[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR] SIR, —In his article "
Who are the Defeatists? " in your issue of 3rd inst., Sir Arnold Wilson attributes to Cowper the phrase " forecasting the future of uncertain evils." Did Cowper ever write anything so foolish? I doubt it. Milton did, in Comus, assign to the Elder Brother a memorable phrase
" . . . be not over-exquisite.
To cast the fashion of uncertain evils."
This may be what Sir Arnold had in mind. Even Cowper would hardly worry about " the future " of evils which in themselves were doubtful.—Yours faithfully, JAMES KENYON.
Beechwood, Windsor Road, Gerrards Cross, Bucks.
[Sir Arnold Wilson writes: " Mr. Kenyon has correctly noted a printer's error; the phrase is, however, in Cowper's letter to John Johnson on November loth, 1792—in inverted commas. I am grateful to Mr. Kenyon for identifying the true originator of the phrase."]
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