Page:Biographia Hibernica volume 2.djvu/53

CUNNINGHAM. 49 Cunningham lodged at the Golden Lion inn, at Scar borough, in the year 1765. The landlord was a meek, passive husband, and the landlady a perfect termagant. It happened on a certain occasion, that the lady's temper was ruffled by a trivial incident that occurred, and as no sooth ing could restrain the impetuosity of her passion, she burst into violent exclamations; nor did either husband, guests, or servant, escape the fury of her clamorous tongue. The poet, whose placid temper i l l suited with the vehe mence o f this virago, left the house, and taking the land lord with him into the street, pointed t o the sign, and uttered these words:— Friend W***, i f you would get rid o f a scold, And live without trouble and strife, I’d advise you t o take down your lion o f gold, And hang up your brazen-faced wife. WILLIAM CUNNINGHAM, A poet o f some ability, but more worthy o f being recorded for his classical attainments. He was of that numerous class o f individuals termed “self taught;” and had little t o aid him i n his literary pursuits, but that por tion o f steady application which i s usually possessed by those who are determined t o emerge from the obscurity i n which Providence has placed them. He was born o n the 19th o f March, 1781, near Dromore, and was “in daily labours o f the loom employed,” during which period h e received the first rudiments o f education a t one o f the Bishop o f Dromore's Sunday schools; and had, b y reading such books a s h e could borrow, made s o considerable a progress, that i n the autumn o f 1800, h e presented his lordship with a copy o f verses, requesting the loan o f books. The bishop recognising the indelible marks o f genius displayed throughout the poem, deter mined t o rescue him from the miserable drudgery i n which h e was doomed t o toil, which h e shortly afterwards did, and placed him a t the diocesan school o f Dromore, WOL. II. E