Who is William Hayley

William Hayley (9 November 1745 – 12 November 1820) was an English writer, best known as the biographer of his friend William Cowper.

Biography

Born at Chichester, he was sent to Eton in 1757, and to Trinity Hall, Cambridge, in 1762; his connection with the Middle Temple, London, where he was admitted in 1766, was merely nominal. In 1767 he left Cambridge and went to live in London. His private means enabled Hayley to live on his patrimonial estate at Eartham, Sussex, and he retired there in 1774. The location of this house in Eartham is now occupied by the Great Ballard School.

So great was Hayley's fame that on Thomas Warton's death in 1790 he was offered the laureateship, which he refused. In 1792, while writing the Life of Milton, Hayley made Cowper'...
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William Hayley Poems

• The Swan
  Kind Heaven will oft a lesson give
  If mortals are inclined to learn;
  To shew how simplest things that live,
  To kindness make a rich return. ...
• The Dog
  Of all the speechless friends of man
  The faithful dog I deem
  Deserving from the human clan
  The tenderest esteem: ...
• The Horse
  Virtue! thou hast spells divine,
  Spells, that savage force controul!
  What's the strongest charm of thine?
  Courage in a mother's soul. ...
• The Elephant
  Say, nature, on whose wond'rous reign
  Delighted fancy dwells,
  Of all thy numerous brutal train
  What animal excells? ...
• The Stork
  Who can forget fair freedom's bird,
  That has her genuine praises heard,
  Confirm'd by frequent proof?
  The patriot stork is sure to share ...

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William Hayley Quotes

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Comments about William Hayley

• Megafatceo: the one and only hayley fkn william... god i love her.
• Mrpetrescue: luca & william playing for the first time with their rope toy.
• Wikdplaylist: vicious love by new found glory ft. hayley william
• Shannonminter5: hayley mills & william
• Joycewhitevance: "bragg..had to pick up the slack, since fed'l prosecutors have not pursued such charges, for reasons that were clear under the corrupt influence of william barr..but it remains murky as to why a criminal..indictment of trump has not been pursued under the current administration"

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