Edward Young

Edward Young (1683-1765), after an early career as a dramatist and satiric poet in London, took orders in the Church of England and settled at Welwyn, Hertfordshire, in 1730, where he remained the rest of his life.  He became famous for his long poem, The Complaint, or night thoughts on life, death, and immortality (1742), written shortly after the death of his wife. The work appeared in nearly forty editions by 1800, becoming one of the most widely read works of the eighteenth century among all religious denominations.