once an innocent child, and might have been a happy wife with children round her knees, is it to be wondered at that he pondered on the question, 'On what theory might these have been wives?""

In short, a man may arrive at wrong conclusions on the subject of marriage, and yet not necessarily be an immoral man.

Had Cowper contented himself with criticizing the book in his letters, or writing epigrams upon it for the amusement of his friends, all would have been well; but, unfortunately, he wrote in December 1780, and not only wrote, but sent to press, a satirical attack on Madan, entitled " Anti-Thelyphthora," a poem that was printed as a quarto pamphlet by Johnson, and issued anonymously in 1781. It is noticed in the sixty-fourth volume of the Monthly Review. In respect to this production Mr. Benham observes: "It seems almost incredible that such a foolish straining after the comic, such a coarse and vulgar effusion, could have proceeded from so delightful a humourist and such a thorough gentleman." But Cowper himself could see in after years that in publishing the " AntiThelyphthora" he had committed, if not a folly, a mistake. He had allowed the authorship of it to remain a secret at first, on account of his relationship to the person against whom it was aimed, but when that reason was taken away by the death of Mr. Madan, he was glad to let it remain an anonymity-to give it, what Carlyle would have called, "Christian burial." Some thirty years after the poet's death Southey disinterred it from the British Museum.

Despite its shortcomings, "Anti-Thelyphthora" is

most interesting to students of Cowper, for it was the first of his series of long poems. Poor as it was, taken as a whole, it was always a start. Cowper's maiden fight was a tilt with Sir Airy del Castro (Mr. Madan),1 and though he did not greatly distinguish himself on the occasion, it served to inform him that he was not altogether wanting in skill as a satirist.

For example, as an indication of his powers in that line, take his allusion to the lady Hypothesis, who taught

"That forms material, whatsoe'er we dream,
Are not at all, or are not what they seein;
That substances and modes of every kind
Are mere impressions on the passive mind;
And he that splits his cranium, breaks at most
A fancied head upon a fancied post."

This was not at all bad for a beginning, and Cowper may well have imagined that the man who could write this could write more. Having broken a lance in behalf of monogamy, why not ride forth as the champion of other virtues? The Thelyphthorian doctrines mangled, why not close with other abuses?

Meantime he was able to report an increase in his income. He was informed that Lady Cowper, a lady with whom he had once been slightly acquainted, and who had died in the previous August, had left him an annuity of £20. Subsequently, however, he discovered that the intelligence was not accurate. The money was to come to him, but "from a different mine" (December 10, 1780).

'The "Knight of the Silver Moon, Sir Marmadan," of this poem was Mr. Badcock, of the Monthly Review, who had severely handled Mr. Madan's book in that periodical.

CHAPTER XII.

"SISTER ANNE;" OR, THE WRITING OF

HIS FIRST VOLUME.

(December, 1780-February, 1782.)

77. "The Progress of Error," "Truth," and "Table Talk."-January and February, 1781.

P

ERCEIVING that the occupation of writing

pleased him, Mrs. Unwin encouraged it. Newton's praise of "Anti-Thelyphthora," too, though it was misplaced, had considerable influence in inciting Cowper to make further use of his pen. And so it came about that he, who, for want of a better occupation, had mended kitchen windows, drawn mountains and dabchicks, and grown cantaloupes, found from that day forward he had enough to do. The first intimation we have of what he was about is in the letter to Newton, dated December 21, 1780. "It will," he says, "not be long, perhaps, before you will receive a poem called 'The Progress of Error.' That will be succeeded by another, in due time, called . 'Truth.' Don't be alarmed. I ride Pegasus with

a curb. He will never run away with me again. I have even convinced Mrs. Unwin that I can manage him, and make him stop when I please.'

From this it may be gathered that though Newton had praised Cowper's former poem, the lengths the writer had gone had somewhat alarmed him. There was need, however, for no further fear. Henceforward Pegasus would be managed better.

"The Progress of Error" was finished in January, and Cowper's neighbour, Mr. Raban, being under the necessity of visiting London, undertook to carry the poem to the Rev. John Newton. No sooner had the poem departed, however, than Cowper began to feel uneasy, for he knew Mr. Raban "to be that sort of genius, which, being much busied in making excursions of the imaginary kind, is not always present to its own immediate concerns, much less to those of others; and wished the poem had been entrusted to a less volatile person."" The important missive, however, arrived safely at its destination. "I am glad," says Cowper, "that The Progress of Error' did not err in its progress, as I feared it had, and that it has reached you safe; and still more pleased that it has met with your approbation, for had it not, I should have wished it had miscarried."

On Raban's return, Cowper was of course all eagerness to know how his friend Newton was going on, and all about him; but, provokingly enough, though engineered with question after question," the reticent Mr. Raban had next to nothing to tell. We are allowed to picture this worthy seated in Cowper's parlour, with legs stretched out at full length, crossed feet, and folded