Samuel Johnson (1709-1784), often called "Dr. Johnson", was an English writer who made lasting contributions as a poet, playwright, essayist, moralist, literary critic, sermonist, biographer, editor, and lexicographer. The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography calls him «arguably the most distinguished man of letters in English history».

In his later life Johnson became a celebrity, and following his death he was increasingly seen to have had a lasting effect on literary criticism, even being claimed to be the one truly great critic of English literature.

The Life of Abraham Cowley, which we propose to our readers today, is taken from the 1794 corrected edition of Samuel Johnson's monumental work The Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets.

Abraham Cowley (1618-1667) was an English poet and essayist born in the City of London late in 1618. He was one of the leading English poets of the 17th century, with 14 printings of his Works published between 1668 and 1721.