{"admin":{"added":1592997946000,"created":1556279931000,"flag":"Standard Record","id":"object-110005513","indexed":1747159852104,"modified":1681742526000,"processed":1747159409017,"source":"adlib","stream":"fitz-online","uid":"adlib-object-110005513","uri":"https:\/\/data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk\/id\/object\/110005513","uuid":"3b45d622-480f-307d-add3-53c24d65c571","version":5},"agents":[{"@link":{"relation":"person","type":"reference"},"admin":{"id":"agent-192551","uid":"adlib-agent-192551","uuid":"b494e74a-20ec-3ce9-be5f-3267eaba4253"},"summary_title":"Seward, Anna"},{"@link":{"relation":"person","type":"reference"},"admin":{"id":"agent-198972","uid":"adlib-agent-198972","uuid":"920da6ce-e8e0-3b0e-94df-aef3bd9411e9"},"summary_title":"Seward, Thomas"},{"@link":{"relation":"person","type":"reference"},"admin":{"id":"agent-199113","uid":"adlib-agent-199113","uuid":"1a60dd71-1e58-36ad-8671-68757aa0bbd4"},"summary_title":"Williams, Helen Maria"},{"@link":{"relation":"person","type":"reference"},"admin":{"id":"agent-198518","uid":"adlib-agent-198518","uuid":"787189a2-05af-3256-b8a8-59cd9ce7f081"},"summary_title":"Mundy, Francis Noel Clarke"},{"@link":{"relation":"person","type":"reference"},"admin":{"id":"agent-199119","uid":"adlib-agent-199119","uuid":"3d4df547-559e-3359-994a-6d1dcbabb0ca"},"summary_title":"Sargent, John"}],"content":{"description":[{"type":"content description","value":"Hayley writes in response to Seward: \"The horrid Circumstances in yr Letter affected us extremely, yet instead of consoling you for all you must have suffered, I could rather wish to put you on your Guard, not so much against the base & malignant Ennemies [sic], whose secret machinations you so feelingly apprehend, as against the noble, but imprudent Fervour of your own generous Spirit. Do not suppose, my dear Nancy, that I am giving you a Lesson of Hypocrisy ! I detest that mean & despicable vice; but I wish you to take every honest precaution, that the Warmth of your own Temper may not supply your Ennemies with the most forcible arms, that their Malice can wield against You\". He continues in this vein, advising her \"to pay a discreet attention to the Infirmity of yr Father -- He is by nature of a choleric Temperament, & you inherit some Portion of his animated Blood\" and suggests that \"Both the Ennemies of yr Friend & of yrself will ... be most effectually baffles by yr treating them with a calm yet spirited Contempt.\"\n\nHe then describes how \"In the earlier part of my Life, I have often involved myself in much fruitless pain from indulging that constitutional ardour of Mind, & honest Intemperance of Indignation, which I am now trying to caution you against --- it is a poetical Frailty, & believe me a very dangerous one to that Peace & dignity of Mind which a Poet ought to maintain\".\n\nHayley writes that he has shared the contents of Seward's letter with a visiting friend (John Sargent) \"& I can assure you he thinks exactly as I do in all, that I have said to you on the subject\".\n\nHe thanks Seward for \"Your spirited verses in my Favor -- I have never seen and shall never enquire after the Criticisms which occasioned them...\". He continues \" I rejoice in the Idea of seeing a new poetical Baby of yours very soon - a little dear that talks of Love - O rare!\", and comments \"How rapidly you Parnassian Ladies conceive -- my younger Sister of Helicon[Helen Maria Williams] has just surpised me with a printed \"Ode on the peace\" which has started into Life since I left London.\"\n\nHayley concludes with 3 4-line stanzas contradicting Seward: \"I will not allow you to say that excessive Misanthropy has got possession of yr Mind\", which start\n\nThe Worst of Fiends is not so bold\n  That sparkling Throne to fill.---\nThe Cup of Virtue cannot hold\n  The Quintessance of ill---\n\nHe signs off asking Seward to \"remember us kindly to yr Father & Giovanni [John Saville] ...\""}]},"identifier":[{"accession_number":"Hayley\/XII\/28","primary":true,"type":"accession number","value":"Hayley\/XII\/28"},{"priref":"110005513","type":"priref","value":"110005513"},{"type":"uri","uri":"https:\/\/data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk\/id\/object\/110005513","value":"https:\/\/data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk\/id\/object\/110005513"}],"institutions":[{"@link":{"type":"reference"},"admin":{"id":"agent-149638","uid":"adlib-agent-149638","uuid":"7376d833-d0a7-3be0-916e-9c892b7a24d8"},"summary_title":"The Fitzwilliam Museum"}],"lifecycle":{"creation":[{"date":[{"earliest":1789,"latest":1789,"value":"1789-03-03"}],"maker":[{"@link":{"type":"reference"},"admin":{"id":"agent-198487","uid":"adlib-agent-198487","uuid":"4dbae6db-a725-3bfd-b34e-5d215b1a85e6"},"summary_title":"Hayley, William"}]}]},"measurements":{"dimensions":[{"value":"2 sheets, folded."}]},"summary_title":"William Hayley to Anna Seward: letter","title":[{"value":"William Hayley to Anna Seward: letter"}],"type":{"base":"object","type":"OBJECT"}}