IIEXRY KIRKE WHTTE, 



Pigott. and Mr Dashwood another clergyman, who at that 

 time resided in Nottingham, exerted themselves in his 

 favour ; he had a friend at Queen's College, Cambridge, 

 ■•vho mentioned him to one of the Fellows of St John's, 

 and that gentleman, on the representations made to him 

 of Henry's talents and piety, spared no effort to obtain 

 for him an adequate support. 



As soon as these hopes were laid out to him, his em- 

 ployers gave him a month's leave of absence, for the 

 benefit of uninterrupted study, and of change of air, which 

 his health now began to require. Instead of going to tlie 

 sea- coast, as was expected, he chose for his retreat the 

 village of Wilford. which is situated on the banks of the 

 Trent, and at the foot of Clifton Woods. These woods 

 had ever been his favourite place of resort, and were the 

 subject of the longest poem in his little volume, from 

 which, indeed, the volume was named. He delighted to 

 point out to his more intimate friends the scenery of this 

 poem ; the islet to which he had often forded when the 

 river was not knee deep ; and the little hut w^herein he 

 had sate for hours, and sometimes all day long, reading 

 or writing, or dreaming with his eyes open. He had 

 sometimes wandered in these woods till night far ad- 

 vanced, and used to speak with pleasure of having once 

 been overtaken there by a thunder storm at midnight, 

 and watching the lightning over the river and the vale 

 towards the town. 



In this village his mother procured lodgings for him, 

 and his place of retreat was kept secret, except from his 

 nearest friends. Soon after the expiration of the month, 

 intelligence arrived that the plans which had been formed 

 in his behalf had entirely failed. He went immediately 

 to his mother : " All my hopes," said he, " of getting to 

 the University are now blasted ; in preparing myself for 

 it, I have lost time in my profession ; I have much ground 

 to get up, and as I am determined not to be a mediocre 

 attorney, I must endeavour to recover what I have lost." 

 The consequence was, that he applied himself more 

 severely than ever to his studies. He now allowed him- 

 self no time for relaxation, little for his meals, and scarcely 



