter to the Lord Chancellor 36

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

To the same, March 6, 1782. Political remarks; cha-

racter of Oliver Cromwell

38

41

Decision and boldness of Cromwell

43

To the Rev. William Unwin, March 7, 1782. Remon-

strance against Sunday routs

44

Remarks on the reasons for rejecting the Rev. Mr. New-

ton's Preface to Cowper's Poems

To the Rev. John Newton, March 14, 1782. On the in-
tended Preface to his Poems; critical tact of Johnson,
the bookseller

To Joseph Hill, Esq., March 14, 1782. On the publica-
tion of his Poems

To the Rev. William Unwin, March 18, 1782.
and Mrs. Unwin's opinion of his Poems

mprovements in prison discipline

To the Rev. John Newton, March 24, 1782.
Mr. B. compared with Cowper's

To the Rev William Unwin, April 1, 1782.

commendations of his Poems

To the same, April 27, 1782. Military music; Mr. Un-
win's expected visit; dignity of the Latin language;
use of parentheses

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

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.

PAGE

63

ib.

To the Rev. William Bull, June 22, 1782. Poetical
epistle on Tobacco

68

70

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

74

78

Lady Austen comes to reside at the parsonage at Olney 79

Songs written for her by Cowper

His song on the loss of the Royal George

The same in Latin

Origin of his ballad of John Gilpin

ib.

81

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

To the Rev. William Bull, Nov. 5, 1782.

pected visit

To Joseph Hill, Esq., Nov. 11, 1782.

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

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

PAGE

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 105

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

To Joseph Hill, Esq., Feb. 13 1783. Remarks on his

107

109

To the same. Feb. 20, 1783. With Dr. Franklin's letter

on his Poems

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

To the Rev. John Newton, March 7, 1783.

118

Comparison

of his and Mr. Newton's letters; march of Highlanders

belonging to a mutinous regiment

To the same. April 5, 1788. Illness of Mrs. C.; new

method of treating consumptive cases

To the same. April 20, 1783.

studies; writings of Mr.

conversion in his last moments

To the Rev. John Newton. May 5, 1783. Vulgarity in a
minister particularly offensive

To the Rev. William Unwin, May 12, 1783.

PAGE

126

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

127

130

131

Increase of true piety in the Church of England
Language of Beza respecting the established church
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

To the Rev. William Bull, June 3, 1783.

ib.

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.
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.
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