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Image #1 of letter: Judith Cowper to Martin Madan, 1723

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Image #2 of letter: Judith Cowper to Martin Madan, 1723

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Saturday morn:
I cannot call to mind yê Weakness I have been guilty of, in
your favour, w^thout feeling a Pain I am too confus’d to Discribe – consider me
a Little, & when I see you to morrow, give me no hints of my Folly, I Dare
not yet give it a softer name. Are you not a most unreasonable creature? Do
you think it in my Power to give you greater proofs then I have already of my
Regard & Esteem? What is there Left for me to say? & Yet by your Letter you
seem to think I have done nothing for you – Ought you not be intirely
satisfied when I say, I will be Only yours, ought you not out of common
gratitude to fancy your self Happy when I go so far as to, Assure you, I
am nither Dissatisfied, nor miserable, when {^^you} tell me, (& sure you have
told me so) you will be only mine? Yet it is Possible you may change, I
may grow of a Slighter Value to you – if it shoud happen so – I own I can
= not blame you, but I must Eternaly Blame my self, my conduct, & want
of Power to fix a Heart y^t in so many respects answers to my own.
You have obligations to me, Madan, w^{ch>/sup> I never yet Laid on Any Mortal
Be as gratefull as your Sex will let you Be, & Believe this, my freindship

[f.31v]

for you, which can never conclude but with my Life (give me yê same assurance)
is only Equal to yê merit y^t Inspir’d it; but this you are yê worst Judge in yê
world of & tis yê only thing next to your opinion of me, I would {^^not} have you not
Judge rightly in. The more I would say, yê less I am able to say, & therefore I
will only add – you say you esteem me, remember I am vain Enough to believe
you – after this confession, continue to Esteem me if you can.

J Cowper}

Saturday morn:
I cannot call to mind yê Weakness I have been guilty of, in
your favour, w^thout feeling a Pain I am too confused to Describe – consider me
a Little, & when I see you to morrow, give me no hints of my Folly, I Dare
not yet give it a softer name. Are you not a most unreasonable creature? Do
you think it in my Power to give you greater proofs then I have already of my
Regard & Esteem? What is there Left for me to say? & Yet by your Letter you
seem to think I have done nothing for you – Ought you not be entirely
satisfied when I say, I will be Only yours, ought you not out of common
gratitude to fancy your self Happy when I go so far as to, Assure you, I
am neither Dissatisfied, nor miserable, when {^^you} tell me, (& sure you have
told me so) you will be only mine? Yet it is Possible you may change, I
may grow of a Slighter Value to you – if it should happen so – I own I can
= not blame you, but I must Eternally Blame my self, my conduct, & want
of Power to fix a Heart y^t in so many respects answers to my own.
You have obligations to me, Madan, w^{ch>/sup> I never yet Laid on Any Mortal
Be as grateful as your Sex will let you Be, & Believe this, my friendship

[f.31v]

for you, which can never conclude but with my Life (give me yê same assurance)
is only Equal to yê merit y^t Inspired it; but this you are yê worst Judge in yê
world of & tis yê only thing next to your opinion of me, I would {^^not} have you not
Judge rightly in. The more I would say, yê less I am able to say, & therefore I
will only add – you say you esteem me, remember I am vain Enough to believe
you – after this confession, continue to Esteem me if you can.

J Cowper}

652 - Judith Cowper to Martin Madan, 1723

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