In His mighty work of grace in the eighteenth century God was pleased to use gifted preachers and pious members of the nobility to great spiritual and practical effect. He also used the poetic genius of William Cowper (pronounced "Cooper") to give expression both to gospel truth and noble Christian sentiment. In the years 1782 to 1837 more than one hundred editions of his poems were published in Britain and almost fifty in America to the great benefit of a wide readership. Perusal of many of the poems enriches the mind and spirit, yet withal a sensitive reader, while enthralled by the beauty of the verse, will wonder at the melancholy which often, for so long, clouded this Christian poet’s life.
Perhaps the origin of his dark times may be traced to the poet’s early days. He was born at Great Berkhampstead Rectory on 26th November, 1731 becoming the first surviving child of his parents. Cowper was a sensitive child of delicate health, and when only six years old the great misfortune of his life befell him - his mother died. His sense of loss is demonstrated in the exquisite poem he addressed to her picture received fifty years later from a cousin. Within a year of that sad event he was sent to a school where for two years he suffered cruel bullying. Cowper wrote of one of the boys, "I had such a dread of him, that I dare not lift my eyes to his face. I knew him best by his shoe-buckle". When the bullying was discovered he was removed from the school and after an interval was enrolled at Westminster school. Though still very shy and sensitive he proved himself an excellent scholar. Among his contemporaries was Warren Hastings, later to find fame in India.
After leaving school in 1748 he was articled for three years to a solicitor, and on completion of his apprenticeship took up residence in Middle Temple being called to the Bar in 1754. It is not known whether he ever had a brief. A relative sought to provide Cowper with an income by nominating him to the post of Clerk of the Journals of the House of Lords. Unfortunately, difficulties intervened and Cowper had to face, what was for him, the terrifying prospect of examination at the bar of the House. The prospect deepened existing depression and rendered him incapable of being calmed or consoled even by his brother. He was therefore placed in a lunatic asylum at St Albans owned by Dr Nathaniel Cotton under whose care he slowly recovered his reason. In 1765 he went to live in Huntingdon to be near his brother at Cambridge, where he became acquainted with a young man William Unwin, whose parents soon agreed to welcome Cowper as a lodger in their home. It was a most felicitous arrangement and began a period of tranquillity and cheerfulness which ended unexpectedly with the death of Mr Unwin four days after being thrown from his horse. A short time previously the Unwins had been visited by Mr John Newton who now proposed that the Unwin family, with Cowper, should move to Olney. Mr Unwin had expressed the wish that if his wife survived him Cowper might still dwell with her, and so in September, 1767 they came to Olney, initially residing with the Newtons in the vicarage.
A warm bond of fellowship soon developed between Newton and Cowper, yet what an extraordinary contrast they must have presented: Newton the strong, robust former sailor; Cowper the delicate, sensitive barrister. The younger man, inspired by the ardency of Newton’s ministry, visited, read and prayed with the sick, and attended the prayer meetings, even offering extempore prayers – an ordeal for such a shy and private person. At Newton’s suggestion Cowper began writing Olney Hymns and ultimately contributed sixty-eight of the collection, including the well known and loved, "Oh! For a closer walk with God", "There is a fountain filled with blood", "Jesus! where’er Thy people meet", and "God moves in a mysterious way". The compositions, however, were interrupted by another period of mental instability. His first illness had been full of despair of his own salvation and the same terrible affliction again overwhelmed him. Newton was most tender and loving in his care for the sad, and at times suicidal, patient allowing him to reside for a time in the vicarage, and this, with the devoted care of Mrs Unwin, began a slow process of recovery. As gradually he grew better Cowper engaged in gardening and carpentry, with Newton and Mrs Unwin doing their utmost to cheer and sustain him.
Newton left Olney in December, 1779 but happily Cowper’s progress continued and he resumed his correspondence and occasionally wrote short poems. Mrs Unwin encouraged his endeavours and suggested the "Progress of Error" a moral satire which Cowper tackled enthusiastically. He then wrote "Truth", "Table Talk" and "Expostulation" in the space of three months! Another two poems followed: "Hope" and "Charity". Newton submitted the manuscripts to his own publisher who accepted them, with the additional poems "Conversation" and "Retirement".
These longer poems present arguments of a religious and moral nature. "Conversation" criticises indecent language and noisy wrangling, but extols the pure and undefiled conversation of Christians. The epitome of this is presented in a beautiful devotional passage describing the discussion of the two on the road to Emmaus, of which he writes:
Now theirs was converse such as it behoves
Man to maintain, and such as God approves:
Their views indeed were indistinct and dim,
But yet successful, being aim’d at Him.
The description of the Lord drawing near and speaking to the travellers is equally lovely:
A stranger joined them, courteous as a friend,
And ask’d them, with a kind engaging air,
What their affliction was, and begged a share.
Informed, He gathered up the broken thread,
And, truth and wisdom gracing all He said,
Explain’d, illustrated, and search’d so well
The tender theme on which they chose to dwell,
That reaching home, "The night", they said, "is near,
We must not now be parted, sojourn here".
One day in 1781 when the poet was suffering from a fit of depression a friend told him an amusing tale of one named John Gilpin. This delighted Cowper, who spent the night in laughter and wrote "The Diverting History of John Gilpin", proving that he did enjoy lighter moments. The same friend persuaded Cowper to try his power at writing blank verse and this led to the remarkable work "The Task", a long composition in six parts which became immensely popular. Perhaps acquaintance with his comic poems often led readers to an appreciation of Cowper’s serious work. The quality of his poetry, and his distinction as a letter writer, have earned him a high place in English literature. He has been ranked among the half-dozen greatest letter writers in the English language. From the Christian standpoint, his importance lies in the insight his poetry gives to the character and worth of Christian life in a form which lasted long after the initial excitement of that time of Revival had passed.
In 1791 Mrs Unwin suffered a paralytic stroke and the effect upon Cowper of her illness and lengthened recovery was very sad, although at times he continued translating Greek and Latin classics and worked on an edition of Milton. After her death he had only glimpses of reason, and his own life closed in melancholy at East Dereham, Norfolk. Let us however take our leave of him in happier circumstances. Sitting underneath an ancient oak tree at Yardley Chase, Cowper muses upon the centuries of its existence, and the events of those times. The tree cannot speak, so the poet becomes the oracle and discourses in his own ear of Adam in Eden, possessed of high intelligence, and perfect innocence. He concludes:
History, not wanted yet,
Leaned on her elbow, watching Time, whose course,
Eventful, should supply her with a theme…
We may be sure that "Time" has now run a large part of its course, and be glad that not only in Israel’s day did poets write, but that in our later times the genius of Cowper has left a legacy of literature for our enjoyment, and as testimony to Christian grace and virtue.
To be continued.
