o the "Fortunes of Nigel," he depicts the manners
and traditions he had seen and heard on the banks of the Nith. In 1819,
he began to contribute to _Blackwood's Magazine_, and from 1822 to 1824
wrote largely for the _London Magazine_. Two collected volumes of his
contributions to these periodicals were afterwards published, under the
title of "Traditional Tales." In 1825, he gave to the world "The Songs
of Scotland, Ancient and Modern, with an Introduction and Notes," in
four volumes 8vo. This work abounds in much valuable and curious
criticism. "Paul Jones," a romance in three volumes, was the product of
1826; it was eminently successful. A second romance from his pen, "Sir
Michael Scott," published in 1828, in three volumes, did not succeed.
"The Anniversary," a miscellany which appeared in the winter of that
year, under his editorial superintendence, obtained an excellent
reception. From 1829 to 1833, he produced for "Murray's Family Library"
his most esteemed prose work, "The Lives of the Most Eminent British
Painters, Sculptors, and Architects," in six volumes. "The Maid of
Elvar," an epic poem in the Spenserian stanza, connected with the
chivalrous enterprise displayed in the warfare between Scotland and
England, during the reign of Henry VIII., was published in 1832. His
admirable edition of the works of Robert Burns appeared in 1834, and
5000 copies were speedily sold.[8] In 1836, he published "Lord Roldan,"
a romance. From 1830 to 1834, he was a constant writer in _The
Athenaeum_, to which, among many interesting articles, he contributed his
sentiments regarding the literary characters of the times, in a series
of papers entitled "Literature of the Last Fifty Years." He wrote a
series of prose descriptions for "Major's Cabinet Gallery," a "History
of the Rise and Progress of the Fine Arts," for the "Popular
Encyclopaedia;" an introduction, and a few additional lives, for
"Pilkington's Painters," and a life of Thomson for Tilt's illustrated
edition of "The Seasons." He contemplated a great work, to be entitled
"Lives of the British Poets," and this design, which he did not live to
accomplish, is likely to be realised by his son, Mr Peter Cunningham.
His last publication was the "Life of Sir David Wilkie," which he
completed just two days before his death. He was suddenly seized with an
apoplectic attack, and died after a brief illness on the 29th October
1842. His remains were interred in Kensal-green Cemetery. He