stminster School, where he made some good
friends. Here, too, he took a more manly stand, played football and
cricket with the other boys, and redeemed himself from some of his
weakness. But he had numerous spells of moodiness and sadness, during
which he hid himself from his fellows and refused to join their plays
even. He was unusually intelligent, distinguished himself in his
studies, and became a favorite with his teachers.

Among his friends here was Warren Hastings, who long years afterwards,
as governor of India, was convicted of cruelty and extortion. Cowper
showed the loyalty of his nature by refusing utterly to believe in the
guilt of his old friend.

William's father wished to make a lawyer of his son, and when the boy
had finished at Westminster he was sent to study law in London. If he
had been unhappy in school, he became even more so now, for there was
nothing in the legal profession to attract him. Instead of reading law
he read literature; instead of writing legal papers he wrote poems and
sketches. Finally, however, he became a lawyer, but he could never bring
himself to practice his profession.

At one time he was given a clerkship, but in preparation for it he was
asked to take an examination before the bar at the House of Lords. Here
his old nervousness and timidity overpowered him, and he failed to
appear; in fact, he ran away, planning to kill himself, but at the last
moment his courage again failed him. After this, his mind gave way, and
he was for a time in an asylum. In fact, at intervals thereafter, he had
attacks of despondency and moodiness, of fear and discouragement, which
showed how seriously his mind was affected.

So far this is not a very attractive picture; but it is one side of the
great poet's character. That there was another we knew, for he made the
most loyal friends, who opened their homes to him and were ever willing
to care for him.

At one time he was engaged to be married, but an attack of insanity
prevented the union, though it did not destroy the ardent friendship of
the lovers. Cowper could never wholly throw off the fear of the future.
"Day and night," he once wrote, "I was upon the rack, lying down in
horror and rising up in despair."

His most attached friends, the Unwins, were deeply religious people, and
at their house Cowper spent his happiest years. It was a great shock to
him when Mr. Unwin was thrown from a horse and killed. From that time a
succession of