a determined attempt to hang himself with a garter. On a third attempt the garter broke just in time to save his life. He now sent for Major Cowper, who saw at once that all thoughts of the appointment must be abandoned. Cowper remained in his chambers, where the symptoms of a violent attack of madness rapidly developed themselves. Cowper's delusions took a religious colouring. He was convinced that he was damned. He consulted Martin Madan, his cousin [see under Cowper, Spencer]. Madan gave him spiritual advice. His brother came to see him, and was present during a crisis, in which he felt as though a violent blow had struck his brain ‘without touching the skull.’ The brother consulted the family, and Cowper was taken in December 1763 to a private madhouse, kept by Dr. Nathaniel Cotton [q. v.] at St. Albans. A copy of sapphics written in the interval gives a terrible description of his state of mind. Cowper's religious terrors were obviously the effect and not the cause of the madness, of which his earlier attack had been symptomatic. Cotton treated him with great tenderness and skill. He was himself a small poet (his works are in Anderson's and Chalmers's collections), and he sympathised with Cowper's religious sentiments. When after five months of terrible agonies Cowper became milder, Cotton's conversation was soothing and sympathetic. Cowper stayed with him a year longer, and then, being deeply in debt to Cotton, asked his brother, now a resident fellow of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, to find him lodgings near Cambridge. He resigned his commissionership of bankruptcy (worth about 60l. a year), feeling that his ignorance of the law made it wrong to take the oath, and desiring to sever himself entirely from London. His family subscribed to a small annual allowance; his chambers in the Temple were let, and he had some stock, some of which he was soon reduced to sell. He inherited 300l. or 400l. from his brother in 1770, and his will, made in 1777, shows that he had then about 300l. in the funds. He removed from St. Albans 17 June 1765, and, after visiting Cambridge, went to Huntingdon (22 June) to lodgings secured by his brother. He renewed a correspondence with his cousin, Lady Hesketh, and his friend, Joseph Hill. He rode halfway to Cambridge every week to meet his brother, and cared little for society. All other friendships ‘were wrecked in the storm of sixty-three’ (to Joseph Hill, 25 Sept. 1770). Hill continued to manage Cowper's money matters with unfailing kindness. Thurlow, on becoming chancellor in 1778, appointed Hill his secretary. Cowper became attached to Huntingdon, then a town of under two thousand inhabitants. By September he had made acquaintance with the Unwins. Morley Unwin, the father, held the living of Grimston, Norfolk (in the patronage of Queens' College, Cambridge), but lived at Huntingdon, where he had been master of the free school, and took pupils. His wife, Mary Cawthorne (b. 1724), was daughter of a draper at Ely. They had two children, William Cawthorne and a daughter. William, born in 1744 or 1745, was now at Christ's College, Cambridge, where he graduated as ‘senior optime’ and second chancellor's medallist in 1764. The daughter was a year or two younger. Cowper was spending more than his income, and on 11 Nov. 1765 became a boarder in the Unwin family, from motives both of economy and of friendship. His family, especially Colonel Spencer Cowper, brother of Major Cowper, had made some complaints of his extravagance. He had engaged the services of a boy from Dr. Cotton out of charity, and his relations thought that he should not be liberal on other people's money. An anonymous letter (no doubt from Lady Hesketh or her sister) assured him that if the colonel withdrew his contribution (which he did not) the deduction should be made up (to Lady Hesketh, 2 Jan. 1786). Mrs. Unwin soon afterwards offered to reduce her charges for board (from eighty guineas) by one half. Cowper was often cramped for money, but seems never to have worried himself greatly upon that score. He had apparently cared little for religion before his illness. He now became intensely devout. A great part of his day with the Unwins was spent in attending divine service (which was performed twice a day), singing hymns, family prayers, and religious reading and conversation. He corresponded with Mrs. Cowper, wife of Major Cowper, who, with her brother, Madan, sympathised with his religious sentiments. He gave her the history of his conversion (to Mrs. Cowper, 20 Oct. 1766), and told her that he had had thoughts of taking orders. His correspondence with Lady Hesketh ceased after 30 Jan. 1767, apparently because she was not sufficiently in sympathy upon these points.
On 2 July 1767 the elder Unwin died in consequence of a fall from his horse on 28 June. It was immediately settled that Cowper should continue to reside with Mrs. Unwin, whose behaviour to him had been that ‘of a mother to a son’ (to Mrs. Cowper, 13 July, 1767). Just at this time Dr. Conyers, a friend of the younger Unwin, had mentioned the mother to John Newton, who after commanding a slaveship had taken orders, and become a conspicuous member of that section of the church
