lime spirit of piety and friendship, that fhone through long periods of calamity, and continued to glimmer through the distressful twilight of her declining faculties. She was buried in the north aisle of Dereham church; a marble tablet was erected to her memory, with the following inscription.

"Trusting in God with all her heart and mind,

“This woman prov'd magnanimously kind,
“Endur'd affliction's desolating hail,

"And watch'd a poet through misfortune's vale.
"Her spotless duft angelic guards defend!
"It is the dust of Unwin, Cowper's friend!
"That single title in itself is fame,

"For all who read his verse, revere her name."

Cowper furvived this lady four years, during which time Mr. Johnson continued his affectionate attentions; and it feemed as if Providence had exprefsly formed him to prove such a guardian to the declining years of this afflicted poet, as the peculiar exigencies of his fituation required. He was at times fo far relieved, as to write a few occafional poems; and his friends fometimes indulged the hope of his complete restoration to health; but the depreffion of his mind was the effect of bodily disorder, so obstinate that their expectations were fatally disappointed; and towards the clofe of the year 1799, it became fufficiently evident that he could not fuccefsfully contend with the ravages of a rapid decay, and that ere long the mortal must put on immortality.

The deplorable inquietude and dark nefs of his latter years, were mercifully terminated by a moft gentle and tranquil diffolution. He paffed through the awful moments of death fo mildly, that although five perfons were

prefent, and obferving him in his chamber, not one of them perceived him to expire; but he had ceased to breathe about five minutes before five in the afternoon, on the 25th of April, 1800. He was buried in Dereham church, where a monument was erected to his memory.

Mr. Hayley, the affectionate biographer of this excel-lent man, obferves, that "Few minifters of the gospel have searched the fcriptures more diligently than Cowper, in his days of health, and with happier effect; for a spirit of evangelical kindness and purity pervaded the whole tenour of his language, and all the conduct of his life.”

He prepared himself for his great poetical achievements, by a fervent application to the facred oracles. In reading the Bible, he admired and ftudied the eloquence of the prophets. He was particularly charmed with the energy of their language, in defcribing the wrath of the Almighty.

By his zealous attention to the scripture, he inceffantly treasured in his own capacious mind, those inexhaustible ftores of fentiment and expreffion, which enabled him gradually to afcend the pureft heights of poetical renown, which rendered him at laft, what he ardently wished to prove-the prove the poet of chriftianity-the monitor of the world. Hayley's Life of Cowper.

SIR WILLIAM JONES.

WILLIAM JONES, Efq. was born in 1746, at his fa ther's refidence in Wales. He was fon to the famous mathematician, William Jones, who was the pupil and

friend of Newton, under whofe patronage he taught mathematics in London.

Under the guidance and tuition of such a parent, the mind of this celebrated man was early formed to regular habits of thinking, and from him he foon caught the generous enthusiasm of literary fame. After having been inftructed by his father in the rudiments of claffical learning, he was placed at Harrow fchool, where he diftinguished himself no lefs by his wonderful facility in acquiring the learned languages, than by his fine tafte in Latin poetry.

In 1763, he was fent to the univerfity at Oxford, of which he was foon made a fellow, and where he was equally diftinguished for prematurity of mind, and unexampled diligence in his ftudies. His diligence indeed was fo unremitting, and his memory fo retentive, that before he had attained the age of twenty two, he not only acquired a thorough knowledge of the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin tongues, but had alfo made great proficiency in the Arabic and Perfian. Neither had he neglected to cultivate the polished languages of modern Europe; and his knowledge of the French was fo perfect, that at the age of twenty four, while he was yet a recluse student at the university, he translated the history of Nadir Shaw from Perfian into French, not only with grammatical exactness, but with a purity and elegance of diction, that obtained him the applaufe of the moft diftinguished critics in France. About this time he published his "Commentaries on Afiatic Poetry."

He had determined on attaching himself to the profeffion of the law, at the age of twenty four; and though hiş

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ftudies in general jurisprudence, and the common law of England, had been purfued with the moft indefatigable diligence, he neglected not at the same time, to give his attention to physical sciences, and to carry on with amazing rapidity, his researches into the literature of Afia. Between the years 1776, and 1784, he published a number of ingenious effays in profe, and a volume of poems, chiefly confifting of translations from the Arabic, Perfian, and Turkish poets.

The reputation of his genius and great learning, being now spread abroad, his acquaintance was fought by people of the firft rank in literature; he confequently became known to Dr. Johnfon and Dr. Joshua Reynolds, who introduced him to the celebrated literary club, of which he was admitted a member.

In the fummer of 1783, he embarked for India, having been appointed one of the judges of the fupreme court of Calcutta.

When he arrived at Calcutta, after taking his feat on the bench of the fupreme court, according to the usual forms, he made public his plan for inftituting a fociety in that place," for the purpose of inquiring into the history, arts, fciences, and literature of Afia." This plan was eagerly embraced by thofe gentlemen in Calcutta, who were beft qualified to eftimate its advantages, and to contribute to its fupport, and being patronized by Mr. Haftings, the governour general, the fociety was founded, Sir William Jones was elected perpetual president, and deliv. ered his preliminary discourse in 1784.

He was now enabled to give full fcope to the energy of his mind, and to gratify every wish of his heart. The

wide and fruitful region of Afiatic learning was opened before him, and the high and independent ftation which he filled, gave him a commanding profpect of it, whilft he practised thofe laws, which it was the pride of his life to cherish and revere, and adminiftered to his fellow creatures the pure maxims of juftice and truth.

He had long ardently defired to ftudy the Sanfcrit language, and in three years made himself fo completely mafter of it, that the moft enlightened profeffors of the doctrine of Brahma, confeffed with pride, delight, and furprize, that his knowledge of their facred dialect was most critically correct and profound. Their refpect and attachment continued to the laft. The Pandits, who were in the habit of attending him, fincerely lamented his death, and felt the higheft admiration for his fuperiour talents. and virtues.

He applied himself to his ftudies with pertinacious and unwearied diligence. Notwithstanding the great attention, which his profeffional duties, and the preparation of his many valuable difcourfes to the Afiatic Society required, he found time to write and publifh fome works, no lefs curious than important, between the years 1788, and 1793. These were an English verfion of the Sirajijah or Mahometan law of inheritance, with a commentary; the Institutes of Menu, literally tranflated from the Sanfcrit, with a learned preface, treating both of the antiquity and value of the work; and an elegant tranflation of the drama of Sancontala, from the fame language. The firft of thefe performances, he printed at his own expenfe, and fold for the benefit of infolvent debtors; an action fo difinterested, that it will ferve to do immortal honour to his memory.