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168. Cowper's Profile, made by Mr.
Higgins.-1791.

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Some time in this year (1791) was executed Cowper's well-known silhouette. It is now in the possession of Mr. Hollingshead, of Olney, and on the back of it is inscribed "Profile of Cowper the poet, taken from life by old James Andrews, of Olney. It was done for Mr. Wilson, who knew the poet well all the years he resided at Olney-Sarah Wilson, 1858." Mrs. Wilson (who was thirty-two years younger than her husband) died in 1869. In reference to copies of this interesting relic Dean Burgon writes: "Those of Cowper's admirers who possess a silhouette of him, in which a slice has evidently been scraped away from the back of his wig, may care to be told that the very striking likeness in question was obtained by reducing a shadow of the poet's profile made by Mr. Higgins in 1791-with which Lady Hesketh would not be content until a trifle' more than the shadow justified had been taken off. The flatness of the back of Cowper's head was even extraordinary."

169. "Oh! Mr. Cowper, don't let me Fall!” -December 21, 1791.

In December Mrs. Unwin was seized with a paralytic attack, and the painful event is recorded in the letter of the 21st: "On Saturday last, while I was at my desk near the window, and Mrs. Unwin at the fireside opposite to it, I heard her suddenly exclaim,

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Oh! Mr. Cowper, don't let me fall!' I turned and saw her actually falling, together with her chair, and started to her side just in time to prevent her. She was seized with a violent giddiness, which lasted, though with some abatement, the whole day, and was attended too with some other very, very alarming symptoms. At present, however, she is relieved from the vertigo, and seems in all respects better.

"She has been my faithful and affectionate nurse for many years, and consequently has a claim on all my attentions. She has them, and will have them as long as she wants them; which will probably be, at the best, a considerable time to come. I feel the shock, as you may suppose, in every nerve. God grant that there may be no repetition of it. Another such a stroke upon her would, I think, overset me completely; but at present I hold up bravely."

Mrs. Unwin for a time lost the use of her lower limbs; the vertigo "disturbed her sight so much that for a day or two she saw objects inverted; and her speech was slightly affected. By January 1st, however, she had greatly recovered, and was gathering strength daily. At the end of the month she was able to join the poet again in his study. Says he: "Her recovery has been extremely slow, and she is still feeble; but I thank God, not so feeble but that I hope for her perfect restoration as the spring advances."

170. Thomas Park.-February 18, 1792.

On the 18th of February, 1-92, commenced the acquaintance of Cowper with Mr. Thomas Park, a gentleman then well known in the world of letters. Mr. Park was author of "Sonnets and Miscellaneous Poems," and subsequently editor of "Walpole's Royal and Noble Authors." The commencement of the correspondence between them was the arrival from Mr. Park of a parcel containing "Cursory Remarks," a copy of “ Fletcher's Faithful Shepherdess,” and a “kind letter," in respect to which Cowper observed: "Everything that relates to Milton must be welcome to an editor of him; and I am so unconnected with the learned world that, unless assistance seeks me, I am not very likely to find it. Fletcher's work was not in my possession; nor, indeed, was I possessed of any other, when I engaged in this undertaking, that could serve me much in the performance of it.

“The various untoward incidents of a very singular life have deprived me of a valuable collection, partly inherited from my father, partly from my brother, and partly made by myself; so that I have at present fewer books than any man ought to have who writes for the public, especially who assumes the character of an editor. At the present moment, however, I find myself tolerably well provided for this occasion by the kindness of a few friends, who have not been backward to pick from their shelves everything that they thought might be useful to me. I am happy to be able to number you among these friendly contributors."

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