William Cowper manuscript material

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Creator

Cowper, William, 1731-1800.

Location

Pforzheimer Collection of Shelley and His Circle

Extent

• 32 items

Access Restrictions

Restricted access; Pforzheimer Collection; Permit must be requested at the division indicated.

Scope/Contents Notes

· Holograph commonplace book : 1790-1799 : (MISC 0660) : includes part of Cowper's translation of the Aeneid, Book VIII, beginning at line 18 ; also a 65-line translation from Ovid, beginning: "You bid me write t'amuse the tedious hours, / And save from with'ring my poetic powers ..." Both pieces were first published in 1815 at the arrangement of John Johnson. A pencil drawing of trees andsoldiers is on p. 2 (at front). Shelved with oversized bound manuscript volumes.

· Holograph preface to Cowper's translation of Homer : 2 draft fragments : ca. 1790 : (MISC 3564) (MISC 3607).

· Holograph translations of The Iliad : 2 bound volumes and 1 loose leaf : ca. 1784-1786 : -- (MISC 0662) : bound volume : 32 p. ; including book 11, and parts of books 10 and 12, with many corrections. Shelved with bound manuscript volumes. -- (MISC 0729) : bound volume : ca. 850 p. ; includes 15 complete books and 4 incomplete books(with 5 books missing). More than half of the volume, and the corrections to the remaining half, are in Cowper's hand. Tipped in at the front is a copy of the 1786 Proposals for Printing by Subscription a New Translation of the Iliad and Odyssey, with Cowper's manuscript annotations (MISC 0728). Shelved with bound manuscript volumes. -- (MISC 0850) : 1 p. ; in envelope : "Argument of Book 15" : with a note from Cowper's friend and publisher John Johnson, dated 10 Mar 1824, attesting that the leaf was presented to Mrs. F. C. Pratt of Peterborough.

· Holograph corrections to the first edition of The Iliad: 2 bound volumes and 1 sheaf of unbound pages : -- (MISC0726) : bound volume : 51 leaves. Shelved with bound manuscript volumes. -- (MISC 0727) : 19 p. ; in envelope. -- (MISC 0731) : bound volume : ca. 150 p. ; nearly all inCowper's hand. Cowper's book-plate is mounted on the frontpaste-down. Shelved with bound manuscript volumes.

· Holograph translation of The Odyssey : 24 Sep 1788 - 26Aug 1789 : (MISC 0730) : bound volume : ca. 800 p. ; complete manuscript draft. Shelved with bound manuscript volumes.

· Holograph corrections and variations of The Odyssey : 24 Jul [1798?] - 8 Mar 1799 : (MISC 0732) : 109 p. loose ;laid in a half-calf box. Shelved with bound manuscript volumes.

· Holograph lines from The Odyssey, Book XIII : ca. 1790 : (MISC 3608) : with a note from John Johnson, dated 9 Jan1828, attesting that the slip was presented to writer Hannah More.

· Holograph chapter (fragment), Observations on St. John's Gospel : [no date] : (MISC 0851) : 3 p. folio.

· Manuscript biography, "A Narrative of Cowper's Experience, Written by Himself" : 1821 : (MISC 4029) : 44 p., in an unknown hand. Includes a frontispiece pencil drawing of Cowper, signed "A. A. March 10th 1821." A pencil note on the first leaf states: "This ms. originallybelonged to a vicar of Selby & [Orielton?] to whom it was given by a member of the Unwin family with whom Cowper wasconnected."

· To William Hayley, poet and biographer : 7 autograph letters signed : 1792-1793 : (MISC 0095-0101).

· To Lady Hesketh (his cousin) : 5 autograph letters signed : (MISC 0091-0094) (MISC 3606) : 1788-1790 : on various subject including his translations of Homer, personal mattrers, the poetry of Burns, and Pitt's new plan regarding slave trade. (MISC 3606) incorporates two eight-line verses written for Mrs. Throckmorton.

· To Joseph Johnson, publisher : 1 autograph letter signed : 24 Sep 1788 : (MISC 0090) : on James Hurdis's Adriano, which Johnson had sent Cowper for his perusal. Includes 10 p. of holograph notes, entitled, "Remarks on Adriano" (MISC 0090a) and 4 p. of holograph corrections (MISC 0090b).

· To Samuel Rose, lawyer : 2 autograph letters signed : 1791-1793 : (MISC 0656-0657).

Biographical/Historical Note

William Cowper, English poet.

Controlled Access Terms

• Homer. Iliad. English.
• Homer. Odyssey. English.
• Cowper, William, 1731-1800.
• Cowper, William, 1731-1800 -- Correspondence.
• Hurdis, James, 1763-1801. Adriano.
• Poets, English -- 18th century -- Correspondence.
• English poetry -- 18th century -- Manuscripts -- Specimens.

Additional Creator Names

• Homer. Iliad. English.
• Homer. Odyssey. English.
• Ovid, 43 B.C.-17 or 18 A.D.
• Virgil. Aeneis. English.
• Johnson, John, 1769-1833.
• Hayley, William, 1745-1820. rcp
• Hesketh, Harriet, Lady, 1733-1807. rcp
• Johnson, Joseph, 1738-1809. rcp
• More, Hannah, 1745-1833. rcp
• Rose, Samuel, 1767-1804. rcp
• Carl H. Pforzheimer Collection of Shelley and His Circle: Manuscripts, 1772-1925