a man in no respect equal to the undertaking ;; and successes of genlus can make our hearts burn but, by a fortunate accident, he adopted a plan within us like the self-devotion of those living similar to Mason's in his life of Gray, and thus martyrs, who, unseen by the world, can sit withacquired considerable reputation from the cir- in the shadow of death with the sick and sorrow, cumstance that so little of the work was his

own. ful, and count it their highest glory to bind He was probably induced to take this course by up the broken heart. the embarrassing nature of his subject. Having Cowper evidently had, in his constitution, the no taste or capacity for philosophical investiga- elements of that disorder which made such fear, tion, he did not venture to inquire into the causes ful inroads upon the happiness of his life; and of Cowper's literary success nor of his physical the circumstances of his childhood brought them depression; and, knowing that his religious opi- into early action. His mother died when he was nions, if expressed, were likely to give offence but six years old; and if we may believe the acto some of Cowper's surviving friends, he seems counts we have respecting her, she would have to have been unwilling to provoke them to a had the judgment to detect and control the naconflict, in which his elegant literary repose tive tendencies of his feeling. It is not at all unwould have been seriously endangered. There common for the young, at a very early age, to was also another reason for his reserve, which be suspicious of kindness, jealous of affection, we cannot find it in our hearts to condemn. The and to betray all those infirmities which, if not details of mental suffering, when they oblige us resisted, make their possessor, or rather their to follow a man of fine genius to the cells of a victim, a burden to himself, and useless to the madhouse, are painful and revolting. It was na-world. But so slow and difficult is it to give a tural that he should wish to draw a veil over new direction to character which has already this dismal scene in the history of his excellent begun to take its form, that nothing less than a and honoured friend: but this forbearance gave mother's affection has the long patience which an incompleteness to his work, and its readers it requires. What Cowper's father was, we do found many questions starting up in their minds not know. His biographers only tell us that he to which it furnished no reply. As often happens was once chaplain to George II., and afterwards in such cases of truths withheld, the imagina- rector of Great Berkhamstead: as to his charactions to which it gave birth were worse than ter we have no information beyond the fact, that the worst reality. But it was necessary to say he was a learned and respectable man. But something, and nothing can be more misplaced whatever he may have been, he could not fulfil than Hayley's attempt at explanation. He says, that delicate trust, which nature has confided to “Had Cowper been prosperous in early love, it is a mother's hands, nor does it appear that he seprobable that he might have enjoyed a more uni- cured to himself more than an ordinary place in form and happy tenor of health.” Here let us the affection of his son. We do not remember, stop to say, that we learn only by intimation that in all his letters, any particular allusion to his Cowper was disappointed in love, not, however, father, except where he speaks of the sorrow by the insensibility of his mistress, but the inter- with which he felt that his death dissolved the ference of their relations. An event so import-relations that bound him to the place of his birth, ant in the annals of his life might surely have Till his father's death, he had always considered been described at large after the lapse of more their dwelling-place as a family possession: he than a generation. « Thwarted in love,” says had become intimate with every tree that grew Hayley, “the native fire of his temperament near it; and it was with a bitter feeling that he turned impetuously into the kindred channel of gave it up to the stranger's hands. devotion. The smothered flames of desire, Immediately after the death of his mother, uniting with the vapours of constitutional me which was of itself a sore calamity, he was sent lancholy and the fervency of religious zeal, pro- by his father to a public school. Young, shy, duced altogether that irregularity of corporeal and timid as he was, he shrunk back into himsensation and of mental health, which gave such self, at witnessing the rough and savage manextraordinary vicissitudes of splendour and dark-ners of the older boys; and being unable to deness to his mortal career.” This explanation, fend himself, and finding no defender, he was for doubtless it was so intended, only serves to treated by them as lawful prey. Dr. Johnson ! show the writer's perplexity, and when transla- said to a parent, who wished to overcome the ted, means that Cowper's malady was owing in retiring disposition of his child by sending him part to circumstances, in part to physical consti- to a public school, that it was forcing an owl into tution, and in part to the habits of his mind. the sun: a compariso

than the DocBut Hayley does not seem to have been aware tor himself imagina of the power of disease to destroy the moral en- with the woods k ergy: the mind, like the harp, when under firm forced into the day command, gives out bold, expressive, and in- shine is not the wo spiring sounds; if the moral energy be lost, it is thing that has wing like the harp of the winds, all sadness. But in criti- lessness, and torme cising Hayley's work, we must not forget what juries, t.”

rary does him more honour-his generous kindness that

edia to Cowper; he was one of those matchless spi friends who remained faithful to the poor inva-si lid, when even the Samaritan would have been w tempted to pass by. Nothing in the endeavours h

1

One

this dire oppression was discovered by accident certainly was enough to deplore in the loss of at last. Here his heart was confirmed in the ha- his earliest years, in which little was done, and bit of keeping to itself its own bitterness; an that little not what it ought to have been. unfortunate reserve; for there were more in- That his conscience was always upbraiding stances than one, in which the counsel of a ju- him, appears from various incidents recorded by dicious friend, who could have entered into his his own hand. His tastes were evidently in fáfeelings, would have been worth more to himvour of what was right, but the force of circumthan all the world besides. The consumptive pa- stances was too strong for mere taste; and as tient, wasting in loneliness and sorrow, is not a for principles, as we have said, they never had sight more affecting to the thoughtful, than he been formed. The admonitions of his conscience, whose moral energy is withered by disease of which seems to have had power to avenge though mind. But in the world at large, the sight in- not to redress its own wrongs, were deeply felt spires less sympathy than ridicule and scorn. at the time, but his unhealthy sensibility gave so

There must be a time in every man's life, we much force to external thing's, that her warnings mean every good man, when he begins to act were lost, if not forgotten. Still they returned from principle; and Christians, of course, regard again and again: he endeavoured to escape from Christian principles as the rule by which the con- them by joining in society with gay companions, duet and feelings should be governed. It is the but in vain. Even at that early period when he object of religious education to supply these was at the public school, he tells us that one day, principles to the young, and to teach them to act when sitting in solitude, he was forcibly struck upon them; and nature points to the beginning with a passage of Scripture, which applied to of conscious existence as the time when these the oppression under which he laboured: it principles should be formed, requiring those who started up suddenly in his mind by some assohave given life to the child to teach him how to ciation which he could not discover, and he seems live—to give him a right direction, so that, when to have regarded it as a suggestion made to his he becomes responsible for himself, his tastes and soul. While he was at Westminister, happening habits may be already formed in favour of loving to cross a churchyard late one evening, a sexton, and doing that which is excellent, honourable and who was digging a grave by the light of a langood. When the young mind has been so un- tern, threw up a skull

, which struck him upon fortunate as not to receive this early care, it is the leg. This excited his conscience through hard to supply the deficiency in later years. his imagination; but he was, he tells us, “as igStill it can be done, and not unfrequently is done; norant in all points of religion as the satchel at and we take it that, when he who has lived at his back," and though he regarded these as rerandom begins decidedly to form the character ligious impulses, he did not know how to use of a Christian, and to govern himself by Chris-them. Never having been taught to regard the tian principles in all that relates to himself, to subject in its true light, he seems to have conothers, and to God, he is said, in the dialect of sidered these incidents as supernatural intimaour religion, to begin life anew,or in other words, tions, and to have condemned himself for nepasses through the conversion of the Gospel. glecting them, as if they had been given by an

Now such is our condition, that energetic prin- articulate voice from on high. ciples of action are absolutely necessary. The

This weakness and fiaiity, however, were owman without them can no more reach excellence, ing principally to disease; for his taste and judgusefulness, and peace, either in this world, or ment were so decidedly in favour of what was another, than a vessel can drift to its destined right, that we can hardly account for the disharbour. The ship, which moves most rapidly and turbing force which hell him back from religious powerfully when under command, would drive excellence and intellectual exertion, except by most wildly, when left to the winds; and the man supposing that this secret infirmity weighed him most largely gifted with passions and powers is to the dust. His diseased frame communicated dangerous to himself and others, in exact propor- its unhealthy action to the mind: and the mind, tion to the success and glory with which he might in tiun, worn by perplexities, increased the disexert himself in the way of duty. Cowper, in- order of the body; so that, although he was happily, by the misfortune of his childhood, lost painfully conscious of the defects of his early the benefit of a religious education, which might education, he had not sufficient energy to repair have formed principles, and taught him to act them. But his mind naturally turned toward upon them; nor was there ever a time in the the subject of religion in times of sadness: it earlier history of his life, thogh he often lament- was like the fountain of Ammon, which, howed the defect, when he could summon energy ever cold by day, grew warmer as the shadows enough to make himself what he wished to be fell

. Soon after he went to the Temple, a cloud le felt that he was living without purpose; but of dejection settled hravily upon him. He met

ften as he attempted to break his habits and accidentally with Herbert, and some of the beau"iations, he was like a man with a withered tiful inspirations in which that writer threw off His conscience perpetually haunted him, the restraints of the bad taste which prevailed, turbed him like a dream; the moral and followed his own taste and feeling, went to t was wanting. We do not believe the heart of ('owper, and touched the string profligate wretch, as he afterwards which was then silent, but was afterwards waked zelf in his own confessions: we into deep and full vibration. He tells us distinct

of weakness and frailty than ly, that it was the piety of that devout writer His course of life: but there which gave him such a hold upon his mind. Inspired by the example, he attempted to secure himself to propose that this office should be exthe peace which religion alone could give: but changed for that of clerk of the journals, which not being aware that such peace is not to be required no public appearance, and was also in found till the whole heart consents to this di- the gift of his patron. No sooner had he applied rection of the feeling, nor indeed till familiarity for the change as a personal favour, than his has made it easy and sweet, he gave over his friend generously consented to it, though it disattempts in despair, because he did not find at appointed his kind purpose and even, from paronce the relief which he expected. As often as ticular circumstances, exposed his integrity to his mind attempted to rise, the strong hand suspicion. Thus, where a single word would of his disorder bound it down. He gives us a have saved him from much sufiering, it was one remarkable instance of this in his own narra- which he had not strength to speak; and yet, tive. At the time alluded to, he went into the hardly had his mind been set at rest on this subcountry. While there, he walked one day to ject, before it was called upon to make a similar some distance from the village, and sat down in but still greater exertion. For reasons, of which a retired spot, which commanded a noble pros- it is enough to say that they were not personal, pect both of land and sea: the land-view was he was threatened with a public examination quiet and lovely, and the sun shone bright upon before the House, before he entered upon the the sleeping ocean. Suddenly as if a new sun duties. This made him completely wretched; had been kindled in the heavens, his soul was he had not resolution to decline what he had not lighted up with joy, and filled with a glow of strength to do: the interest of his friend, and his gratitude to the Power, to which he felt that he own reputation and want of support, pressed was indebted for this unexpected blessing. Un- him forward to an attempt, which he knew from fortunately he returned to his old associations, the first could never succeed. In this miserable and the benefit of this restoration was lost.-state, like Goldsmith's Traveller, “to stop too The effect here described was precisely similar fearful and too faint to go,” he attended every to what he tells us of his later periods of depres- day for six months at the office where he was to sion. He rose in the morning, he says, “like an examine the journals in preparation for his infernal frog out of Acheron, covered with the trust. His feelings were like those of a man at ooze and mud of melancholy;" but as the sun the place of execution, every time he entered the rose higher, his gloom gradually cleared up, its office door, and he only gazed mechanically upon depth and duration depending upon the bright- the books, without drawing from them the least ness of the day. In all this we see the missor- portion of the information which he wanted.tune of a man, whose heart longed to commune A single letter to his cousin, Lady Hesketh, with the grand and beautiful words of nature, but shows how helpless and hopeless was his condiwas compelled to remain in the cells and caverns tion; he had not strength to stand self-sustained, of the town, who needed to associate with the and he had not courage nor confidence to reveal contemplative and thoughtful, but was driven to to his friends the torture which was wasting the the society of the busy or the gay, who had a living fibre of his heart. Perhaps those only, mind formed for poetical musing, but had not who have been in a condition in which the lightyet discovered where his strength lay, whose soul est touch is to the mind like sharp iron to the was made for devotion, but never had been naked nerve, can sympathize with the heart-sick taught to rise; and who, in addition to all these delicacy which prevented his making another unfavourable circumstances, was afflicted with appeal to his friend, who seems to have been aca disorder, which palsies every faculty of body tuated throughout simply by the wish to serve and spirit at the time when the man most needs him. As the time drew nigh, his agony became exertions of power.

more an more intense; he hoped and be. Situated as Cowper was, those difficulties, lieved, that madness would come to relieve him; which in better times might have operated as he attempted also to make up his mind to comsprings to his active and powerful mind, became mit suicide, though his conscience bore stern so many dead weights to him. Difficulties came testimony against it; he could not by any arguthick and fast. His resources were so few and ment persuade himself that it was right, but his small, that an attachment, which, so far as we desperation prevailed, and he procured from an can discover from slight intimations, was return- apothecary the means of self-destruction. On the ed by the object of his affection, was broken off day before his public appearance was to be made, by the friends of the parties: and not merely did he happened to notice a letter in the newspaper, this privation interfere with his happiness; he which to his disorderd mind seemed like a malighad the prospect of actual poverty before him. nant libel on himself. He immediately threw Affrighted at this vision, he eagerly grasped at down the paper and rushed into the fields, dethe place of reading-clerk to the House of Lords, termined to die in a ditch, but the thought struck which a friend offered him, and forgot that the him that he might escape from the country:nervous shyness, which made a public exhibition With the same violence he proceeded to make of himself “mortal poison,” would render it im-hasty preparations for his flight; but while he possible for him ever to discharge its duties.- was engaged in packing his portmanteau his The moment this difficulty occurred to him, it mind changed, and he threw himself into a covered his mind with gloom. But he had not coach, ordering the man to ?. to the Tower resolution to explain himself to his friend; and wharf, intending to throw

the river, t'iough they passed great part of every day to- and not reflecting that it get er, it was only by letter that he could bring accomplish his purpose

approaching the water, he found a porter seated former occasion. Surely it is needless to assign upon some goods: he then returned to the coach intellectual causes to such wild fancies as this and was conveyed to his lodgings at the Tem- We are rather disposed to believe, that some ple. On the way, he attempted to drink the lau-such anchor to the soul as religion would have danun, but as often as he raised it, a convulsive atforded, might have enabled him to outride the agitation of his frame prevented its reaching his storm; for though his disorder was physical, the lips; and thus, regretting the loss of the oppor- calm energy and sacred confidence which relitunity, but unable to avail himself of it, he ar- gion would have inspired, might have prevented rived, half dead with anguish, at his apart-it from allecting his mind so deeply ; the conments. He then shut the doors and threw him-centrated purpose and quiet determination which self upon the bed with the laudanum near bim, religious principle gives to the mind, miglit have trying to lash himself up to the deed: but a voice removed some of those perplexities by which the within seemed constantly to forbid it, and as fever of his soul was exasperated to madness often as he extended his hand to the poison, his and despair. Of course we do not speak of the fingers were contracted and held back by spasms. effect of the views of religion which he adopted : At this time some one of the inmates of the place this is not the place to discuss the merits and incame in, but he concealed his agitation, and as soon fluences of different systems. Each sect, by a as he was left alone, a change came over him, and natural habit of association, imagines that the so detestable did the deed appear, that he threw water of life has most virtue when drawn from away the laudanum and dashed the phial to its own fountains, as wayfarers in the world pieces. The rest of the day was spent in heavy think that the element is no where else so sweet insensibility, and at night he slept as usual: but and reviving, as that of their father's well. Any on waking at three in the morning, he took his one who reads Cowper's letters, will see that his pen-knife and lay with his weight upon it, the religion was pure and undefiled by the spirit of point towards his heart. It was broken and any party. In fact we know not where to find would not penetrate. At day-break he rose, and a tiner exhibition of the beauty of holiness, than passing a strong garter round his neck, fastened in the life of this remarkable man. Hardier it to the frame of his bed : this gave way with spirits could doubtless accomplish more in the his weight, but on securing it to the door, he warfare and struggle of the world ; and feeling was more successful, and remained suspended that he was physically disabled for such a sertill he had lost all consciousness of existence.-vice, he retired from the public ways of men.After a time the garter broke and he fell to the But those who suppose him to have been a re

a floor, so that his life was saved: but the conflict cluse, are entirely mistaken in his character. He had been greater than his reason could endure. was ready to enter into society and contribute He felt for himself a contempt not to be express to its employments, when disease did not preed or imagined; whenever he went into the vent him: so far from cherishing a spirit of destreet, it seemed as if every eye flashed upon votion like the shew-bread of the temple, which him with indignation and scorn: he felt as if he was a formal offering to Heaven, his religion had offended God so deeply, that his guilt could was always carried out into useful and benevonever be forgiven, and his whole heart was filled lent action. He was familiar in the cottages of the with tumultuous pangs of despair. Madness poor, where he gave comfort, counsel, and such was not far off, or rather madness was already relief as his slender means would allow. He come.

seems to have been employed by Thornton, the Here we must say that we entirely agree with well-known philanthropist, who considered him those who contend, with more zeal it may be as a judicious and faithful dispenser of his bounthan the occasion calls for, that religion had noty to the destitute, and who would not have enagency in any of its forms in causing his insani- trusted it to incompetent hands. This is in our ty. Those who have thrown out this suggestion view the very spirit of religion. That messenseem to have done it as matter of inference mere- ger of Heaven dwells not exclusively in cells or ly; finding in hin that despair of salvation, which cloisters; but goes forth among men not to frown they think that certain views of religion are fit- upon their happiness, but to do them good; she is ted to produce, and knowing that he afterwards familiar and cheerful at the tables and firesides adopted those views of religion, they have taken of the happy; she is equally intimate in the it for granted, that this was the cause which pro- dwellings of poverty and sorrow, where she enduced depression at various periods, and once courages the innocent smiles of youth, and conducted him to the maniac's cell. But if they kindles a glow of serenity on the venerable front look into the history of his life, they will see that of age; she is found too at the bedside of the his depression took the same form before he em- sick, when the attendants have ceased from their braced that religious system: he was then agita- labour, and the heart is almost still; she is seen ted by the same fears, lest he had committed the in the house of mourning, pointing upward to unpardonable sin, and destroyed all his hopes of the house not made with hands; she will not reimmortality. And after he had become a convert tire so long as there is evil that can be prevented, to that faith, his mind, in its seasons of depres- or kindness that can be given, and it is not till sion, was oppressed with fears which were in the last active duty is done, that she hastens direct opposition to his religious convictions; for away and raises her altar in the wildnerness, int, alth he believed himself accepted, but in de- so that she may not be seen by men.

he imagined he was cast out in conse- There never was a spirit more evidently made bojs neglecting to destroy himself on the for religious excellence than that of Cowper;

waves.

through all that early period of life, of which he and would welcome it from the hand of another, speaks in such exaggerated but natural terms of but dares not inflict it with his own. Sometimes condemnation, his conscience was, as we have the hatred of life prevails, and he resorts to poi. seen, always upbrailing him with the infirmity of son, the pistol, or the halter. Such is, in general purpose which made his best resolutions vain. In terms, the description given of hypochondria by times of distress, too, he seems like a ship-wreck- those whose profession makes them familiar with ed man, constantly trying to cling to the Rock it; and almost every one of these signs and sufof Ages, but as often as he seemed to clasp it, ferings is found in the history of Cowper. sinking down from his hold with the returning It would have been surprising if a heart like his,

But while the tendencies of his feeling after being tormented for months by such a diswere naturally favo!ırable to religion, it seems ease, should not have overflowed with gratitude probable that they must have received a direc- and praise as soon as light broke in upon the darktion in his early childhood. Many deep and ness of his soul. For we have seen that this lasting impressions in favour of religion may be was the case on a former occasion, when the made by a mother's affection, before she is aware veil of darkness was suddenly lifted; but at this that the young heart is open to receive them: period, when he felt that he was sinking into an and if the parent be early lost, as in the case of insanity which might last as long as life, and Cowper, the heart will be conscious of the im- was grasping at every thing that afforded the pressions, without being conscious whence they faintest hope of relief, his attention was turned to proceed. Certainly his recollections of her were the subject of Christianity. His mind fastened strong and vivid, as will be seen by those who itself upon that subject; it was his prevailing read his sweet and affecting lines upon his mo- imagination while he was ill, though of course ther's picture; and it is not to be supposed that perverted by the wildness natural to his disa parent, so tender and faithful, would have been ease, and was the idea uppermost in his mind inattentive to the most sacred of all her duties. when he began to recover. And now being

The complaint under which Cowper laboured separated from his old associations, and placed throughout his life was hypochondriasis, a disor- in a situation favourable to the indulgence of der not, as is idly supposed, originating in the his religious feelings, where the influences about imagination, though it employs perrerted fancies them were all auspicious, and no uncongenial as its chief instruments of torture. Cowper was pursuits and temptations were present to disaware of this; for he says to Lady Hesketh, tract his mind, he studied the subject of Chris“could I be translated to Paradise, unless I could tianity, and applied it to his life and feeling, till leave my body behind me, my melancholy would his whole heart became a living sacrifice of cleave to me there." His disease was dyspeptic grateful praise. Nor is it strange, that the partihabit, which gave a morbid sensibility to his body cular aspect in which the subject was presented and mind, and placed him in that state which pre- to him when it first engaged his earnest attendisposes to insanity. The conscience shares in tion, should have been dear to him ever after; the general excitement. The disease is not but if any think of him as the slave to a system, without its remissions; we see in his letters, they will find, on reading his letters, that he did written at the times when his melancholy dis- not take offence at the sentiments of others, and qualified him for society and exertion, occasional was content with holding fast his own. There flashes of humour, which seem strangely at was not in his whole composition one particle of variance with the accounts of his biographers; the material of which bigots are made.

Intebut it was the fact, as he says, that sometimes, rested, ardent, and zealous no doubt he was, but while he was the most distressed of all beings, he his zeal, instead of blazing out against others, was cheerful upon paper. But as the disease rose upwards in a clear bright flame, which, gains ground, even these gleams of happiness wherever it shone before men, could have no vanish; all becomes dreary, comfortless, and other effect than to attract them onward in the cold; there is no beauty in nature; its sights same strait and narrow path of duty. and sounds become painful and disgusting; there Some of the evangelical friends of Cowper, is no brightness in the sun; however brilliantly considering the honour of their views of reliit lights up the world, it cannot shine inward to gion deeply involved in the discussion of this the heart. Kindness, friendship, and affection, subject, have entered largely into an investigaall lose their power; their attentions are accept-tion of this curious page in the history of human ed without seeming gratitude or pleasure ; even nature. They have endeavoured to draw the the voice of religious consolation speaks as hope- limits between religious concern and the terrors lessly as if it were addressed to the dead. The of a disturbed imagination; they allow that his anguish arising from this constant depression is religious anxiety might have had a tendency to so intolerable, that it often drowns all sensation increase his disorder for the time, but so far as of the most intense bodily pain. Sometimes the his unhappiness was of a religious nature, he sufferer prays for madness, like King Lear, hop-was wounded only that he might be more effecting in that way to be relieve 1 from the agony nally healed. A sensible writer on the subject of thought; it would seem as if there could be allowed “the extreme difficulty of determining, no darker change beyond this; but it is, if pos- in all cases, the true character of those alterasible, worse, when it settles down into the fro- tions of joy and despondency, of levity and seria zen calm of despair. Here, there is often a con- ousness, naturally enough connected with corflict between the wish and the fear to die. The respondent frames of thought, to which his narrasufferer longs for death as a hidden treasure, tive continually refers." " In cases where the