A reply to the Hertford letter : wherein the case of Mrs. Stout's death is more particularly considered: and Mr. Cowper vindicated from the slanderous accusation of being accessory to the same / [Anon].

Date:: 1699

Credit: A reply to the Hertford letter : wherein the case of Mrs. Stout's death is more particularly considered: and Mr. Cowper vindicated from the slanderous accusation of being accessory to the same / [Anon]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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$Page 22. 4. Becaufe Mr. Mafon and Mr. kvck^tv^nthe fryalSwear that A/r.Gowper Depofed (bat Mrs. Stout was a ModeH Perfcn, &c* When Mr. Cowper was before the Coroner, He dreamt not of the approaching Storm that was coming upon Him : And I think'twas not reafonable that he fhould concern himfelf at all wirh her Cha- racter ; there were not wanting thofe, who were ready enough to think He had been too familiar with Her, and that on lome refent- ment taken at his Carnage to Her, (he had deftroy'd her felf: So that if 'twere only to wipe off this Sufpicion, His Account of Her was no other than what any Man under his Circumfranees, might have given. I cm\ tell what you might have thought of Him, but had he told the Coroner he knew She was Melancholy , that it was upon his Account, for that having formerly bet.n very civil to Her, he grew of late fkk of her Acquaintance, and tharteeaufe in his laft Vifir, he had betray'd fome little Inifferencs, and notwithfhnd- ing her Impommity , would not day to lye at her Hou&, She had therefore in a Pafiion, thrown her Self in o the River if Mr. Cow-* per ! fay, had given the Coroner fuch a Relation as this, I ibould have thought him a Perfon of very little undarftanding. Tage 23. As to her Melancholy, I believe it was fuch as did make her Head and her Heart akeaifo; and that it was more than a com- mon Hemicrane, whatever yoa ( who had perhaps no great imima* cy with Her) may imagine, or her Mother and Brother give out, i am fatisfid there wants no Proof of fuch a Melancholy, as was next to a Diffraction. There is a certain Gentlewoman, now in be* fog, who cannot deny that She had heard Mrs. Stout wiln her felf Dead, faying She was the miferableft Creature living, and that She hoped if'twere poffible, to die after fuch*a Manner, that the World might know nothing of the Matter 7 nor ever fo much as mention there had been fuch a Perfon living. But indeed her Melancholy is too we'i accefted to be fo much as doubted of, by any difinterefied Perfon, and therefore as you are apt to think, there are many Friends and Relations, bigotted to a Party , that will not Boggle to tell a Lie, to fave a Friend or neer Relation from I fuppoie you mean the Gallows -5 fo on the other hand I believe there may be thofeinthe World, who would not fa u pie to tell an untruth, which is of neer kin to a Lye, and if 'twere in their Power, would bring a -Man to the (aid Place, rather than it mould be thought a neer Friend and Relation, was in Love with a married Man. The Gentlewoman you take Notice of, fo much importuned by the Deceafed to (fay with her that Night, if me has not altered her Story , will acknowledge that Mrs. Stout did tell her fhe was very much Indifpofed, and farther faith fhe, you fee I am very Melan- E choly,$