Our Portrait Gallery 



345 



prevent him from dwelling upon memories which caused 

 depression. Hymns were his first composition, and the 

 "Progress of Error," " Table Talk," "Truth," "Expostula- 

 tion," and best of all, " The Task," &c, followed. 



Mrs. Unwin was senior to Cowper and her position was 

 half motherly. Cowper was 66 when Mrs. Unwin died. Her 

 maiden name was Cawthorne, and she was born at Ely. 



During the years 1794 to 1796 she had repeated attacks of 

 paralysis, and finally sank into a state of mental decrepi- 

 tude. In Cowper's correspondence during the years 1790 

 and onwards, there are frequent references to Mrs. Unwin's 

 health. The following extracts from the poet's letters give 

 us a glimpse of their social life ; under date November 29, 

 1788, Cowper, writing to a friend, remarked : — ■ 



" Lady Hesketh and Mrs. Unwin are both talking as if they 

 designed to make themselves amends for the silence they are 

 enjoined while I sit translating Homer. Mrs. Unwin is preparing 

 breakfast, and not having seen each other since they parted to go to 

 bed, they have consequently a deal to communicate." 



On December 6 of the same year : — 



" An almost general cessation of egg-laying among the hens, has 

 made it impossible for Mrs. Unwin to enterprise a cake." 



Again, during the same winter he writes : — 



" That you may not suppose us all sluggards alike, it is necessary, 

 however, that I should add a word or two on this subject in justifica- 

 tion of Mrs. Unwin, who, because the days are too short for the 

 important concern of knitting stockings and mending them, generally 

 rises by candle-light." 



Mrs. Unwin's face may be taken as a good type of features 

 which are not very uncommon. It is a very short, round 

 face, with no exaggerated characteristics. It is repeated, if 

 we may trust Vanity Fair, very closely indeed in that of a 

 well-known member of the House of Commons whose name 

 we shall not give. No such delicacy need be observed, 

 however, in the case of Sir James E. Smith, the distinguished 

 botanist. Smith's portrait is given in vol. vi, of Nichol's 

 " Illustrations of Literary History." He and Mrs. Unwin 



