649 - Judith Cowper to Martin Madan, 1723
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have me imagine you have tart enough to prefer an Opera to me – how can
I not imagin it, when you left me upon no other account? Yet I don’t Blame
you, Madan, you had seen for two whole Evenings yt I {^was} satisfie’d & Happy in yr
company, & it {^was} natural to desire to give ye Creature a Little pain - if yt was
your design it was fully answer’d, But you should know yt I have yet ye power
& over my own actions, Tho I Love {^you} I believe more than any mortal beside
yrself ever deserv’d to be lov’d – yet if {^I} have any cause to
Indifferent, if you show me I am look’d on as a Trifle you may command,
come to, &, Leave when you please only to show yr Power, I can yet, I
think, resolve to punish my Own Heart for loveing you
Do you fancy I was insincere when I told you I lov’d you? This I take
to be an air, but tis one I don’t like, therefore I charge you as you Value
my Ease let me hear no more of it. I was taken very ill in ye Night
but am a good deal better to Day, & hope to see you at noon in Bond street
send me by ye Bearer ye song I had yr promise should be sent yesterday,
Adiue, Thou only Creature I {^can} ever Love, & remember my Peace, & happiness
Depend on yr Truth, & sincerity – Faithfull Yours,
J Cowper
have me imagine you have tart enough to prefer an Opera to me – how can
I not imagine it, when you left me upon no other account? Yet I don’t Blame
you, Madan, you had seen for two whole Evenings yt I {^was} satisfied & Happy in yr
company, & it {^was} natural to desire to give ye Creature a Little pain - if yt was
your design it was fully answered, But you should know yt I have yet ye power
& over my own actions, Though I Love {^you} I believe more than any mortal beside
yrself ever deserved to be loved – yet if {^I} have any cause to
Indifferent, if you show me I am looked on as a Trifle you may command,
come to, &, Leave when you please only to show yr Power, I can yet, I
think, resolve to punish my Own Heart for loving you
Do you fancy I was insincere when I told you I loved you? This I take
to be an air, but tis one I don’t like, therefore I charge you as you Value
my Ease let me hear no more of it. I was taken very ill in ye Night
but am a good deal better to Day, & hope to see you at noon in Bond street
send me by ye Bearer ye song I had yr promise should be sent yesterday,
Adieu, Thou only Creature I {^can} ever Love, & remember my Peace, & happiness
Depend on yr Truth, & sincerity – Faithfull Yours,
J Cowper
Judith Cowper to Martin Madan, 1723
A further response to the misunderstanding in which Madan apparently left Cowper’s company early to go the opera. She implies that having seen she was very happy in his company, he had decided to act in such a way to cause her pain. She restates her feelings and love for him, and suggests that she will punish her heart for daring to fall in love with him. She was ill over night but feels much better and hopes to see him at Bond Street later that day. She suggests that her peace and happiness depends on his behaviour towards her.
Madan Family
Eng Lett C.284 f.29
Bodleian Library, University of Oxford
1723
[England]
[England]
- reporting
- response
- conflictual
- moral
- negative
- closing
- main body
- opening
41-60%
primary author
heart
visiting
- unwell
- well
- feeling
- happy
- hopeful
- love (romantic)
- low
- resentment
- worried
- disposition
- peace
pain
courting
health - improving
primary addressee
- theatre-going
- visiting
feeling
disposition
courting