The Life of William Cowper

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1892 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER IX. THE THIRD DERANGEMENT. Jan., 1773--May, 1774. 53. The Fatal Dream. End Of February, 1773. BUT though thus afflicted, Cowper nevertheless still held firmly to the belief that God was thus trying him only for the purpose to bring about good. Often Newton "heard him adore and submit to the sovereignty of God, and declare, though in the most agonizing and inconceivable distress, he was so perfectly satisfied of the wisdom and rectitude of the Lord's appointments, that if he was sure of relieving himself only by stretching out his hand, he would not do it, unless he was equally sure it was agreeable to His will that he should do it." We have now come to that which to Cowper personally was the most pregnant moment in his existence, and yet, curious to say, this event, which so greatly concerned his personal comfort, has been entirely overlooked by all previous biographers. They have recorded how he became acquainted with Newton, the story of the threefold cord, the origin of his great poem, and many things besides of great or less interest, but the incident of the Fatal Dream, the central point of his life, has never, so far as I am aware, been even alluded to. Hayley, Southey, Grimshawe, all are silent--a fact which I can explain only by assuming that not one of them was able to read, as it has been my privilege to do, the whole of Cowper's correspondence in consecutive order. Hitherto, as before observed, despite the distressing.state he had got into, Cowper still buoyed himself up with hope that God had not forsaken him; but one night, towards the end of February, he crossed the line that divided a life of hope from a life of despair. He had a Terrible Dream, in which "a Word" was spoken. What the dream was he does not tell us....