Cowper, William

Hannah More to William Hayley, 31 August 1811

As the friend of Cowper I concluded your ‘ear was patient of a serious song’^*; as his Biographer^* I have had experience of your candour in judging. How my heart rises when I hear that exquisite poet condemned, that holy Man misrepresented! tho I trust he can be misrepresented only where he is misunderstood. I never read a page of him either in prose or verse without as much affection as admiration; and I often feel my heart overflowing with gratitude to God for having united such piety to such talents, and by this means made way for his acceptance to readers who forgive the one for the sake of the other, and to whom his religion would not have made its way without this splendid accompanyment. Every lover of genius, virtue and true taste are indebted to you Sir for his life and letters. The ease the grace the spirit the temper of those familiar compositions set at a disgraceful distance the elaborate periods, and over done efforts of more studied compositions.