</s> ▁William ▁Cow ard ▁( 1 6 5 7 ? – 1 7 2 5 ) ▁was ▁an ▁English ▁phys ician , ▁controvers ial ▁writer , ▁and ▁poet . ▁He ▁is ▁now ▁remembered ▁for ▁his ▁s cept ical ▁writ ings ▁on ▁the ▁soul , ▁which ▁Parliament ▁condem ned ▁as ▁bl as ph em ous ▁and ▁ordered ▁to ▁be ▁burn ed ▁in ▁his ▁presence . ▁ ▁Life ▁He ▁was ▁born ▁at ▁Win chester ▁in ▁ 1 6 5 6 ▁or ▁ 1 6 5 7 . ▁His ▁mother ▁was ▁sister ▁of ▁John ▁Lam ph ire , ▁principal ▁of ▁Hart ▁Hall , ▁Oxford . ▁In ▁May ▁ 1 6 7 4 ▁Cow ard ▁was ▁admitted ▁as ▁a ▁common er ▁of ▁Hart ▁Hall ; ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 6 7 5 ▁a ▁scholar ▁of ▁W ad ham ▁College . ▁He ▁proceeded ▁B . A . ▁in ▁ 1 6 7 7 , ▁and ▁in ▁January ▁ 1 6 7 9 - 1 6 8 0 ▁was ▁elected ▁fellow ▁of ▁M erton ▁College . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 6 8 2 ▁he ▁published ▁a ▁Latin ▁version ▁of ▁John ▁D ry den ' s ▁Abs alom ▁and ▁Ach it oph el ▁( 1 6 8 1 ). ▁It ▁was ▁e cli ps ed ▁by ▁a ▁contemporary ▁version ▁published ▁by ▁Francis ▁At ter bury , ▁and ▁Cow ard ▁was ▁rid ic u led . ▁In ▁ 1 6 8 3 ▁Cow ard ▁became ▁M . A ., ▁in ▁ 1 6 8 5 ▁M . B ., ▁and ▁in