also testifies to the honour and esteem in which John Cowper was held at Cambridge.

As regards Apollonius, it really did seem as if the "sweet bard of Rhodes, bright star of Egypt's court," was not to be translated. "Melancthon did but think of a translation and died." Hoeltzlinus commenced to translate, and made considerable progress, but was cut off in the midst of his work. John Cowper, as we have seen, fared no better. Later writers, however, have been more successful. An edition of Apollonius was issued by Merkel in 1854, and by Seaton in 1888.

It is pleasing to be able to note that Corpus Christi still cherishes John Cowper's memory. When, a short time ago, Mr. Swann Hurrell, of Foxton, mentioned that the tablet to John Cowper's memory needed repairing, the college contributed substantially to the fund.

An oil painting, supposed to represent John Cowper, hangs within the college.

After John's death the story of the fortune-teller got to the ears of his relatives, one of whom, Mrs. Cowper (the major's wife), wrote to William on the subject. He replied thus (June 7, 1770): "As to the affair of the fortune-teller, he never mentioned it to me, nor was there any such paper as you mention. I looked over all his papers before I left the place, and, had there been such a one, must have discovered it. I have heard the report from other quarters, but no other particulars than that the woman foretold him when he should die." Cowper was misinformed in respect to the sex of the fortune-teller. As we said before, it was a man, and not a woman.

Having written an account of his own conversion ("The Memoir "), Cowper now thought fit to do the same in respect to the conversion of his brother; and consequently he wrote a short narrative with the following title :Adelphi.

A Sketch of the Character, and an Account of the Illness of the late Rev. John Cowper, A.M., Fellow of the Benet College, Cambridge, who finished his course with joy, March 20, 1770." This not published till after the poet's

narrative was not

death.

Cowper, who some time before had sold his stock, had now for several weeks been thinking of selling his London chambers also in order to be able to draw

money for current expenses. While still ignorant of what his brother had left, he hoped (April 21, 1770) that the cash realized by the sale of his chambers, added to the legacy from his brother, would be sufficient to purchase such an annuity as might enable him to subsist comfortably without being any longer chargeable to his friends. The legacy, however, turned out to be less than was expected. The exact sum was £700, of which £300 were owing to the college, the other £400 went to Cowper's account; but the poet declares himself to have been a considerable loser in point of income by his brother's death, from which it may be assumed that he received a regular allowance from him as well as from his other relatives.

1

50. At the "Bull."-1771.

In June, 1770, receiving tidings of the illness of her son, Mrs. Unwin hastened to Stock, but in a few days was able to leave him, happily out of danger.

In the autumn Hill a second time invited Cowper to London, but the invitation, as before, was declined. "I could not leave Olney," he says, "unless in a case of absolute necessity, without much inconvenience to myself and others."

In February, 1771, one of their servants fell ill with the small-pox, and Cowper and Mrs. Unwin were obliged to take up their abode for a short time at the "Bull," an inn situated on the opposite side of the market-place.

at the

In reference to this incident Newton, who was on a visit in London, thus writes on the 2nd of March: "I long for Tuesday, that I may again think of you as living snugly at Orchard Side. What can you both do Bull,' surrounded with noise and nonsense day and night? Well, we cannot help it now. You have had a great cross, and I hope the Lord has sweetened it, and enabled you to bear it. I know His presence can comfort you in the midst of bulls and bears."

Later in this year Cowper began to show signs again of derangement; and alarmed with the increasing gloom that was enveloping his friend, Newton suggested the writing of hymns, in the hope that concentration of mind on holy themes would afford relief. He proposed likewise that Cowper's compositions and those of

himself should be published together in one volume, and entitled "The Olney Hymns." We can easily understand how it was that Cowper readily acquiesced in the proposal, for not only was hymn-writing congenial work, but the knowledge that his productions were destined to be printed-always such a stimulant to him-would increase the pleasure. "For my own part," says he (Dec. 13, 1786), "I could no more amuse myself with writing verse, if I did not print it when written, than with the study of tactics, for which I can never have any real occasion."

51. The Olney Hymns.-1771 and 1772.

That the majority of the Olney Hymns supplied by Cowper were written in 1771 and 1772, I gather from Newton's remark in the preface. "We had not proceeded far upon our proposed plan, before my dear friend was prevented, by a long and affecting indisposition, from affording me any further assistance." This refers, of course, to Cowper's third derangement, by and by to be dealt with, which covered the whole of the year 1773; moreover, that Cowper wrote any hymns after the derangement is extremely improbable, seeing that he was continually haunted with the belief that God had forsaken him.

Some of the verses contributed by Cowper are strongly traceable to the melancholy which now troubled him, and which is supposed in the first instance to have been brought on by the death of his brother John. Looking back, for example, to the joy

fulness of his latter days at St. Albans, and the calmness and holy joy of Huntingdon, and contrasting with them his present low state, he bursts forth :—

A verse of another of the hymns runs :

"Thy saints are comforted, I know,

And love thy house of prayer;

I therefore go where others go,

And again :

But find no comfort there."

“Oh, make this heart rejoice or ache !

Decide this doubt for me;

And if it be not broken, break;

And heal it if it be !"

This is not, however, the usual strain of Cowper's