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Eartham Sept 11
1781

I am in your debt, my dear Sister for two enchanting Letters, which continue to delight & distress me – you plead so pathetically for the Lives of your four condemned Stanzas; that I know not what to say - I am in a petrifying State of Suspense & utterly unable to enforce or to revoke my Sentence — I have indeed condemned these your poetical children, tho a thousand degrees more dear to me than any of my own; but I want the Firmness of the Roman Consul to behold their destruction, & I know not how to resist the Entreaties of their supplicating Parent - Let me, like other Sovereigns in similar distress, issue a Reprieve. But not an absolute promise of Life - we will

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debate the point of their preservation when nothing more remains to be said concerning the Family to which they belong -

I will only add, that if they are permitted to appear, you must positively insert 2 if not 3 highly coloured stanzas on Anstey to lessen their present glaring effect - I speak not only in the Language of Painting, but in the words of our favourite Painter on the point in Question; for Romney, who has a soul to feel all yr Talents & all yr Virtues) has been this last week at Eartham, & we hope to detain Him for one or two more — Indeed the circumstance of having some most engaging Company under our Roof has prevented my Pen from keeping pace with my Inclination in answering

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yr delightful letters: but If \I/ have not conversed with you, believe me you have formed the most frequent subject of our conversation, & we have been employed in your Service. – Romney, tho’ He has neither oil nor Canvass, [sic] has made a little coloured sketch for you of the Poet, to whom you are so partial: but I must not quit the more interesting Subject of yr Elegy without telling you, that we are all charmed with the additional Stanza on yourself, & that we are perfectly convinced the whole Poem, when you have completed it, will be truely [sic] worthy of our favourite elegiac Muse; in which character, by the way, the amiable & modest Wright should execute the portrait you say He

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is painting of you - the Figure should be sitting in Virgil^s Tomb by Lamp light & it would then be worthy of the subject & the Painter —– I am highly flattered by yr Father^s warm-hearted Invitation & Entertaining Letter – Nothing could inspire 73 with this animated Spirit but such a daughter —— I long to see you both & will if possible contrive to spend a week or two with you in the Course of the Winter - in the mean Time let the inclosed speak my sense of his most friendly Invitation — In return for yr Entertaining Epigrams (of which that on Cockle shells is my favourite) accept the copy of a few Verses which I lately scribbled to Gibbon who is now in our County, & is soon expected here – Pray keep them entirely to yrselves – adieu! Write to me without remembering how poor a return I make to yr delightful letters! & believe me my dr Sister

Most cordially yrs
In great Haste
WH

Eliza desires to be kindly remembered to you

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no language can express how deeply I feel indebted to you for the tender sollicituse you have shewn concerning my unfortunate Eyes – & the very flattering and delightful projects you propose for their Relief — I should indeed be most happy to have you as the assistant of my literary Pursuits, & enchanted to hear your own Poetry from yr own Lips - I will certainly embrace this pleasure whenever I can — at present I have much literary Business to dispatch, in which I am hardly able to advance at all from various social Engagements, & the Infirmity of my Eyes — I must however assure yr affectionate Heart, that my Complaint however teizing is not dangerous - being more in the Lids than the Eye; but the slightest Indiscretion of any kind produces immediate \Inflammation/ & what Power can make a poor Poet always discreet? – With all yr Magic, you have no Spell of such Influence - for even while I am talking to you on the necessity of discretion, I know not how to practive it by laying down my pen, tho my Eyes have frequently given me Hints that I ought to do so - God bless you - May you be long exempted from Complaints of every kind & love me in spite of Mine!– adieu adieu

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April 11 1781

To Miss Seward

5th letter

Litchfield

__
?Iue
M^r. Steele

Did I ever say that I would change the jewish Ephod in yr Elegy into the classic [?]Cœstrus?— I long to see that Poem of yrs to dr D. from which you sent me so engaging a Quotation – What would I not give to have you with us in our Grove the ensuing week when we are preparing a little whimsical poetical pictorial & magical Entertainment for one of our Walks to amuse two intimate Friends whom we expect encor adieu