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much, and attach me closely, are rather serviceable to me than otherwise."

To Lady Hesketh, he says 35, "You need not, my dear, be under any apprehensions lest I should too soon engage in the translation of Homer. My health and strength of spirits for this service are, I believe, exactly in statu quo prius. But Mrs. Unwin having enlarged upon this head, I will therefore say the less. Whether I shall live to finish it, or whether, if I should, I shall live to enjoy any fruit of my labours, are articles in my account of such extreme uncertainty, that I feel them often operate as no small discouragement. But uncertain as these things are, I yet consider the employment as essential to my present well-being, and pursue it accordingly. But had Pope been subject to the same alarming speculations,-had he, waking and sleeping, dreamt as I do,-I am inclined to think he would not have been my predecessor in these labours. For I compliment myself with a persuasion, that I have more heroic valour, of the passive kind, at least, than he had; perhaps than any man: it would be strange had I not, after so much exercise."

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Cowper did not know that Pope also was troubled with dreams while employed upon these labours; that the translation, which in his own case was the anodyne remedy, was in his predecessor's the cause of them; and that Homer, as if in vengeance for being so metamorphosed in his version, visited him like a night mare. Pope's own account of these visitations had not then been published. What terrible moments," said he, "does one feel after one has engaged for a large work! In the beginning of my translating the Iliad, I wished any body would hang me a hundred times. The Iliad took me up six years, and during that time, and particularly the first part of it, I was often under great pain and apprehension. Though I conquered the thoughts of it in the day, they would frighten me in the night. I dreamed often of being engaged on a long journey, and that I should never get to the end of it. This made so strong an impression upon me, that I sometimes dream of it still ;-of being engaged in the translation, of having got above half way through it, and being embarrassed, and under dread of never completing it." Pope acquired his love of Homer, in early boyhood, from 36 Spence's Anecdotes, pp. 28. 53.

35 Oct. 27.

Ogilby's translation"; in gratitude for which he ought not to have spoken contemptuously of him in the Dunciad, even if Ogilby had not deserved rather to be held up as an example of laudable perseverance and moral worth. It was the story which charmed him in this version; of the character of the original he could have perceived as little.. as is to be perceived in his own. But Cowper, when he learnt "the tale of Troy divine," and followed Ulysses in his wanderings, was at the same time familiarized with the spirit of the Homeric poems; and in his deep perception of their character and beauty, his undertaking originated. Pope has said that his impelling motive to a work not much suited to his inclination, was purely the want of money 38 at a time when he had none, not even to buy books." This was said in conversation; and there is nothing derogatory in the plain truth thus bluntly told. His object was to render himself independent by employing his great talents in the way which was likely to procure for him the largest reward. With Cowper it was a labour of love; "this notable job," said he, "is the delight of my heart, and how sorry shall I be when it is ended 39." The hope of profit was an after thought with him.

66

40 "

Pope's usual method was to take advantage of the first heat, and then to correct each book first by the original, next by other translations, and lastly to give it a reading for the versification only 40 Cowper appears never to have seen any preceding version, except Pope's, to which he never looked for assistance of any kind. Both proceeded at nearly the same rate, and corrected with equal diligence". But Cowper never lost sight of the original in his corrections, and Pope utterly disregarded it; the one endeavoured to represent it as faithfully as he could, the other ambitiously laboured to embellish and improve it.

97 Sir William Forbes notices the remarkable fact, that Ogilby's Homer should have been the first book by which Pope was initiated in poetry, and Ogilby's Virgil, the first book in English verse that Beattie met with. Beattie was made very happy, when in the latter part of his life, a friend who knew this, presented him with a copy of the book."-Life of Beattie, vol. i. p. 4. 38 Spence's Anecdotes, p. 64. 39 To Lady

40 Spence's Anecdotes, p. 41.

Hesketh, Dec. 10, 1787. 41 Pope says, "when I fell into the method of translating thirty or forty verses before I got up, and piddled with it the rest of the morning, it went on easily enough; and when I was thoroughly got into the way of it, I did the rest with pleasure."-Spence, p. 29.

It is remarkable that Cowper, who took as much pleasure in correcting his verses as in composing them, (when his own taste and judgement were to be consulted, not those of others,) should have very much disliked transcribing them, though transcription frequently leads to corrections, which if not so suggested, might probably never have been made. But having that dislike, it was singularly fortunate for him that his kind neighbours entered with the most friendly warmth into his pursuits, and performed this office for him. Mrs. Throckmorton solicited it when Lady Hesketh was gone, and she was his "lady of the ink-bottle for the rest of the winter." Mr. George Throckmorton, when he was visiting his brother, was then the most active amanuensis; and when the family were absent the chaplain offered his service. Such assistance was needed, both as it saved his time, and spared his sight; for though he had once said, "one might almost suppose that reading Homer were the best ophthalmic in the world," the inflammation of the eyes, to which he had always been occasionally subject, compelled him sometimes to refrain from using them. But when this disease was removed, he was so busy a man, "that could I write," said he, "with both hands, and with both at the same time, verse with one, and prose with the other, I should not even so be able to despatch both my poetry and my arrears of correspondence faster than I have need. The only opportunities that I can find for conversing with distant friends, are in the early hour (and that sometimes reduced to half a one) before breakfast"."

In the winter of 1787 Mrs. Unwin providentially escaped death, and such a death as must have given Cowper a shock which would probably have completely overthrown his intellect.

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This morning," he writes to Lady Hesketh, "had very near been a tragical one to me, beyond all that have ever risen upon me. Mrs. Unwin rose as usual at seven o'clock. At eight she came to me and showed me her bed-gown, with a great piece burnt out of it. Having lighted her fire, which she always lights herself, she placed the candle upon the hearth. In a few moments it occurred to her, that if it continued there it might possibly set fire to her clothes; therefore she put it But in fact, though she had not the least suspicion of it, her clothes were on fire at that very time. She found her42 To Mr. Newton, June 5, 1788.

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