{"product_id":"1835-william-cowper-the-works-of-william-cowper-complete-in-eight-volumes-first-edition-thus-in-fine-leather","title":"1835 WILLIAM COWPER. The Works of William Cowper - Complete in Eight Volumes. First Edition Thus in Fine Leather.","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" data-path-to-node=\"0\" class=\"first-token\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003eA very handsomely preserved example of the definitive eight-volume 1835 first edition of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci data-path-to-node=\"0\" data-index-in-node=\"33\"\u003eThe Life and Works of William Cowper\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e published by Saunders and Otley and edited by the Reverend Thomas Shuttleworth Grimshawe. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" data-path-to-node=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGrimshaw's edition of of William Cowper was the first exhaustive attempt at compiling his extensive \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci data-path-to-node=\"1\" data-index-in-node=\"102\"\u003ePrivate Correspondence. \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOriginally collected and edited separately by his cousin John Johnson, the 1835 edition incorporated the precious private letters directly alongside William Hayley’s biography and Cowper’s complete poems and translations.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e This edition set set off a rather famous 1835 publishing rivalry with Robert Southey,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e who was simultaneously releasing a rival multi-volume edition.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Fortunately for Saunders and Otley, they held the exclusive copyright to the intimate private letters,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e giving this edition a distinct advantage by presenting a far more complete,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e unvarnished portrait of Cowper’s internal life,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e literary genius,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e and personal struggles than had ever been assembled before.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" data-path-to-node=\"2\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDevotionally,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Grimshawe’s editorial vision was explicitly framed through an Evangelical Anglican lens.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Cowper,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e best known in religious circles as the co-author of the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci data-path-to-node=\"2\" data-index-in-node=\"167\"\u003eOlney Hymns\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e alongside John Newton,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e suffered from severe bouts of suicidal depression and spiritual despair,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e often fearing he was damned by God.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Earlier biographers often downplayed or secularized his intense religious experiences,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e but Grimshawe,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e a committed clergyman,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e sought to reclaim Cowper’s faith as central to his life and poetry.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e He curated the edition to highlight how Cowper’s deep Christian devotion inspired enduring classic hymns like \"God Moves in a Mysterious Way\" and \"There is a Fountain Filled with Blood,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\" presenting Cowper not as a tragic victim of religious madness,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e but as a faithful believer whose spiritual reflections could comfort and uplift others facing mental or spiritual trials.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e[William Cowper] Grimshawe, Rev. T. S. [Ed] The Life and Works of William Cowper. Complete in Eight Volumes. London. Sanders an Otley. 1835. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA good, solid set in very shelf-attractive half lather. Some generalized rubbing and wear as shown. Interiors show some scattered foxing, largely concentrated at the front and rear of volumes. Textually very solid and clean. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Specs Fine Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":68061497229348,"sku":null,"price":550.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0093\/3910\/9435\/files\/11-11-2026SpecsFineBooks-96.jpg?v=1794436330","url":"https:\/\/specsfinebooks.com\/products\/1835-william-cowper-the-works-of-william-cowper-complete-in-eight-volumes-first-edition-thus-in-fine-leather","provider":"Specs Fine Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}