When he left this asylum, he went to Huntingdon, where he became
acquainted with the Rev. William Unwin, who, with his wife and son, seem
to have been congenial companions to his desolate heart. On the death of
Mr. Unwin, in 1767, he removed with the widow to Olney, and there formed
an intimate acquaintance with another clergyman, the Rev. William Newton.
Here, and in this society, the remainder of the poet's life was passed in
writing letters, which have been considered the best ever written in
England; in making hymns, in conjunction with Mr. Newton, which have ever
since been universal favorites; and in varied poetic attempts, which give
him high rank in the literature of the day. The first of his larger pieces
was a poem entitled, _The Progress of Error_, which appeared in 1783, when
the author had reached the advanced age of 52. Then followed _Truth_ and
_Expostulation_, which, according to the poet himself, did much towards
diverting his melancholy thoughts. These poems would not have fixed his
fame; but Lady Austen, an accomplished woman with whom he became
acquainted in 1781, deserves our gratitude for having proposed to him the
subjects of those poems which have really made him famous, namely, _The
Task, John Gilpin_, and the translation of _Homer_.
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