628 - Judith Cowper to Martin Madan, 1723
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O thou Dear Object of my softest Wishes, thou kindest
Truest, Only Charmer of my Soul! Thou, whom nature surely form’d to
triumph over ye most Insensible creature she Ever made, with wt words shall
I Discribe ye pain even this last short absence from thee makes me feel
you are every moment before my Eyes, I see you, & grow impatient of a
Nearer View – ye Very Joys of freindship are grown tastless to me, some
Indeed I Esteem & Value, but tis thee Only I was Born to Love – I might add
adore, for sure no mortal ever felt so strong, so soft a Passion, mixt wth:
so much of an awfull regard, as I at this Dear, melancholy tender
moment feel for you: nature has made you without Dispute ye most
Desirable of your sex, nothing ever Equal’d ye Beauty of your whole
person, your mein is as irresistable, your Wit, sence & behaviour worthy
of yt Charming Person, but O if I know my own heart, I did not give
up my liberty to any of these takeing Qualifications, no it was ye
soft, winning turn of your Disposition, ye justness & Generosity of your
sentiments, your unaffected love, & disintested Passion for me, gratitude, to
yt passion your Every word, & action told me was sincere, made me take
a nearer View of your other perfections, I consider’d ye man I was so much
oblidg’d to, & looking with gratefull Eyes on the freind, how soon was I
surpriz’s & conquer’d by ye Lover – fate is certainly in this, I feel something
[f.2v]
so infinitly above all ye low Ideas I have hitherto conceiv’d of Love, that I
want a new name, to Express ye warmth, ye freindship, ye admiration, ye
shore then, Love with wch: I am yours – O then receive ye Heart you Say
you Value, receive my self, I give you all my Inclinations, Direct me,
I put my {^Self} into your power, I abandon my Self intirely to ye soft, ye
Irressitable passion you first made me know. I could write to you for=
ever, but I ought to consider tis possible your patience of reading, may
not hold out so long, & therefore I will force my self to add only ye
assurance on my Being to ye last moment of my life
Entirely Yours
JC
[f.3]
Never to be sent.
1723
Truest, Only Charmer of my Soul! Thou, whom nature surely form’d to
triumph over ye most Insensible creature she Ever made, with wt words shall
I Discribe ye pain even this last short absence from thee makes me feel
you are every moment before my Eyes, I see you, & grow impatient of a
Nearer View – ye Very Joys of freindship are grown tastless to me, some
Indeed I Esteem & Value, but tis thee Only I was Born to Love – I might add
adore, for sure no mortal ever felt so strong, so soft a Passion, mixt wth:
so much of an awfull regard, as I at this Dear, melancholy tender
moment feel for you: nature has made you without Dispute ye most
Desirable of your sex, nothing ever Equal’d ye Beauty of your whole
person, your mein is as irresistable, your Wit, sence & behaviour worthy
of yt Charming Person, but O if I know my own heart, I did not give
up my liberty to any of these takeing Qualifications, no it was ye
soft, winning turn of your Disposition, ye justness & Generosity of your
sentiments, your unaffected love, & disintested Passion for me, gratitude, to
yt passion your Every word, & action told me was sincere, made me take
a nearer View of your other perfections, I consider’d ye man I was so much
oblidg’d to, & looking with gratefull Eyes on the freind, how soon was I
surpriz’s & conquer’d by ye Lover – fate is certainly in this, I feel something
[f.2v]
so infinitly above all ye low Ideas I have hitherto conceiv’d of Love, that I
want a new name, to Express ye warmth, ye freindship, ye admiration, ye
shore then, Love with wch: I am yours – O then receive ye Heart you Say
you Value, receive my self, I give you all my Inclinations, Direct me,
I put my {^Self} into your power, I abandon my Self intirely to ye soft, ye
Irressitable passion you first made me know. I could write to you for=
ever, but I ought to consider tis possible your patience of reading, may
not hold out so long, & therefore I will force my self to add only ye
assurance on my Being to ye last moment of my life
Entirely Yours
JC
[f.3]
Never to be sent.
1723
O thou Dear Object of my softest Wishes, thou kindest
Truest, Only Charmer of my Soul! Thou, whom nature surely formed to
triumph over ye most Insensible creature she Ever made, with wt words shall
I Describe ye pain even this last short absence from thee makes me feel
you are every moment before my Eyes, I see you, & grow impatient of a
Nearer View – ye Very Joys of friendship are grown tasteless to me, some
Indeed I Esteem & Value, but tis thee Only I was Born to Love – I might add
adore, for sure no mortal ever felt so strong, so soft a Passion, mixt wth:
so much of an awful regard, as I at this Dear, melancholy tender
moment feel for you: nature has made you without Dispute ye most
Desirable of your sex, nothing ever Equalled ye Beauty of your whole
person, your mien is as irresistible, your Wit, sense & behaviour worthy
of yt Charming Person, but O if I know my own heart, I did not give
up my liberty to any of these taking Qualifications, no it was ye
soft, winning turn of your Disposition, ye justness & Generosity of your
sentiments, your unaffected love, & disinterested Passion for me, gratitude, to
yt passion your Every word, & action told me was sincere, made me take
a nearer View of your other perfections, I considered ye man I was so much
obliged to, & looking with grateful Eyes on the friend, how soon was I
surprized & conquered by ye Lover – fate is certainly in this, I feel something
[f.2v]
so infinitely above all ye low Ideas I have hitherto conceived of Love, that I
want a new name, to Express ye warmth, ye friendship, ye admiration, ye
shore then, Love with wch: I am yours – O then receive ye Heart you Say
you Value, receive my self, I give you all my Inclinations, Direct me,
I put my {^Self} into your power, I abandon my Self entirely to ye soft, ye
Irresistible passion you first made me know. I could write to you for=
ever, but I ought to consider tis possible your patience of reading, may
not hold out so long, & therefore I will force my self to add only ye
assurance on my Being to ye last moment of my life
Entirely Yours
JC
[f.3]
Never to be sent.
1723
Truest, Only Charmer of my Soul! Thou, whom nature surely formed to
triumph over ye most Insensible creature she Ever made, with wt words shall
I Describe ye pain even this last short absence from thee makes me feel
you are every moment before my Eyes, I see you, & grow impatient of a
Nearer View – ye Very Joys of friendship are grown tasteless to me, some
Indeed I Esteem & Value, but tis thee Only I was Born to Love – I might add
adore, for sure no mortal ever felt so strong, so soft a Passion, mixt wth:
so much of an awful regard, as I at this Dear, melancholy tender
moment feel for you: nature has made you without Dispute ye most
Desirable of your sex, nothing ever Equalled ye Beauty of your whole
person, your mien is as irresistible, your Wit, sense & behaviour worthy
of yt Charming Person, but O if I know my own heart, I did not give
up my liberty to any of these taking Qualifications, no it was ye
soft, winning turn of your Disposition, ye justness & Generosity of your
sentiments, your unaffected love, & disinterested Passion for me, gratitude, to
yt passion your Every word, & action told me was sincere, made me take
a nearer View of your other perfections, I considered ye man I was so much
obliged to, & looking with grateful Eyes on the friend, how soon was I
surprized & conquered by ye Lover – fate is certainly in this, I feel something
[f.2v]
so infinitely above all ye low Ideas I have hitherto conceived of Love, that I
want a new name, to Express ye warmth, ye friendship, ye admiration, ye
shore then, Love with wch: I am yours – O then receive ye Heart you Say
you Value, receive my self, I give you all my Inclinations, Direct me,
I put my {^Self} into your power, I abandon my Self entirely to ye soft, ye
Irresistible passion you first made me know. I could write to you for=
ever, but I ought to consider tis possible your patience of reading, may
not hold out so long, & therefore I will force my self to add only ye
assurance on my Being to ye last moment of my life
Entirely Yours
JC
[f.3]
Never to be sent.
1723
Details
Judith Cowper to Martin Madan, 1723
A courtship letter from Judith Cowper to Martin Madan, dated 1723, shortly before their marriage, and annotated with the note ‘never to be sent’. Very detailed in terms of her emotions, passions and love for Madan which are often rooted in bodily sensation e.g. the effect that he has upon her heart and soul, descriptions of the pain of their separation, and the difficulty of not having him before her eyes. A detailed description of Madan’s disposition and ‘whole person’, and the qualities that make him unparalleled amongst his sex.
Madan Family
Eng Lett C.284 f.2
Bodleian Library, University of Oxford
1723
[England]
[England]
People
Person: Judith Madan
View full details of Person: Judith Madan
primary author
- eyes
- heart
- spirits (body part)
- thinking
- writing
separation
- desire
- feeling
- happy
- hopeful
- love (romantic)
- low
- mind
- self
- soul
pain
courting
Person: Martin Madan
View full details of Person: Martin Madan
primary addressee
whole-body
- feeling
- love (romantic)
- disposition
- mind
- self
- virtuous
How to Cite
Judith Cowper to Martin Madan, 1723, 1723: Bodleian Library, University of Oxford, Madan Family, Eng Lett C.284 f.2