One of the major Hayley projects on which Blake worked was a biography of William Cowper. Subject to intense depression and occasional suicide attempts, Cowper was thought to be mad. His poetry depicts a humble life, in a style sometimes referred to as a "poetry of domesticity." A deeply religious man, he is also remembered for his hymns. This letter to his aunt contains the manuscript of one of his most famous, "Oh for a Closer Walk with God."
William Cowper (1731-1800), Autograph letter signed, dated 10 December 1767, to his aunt [Judith] Madan, MA 6437