displeased, would soon find its way into all companies, and spoil the sale. Whatever faults I may be chargeable with as a poet, I cannot acouse myself of negligence. I never suffer a line to pass till I have made it as good as I can; and though my doctrines may offend this king of critics, he will not, I flatter myself, be disgusted by slovenly inaccuracy, either in the numbers, rhymes, or language. Let the rest take its chance. It is possible he may be pleased; and if he should, I shall have engaged on my side one of the best trumpeters in the kingdom. Let him only speak as favourably of me as he has spoken of Sir Richard Blackmore (who, though he shines in his poem called Creation, has written more absurdities in verse than any writer of our country,) and my success will be secured 55. "I think it would be well to send it in our joint names, accompanied with a handsome card, such an one as you will know how to fabricate, and such as may predispose him to a favourable perusal of the book, by coaxing him into a good temper; for he is a great bear, with all his learning and penetration 56." "too Mr. Newton, however, changed his mind upon this point, and Cowper, who, like all good natured men, was easily persuaded in trifles, agreed with him again, and seemed to feel that there would be an unfitness in appearing to wish the critical opinion of one whose taste was in some important points opposed to his own. "He finds fault," says Cowper, often like a man that, having sought it very industriously, is at last obliged to stick it on a pin's point, and look at it through a microscope." He was well pleased with a proposal that Mr. Newton's name should appear in the title page as editor, saying, "I do not care under how many names you appear in a book that calls me author." A friend, however, of Mr. Newton was of opinion that he had already taken too much part in it, and that his preface, instead of serving the volume which introduced, would injuriously affect the sale. Upon this Cowper observed, "Mr. Bates, without intending it, has passed a severer censure upon the modern world of readers, than any that can be found in my volume. If they are so merrily disposed, in the midst of a thousand calamities, that they will not deign to read a preface of three or four pages, because the purport of it is serious, they are far gone indeed, and in the last stage of a frenzy, such as I suppose 55 Sept. 18, 1781. 56 Oct. 4. has prevailed in all nations that have been exemplarily punished, just before the infliction of the sentence. But though he lives in the world he has so ill an opinion of, and ought therefore to know it better than I, who have no intercourse with it at all, I am willing to hope that he may be mistaken. Curiosity is an universal passion. There are few people who think a book worth their reading, but feel a desire to know something about the writer of it. This desire will naturally lead them to peep into the preface, where they will soon find that a little perseverance will furnish them with some information on the subject. If, therefore, your preface finds no readers, I shall take it for granted that it is because the book itself is accounted not worth their notice. Be that as it may, it is quite sufficient that I have played the antic myself for their diversion; and that, in a state of dejection such as they are absolute strangers to, I have sometimes put on an air of cheerfulness and vivacity, to which I myself am in reality a stranger, for the sake of winning their attention to more useful matter. I cannot endure the thought for a moment, that you should descend to my level on the occasion, and court their favour in a style not more unsuitable to your function, than to the constant and consistent strain of your whole character and conduct. Nolet the preface stand. I cannot mend it. I could easily make a jest of it, but it is better as it is 57. When the preface was printed, the publisher, who knew Mr. Newton well and esteemed him highly, but was likely to consult with persons of a widely different school, took fright at it, and wrote to Cowper, expressing his anxious wish that it might be cancelled. He said that though it would serve to recommend the volume to the religious, it would disgust the profane; that in reality there was no need of a preface at all; and that if Cowper would consent to have it withdrawn, he would undertake to manage that matter with the writer. Cowper, as he had found Johnson "a very judicious man on other occasions," was willing that he should determine for him upon this, thinking it best to abide by the judgement of one "who by his occupation was bound to understand what would promote the sale of a book, and what would hinder it.” "What course he determines upon," said he to Mr. Newton, "I do not know, nor am I at all anxious about it. It is impossible 57 To Mr. Newton, Oct. 22, 1781. for me, however, to be so insensible of your kindness in writing the preface, as not to be desirous of defying all contingencies, rather than entertain a wish to suppress it. It will do me honour in the eyes of those whose good opinion is indeed an honour, and if it hurts me in the estimation of others, I cannot help it; the fault is neither yours nor mine; but theirs. If a minister's is a more splendid character than a poet's, (and I think nobody that understands their value can hesitate in deciding that question,) then undoubtedly the advantage of having our names united in the same volume is all on my side 58, Mr. Newton of course consented to the withdrawal, and accordingly it was withdrawn, "not for containing any thing offensively peculiar, but as being thought too pious for a world that grew more foolish and more careless, as it grew older." Yet Johnson might have considered that Mr. Newton's recommendation would bespeak for the volume a good reception among what is called the religious public, and that among the profane, none who could relish the poems would be deterred by the preface from reading them; that if the account which it gave of the author should fail to awaken old feelings in the literary circle wherein he had formerly moved, it would be read with interest by many to whom his name was unknown; that a favourable curiosity might be excited by it in those who had hearts to feel; and that such an introduction was itself a novelty which was likely to attract attention. CHAPTER X. RECEPTION OF STORY OF JOHN COWPER'S STATE OF MIND. SIMON BROWNE. MAMAME GUYON. MR. NEWTON had, in the suppressed Preface, hinted at his friend's malady; "a hope," he said, "that the God whom he served would support him under his affliction, and at length vouchsafe him a happy deliverance, never forsook me. The desirable crisis, I trust, is now nearly approaching; the dawn, the presage of returning day, is already arrived." 58 Feb. 1782. |