1592997946000 1556795410000 Standard Record object-110005515 1747159851992 1681742572000 1747159409017 adlib fitz-online adlib-object-110005515 https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/110005515 97a37165-2f37-3ad5-a171-081f336ca729 5 person reference agent-192551 adlib-agent-192551 b494e74a-20ec-3ce9-be5f-3267eaba4253 Seward, Anna person reference agent-198683 adlib-agent-198683 7e8947bd-8aa7-3fbc-8d50-d176e429f260 Long, William FRS, FSA content description Hayley replies to Seward's "enchanting pacquet", received "only last night". He was planning to write a long response, but had first to write to William Long, and was then distracted by a visitor "who has engaged me all the remainder of my Morning: & instead of a critical dissertation I can only send you a few very hasty Lines just to say that I am delighted with yr Poem, which I wish to say by the returning post". Seward has sent him an early draft of her epistolary verse novel, "Louisa" (published 1784). Hayley writes that he thinks she should extend the work from two to three epistles (the published version comprises four). "Yr first Epistle wants very little correction indeed", but he recommends that the second epistle, from Cleanthes, Eugenio's father (Eugenio is Louisa's apparently faithless lover; Cleanthes is renamed Ernesto in the published version) "would be better I think from Eugenio Himself to the same Lady, Emma [the four epistles are all addressed to Emma], & containing almost exactly the same things Cleanthes was saying". Hayley suggests that "the 3d Epistle [should be] from Louisa again to Emma ! opening with an account of a visit she has just received from Cleanthes on his hearing that She was supposed to be dying of a decline. -- The old man tells her his Family History, & to save repetions lets her know Eugenio has sent it to Emma -- acquaints her that Eugenio is in the most wretched State of Mind & Body & that Emira [the rich, beautiful heiress Eugenio has rescued from thieves and married at his father's behest to save the family from bankruptcy] after a giddy Life of Dissipation is also supposed on her Deathbed, & requests an interview with Louisa." Louisa complies, and "Emira dies & in her last agony reunites the divided Lovers". He concludes: "Here my dear Sister is a more Expansive Field for your enchanting descriptive & pathetic Powers -- my Heart is set on seeing this new Offspring of Yrs one of the most original Complete & delightful Poems in our Language -- tell me if you understand this hasty sketch & what you think of it, my Eyes burn & my Time also bids me throw down the Pen..." Hayley/XII/29 1 accession number Hayley/XII/29 110005515 priref 110005515 uri https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/110005515 https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/110005515 reference agent-149638 adlib-agent-149638 7376d833-d0a7-3be0-916e-9c892b7a24d8 The Fitzwilliam Museum 1783 1783 1783-03-19 reference agent-198487 adlib-agent-198487 4dbae6db-a725-3bfd-b34e-5d215b1a85e6 Hayley, William 1 sheet, folded. William Hayley to Anna Seward: letter object OBJECT