As a connexion fo extraordinary forms a striking fea ture in the history of the Poet, the reader will probably be anxious to investigate its origin and progrefs.—It arofe from the following little incident. The countenance and deportment of Cowper, though they indicated his native fhynefs, had yet very fingular powers of attraction. On his first appearance in one of the churches at Huntingdon, he engaged the notice and refpect of an amiable young man, William Cawthorne Unwin, then a ftudent at Cambridge, who, having obferved, after divine fervice, that the interefting stranger was taking a folitary turn under a row of trees, was irresistibly led to fhare his walk, and to folicit his acquaintance, They were foon pleafed with each other, and the intelligent youth, charmed with the acquifition of fuch a friend, was eager to communicate the treasure to his parents, who had long refided in Huntingdon. Mr. Unwin, the father, had for fome years been mafter of a free school in the town; but, as he advanced in life, he quitted that laborious fituation, and fettling in a large convenient houfe, in the High ftreet, contented himself with a few domestic pupils, whom he inftructed in claffical literature. This worthy Divine, who was now far advanced in years, had been Lecturer to the two Churches in Huntingdon, before he obtained, from his College at Cambridge, the living of Grimston. While he lived in expectation of this preferment, he had attached himself to a young lady of lively talents, and remarkably fond of reading. This lady, who, in the process of time, and by a series of fingular events, became the friend and guardian of Cowper, was the daughter of Mr. Cawthorne, a draper in Ely. She was married to Mr. Unwin on his fucceeding to the preferment, that he expected from his College, and fettled with him on his living of Grimfton; but, not liking the fituation and fociety of that fequeftered scene, fhe prevailed on her husband to establish himself in the town of Huntingdon, where he was known and respected. They had refided there many years, and with their two only children, a fon and a daughter (whom I remember to have noticed at Cambridge, in the year 1763, as a youth and a damfel of countenances uncommonly pleafing) they formed a cheerful and focial family, when the younger Unwin, defcribed by Cowper, as "A friend, Whofe worth deserves the warmest lay, prefented to his parents the folitary ftranger, on whofe retirement he had benevolently intruded, and whofe welfare he became more and more anxious to promote. An event highly pleafing and comfortable to Cowper foon followed this introduction; he was affectionately folicited by all the Unwins, to relinquifh his lonely lodging, and become a part of their family. I am now arrived at that period in the personal history of my friend, when I am fortunately enabled to employ his own defcriptive powers in recording the events and characters, that particularly interefted him, and in displaying the state of his mind at a remarkable season of his chequered life. The following are the most early letters of this affectionate Writer, with which time and chance, with the kindness of his friends and relations, have afforded me the advantage of adorning this work. Among his juvenile intimates and correfpondents, he particularly regarded two gentlemen, who devoted themselves to different branches of the law, the present Lord Thurlow, and Jofeph Hill, Efq. whofe name ap pears in the fecond volume of Cowper's Poems, prefixed to a few verses of exquifite beauty; a brief epiftle, that seems to have more of the genuine ease, spirit, and moral gaiety of Horace, than any original epiftle in the English language! From thefe two confidential affociates of the Poet, in his unclouded years, I expected materials for the display of his early genius; but in the torrent of bufy and fplendid life, which bore the first of them to a mighty distance from his lefs ambitious fellow-ftudent of the Temple, the private letters and verfes, that arofe from their youthful intimacy, have perished. Mr. Hill has kindly favoured me with a very copious collection of Cowper's letters to himself, through a long period of time; and although many of them are of a nature, not suited to publication, yet many others will illuftrate and embellifh thefe volumes. The fteadiness and integrity of Mr. Hill's regard, for a person so much fequestered from his fight, gives him a peculiar title to stand first among thofe, whom Cowper has honoured by addreffing to them his highly interefting and affectionate letters. Many of these, which 1 fhall occafionally introduce in the parts of the narrative to which they belong, may tend to confirm a truth, not unpleafing to the majority of readers, that the temperate zone of moderate fortune, equally removed from high and low life, is most favourable to the permanence of friendship. LETTER I. To JOSEPH HILL, Efq. Cook's Court, Carey-Street, London. DEAR JOE, HUNTINGDON, June 24, 1765. THE only recompenfe I can make you for your kind attention to my affairs, during my illness, is to tell you, that by the mercy of God I am restored to perfect health both of mind and body. This, I believe, will give you pleasure, and I would gladly do any thing, from which you could receive it. I left St. Alban's on the 17th, and arrived that day at Cambridge, spent fome time there with my brother, and came hither on the 22d. I have a lodging that puts me continually in mind of our fummer excurfions; we have had many worfe, and except the fize of it (which however is fufficient for a fingle man) but few better. I am not quite alone, having brought a fervant with me from St. Alban's, who is the very mirror of fidelity and affection for his master. And whereas the Turkish Spy fays, he kept no fervant, because he would not have an enemy in his house, I hired mine because I would have a friend. Men do not usually bestow these encomiums on their lackeys, nor do they ufually deferve them; but I have had experience of mine, both in ficknefs and in health, and never faw his fellow. The river Oufe, I forget how they fpell it, is the most agreeable circumstance in this part of the world; at this town it is I believe as wide as the Thames at Windfor ; nor does the filver Thames better deserve that epithet, nor has it more flowers upon its banks, these being attributes which in ftrict truth belong to neither. Fluellin would fay they are as like as my fingers to my fingers, and there is falmon in both. It is a noble ftream to bathe in, and I fhall make that use of it three times a week, having introduced myself to it for the first time this morning. I beg you will remember me to all my friends, which is a task will coft you no great pains to execute-particularly remember me to those of your own house, and believe me Your very affectionate WM. COWPER. LETTER II. To MAJOR COWPER, At the Park-Houfe, near Hartford. MY DEAR MAJOR, HUNTINGDON, O&. 18, 1765. I HAVE neither loft the use of my fingers nor my memory, though my unaccountable filence might incline you to fufpect, that I had loft both. The history of those things which have, from time to time, prevented my fcribbling, would be not only infipid, but extremely voluminous, for which reafons they will not make their appearance at prefent, nor probably at any time hereafter. If my neglecting to write to you were a proof that I had never thought of you, and that had been really the cafe, five fhillings a piece would have been much too little to give for the fight of fuch a monfter! but I am no fuch monster, nor do I perceive in myself the least tendency to fuch a transformation. You may recollect that I had but very uncomfortable expectations of the accommodation I fhould meet with at Huntingdon. How much better is it to take our lot, where it shall please Providence to caft it, without anxiety! Had I chofen for myfelf, it is impoffible I could have fixt upon a place fo agreeable to me in all refpects. I fo much dreaded the thought of having a new acquaintance to make, with no other recommendation than that of being a perfect stranger, that I heartily wifhed no creature here might take the leaft notice of Instead of which, in about two months after my arrival, I became known to all the vifitable people here, and do verily think it the most agreeable neighbourhood I ever faw. me. Here are three families who have received me with the utmost civility, and two in particular have treated me with as much cordiality, as if their pedigree and |