Hayley-XII-25

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dec 1 1782

My dear Sister

a Pacquet so enriched with Music & Poetry deserved I confess a much earlier acknowledgement - but many Burthens both mental & corporeal rendered me unable to thank you so expeditiously as I wished to do - new Tumors succeeded each other on my Neck & presented me with a new Key to the Riddle of the Hydra I am now satisfied the Fable means nothing more than that poor Hercules was tormented with Boils – But He was a Friend & Companion to Bacchus & so had a Title to them - but why do they visit me an honest Water-drinker & no more like Hercules than a Mouse is like a Rhinoceros – They come says my Surgeon who loved Port & Strong-Beer because you drink Water - They come says my Physician who lives on a vegetable diet because you eat animal Food – Heaven bless the good Folks of the Faculty I love many of them but I can more easily swallow their Physic than their Arguments - But enough of medical matters I

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will only add that after a few slashes of the Lancet my Neck is reduced into good Shape & order — your Letter delighted me tho it found me in considerable pain. I most sincerely congratulate you on the affectionate & sensible conduct of yr Father to the excellent Giovanni - But your Gratitude towards me is Hyperbolical - In Truth you owe me nothing - yet as the Illusion is pleasing to us both I allow you to retain it

Apropos of Hyperbolical Expression I could not help smiling at the daring Spirit of the dear Muse when I found her ambitious of preserving the following Passage in her Elegy

"the stellar Fires
Spread o'er the sable Cope their thousand Eyes"

I happened to have two [sic] much Fever to sleep on the night your letter arrived & surprized Eliza about 3 o clock in the Morning by the following feverish Extempore, which she insisted

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on my committing to Paper as soon as we arose — so if you are pestered with the Phantasies of a sick Poet you find you are chiefly to thank his wife for them they will shew you however that I think both of you & yr Poetry at all seasons.

After this Preface almost as long as the Production itself behold the

Nocturnal Impromptu

That Eyes have Fire, I've often heard,
& yours, my dear, confirm the Word;
But now I learn, with much surprize,
That Fires can spread their Thousand Eyes,
dear Muse! yr lofty modes of Speech
My groveling Fancy cannot reach;
Your Phrase however may be good,
altho by dolts not understood;
The Eagle can enjoy that Light,
Which robs the moping Owl of Sight.
defend your Language as you may,
You will allow me Leave to say

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Your Stellar Eyes so fiercely shine,
They've utterly confounded Mine:
But I suppose your blazing Cluster
Blinds me by its Excess of Lustre,
& such Excess, in Prose or Rhyme,
is certainly the true Sublime —

These saucy Rhymes, so impolite,
Crossed my hot Noddle in the Night,
When on my Neck new Boils arose
& vilely murdered my repose,
So pray forgive me, if you find
That Pain has made me rude & blind!–

I am mightily pleased to hear you say that you feel sick whenever you think of the black Hero - These are the breeding Qualms of yr pregnant Fancy - may all the Nine assemble at the Groaning & Apollo Himself play dr Slop on the Occasion

Blest be the Moment when to charm the Earth
yr Negro Babe shall struggle into Birth

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sheet 2

as I fear yr Idleness or rather yr visiting Business my dear Sister of Parnassus I shall give a Spur to yr Ambition by telling you of a Rival - Know then that the little poetical Helen whom you saw here in the Summer has just entreated Permission to send me a long Historical Poem to Criticize — I had not a Heart to refuse this young trembling Poetess tho in Truth I am overwhelmed with various Loads of literary Business & the Poem is now actually arrived at Eartham —now are you my dear Nancy on the Tip-toe of Curiosity – well dear Bard I hear you cry pray tell me what is the Subject? is it tolerable? — I will not tell you till you have made some Progress with the black Prince — yes on second Thoughts I will tell you that it amounts to 60 Folio Pages fully written but thank Heaven in a large Hand – it has really wonderful merit considering her Youth

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& her work contains a very spirited & Elegant Compliment to yr Monody on André – apropos of yr poor Heroic Friend — So the King has raised a Monument to his Memory - I am glad of it but I wished He had possest Taste enough to have taken the Epitaph from you — Alas these royal Heads never know how to perform even their best Actions with true Grace —

Well hast Thou done, O George! to raise
a Tomb to Andre'^s Fame;
& bid thy grateful Structure praise
A murder'd Hero'^s Name:

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Thy Gift is princely, great, & just;
Yet more the Muse can give:
Know! when thy Marble sinks in dust,
Fair Seward's Verse will live —

There^s a Momentary Mushroom Squib for his Majesty & yr Ladyship & now I must bid you adieu to pay my duty to your good Critical Father whose Criticisms are indeed as good as his daughter^s Poetry –

Excuse my sad Scrawl as my Eyes are sadly overburthened with scribbling Business & pray whenever I am Silent longer than yr affection wishes & yr kindness to me deserves remember my ocular Infirmities & forgive

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or rather Pity me for what I cannot help – my Eyes have of late been more opprest than usual, as Eliza has been spending some days with her Mother so I have had no literary Assistant which I always want — She returns at 4 oclock to dinner but perhaps my Courier will call for this pacquet before her arrival

adieu — I hope to hear very soon a good account of you & yr Guests I saw last \night/ Mr Whalleys new publication advertised & shall send for it immediately—remember me most kindly to Giovanni present the inclosed to yr Father & believe me

Ever yr affectionate
H

I return yr Cousin^s letter with Thanks – I long \to/ hear that yr Father is pleased with yr Portrait —encore adio