ART. II. The Life and Posthumous Writings of William Cowper, 4to. In "MORE [ORE last words" are rarely the best words of a posthumous author; and it has often happened that an injudicious editor, by draining his favourite to the very dregs, has made admiration terminate in something not unlike disgust:-but not so Mr. Hayley with his friend Cowper, whose genius flows with equal spirit and clearness to the last. this additional volume, we are presented with a series of letters chiefly addressed to two correspondents, the Rev. John Newton, Rector of St. Mary Wooinoth, and the Rev. William Unwin, son of Mrs. Unwin, the poet's Mary, written between the years 1778 and 1786; in which the life, character, and opinions of the author are fully displayed; and which, on account both of matter and manner, cannot fail of being acceptable to the public. Never was the life of a recluse rendered so full of entertainment to his friends, as that of Cowper. Though he speaks of himself as living in a vinegar-bottle,' and as occupied with the most trivial employments, he contrives, by the use which he makes of them, by the ease of his style, by his natural and playful descriptions, and by the reflections of a fertile mind, to excite an interest not inferior to that which we feel in perusing the lives of men who have passed through the most busy and agitating scenes. What imagination can be so dull, after having read these letters, as not to view the poet in his parlour, garden, and green-house; not to behold him in the act of writing and in that of reading aloud to the ladies, or in the humbler employments of feeding his birds and his tame hares, winding thread, working in the garden, and even mending the kitchen windows? Cowper's forte was letter-writing; and he has himself so minutely detailed his avocations and his thoughts, that, without intending it, he became his own biographer. The office of the editor, therefore, as far as this object is concerned, is only that of collecting the communications which the poet made to his friends, and of chronologically arranging them. The objection may be urged against an exhibition of this kind, that it displays perpetual egotism: but this is unavoidable from the very circumstances of the case; and, as the public must be aware that it is a peep behind the curtain with which they were not originally to be indulged, they will be rather inclined I *For Vols. 1 and 2, see Rev. Vol. xli. N. S. (July 1803.) REV. JULY, 1804. R to to thank the editor than to demand an apology for his conduct. Perhaps the letter-writer himself, on some occasions, would have more right to be displeased: for these letters probably display more of the ambition of the poet, than the port himself would wish to be made public; since, with every exertion to keep himself humble, that "best infirmity of noble minds" gains the ascendancy; and though he tells Mr. Unwin that his and his mother's approbation is fame enough for him, his exertions and solicitude in reality point to more extended praise. Mr. Cowper was a very good and amiable man; and he might be seriously desirous of checking in his own mind that self-gratulation, with which the applause of the world is very apt to be accompanied but, as what Horace has observed respecting the occupations of a poet will apply also to his morals, (should the latter happen to be an object of his solicitude,) In vitium ducit culpa fuga—; so we see in the case before us the fear of vanity* producing false modesty, since Mr. C. could never think that he had no more right to the name of poet than the maker of mouse-traps to that of engineer;' nor that his letters are never worth reading, p. 116. The melancholy of the author of the Task is often introduced by himself in these epistles, but it appears to have been of a very peculiar character: for he remarks in one of his letters; Strange as it may seem, the most ludicrous lines I ever wrote have been written in the saddest mood, and but for that mood perhaps had never been written.' These selections are preceded by observations on the Letters of eminent writers, particularly those of Pope and Cowper; which the editor modestly calls 'Desultory Remarks,' but which the reader will not find to be so desultory as the title indicates Mr. Hayley notices the letters of classic antiquity, as well as those which have been written in the modern languages of Europe. In mentioning the epistolary productions of our own country, he enters into arguments, from which in this place we shall abstain : but, in adverting to the French, who have been considered as our superiors in this style of composition, he is proud of the compliment paid to Cowper by a foreigner, though he will not subscribe to our previous inferiority. The Letters of the Poet have been honored with the notice, and the applause of foreigners. A polite and liberal scholar of France, * In p. 286, we are told that he considers himself as 'not partaking in the smallest degree of that vanity with which authors in general are so justly chargeable.. deeply deeply versed in our literature, has confessed, that he never thought the writers of this country equal to those of his own, in all the excellencies of epistolary writing, till he read the Letters of Cowper. Gratified as I am by a compliment so honorable to my departed friend, I am too zealous an advocate for the literary glory of our country to admit, that the Letter-writers of England are collectively inferior in merit to those of any nation in the modern world.' We shall not enter into Mr. Hayley's appreciation of the merits of those writers whom he enumerates in these remarks, but shall confine ourselves to the poet of Olney.-Mr. H. next explains the motives by which his conduct as editer has been regulated, and particularly in relation to that part of the correspondence which details the quarrel between the female rivalcandidates for the poet's affection, Lady Austen and Mrs. Unwin. Feeling that the spirit of Cowper would not approve of his suffering any aspersion to be cast on the temper of the latter Lady without some attempt to wipe it away, Mr. H. introduces an extract from a letters which mentions their reconciliation: but it does not completely effect the object for which it was produced; and the obvious answer to it is, in the form of a question, "If the Ladies were reconciled, why was the happy trio dissolved?" • In preparing the following selection for the press, I have endea-, voured to recollect, on every doubtful occasion, the feelings of Cowper; and made it a rule to reject, whatever my perfect intimacy with those feelings could lead me to suppose the spirit of the departed Poet might wish me to lay aside, as unfit for publication. I consider an editor as guilty of the basest injury to the dead, who admits into the posthumous volumes of an author, whom he professes to love and admire, any composition, which his own conscience informs him, that author, if he could speak from the tomb, would direct him to suppress. On this principle, I have declined to print some Letters, which entered more than I think the public ought to enter, into the history of a trifling feminine discord, that disturbed the perfect harmony of the happy trio at Olney, when Lady Austen and Mrs. Unwin were the united inspirers of the Poet; yet, as the brief and true account, which I gave of their separation, has been thought to cast a shade of censure on the temper of Mrs. Unwin, which I was far from intending, in justice to the memory of that exemplary and sublime female friend, I will here introduce a passage from a Letter of Cowper to the Reverend William Unwin, honorable to both the ladies in question, as it describes them in a moment of generous reconciliation :"I inclose a letter from Lady Austen, which I beg you to return to me in your next. We are reconciled: she seized the first oppor tunity to embrace your Mother with tears of the tenderest affection, and I, of course, am satisfied. We were all a little aukward at first, but now are as easy as ever." This Letter happens to have no date, but the expressions I have ited from it, are sufficient to prove, that Mrs. Unwin, instead of xited R 2 having having shewn an envious infirmity of temper on this occasion, must have conducted herself with a delicate liberality of mind.' Some persons will be of opinion that the twelve letters inserted at the end of this volume, written in the early part of the Poet's life, (in 1765, 6) to his relation Lady Hle-keth, might with no injury to his fame have been omitted: but the editor gives the following reason for their insertion, which we consider it as our duty to state: If in selecting Letters of my friend for the press, I should alarm the volatile reader by admitting several of a devotional spirit, I will ingenuously confess my reason for imparting them to the public. There is such tender simplicity, such attractive sweetness, in these serious Letters, that I am confident few professed works of devotion can equal their efficacy in awakening and confirming sincere and simple piety, in persons of various persuasions. His Letters and his Poetry will, in this respect, alternately extend and strengthen the influence of each other. He wrote occasionally to clerical friends of the established church, and to others among the dissenters. His heart made no difference between them, for it felt towards both the fraternal sensations of true Christianity.' As Mr. Cowper possessed the art of what he terms letterspinning' in a most agreeable manner, we should think that our task was imperfectly executed, were we to omit to present our readers with some specimens from this additional collection. It is difficult, however, to make such a choice as will satisfy all readers. Yet, if we cannot advert to the variety of subjects on which, as circumstances arise, he offers his opinion, we shall transcribe enough to give farther insight into the character and manner of this enlightened, sprightly, and amiable man. The contents of this volume being for the most part addressed to two clergymen, we shall in the first place exhibit the author's hints relative to preaching, which are admirable: To the Rev. JOHN NEWTON. My Dear Friend, June 17, 1783. Your Letter reached Mr. S—while Mr. was with him; whether it wrought any change in his opinion of that gentleman, as a preacher, I know not, but for my own part I give you full credit for the soundness and rectitude of yours. No man was ever scolded out of his sins. The heart, corrupt as it is, and because it is so, grows angry if it be not treated with some management and good manners, and scolds again. A surley mastiff will bear perhaps to be stroked, though he will growl even under that operation; but if you touch him roughly, he will bite. There is no grace that the spirit of self can counterfeit with more success than a religious zeal. A man thinks he is fighting for Christ, and he is fighting for his own notions. He thinks that he is skilfully searching the hearts of others, when he is only gratifying the maliguity of his own; and charitably supposes his hearers destitute of all grace, that he may shine the more in his own eyes by comparison. When he has performed this notable task, he wonders that they are not converted; "he has given it them soundly, and if they do not tremble, and confess that God is in him of a truth, he gives them up as reprobate, incorrigible, and lost for ever." But a man that loves me, if he sees me in an error, will pity me, and endeavour calmly to convince me of it, and persuade me to forsake it. If he has great and good news to tell me, he will not do it angrily, and in much heat and discomposure of spirit. It is not therefore easy to conceive on what ground a minister can justify a conduct, which only proves that he does not understand his errand. The absurdity of it would certainly strike him if he were not himself deluded. A people will always love a minister, if a minister seems to love his people. The old maxim, Simile agit in simile, is in no case more exactly verified therefore you were beloved at Olney, and if you preached to the Chickesaws, and Chactaws, would be equally beloved by them.' In another letter, dated March 29, 1784, addressed to the same correspondent, and in reference to the same Mr. S he offers similar remarks: Mr. S, who you say was so much admired in your pulpit, would be equally admired in his own, at least by all capable judges, were he not so apt to be angry with his congregation. This hurts him, and had he the understanding and eloquence of Paul himself, would still hurt him. He seldom, hardly ever indeed, preaches a gentle, well tempered sermon, but I hear it highly commended: but warmth of temper, indulged to a degree that may be called scolding, defeats the end of preaching. It is a misapplication of his powers, which it also cripples; and teizes away his hearers. But he is a good man, and may perhaps out-grow it.' Mr. C. is not less judicious in his advice to Christians, in a letter to Mr. Unwin: I say amen with all my heart, to your observation on religious characters. Men, who profess themselves adepts in mathematical knowledge, in astronomy, or jurisprudence, are generally as well qua lified as they would appear. The reason may be, that they are always liable to detection, should they attempt to impose upon mankind, and therefore take care to be what they pretend. In religion alone, a profession is often slightly taken up, and slovenly carried on, because forsooth, candour and charity requie us to hope the best, and to judge favourably of our neighbour, and because it is easy to deceive the ignorant, who are a great majority upon this subject. Let a man attach himself to a particular party, contend furiously for what are properly called evangelical doctrines, and enlist himself under the banner of some popular preacher, and the business is done. Behold a Christian, a Saint, a Phoenix!-In the mean time perhaps, his heart and his temper, and even his conduct, are unsanctified; posibly less exemplary than those of some avowed infidels. No matter he can talk-he has the Shibboleth of the true church-the bible |