The Life, and Posthumous Writings, of William Cowper, Esqr. 4 Volume Set With an Introductory Letter to the Right Honourable Earl Cowper - Cambridge Library Collection - Literary Studies

Successors such as Wordsworth and Coleridge admired yet overshadowed William Cowper (1731-1800). Troubled by mental instability, he retreated from both the legal profession and the woman he had hoped to marry, seeking out a quiet existence in the country. In spite of his struggles, he made a translation of Homer's Iliad, produced a considerable body of poetry, and maintained many epistolary contacts. This four-volume biography, compiled by his friend and fellow poet William Hayley (1745-1820), appeared between 1803 and 1806, bringing together selected letters and unpublished poems to illuminate Cowper's personal and literary life. Volume 1 (1803) contains Hayley's narrative, interspersed with Cowper's letters from 1765 to 1791. Volume 2 (1803) contains letters from the period 1791-4, with further biographical remarks. Volume 3 (1804) includes letters offering frank opinions of contemporary literary figures, notably Samuel Johnson. Volume 4 (1806) provides supplementary material, chiefly additional letters and amendments to the previous volumes.