ccupation, that he first essayed the composition of verses;
he submitted his poems to his father, who mingled judicious criticism
with words of encouragement. "The Har'st Home," one of his earliest
pieces of merit, was privileged with insertion in the series of "Poetry,
Original and Selected," published by Brash & Reid, booksellers in
Glasgow. Proceeding to England in 1797, he entered the workshop of a
mill-wright in Rotherham. Under the same employer he afterwards pursued
his craft at King's Lynn; in 1800 he removed to Wiltshire, and soon
after to the neighbourhood of Cambridge. He next received employment at
Dover, and thence proceeded to London, where he occupied a situation in
the establishment of Rennie, the celebrated engineer. He afterwards
became foreman to one Dickson, an engineer, and superintendent of
Fowler's chain-cable manufactory. In 1812 he returned to Rennie's
establishment as a clerk, with a liberal salary. On leaving his father's
house to seek his fortune in the south, he had been strongly counselled
by Mr Miller of Dalswinton to abjure the gratification of his poetical
tendencies, and he seems to have resolved on the faithful observance of
this injunction. For a period of nine years his muse was silent; at
length, in 1806, he appeared in the _Scots Magazine_ as the contributor
of some of the best verses which had ever adorned the pages of that
periodical. The editor was eloquent in his commendations; and the
Ettrick Shepherd, who was already a contributor to the magazine, took
pains to discover the author, and addressed him a lengthened poetical
epistle, expressive of his admiration. A private intimacy ensued between
the two rising poets; and when the Shepherd, in 1809, planned the
"Forest Minstrel," he made application to his ingenious friend for
contributions. Cunningham sanctioned the republication of such of his
lyrics as had appeared in the _Scots Magazine_, and these proved the
best ornaments of the work.

Impatient of criticism, and of a whimsical turn of mind, Cunningham was
incapable of steadfastly pursuing the career of a man of letters. Just
as his name was becoming known by his verses in the _Scots Magazine_, he
took offence at some incidental allusions to his style, and suddenly
stopped his contributions. Silent for a second period of nine years, the
circumstance of the appropriation of one of his songs in the "Nithsdale
Minstrel," a provincial collection of poetry, published at Dumfries,