Heywood Manuscript Letter No. 51
Peter Heywood to Nessy Heywood

Within those Limits, when the Southern Course Of beaming Sol by Capricorn is bound, Those fertile Islands by whose ancient Source Cannot be trac'd, nor Origin be found: — The free-born Natives of whose happy Soil, Favor'd of Heav'n, in Peace, & Plenty, live Crown'd with her copious Blessings, without Toil, With Joy recieve — but will still greater give Sure Friendship's there, & Gratitude, & Love, Such as ne'er reigns in European Blood In these degen'rate Days; tho' from above We precepts have, & know what's right & good: And tho' we're taught; by Laws of God & Man; How few there are who practise that they know! Yet they, from Nature's Dictates, use each Man As they cou'd wish, to them all Men shou'd do. What we pretend to — yet scarce e'er perform, They duly practise, & untaught observe; Those Tenets, unto which, we rare conform: The Name we bear, they with more Truth deserve. 'Tis pleasing here to find, that even yet There is a People left, who guided by Internal Dictates Natures self hath set Are thus so wise — such Happiness enjoy! But Oh! how different their Manners are. From the ambitious & vain Way's of those, Who yet, are said Minerva's Crest to wear, And wisest deem'd the World can now disclose! So vitiated are our Morals now; When natural Simplicity we view, We scarce can force our sentiments t'allow, That such Integrity of Mind is true: Their beauteous Morals, truly, just & good, To us, nought but a pleasing Table seem; While those they see in us, with Horror shou'd By them, be look'd on, as a monst'rous Dream. Infelix young, born to Misfortune, and Predestin'd by ill Fate to feel the Weight Of cruel Disappointment, by the Hand Of stern Adversity! in fell Despite Of all the flatt'ring Hopes which reign'd within His Breast, when firs this native Home he left, Now baffled all! by one Man's fatal sin, Hopeless alas! of all Friends bereft. On this far distant Shore! & tho' receiv'd By these most gen'rous Indians, with a joy and Friendship, such as scarce can be believ'd, Vying together, how each shall employ His Time, with most Alacrity to please; — Yet all's in Vain — & nought can now dispel His secret Melancholy, nor can ease All those desponding Thoughts which now befell His miserable Mind! To him t'wou'd be A Source of Consolation, (when the Sun, Retir'd beneath the Clouds i'th Western Sea Shou'd take the rest his well-run Course had won) Then, wrapp'd within the sable Veil of Night His painful Thoughts wou'd seemingly abate; For being hid from the all chearing Light With Freedom then he cou'd bewail his Fate! — While thus, by Care oppress'd at Midnight aft, (When all was hush'd, & silent as the Grave, When Minds at Ease, take rest beneath the soft And balmy Wings of sleep, & nought else, save The wakeful Cricket's loud shrill-sounding Din Seem'd to disturb the universal Peace,) In pensive Mood, retir'd he'd walk, within Some lonely Grove, & there his Bosom ease By breathing out his Grief without reserve To that Creator, who alone best knows Whom to reward, or who shall best deserve, And Anger pours on those who slight his Laws. — One Ev'ning, musing thus, retir'd, alone, Under a dark & shady Grove of Trees Compos'd of branching *Ooroo, & o'ergrown, *Bread-fruit With various shrubs, the gazing Eye to please — The lofty Cocoa-Nut, whose nodding Top Seem'd to outvie the low'ring Clouds in Height, And spreading Plantain, borne up by a Prop, Unable to sustain its own Fruit's Weight. — Th' uninterupted Silence of the Night, The Stillness which the distant Sea display'd While pale-fac'd Cynthia's dim & trembling Light Which on the surface of the Water play'd With sweet enliv'ning Brightness shaded through The high & lofty Trees a silver Light Encircled by the clear, & azure blue Of [Ether?], studded, ambient & bright With constant twinkling of the starry Train, — This great, this awful, & majestic sight Serv'd somewhat to abate his innate Pain And change it into secret, soft Delight! He, sometime thus — in Contemplation lost! Sat down, upon a fruitful *Ooroo's root *Bread-fruit tree (His soul with discontented Passions tost) To ruminate, in Meditation mute, Upon the Station Heav'n had plac'd him in — But long had not been seated, e'er his Eyes, O'erpowr'd with Sleep, were shut, which caus'd within His Mind an edifying Dream to rise. — Convey'd by airy Fancy to the Banks Of a cool murm'ring Stream which softly flow'd, At Bottom of a Vale, where blooming ranks Of fragrant Orange Trees & Myrtles glow'd; On each Side Bosom'd by a ranging Height Of lofty Mountains, whose high Summits seem'd To be obscur'd by Clouds from searching sight Where Sol with piercing rays had seldom beam'd Down from their craggy Sides swift issued out With roaring Noise, Cascades, which falling low From rock to rock, then foaming upwards spout And winding join the river down below. — The Scene was heighten'd by the golden Hue The Hills assumed, from the orient Beams Of Bright Aurora, — while the glist'ning Dew Warm'd by her genial Heat distill'd in Streams Onward he thus proceeds with easy Pace, Along the Water's Edge (within this sweet Imaginary Paradise) to trace The Works of Nature in a safe retreat: Till to a craggy Precipice he came, Which seeming to impede his Progress on, Beneath th'impending summit of the Same, A verdant Turf he saw, & sat thereon. — And even still, those Thoughts which when awake Had occupy'd his Mind, now, in his sleep, The same, or similar Impression make, And sole Possession of his Mind they keep. While seated thus — a sudden Gloom o'erspread The Atmosphere, the Winds their breathing ceas'd, A Voice, which seem'd to issue from o'erhead, With hollow Tone, these Words pronounc'd! — "Young Man — thy secret murmuring forbear, — "And Wailings that disgrace thy Nature, m,d cease — "For know thou this — 'tis not for thee to dare "God's Providence arraign; — but bear in Peace. — "Neither shoud'st those by any Means repine, "At those Misfortunes which my thee befall, "In this thy present Life — 'tis his Design "Adversity shall be the Lot of All! "And to each Mortal upon Earth 'tis sent; "To wean him from these transient scenes below, "When all his Thoughts on Life's frail Joys are bent, "And when he rivits his Affections so "As to endanger his eternal Bliss; "That being thus reform'd he may repent, "And from his Mind all groveling Thoughts dismiss, "And place his Hopes on Joys more permanent. — "Man's Nature's so preverse [sic], that if he's let "T'enjoy a long & unabated Flow "Of human Happiness, he'll oft forget "His Duty to, & ev'n so wicked grow "As scarcely to believe th'Existence of "That God, from whom alone those Joys proceed — "He therefore, from Compassion, & from Love "Withdraws his Blessings thus abus'd in Deed — "Withdraws them all, that Man may thence forth see "His own weak Insufficiency, & know "There's a superior pow'r whose firm Decree "Rules over ll this earthly Globe below: "Who as to him seems best, exalteth one, "Another, from his Seat of Pleasure throws; "For, in their Life-time, if there shou'd be none "Who felt the Lashes; & deserved Blows "Of God's almighty Vengeance, they wou'd ne'er "Believe there is a Providence on High: — "And Men there are (who happy seem to share "The Gifts of Wisdom & are taught thereby) "Who oft observe, that all this World's good Things "Seem to be shar'd with an impartial Hand "'Mongst good & bad — the falling rain too brings "The Crops alike upon the Fields & Land. — "But with o'erweening Pride, they oft observe, "That if the Universe were govern'd by "A Judge so just, he'd less from Justice swerve "And rule with less Impartiality: — "They ne'er consider, Mortals cant descry, "Whither the Wheels of Providence will move; "But, there is hid, within those Wheels, an Eye, "Which sees thro' all, & governs from above. "Nor can there ever happen an Event, "But Providence hath wisely thought it fit; "And, 'tis by his Omniciency, meant, "Some greatly good, & useful End to hit: — "Tho' for the Present, the entangled Clue "Of human Incidents, may seem to lay "Confus'd in Knots, too cross for Man t'undo; "Unravel'd 'twill be at the final Day: — "Then, on those wicked Men who, careless, paid "To Virtue, & religion, small regard "A Weighty Punishment will sure be laid — "The righteous will recieve their due reward. "In Future therefore, rivet in they Mind "A firm Belief of all these Truths; — that God "Is Author of Events, of ev'ry kind "Which darken oft with Woe Life's thorny road: "That it was He gave those good Things we had "Which sometimes he thinks fit to take away; "That with the good he always chequer's Bad "Retracts some Gifts, but lets much greater stay "And that in reason we shou'd thank as much "The Goodness of th'Almighty, for all those "Misfortunes we receive (or dream as such) "As for the greatest Blessings he bestows. — "From henceforth then learn thou to mollify "With these Considerations, thy Distress; "First — let thy inward Conscience tell thee why "Thou shou'd'st not feel the Ills which thee oppress: "The second is — that long they cannot last, "And for the Best to thee, the Change may prove: — "The first of these will fix thy Hopes move fast, "The second will thy Soul to Patience move "And pious resignation — so depend "On God in all Conditions & submit "Thyself & thy Concerns, till Life shall end, "To his Disposal as he may thin fit: — "And strive to acquiesce in ev'ry state; "Or Turn or Fortune he shall think, & know, "Is best for thee made then his good Time await, "And he'll deliver thee from all thy Woe"! — The sound of these last Words had scarcely left His Ears, when Somnus from his Eyes withdrew — He found his Limbs, of Feeling quite bereft, And chilled, by the cold nocturnal Dew:— But soon perceiv'd that his mysterious Dream, Was sure an Admonition from on High; — It clear'd his Heart, & on his soul a Gleam Of Courage shone which soon renew'd his Joy: — It clear'd away the Gloom which shaded o'er His Mind, & made him now resolve to be More patient than he e'er had been before, And more resign'd to Fate & God's Decree: — With Chearfulness he rose from off the Ground — Then kneeling down, upon a grassy sod, He raised his Hands & looking all around, Pour'd forth his Thanks to the Almighty God! — From that same Moment then, he seem'd to feel As 'twere, his Mind with dawning Wisdom arm'd, Which seem'd at once repining Lips to seal And with enlighten'd Fire his Bosom warm'd: He felt (till now unknown) a Force within, Resisting Passion, & subverting sin. — Lo! – thus one sight of visionary Truth Check'd the impetuous Foibles of the Youth.— 'Taheite Feb'y. 6th. 1790 Peter Heywood The same Day on which his Father expired in the Isle of Man. —