fome measure I fucceeded: I had pride before, but he taught it to flow in proper channels. His knowledge of the world was vaftly uperior to mine, and I was all attention to learn. He was the only man I ever faw who was a greater fool than mylelf where woman was the prefiding ftar; but he fpoke of illicit love with the levity of a failor, which hitherto I had regarded with horror. Here his friendship did me a mifchief; and the confequence was, that foon after I refumed the plough I wrote the Poet's Welcome. My reading only increased while in this town by two ftray volumes of Pamela, and one of Ferdinand count Fathom, which gave me fome idea of novels. Rhyme, except fome religious pieces that are in print, I had given up; but meeting with Fergufon's Scottish Poems, I ftrung anew my wildly founding lyre with emulating vigour. When my father died, his all went among the hell-hounds that growl in the kennel of juftice; but we made a fhift to collect a little money in the family amongst us, with which, to keep us together, my brother and I took a neighbouring farm. My brother wanted my hair-brained imagination, as well as my focial and amorous madnefs; but in good fenfe, and every fober quality, he was far my fuperior, I entered on this farm with a full refolution, come, go to, I will be wife! I read farming-books; I calculate crops; I attend markets; and, in fhort, in fpite of the devil, and the world, and the flefh, I believe I fhould have been a wife man: but the firft year, from unfortunately buying bad feed, the fecond from a late harvest, we loft half our crops. This overlet all my wildom, and I returned like the dog to his vomit, and the fow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. I now began to be known in the neighbourhood as a maker of rhymes. The first of my poetic offspring that faw the light, was a burlefque lamentation on a quarrel between two reverend Calvinifts, both of them dramatis perfone in my Holy Fair. I had a notion myfelf that the piece had fome merit; but to prevent the the worst, I gave a copy of it to a friend who was very fond of fuch things, and told him that I could not guefs who was the author of it, but that I thought it pretty clever. With a certain defcription of the clergy, as well as laity, it met with a roar of applaufe. Holy Willie's Prayer next made its appearance, and alarmed the kirk feffion fo much, that they held feveral meetings to look over their fpiritual artillery, if haply any of it might be pointed against profane rhyme. Unluckily for me, my wanderings led me, on another fide, within point blank shot of their heaviest metal. This was a moft melancholy affair, which I cannot yet bear to reflect on, and had very nearly given me one or two of the principal qualifications for a place among those who have loft the chart, and mistaken the reckoning of rationality. I gave up my part of the farm to my brother; in truth it was only nominally mine; and made what little preparation was in my power for Jamaica. But, before leaving my native country for ever, I refolved to publifh my poems. I weighed my productions as impartially as was in my power; I thought they had merit; and it was a delicious idea that I should be called a clever fellow, even though it should never reach reach my ears-a poor negro driver or perhaps a victim to that inhofpitable clime, and gone to the world of fpirits! I can truly fay, that pauvre inconnu as I then was, I had pretty nearly as high an idea of myfelf and of my works as I have at this moment, when the public has decided in their favour. It ever was my opinion, that the mistakes and blunders, both in a rational and religious point of view, of which we fee thoufands daily guilty, are owing to their ignorance of themfelves. To know myfelt had been all along my conftant ftudy. I weighed myfelf alone; I balanced myfelf with others; I watched every means of information, to fee how much ground I occupied as a man and as a poet? I ftudied affiduoufly nature's defign in my formation, where the lights and hades in my character were intended. I was pretty confident my poems would meet with fome applaufe; but at the worst, the roar of the Atlantic would deafen the voice of cenfure, and the novelty of Weft Indian fcenes make me forget neglect. I threw off fix hundred copies, of which I had got fubfcriptions for about three hundred and fifty. My vanity was highly gratified by the reception I met with from the public; and befides, I pocketed, all expentes deducted, nearly twenty pounds. This fum came very feafonably, as I was thinking of indenting myfelf, for want of money to procure a paffage. As foon as I was mafter of nine guineas, the price of watting me to the torrid zone, I took a fteerage paffage in the firft fhip that was to fail from the Clyde, for Hungry ruin had me in the wind. I had been for fome days fkulking from covert to covert, under all the terrors of a jail; as fome ill advifed people had uncoupled the mercilefs pack of the law at my heels. I had taken the last farewell of my few friends; my cheft was on the road to Greenock; I had compofed the laft fong I fhould ever meafure in Caledonia, "The gloomy Night is gathering faft," when a letter from Dr. Blacklock to a friend of mine overthrew all my fchemes, by opening new prospects to my poetic ambition. The doctor belonged to a fet of critics for whole applaufe I had not dared to hope. His opinion that I would meet with encouragement in Edinburgh for a fecond edition fired me fo much, that away I posted for that city, without a fingle acquaintance, or a fingle letter of introduction. The baneful ftar that had fo long shed its blafting influence in my zenith, for once made a revolution to the Nadir; and a kind Providence placed me under the patronage of the nobleft of men, the earl of Glencairn-Oublie moi, grand Dieu, fi jamais je l'oublie ! I need relate no farther. At Edinburgh I was in a new world; I mingled among many claffes of men, but all of them new to me; and I was all attention to catch the characters and the manners living as they rife. Whether I have profited time will fhew.* His death, which took place in July, 1796, is noticed in our Chronicle for that year. Some Some Particulars of the Life of the late William Cowper, Efq.* Author of "The Task," &c. Extracted from a Sermon preached at Olney, Bucks, May 18, 1800, on Occafion of his Death, by the Rev. Samuel Greatheed. THE HE entrance of our late friend upon the tranfient fcenes of this life, apparently led to a kind of eminence very different from that to which he attained. Born of amiable and refpeâable parents, of noble affinity, and connected with perfons of great worldly influence, his advancement in temporal affluence and honour feemed to demand no extraordinary mental endowments. His opening genius difcovered, however, a capacity for elegant literature; and he enjoyed the beft advantages for improvement in fo pleafing a purfuit. With uncommon abilities, he poffeffed a moft amiable temper; and he became not only the darling of his relations, but beloved and admired by his affociates in education; fome of whom, with inferior profpects, have fince This delightful poet and truly original genius, whofe works will engage the attention of pofterity equally as they have done the prefent times was born at Eerkhampstead, in Hertfordshire, in November, 1731, as the diurnal writers inform us. His father, John Cowper, rector of Berkhampstead, and chaplain in ordinary to his majesty, was fecond for of Spencer Cowper, efq one of the judges of the common pleas, brother of lord chancellor Cowper. Our author is faid to have received his education at Weftminster; from whence, we believe, he was transferred to Cambridge, which he left without taking any degree: his plan at that time was to study the law; he therefore quitted the university, and entered himself of the inner teniple. At this period of his life he was celebrated for the vivacity and fprightliness of his conversation, and the brilliancy of his wit. He affociated with those who were most eminent in the literary world; and though we do not know that he employed the prefs on any work, he was well known to poffefs the powers of compofition, and was not the leaft diftinguished of the group which then dictated the laws of taste. An office of considerable value, which had been secured for a term to his family, it is fuppofed he was intended to fill; and in the mean time he engaged in the study of the law with fome application, but with little fuccefs. His temper and 'difpofition were not in unifon with the bufile of business; his health became precarious, and fome events alluded to in his poems, but not fufficiently explained, compelled him to feek that country retirement, the charms of which he has fo beautifully defcanted on. The many interefting anecdotes in this affecting narrative will, we truft, more than compenfate fo the yein of fanaticifm which pervades it. plexity plexity and diftrefs could be terminated. A defperation, of which few among mankind can form a fuitable conception, but which it may be hoped many will regard with tender pity, drove him to attempt felf-murder; and the manner of his prefervation in life, or rather of his reftoration to it, indicated an unufual interpofition of the providence of God. His friends no longer perfifted in urging him to retain his office. It was refigned; and with it his flattering profpects vanifhed, and his connections with the world diffolved. A ftriking inftance of the inftability of earthly hopes, and the infufficiency of human accomplifhments to promote even temporal comfort! At this awful crifis appears to have commenced Mr. Cowper's ferious attention to the ways of God. Having been educated in the knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, and eftranged from the fool-hardy arrogance which urges unhappy youths to infidelity, he had conftantly retained a reverence for the word of God. His manners were in general decent and amiable; and the courfe of pleafure in which he indulged himself being customary with perfons in fimilar circunftances, he remained infenfible of his ftate as a finner in the fight of God, till he was brought to reflect upon the guilt of that action by which he had nearly plunged himself into endlefs perdition. His mind was then, for the first time, convinced of the evil offin, as a tranfgreffion of the law of God; and he was terrified by the apprehenfion that his late offence was unpardonable in its nature. Inftead of finding relief from reading, every book he opened, of whatever kind, feemed to him adapted to increase his diftrefs; which became fo pungent as to deprive him of his ufual reft, and to render his broken fumbers equally miferable with his waking hours. While in this ftate, he was vifited by the late rev. Martin Madan, who was related to him. By explaining, from the Scriptures, the doctrine of original fin, Mr. Madan convinced him that all mankind were on the fame level with himfelf before God; the atonement and righteousness of Chrift were fet forth to him as the remedy which his cafe required; and the neceflity of faith in Chrift, in order to experience the bleffings of this falvation, excited his earnest defire for the attainment. His mind derived prefent ease from these important truths, but ftill inclined to the fuppofition that this faith was in his own power. The following day he again funk under the horrors of perdition; and that diftraction which he had fought as a refuge from the fear of man, now feized him amidst his terrors of eternal judgement. A vein of felf-loathing ran through the whole of his infanity; and his faculties were fo completely deranged, that the attempt which he had lately deplored as an unpardonable tranfgreffion, now ap peared to him an indifpenfable work of piety. He therefore repeated his affault upon his own life, under the dreadful delufion, that it was right to rid the earth of fuch a finner; and that the fooner it was accomplished, his future mifery would be the more tolerable. His purpofe being again mercifully fruftrated, he became at length familiar with defpair, and fuffered it to be alleviated by converfation with a pious and humane physician at St. Albans, under whole care he had happily happily been placed. He began to take fome pleasure in fharing daily the domeftic worship which was laudably practifed by Dr. Cotton, and he found relief from his despair, by reading in the fcriptures, that "God hath fent forth Chrift Jefus to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, to declare his righteoufnefs for the remiffion of fins that are paft through the forbearance of God." Romans, iii. 25. While meditating upon this paffage, he obtained a clear view of the golpel, which was attended with unlpeakable joy. The first tranfports of his joy, which almoft prevented his neceffary fleep, having fubfided, were followed by a sweet lerenity of fpirit, which he was enabled to retain, notwithstanding reviving firug. gles of the corruptions with which fin has univerfally infected our nature. The comfort he enjoyed in the profitable converfation of his beloved phyfician, induced him to prolong his ftay at St. Alban's for twelvemonths after his recovery.— Having determined upon renouncing his profeffion of the law, he retired, firft to Huntingdon, and two or three years afterward to this place, in order to indulge, amidft rural scenes, thofe religious pleafures and occupations, which experience had taught him to value far above all that the polite, or the bufy world, could afford. Thofe of you who thirty years paft have lived in the fear of God, can teftify the truth of the remark laft quoted. Often have I heard defcribed the amiable condefcenfion with which our, deceafed friend liftened to your religious converfe, the ympathy with which he foothed your diftreffes, and the wifdom with which he imparted needful advice. At your ftated meetings for prayer (would there were fuch in every parifh!) you have, heard him, with benefit and delight, pour forth his heart before God in earnest interceffion, with a devotion equally fimple, fublime, and fervent, adapted to the unufual combination of elevated genius, exquifite fenfibility, and profound piety, that dif tinguifhed his mind. It was, I be'lieve, only on fuch occafions as thefe, that his conftitutional diffidence was felt by him as a burden, during this happy portion of his life. I have heard him fay, that when he expected to take the lead in your united prayers, his mind was greatly agitated for fome hours preceding. But he obferved, that his trepida tion wholly fubfided as foon as he began to fpeak in prayer; and that timidity, which he invariably felt at every appearance before his fellow-creatures, gave place to an awful, yet delightful confcioufness of the prefence of his Saviour. His walk with God in private was confiftent with the folemnity and fervour of his focial engage ments. Like the prophet Daniel, and the royal pfalmift, he "kneeled three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God," in retirement, befide the regular prac tice of domeftic worship. His inind was ftayed upon God; and, for an unufual courfe of years, it was kept in perfect peace. The corrupt difpofitions which have fo ftrong a hold upon the human heart, appeared to be peculiarly fuppreffed in him; and when in any degree felt, they were lamented and refifted by him. His hymns, moftly written during this part of his life, defcribe both the general tenor of |