72 
Westminster School (where he was the contemporary of Thurlow 
and Warren Hastings), and much of the strong indignation 
expressed in his “ Tirocinium,”’ was suggested by his recollection 
of those days. The large schoolroom at Westminster has recently 
been restored. The panels have been decorated with the armorial 
bearings of such old scholars as are known to fame. In that 
group of worthies the name of Cowper comes second, following 
that of Dryden, and preceding those of Locke, Gibbon, Wren, 
Hastings, and Mansfield. A window in the Abbey, given by an 
American citizen, commemorates “two sacred poets alike con- 
nected with Westminster in their early days, and representing in 
their gentle strains the two opposite sides of the English 
Church— George Herbert and William Cowper.” 
Cowper never married. His uncle refused his consent to his 
daughter's union with the poet, and the lovers separated for 
ever. As he truly said of her, she was “ through tedious years 
of doubt and pain, fixed in her choice, and faithful—but in vain.” 
She treasured the verses he had addressed to her, and these were 
afterwards incorporated in his published works. Often in his 
poverty there came from some source unknown to him a present 
of money to help him. The welcome gift came from the hand 
of her who through a long life remained true to the lover of her 
youth. We hear of this, and then perchance go away and muse 
on the inconstancy of woman. Never was man more tenderly 
cared for by the other sex than was Cowper. Yet how different 
he from the type of man the ordinary popular novelist leads us 
to believe is the most attractive to the feminine mind. He had 
no splendid physique, no commanding presence —he was weakly, 
shy, and retiring ; in temperament desponding, and at times not 
the master of his own actions. Had there been no Lady Austen, 
some of his songs would never have been written, there had been 
no story in verse of the ‘Loss of the Royal George,” or the 
diverting history of John Gilpin, and the world had wanted his 
chief work “The Task.” It was Mrs. Unwin who suggested to the 
timid poet that he should undertake something more important 
than slight fugitive pieces. Had it not been for her, ‘‘ Truth ” and 
« The Progress of Error” would not have been written. And it 
was to her the grateful poet addressed what is one of the finest 
sonnets in the language, beginning, ‘‘ Mary, I want a lyre with 
other strings,”’ and ending with the lines, “ There is a book by 
seraphs writ,” &c. Lady Hesketh acted as the poet’s amanuensis, 
and out of her ample means ministered to his many necessities. 
Lady Austen came to Olney bringing in her train gladness, and 
music, and flowers. The three years of her residence there were 
the most active years of the poet’s life. The friendship of Mary 
Unwin with the lonely poet, was one on which it is beautiful to 
dwell. It lasted some three-and-twenty years. When “ she 
