Home > William Hayley

Born at Chichester, he was sent to Eton in 1757, and to Trinity Hall, Cambridge, in 1763; 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. Two years later he married Eliza, daughter of Thomas Ball, dean of Chichester. His private means enabled Hayley to live on his patrimonial estate at Eartham, Sussex, and he retired there in 1774.

He had already written many occasional poetical pieces, when in 1771 his tragedy, The Afflicted Father, was rejected by David Garrick. In the same year his translation of Pierre CorneillePierre Corneille ( June 6, 1606 October 1, 1684) was one of the three great dramatists produced by France during the 17th century, along with Moliere and Racine. Corneille was born at Rouen, and studied law. He then practiced law for 21 years, meanwhile w's Rodogune as The Syrian Queen was also declined by George ColmanGeorge Colman ( 1732 14 August 1794) was an English dramatist and essayist, usually called the Elder " and sometimes George the First " to distinguish him from his son, George Colman the Younger. He was born in Florence, where his father was stationed as. Hayley won the fame he enjoyed amongst his contemporaries by his poetical Essays and Epistles; a Poetical Epistle to an Eminent Painter (1780), addressed to his friend George RomneyGeorge Romney ( 26 December 1734- 15 November 1802) was a noted English portrait painter. He was born on Boxing Day 1734 in Dalton-in-Furness (then part of Lancashire, today in Cumbria), and apprenticed to his father as a cabinet-maker. In 1755 he went to, an Essay on History (1780), in three epistles, addressed to Edward GibbonEdward Gibbon ( April 27, 1737 ( O. May 8, 1737 ( N. January 16, 1794) was an English historian, author of The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire a groundbreaking work. He was born in Putney, near London, England into a relatively well-to; Essay on Epic Poetry (1782) addressed to William MasonWilliam Mason ( 1725 1797) was an English poet, editor and gardener. He was born in Hull and studied at St John's College, Cambridge. He was ordained in 1754 and held a number of posts in the church. Among his works, none of them highly regarded today, ar; A Philosophical Essay on Old Maids (1785); and the Triumphs of Temper (1781). The last-mentioned work was so popular as to run to twelve or fourteen editions; together with the Triumphs of Music (Chichester, 1804) it was ridiculed by Byron in English Bards and Scotch Reviewers.

So great was Hayley's fame that on Thomas WartonThomas Warton ( January 9, 1728 May 21, 1790) was an English academic and poet, holder of the title of Poet Laureate from 1785. Warton was born in Basingstoke, Hampshire, England, and was the younger brother of Joseph Warton. He was educated at Winchester's death in 1790Events January 8 George Washington gives the first State of the Union Address. January 30 The first boat specialized as a lifeboat is tested on the River Tyne. February 1 In New York City the Supreme Court of the United States convenes for the first time. he was offered the laureateship, which he refused. In 1792, while writing the Life of Milton, Hayley made Cowper's acquaintance. A warm friendship sprang up between the two which lasted till Cowper's death in 1800. Hayley indeed was mainly instrumental in getting Cowper his pension. In 1800 Hayley also lost his natural son, Thomas Alphonso Hayley, to whom he was devotedly attached. He had been a pupil of John Flaxman's, to whom Hayley's Essay on Sculpture (1800) is addressed. Flaxman introduced William Blake to Hayley, and after the latter had moved in 1800 to his marine hermitage at Felpham, Sussex. Blake settled near him for three years to engrave the illustrations for the Life of Cowper. This, Hayleys best known work, was published in 1803-1804 (Chichester) in 5 vols.

In 1805 he published Ballads founded on Anecdotes of Animals (Chichester), with illustrations by Blake, and in 1809 The Life of Romney. For the last twelve years of his life Hayley received an allowance for writing his Memoirs. He died at Felpham on the 12th of November 1820. Hayley's first wife died in 1797; her mind had been seriously affected, and Since 1789 they had been separated. He married in 1809 Mary Welford, but they also separated after three years. He left no children.

This article incorporates text from the public domain 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica. 1911 Britannica