author
William Hayley
1745–1820
An English poet, biographer, and generous patron of the arts, he was a lively figure in late 18th-century literary life. He is now remembered especially for his friendships with William Cowper and William Blake, and for the biographies that helped shape their reputations.
3 Audiobooks
Ballads, Founded on Anecdotes Relating to Animals
by William Hayley
The Eulogies of Howard: A Vision
by William Hayley
About the author
Born in Chichester in 1745, he was educated at Eton and Trinity Hall, Cambridge, and later lived mainly in Sussex. Financial independence gave him the freedom to write widely, and he became well known in his own day for poems such as The Triumphs of Temper as well as for essays, translations, and literary criticism.
He moved in a remarkable artistic circle. Hayley was a close friend of the poet William Cowper and later wrote The Life of Cowper, one of the works for which he is best known. He also supported the artist and poet William Blake, who lived near him at Felpham for a time while working on illustrations connected with Hayley’s projects.
Although his fame faded after his lifetime, Hayley remains an interesting link between poetry, biography, and artistic patronage in Georgian England. He died at Felpham in 1820, leaving behind a picture of a writer who was not only productive himself but deeply involved in encouraging the work of others.