1592997946000 1554999292000 Standard Record object-110005509 1747159852103 1681742305000 1747159409017 adlib fitz-online adlib-object-110005509 https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/110005509 0e9e7cbb-769f-360b-b2d9-ac2f04d5e7e3 5 person reference agent-192551 adlib-agent-192551 b494e74a-20ec-3ce9-be5f-3267eaba4253 Seward, Anna person reference agent-116992 adlib-agent-116992 ef3205d8-6794-3a6e-aae6-922ee555a7fb Romney, George person reference agent-198683 adlib-agent-198683 7e8947bd-8aa7-3fbc-8d50-d176e429f260 Long, William FRS, FSA person reference agent-198502 adlib-agent-198502 b67bd5fa-4f2a-302b-afaa-81f4c4f45ec8 Hayley, Eliza person reference agent-198518 adlib-agent-198518 787189a2-05af-3256-b8a8-59cd9ce7f081 Mundy, Francis Noel Clarke person reference agent-198972 adlib-agent-198972 920da6ce-e8e0-3b0e-94df-aef3bd9411e9 Seward, Thomas content description Hayley thanks Seward for "yr affectionate Pacquet", and continues "your extended Elegy arrived at Eartham last night, & I have devoted the first Hours of this morning to the perusal of it -- I have ventured to scratch on the inclosed paper variations on the few Passages, which I do not admire [not retained with this letter] -- But pray wherever you find these variations heavy & inharmonious adhere to the original Tune or improve it yrself". From a reference in Hayley's next letter (Hayley/XII/25), it seems likely that the "extended Elegy" was "The Visions: An Elegy", which appears in Vol 1. of 1810 The Poetical Works of Anna Seward edited by Walter Scott. He explains that he has replied swiftly because "I would not a moment retard this transcribing Business which you tell me must preceed the Birth of the Black Prince: an Event that I languish for with as much eager Anxiety as the whimsical Mr Shandy did for the Birth of the dear Tristram. Heaven guard the nose of yr little Black Bantling from the forceps of a critical dr Slop!" At the end of the letter he references this proposed work again: "Farewell ! Be thou from such oppression free! May Pain unwelcome Guest fly from Thee! Except that Pain, the Harbinger of joy! Which ushers into Light your negro Boy---" Hayley then thanks Seward "for a sight of the letter from yr amiable northern Bard" (probably Francis Noel Clarke Mundy) and continues "But you are a wicked sister to send Him my foolish little hasty squib --- you will utterly destroy my Ease & Comfort in scribbling to you, if you expose to anyone the Mushroom verses that I venture to send you --- Do not let your excellent Friend remain in the Idea, that I would have withheld from Him your delightful Epistle -- No! had my wish concerning it taken place, He would have received more verses from you, & consequently more Pleasure." He proceeds to explain that "I chiefly wished you to introduce a Portrait of the accomplished & benevolent Justice, a Portrait! which I am sure you would have painted with all the Grace Spirit & Feeling which so happily distinguish the Romnean Pencil!" This could be referring to an early version of Seward's "Epistle to F. C. R. Mundy, Esq." which appears in Vol. II. of the 1810 edition of her poems (ed. Walter Scott), although here it is listed as "WRITTEN 1794". He then asks if Romney has "sent your Picture on a visit to Litchfield?", explaining that Long "is again absent from London & I have not heard whether your fair Resemblance reached even the Metropolis in safety." Hayley signs off saying he is "scribbling under the weight of a most oppressive Headach [sic]", and concludes with 4 lines of verse and a postscript sending his and Eliza's love to Seward, her father and John Saville. Hayley/XII/24 1 accession number Hayley/XII/24 110005509 priref 110005509 uri https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/110005509 https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/110005509 reference agent-149638 adlib-agent-149638 7376d833-d0a7-3be0-916e-9c892b7a24d8 The Fitzwilliam Museum 1782 1782 1782-11-03 reference agent-198487 adlib-agent-198487 4dbae6db-a725-3bfd-b34e-5d215b1a85e6 Hayley, William 1 sheet, folded. William Hayley to Anna Seward: letter object OBJECT