Born in 1785, died in 1859; son of a wealthy merchant;
studied at Oxford without taking a degree; settled at
Grasmere, near Coleridge and Wordsworth, about 1808; losing
his fortune, sought literary work in London in 1821;
contracted at Oxford the opium habit, under which at one
time he took 340 grains daily; made his opium experiences
the basis of an essay entitled "Confessions of an English
Opium Eater," published in 1821; wrote for many periodicals
and eventually settled in Edinburgh; his collected works
comprize many volumes.
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