miliar, the Poet naturally becomes a favourite with readers of every defcription. His works muft intereft every nation under heaven, where his fentiments are underflood, and where the feelings of humanity prevail. Yet their Author is eminently an Englishman, in the nobleft fenfe of that honourable appellation.He loved the conftitution; he revered the religion of his country; he was tenderly, and generously alive to her real intereft and honour; and perhaps of her many admirable poets, not one has touched her foibles, and celebrated her perfections, with a Spirit fo truly filial. But I perceive, that I am in danger of going far beyond my defign in this introductory Letter, for it was my intention not to enter into the merits of his character here, but to inform you in what manner I wish to make that character difplay itself to my readers, as far as poffible, in his own most interesting language.-Perhaps no man ever possessed the powers of defcription in a higher degree, both in verfe and profe. By weaving into the texture of these Memoirs, an extenfive felection of his private Letters, and feveral of his pofthumous Poems, I truft, that a faithful reprefentation of him has been formed, where the most firiking features will appear the work of his own inimitable band. The refult of the whole production will, I am confident, establish one moft fatisfactory truth, interefting to fociety in general, and to your Lordship in particular! the truth I mean is expressed in the final verfe of an epitaph, which the hand of friendship inscribed to your excellent Relation:

"His virtues form'd the magic of his Song."

May the affectionate zeal, with which I have endeavoured to render all the juftice in my power to his variety of merit, atone for whatever deficiences may be found in this imperfect attempt, and lead both your Lordship, and our Country, to honour with fome degree of approbation,

Your very faithful Servant,

WILLIAM HAYLEY.

THE

LIFE

OF

COWPE R.

PART THE FIRST.

INGENIUM PROBITAS, ARTEMQUE MODESTIA VINCIT.

THE Family of CowPER appears to have held,

for feveral centuries, a refpectable rank among the merchants and gentry of England. We learn from the life of the firft Earl Cowper, in the Biographia Britannica, that his ancestors were inhabitants of Suffex, in the reign of Edward the Fourth. The name is found repeatedly among the sheriffs of London, and John Cowper, who refided as a country gentleman in Kent, was created a Baronet by King Charles the First, in 1641. But the family rofe to higher diftinction in the beginning of the laft century, by the remarkable circumftance of producing two brothers, who both obtained a feat in the house of peers by eminence in the profeffion of the law. William, the eldeft, became Lord High Chancellor in 1707. Spencer Cowper, the youngeft, was appointed Chief Justice of Chefer in 1717, and afterwards a Judge in the court of Common Pleas, being

permitted by the particular favour of the King to hold thofe two offices to the end of his life. He died in Lincoln's Inn, on the tenth of December, 1728, and has the higher claim to our notice as the immediate ancestor of the Poet. By Theodora his fecond wife, the widow of George Stepney, Efq. Judge Cowper left feveral children; among them a daughter Judith, who at the age of eighteen discovered a striking talent for poetry, in the praise of her cotemporary poets Pope and Hughes. This lady, the wife of Colonel Madan, tranfmitted her own poetical and devout spirit to her daughter Frances Maria, who was married to her coufin Major Cowper, and whose amiable character will unfold itself in the courfe of this work, as the friend and correfpondent of her more eminent relation, the second grandchild of the Judge, destined to honour the name of Cowper, by dif playing with peculiar purity and fervour, the double enthusiasm of poetry and devotion. The father of the great author to whom I allude, was John Cowper, the Judge's fecond fon, who took his degrees in divinity, was chaplain to King George the Second, and refided at his Rectory of Great Berkhamstead, in Hertfordfhire, the scene of the Poet's infancy, which he has thus commemorated in a fingularly beautiful and pathetic compofition on the portrait of his mother.

Where once we dwelt our name is heard no more,
Children not thine have trod my nurs'ry floor;
And where the gard'ner Robin, day by day,
Drew me to school along the public way,
Delighted with my bauble coach, and wrapt
In fcarlet mantle warm, and velvet capt,
'Tis now become a hiftory little known,
That once we call'd the paft'ral house our own.
Short-liv'd poffeffion! but the record fair,
That memory keeps of all thy kindness there,

Still outlives many a storm that has effac'd
A thousand other themes lefs deeply trac❜d.
Thy nightly vifits to my chamber made,
That thou might'ft know me fafe and warmly laid;
Thy morning bounties, ere I left my home,
The bifcuit, or confectionary plum;

The fragrant waters on my cheeks bestow'd

By thy own hand, till fresh they fhone and glow'd ;
All this, and more endearing still than all,

Thy conftant flow of love, that knew no fall;
Ne'er roughen'd by those cataracts and breaks,
That humour interpos'd too often makes ;
All this, ftill legible in memory's page,
And ftill to be so to my lateft age,
Adds joy to duty, makes me glad to pay
Such honours to thee as my numbers may.

The parent, whofe merits are fo feelingly recorded by the filial tenderness of the Poet, was Ann daughter of Roger Donne, Efq. of Ludham Hall, in Norfolk. This lady, whofe family is faid to have been originally from Wales, was married in the bloom of youth to Dr. Cowper; after giving birth to feveral children, who died in their infancy, and leaving two fons, William, the immediate fubject of this memorial, born at Berkhamstead on the 26th of November, N.s. 1731, and John (whofe accomplishments and memorable death will be described in the courfe of this compilation) fhe died in childbed at the early age of 34, in 1737. Those who delight in contemplating the beft affections of our nature, will ever admire the tender fenfibility with which the Poet has acknowledged his obligations to this amiable mother, in a poem composed more than 50 years after her decease. Readers of this defcription may find a pleasure in obferv

ing how the praise fo liberally beftowed on this tender parent, at fo late a period, is confirmed (if praise so unqueftionable may be faid to receive confirmation) by another poetical record of her merit, which the hand of affinity and affection bestowed upon her tomb. A record written at a time when the Poet, who was destined to prove in his advanced life her more powerful eulogist, had hardly begun to fhew the dawn of that genius, which after years of filent affliction, arofe like a star emerging from tempeftuous darkness.

The monument of Mrs. Cowper, erected by her hufband in the chancel of St. Peter's church at Berkhamftead, contains the following verfes composed by a young lady her niece, the late Lady Walfingham.

Here lies in early years bereft of life,

The best of mothers, and the kindeft wife ;
Who neither knew, nor practis'd any art,
Secure in all fhe wish'd, her husband's heart.
Her love to him ftill prevalent in death
Pray'd Heaven to bless him with her latest breath.
Still was the ftudious never to offend,
And glad of an occafion to commend:
With eafe would pardon injuries receiv'd,
Nor e'er was cheerful when another griev❜d.
Defpifing ftate, with her own lot content,
Enjoy'd the comforts of a life well-spent,
Refign'd when Heaven demanded back her breath,
Her mind heroic 'midft the pangs of death.

Whoe'er thou art that doft this Tomb draw near,
O ftay awhile, and shed a friendly tear,

These lines, though weak, are as herself sincere.

}

The truth and tenderness of this epitaph will more than compenfate with every candid reader the imper