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The Works of William Cowper, Esq., Comprising His Poems

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The Works of William Cowper, Esq., Comprising His Poems This is a reproduction of a library book that was digitized by Google as part of an ongoing effort to preserve the information in books and make it universally accessible. https://books.google.com TheworksofWilliamCowper,esq.,comprisinghispoems,correspondence,andtranslations WilliamCowper,RobertSouthey . 1 -/- / I 1 3B?,0 .As Si '1f m1r-'ll.t,; - - l '*... -- '> ! : 1. \ 'x - v u :-'. k .'■ WILLIAM COWPE R, IRDlft'UfX SG)!!-l'B :.'',Y, &3®„ LYL:\% TOl. IS. 0 \^ rmna, ';„ AT .F/1i'BS1JW: %J'I.ftjC1V r ft6. THE WORKS OF WILLIAM COWPER, Esq. COMPRISING HIS POEMS, CORRESPONDENCE, AND TRANSLATIONS. WITH • A LIFE OF THE AUTHOR, BY THE EDITOR, ROBERT SOUTHEY, Esq. LL. D. POET LAUREATE, ETC. ' .iroh. ix. LONDON : BALDWIN AND CRADOCK, PATERNOSTER ROW. 1836. CHISWICK PRESS : C. WI1I1TINGHAM, COLLEGE HOUSE. ADVERTISEMENT. The present volume contains Cowper's Translations from Madame Guion, the Pieces originally published as the second volume of his Poems, and a few of those minor Poems which were not published till after his decease. The Translations from Madame Guion appeared with the following Title, Dedication, and Preface. POEMS, TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH OF MADAME DE LA MOTHE GUION, BY THE [All: WILLIAM COWPER, ESQ. AUTHOR TO WHICH OF " ARE THE ADDED. TASK." SOME ORIGINAL POEMS OF MR. COWPER, NOT INSERTED IN HIS WORKS. LONDON : — PRINTED FOR J. JOHNSON AND CO. no. n, st. Paul's church-yard- 1801. V ADVERTISEMENT. TO THE REV. WILLIAM BULL, THESE TRANSLATIONS OF A FEW OF THE SPIRITUAL SONGS OF THE EXCELLENT MADAME GUION, MADE AT HIS EXPRESS BY DESIRE, ARE DEDICATED HIS AFFECTIONATE FRIEND AND SERVANT, WILLIAM COWPER. July, 1782. PREFACE. It seems needless, if not impertinent, in an obscure individual, to say any thing in praise of the Author of the Task. It is of more consequence to inform the reader of the circumstances that have led to this pub lication. About twenty years ago, a very dear and venerable friend ' introduced me to the truly great and amiable Mr. Cowper. This gave rise to a friendship, which increased with every repeated interview; and for several years I had the pleasure of spending an afternoon with him every week. At length this de lightful intercourse was terminated, by his removal to a distant situation, and the painful approaches of that event which dissolves every social connexion. 1 The Rev. John Newton, Rector of St. Mary Woolnoth, London. " ADVERTISEMENT. V One day, amusing myself with the poetical works of the celebrated Madame Guion, I was struck with the peculiar beauty of some of her poems, as well as edi fied with the piety and devotion of which they are strongly expressive. I mentioned them to Mr. Cow- per; and, partly to amuse a solitary hour, partly to keep in exercise the genius of this incomparable man, I requested him to put a few of the poems into an English dress. Afterward, during my absence upon a journey, I received a letter, in which Mr. Cowper says, " I have but little leisure, strange as it may seem. That little I devoted for a month after your departure to the translation of Madame Guion. I have made fair copies of all the pieces I have produced on this last occasion, and will put them into your hands when we meet. They are yours, to serve as you please ; you may take and leave them as you like, for my purpose is already served. They have amused me, and I have no farther demand upon them." On my return, Mr. Cowper presented me with these translations, to which he added the Letter to a Pro testant Lady in France, and the Poem on Friendship. The idea of printing them was afterwards suggested to Mr. Cowper ; and he gave his full consent, intend ing to revise them before I should send them to the press. Various circumstances prevented him from doing this ; and the poems would probably have still VI ADVERTISEMENT. remained unpublished, if it had not been found that several copies of them had already got abroad. The editor, therefore, had reason to believe, that they would otherwise have made their appearance in a state far less correct than if printed from the original manuscript. Nor can he imagine that, even in their present form, they will on the whole, tend to diminish the well deserved reputation of their excellent author. To infer that the peculiarities of Madame Guion's theological sentiments were adopted either by Mr. Cowper or by the editor, would be almost as absurd as to suppose the inimitable translator of Homer to have b<jgn a pagan. He reverenced her piety, admired her genius, and judged that several of her poems would be read with pleasure and edification by serious and candid persons. I have taken the liberty to add the Stanzas sub joined to the Bills of Mortality, which had been pub lished a few years past at Northampton ; and the Epitaph, which had appeared in a periodical publica tion. They sufficiently mark the genius of their author, correspond with the other parts of this small volume, and have not before been printed in a uniform manner with his poems. WILLIAM BULL. N E WPORT-PAG N ELL, 6th of June, 1001. ADVERTISEMENT. Vll The second Volume had no other preface than the brief advertisement prefixed to the Task. It was thus entitled, THE TASK. EV WILLIAM COWPER, OF THE INNER TEMPLE, ESQ. Fit surculus arbor. Anon. LONDON no. : — 72,PRINTED st. Paul's FOR church-yard. J. JOHNSON AND CO. *p 1784. " The motto of the whole," says Cowper to Mr. Unwin, " is Fit surculus arbor. If you can put the author's name under it, do so: if not, it must go without one, for I know not to whom to ascribe it. It was a motto taken by a certain Prince of Orange in the year 1733, but not to a poem of his own writing, or indeed to any poem at all, but, as I think, to a medal." — Letter, Oct. 2, 1784. If the motto was not composed for the medal, (which is most probable,) it may perhaps have been taken from an emblem. The emblem itself occurs among those engraved by Crispinus Passaeus, for which George Wither wrote a volume of verses: it is viii ADVERTISEMENT. the forty-sixth of the first book ; but the motto there is Tandem Jit arbor. The Index to the Task (for which, as well as for the parallel passages, the Editor repeats his thanks to Mr. Peace,) will be found so useful that any edition of that delightful poem must henceforth without such an appendage be deemed deficient. CONTENTS. VOL. IX. TRANSLATIONS FROM THE FRENCH OF MADAME OE LA MOTHE-GUION. Page The Nativity. Poeme Heroique. Tom. iv. Sect. 1 . 1 God neither known nor loved by the World. Tom. ii. Cant. 11 7 The Swallow. Tom. ii. Cant. 54 9 The Triumph of Heavenly Love desired. Tom. ii. Cant. 236 10 A figurative Description of the Procedure of Divine Love, in bringing a Soul to the Point of Self-renunciation and absolute Acquiescence. Tom. ii. Cant. 110 .... 11 A Child of God longing to see him beloved. Tom. ii. Cant. 144 13 Aspirations of the Soul after God. Tom. ii. Cant. 95 . 15 Gratitude and Love to God. Tom. ii. Cant 96 ... 16 Happy Solitude, Unhappy Man. Tom. ii. Cant. 89 . 18 Living Water. Tom. iv. Cant. 81 18 Truth and Divine Love rejected by the World. Tom. ii. Cant. 22 19 Divine Justice amiable. Tom. ii. Cant. 1 1 9 20 The Soul that lores God finds Him every where. Tom. ii. Cant. 118 21 X CONTENTS. Page The Testimony of Divine Adoption. Tom. ii. Cant. 78 . 22 Divine Love endures no Rival. Tom. ii. Cant. 155 . 24 Self-diffidence. Tom. ii. Cant. 125 25 The Acquiescence of pure Love. Tom. ii. Cant. 135 . 27 Repose in God. Tom. ii. Cant. 17 27 Glory to God alone. Tom. ii. Cant. 15 28 Self-love and Truth incompatible. Tom. ii. Cant. 21 . 30 The Love of God the End of Life. Tom. ii. Cant. 165 . 31 Love faithful in the Absence of the Beloved. Tom. iv. Cant. 49 32 Love pure and fervent. Tom. iv. Cant. 31 32 The Entire Surrender. Tom. iv. Cant. 77 33 The Perfect Sacrifice. Tom. iv. Cant. 74 33 God hides his People. Tom. iv. Cant. 42 34 The Secrets of Divine Love are to be kept. Tom. iii. Cant. 48 36 The Vicissitudes experienced in the Christian Life. Tom. iii. Cant. 69 40 Watching unto God in the Night Season. Tom. iii. Cant. 71 45 On the same. Tom. iii. Cant. 72 46 On the same. Tom. iii. Cant. 73 49 The Joy of the Cross. Tom. iii. Cant. 97 50 Joy in Martyrdom. Tom. iii. Cant. 94 53 Simple Trust. Tom. iii. Cant. 95 54 The Necessity of Self-abasement. Tom. iii. Cant. 92 . 55 Love increased by Suffering. Tom. iii. Cant. 98 ... 57 Scenes favourable to Meditation. Tom. iv. Cant. 83 . .58 THE TASK. Advertisement 61 Book I 63 Book II. 95 CONTENTS. XI Page Book III 129 Book IV 163 Book V 193 Book VI 229 Epistle to Joseph Hill . 271 Tirocinium 273 John Gilpin 303 The Distressed Travellers ; or, Labour in vain . .312 A Tale founded on a Fact, which happened in Jan. 1779 . 315 To the Rev. Mr. Newton, on his Return from Ramsgate . 317 Love abused 317 A Poetical Epistle to Lady Austen 318 From a Letter to the Rev. Mr. Newton 322 The Colubriad 323 On Friendship 325 An Epistle to a Protestant Lady in France 331 The Yearly Distress ; or, Tithing Time at Stock in Essex 333 Sonnet to Henry Cowper 336 Lines addressed to Dr.
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