ADVERTISEMENT. IT is known to many persons, acquainted with the Biography of Cowper, that the partial derangement under which he laboured, during a considerable portion of his life, has been attributed to his religious impressions, "and even to his religious sentiments, "by persons who were unfavourably 66 disposed, either toward religion itself, "or else toward that system of religion " which Mr. Cowper embraced*.” It is hoped that the perusal of the following Narrative, connected with the interesting remarks which are extracted from a celebrated periodical publi * Greatheed's Memoirs of Cowper, Pref. p. v. cation, and illustrated by the annexed correspondence of the Poet himself, will shew the error of such conclusions; and will convince the reader, that religion, instead of being the cause of his disorder, was its chief alleviation, and, as it regards his first attack, its successful remedy. JAN. 1, 1817. MEMOIR OF THE EARLY LIFE OF WILLIAM COWPER, Esq. I CANNOT recollect, that till the month of December, in the thirty-second year of my life, I had ever any serious impressions of the religious kind, or at all bethought myself of the things of my salvation, except in two or three instances. The first was of so transitory a nature, and passed when I was so very young, that, did I not intend what follows for a history of my heart, so far as religion has been its object, I should hardly mention it. At six years old I was taken from the nursery, and from the immediate care of a most indulgent mother, and sent to a consideráble school in Bedfordshire. Here I had hardships of different kinds to conflict with; B |