Noiseless, an atom, and an atom more,
Disjoining from the rest, has unobserv'd,
Achiev'd a labour, which had far and wide,
By man perform'd, made all the forest ring.

Embowell'd now, and of thy ancient self. Possessing nought, but the scoop'd rind, that seems An huge throat, calling to the clouds for drink, Which it would give in rivulets to thy root; Thou temptest none, but rather much forbidd'st The feller's toil, which thou could'st ill requite. Yet is thy root sincere, sound as the rock, A quarry of stout spurs, and knotted fangs, Which, crook'd into a thousand whimsies, clasp The stubborn soil, and hold thee still erect.

So stands a kingdom, whose foundation yet Fails not, in virtue and in wisdom laid, Tho' all the superstructure, by the tooth Pulveriz'd of venality, a shell

Stands now, and semblance only of itself!

Thine arms have left thee. Winds have torn

them off

Long since, and rovers of the forest wild,

With bow and shaft, have burnt them. Some have left
A splinter'd stump, bleach'd to a snowy white;
And some memorial none, where once they grew.
Yet still life lingers in thee, and puts forth

Proof not contemptible of.what she can,
Even where death predominates. The spring
Finds thee not less alive to her sweet force,
Than yonder upstarts of the neighb'ring wood,
So much thy juniors, who their birth receiv'd
Half a millennium since the date of thine.

But since, although well qualify'd by age
To teach, no spirit dwells in thee, nor voice
May be expected from thee, seated here
On thy distorted root, with hearers none,
Or prompter, save the scene, I will perform
Myself the oracle, and will discourse
In my own ear such matter as I may.

One man alone, the father of us all,
Drew not his life from woman; never gaz'd,
With mute unconsciousness of what he saw,
On all around him; learn'd not by degrees,
Nor ow'd articulation to his ear;

But, moulded by his Maker into man

At once, upstood intelligent, survey'd
All creatures, with precision understood
Their purport, uses, properties, assign'd

To each his name significant, and, fill'd
With love and wisdom, render'd back to Heav'n

In praise harmonious the first air he drew.
He was excus'd the penalties of dull

Minority. No tutor charg'd his hand

With the thought-tracing quill, or task'd his mind
With problems. History, not wanted yet,
Lean'd on her elbow, watching Time, whose course,
Eventful, should supply her with a theme ;—

Letter.

Return to Cowper at Eartham

1792

Page.

5

1 To Mrs. Courtenay. Manner of spending his time at Ear-

tham; epitaph on Fop,....

2 To the Revd. Mr. Hurdis,
invitation to Eartham....

Aug. 25.. 5

On the death of his sister;

3 To Lady Hesketh. Improvement in his health; his portrait

...Aug. 26. 8

Aug. 26..11

....Sept. 9..14

...

On the beautiful scenery of Eartham; regrets

Cowper's return to Weston,

16

5 To W. Hayley, Esq. Account of his journey, Sept. 18.17
6 To the same. Same subject; visit to General Cowper;
to Mr. Rose, &c.

7 To the same.

Sept. 21..18
His spirits sink on the approach of winter,

Oct. 2. 21

8 To the same. Full of affectionate regard; on Hayley's

12 To S. Rose, Esq. Compliment en his professional industry;

hopes of future success,

... Nov. 9.30

13 To J. Johnson, Esq. Difficulty in commencing his Milton,

lowness of spirits,

14 To W. Hayley, Esq. same subject,

15 To J. Hill, Esq. Politics of the day............

16 To W. Hayley, Esq. On his confinement in consequence of

17 To the same. On the arrival of Mr. Hayley's picture.

Jan. 20. 36---40

...

18 To the same. On the death of a friend,...... ·Jan. 29.42
His translation of Homer, .... Feb. 5..44
TORY ISM of Lady Hesketh and Mrs.
Feb. 10.45

19 To S. Rose, Esq.
20 To Lady Hesketh.
Rose,

21 To S. Rose, Esq.

....

On the Analytical Review of his Homer,
Feb. 17..46

Letter.

Page.

22 To the Rev. Mr. Hurdis. Professorship of Poetry; disco-
veries in natural history,
Feb. 22.48

23 To W. Hayley, Esq. His dream respecting Milton, Feb. 24.50
24 To the Revd. W. Bagot, Republicans of France, Mar. 4. 53-
25 To Mr. T. Hayley. On Mr. T. Hayley's strictures on his
.March 14.54

Homer,

.58

Mr. T. Hayley's Letter to Cowper,
26 To W. Hayley, Esq. Revisal of his Homer, March 19..60
27 To S. Rose, Esq. Revised translation of Homer, Mar. 27.•62
28 To John Johnson, Esq. Mr. Johnson's resolution to take
holy orders,

April 11.64.
29 To W. Hayley, Esq. On the notes to his Homer, April 23..66
30 To the Revd. W. Bagot. On the death of those we love,

31 To S. Rose. Esq. On the notes of his Homer,.... May 5.68
May 4..67
32 To Lady Hesketh. TORYISM of Lady Hesketh... May 7.71
33 To W. Hayley, Esq. Distribution of his time, May 21.72
34 To Lady Hesketh. With his verses to a young friend on his
arrival at Cambridge wet, when no rain had fallen there.
June 1..75

..

35 To the Rev. Mr. Hurdis On the illness of Miss Hurdis,
June 6..77

36 To W. Hayley, Esq. On the proposal of a joint composition

June 29..79

37 To the same. On his projected poem of the Four Ages,
38 To the Rev. Mr. Greatheed. On Mr. Greatheed's invitation
July 7..81
July 17.84
39 To W. Hayley, Esq. Improvements in his garden, July 24..86
40 To Lady Hesketh. On his lines and acknowledgments to

Miss Fanshaw,

41 To W. Hayley, Esq.

August 11.89
On his new buildings and improve-

August 15.90

42 To Mrs. Courtenay. The treatment of Bob Archer by a

roguish fiddler,

.....

43 To S. Rose, Esq. Notes to his Homer,

44 To W. Hayley, Esq.

Mansfield,

45 To Lady Hesketh.

On Flaxman's

August 27.97

On Lady Hesketh's visit to Weston,
August 29.100

46 To the Rev. Mr. Johnson. Mr. Johnson's present of a sun-

dial,

47 To W. Hayley, Esq. On his affected mirth, and real me-

lancholy,

101

Sept. 8.104