Page:Biographia Hibernica volume 2.djvu/48

 44 CUNNINGHAM. engaged in much controversy on the subject. His works, chiefly on the ecclesiastical disputes of the times, are numerous, and a list of them may be found in the first volume of Calamy's ejected Ministers. JOHN CUNNINGHAM, An elegant and ingenious poet, and a very worthy man, was born in Dublin in the year 1729, where his father and mother, both of whom were descended from Scotch pa rents, then resided. His father was a wine cooper, and becoming enriched by a prize in the lottery, commenced wine merchant, but failed shortly after. He was the youngest son of his father, and early began to exhibit specimens of his poetical genius in several fugitive pieces which he published anonymously in the Dublin newspa pers; and by the time he had attained his twelfth year, he had produced several poetic effusions, which are still honoured with the public esteem. The little education our author received was from a Mr. Clark, who was master of the grammar school of the city of Drogheda; and when his father's affairs became embar rassed, he was recalled to Dublin. About the age of seventeen, he wrote his only dramatic piece, which was a farce, entitled, “Love in a Mist; or, the Lass of Spirit,” which was acted several nights at Dublin in 1747; and to this farce Garrick is said to have been considerably in debted for his fable of “The Lying Valet.” The free access which this little drama gave him to the theatre, was of a very pernicious consequence to him, as it created a dis like to the plodding life of a tradesman, and excited a desire to appear on the stage as a performer, though he scarcely possessed a single requisite for such a profession. His figure was totally against him either for tragedy or genteel comedy. In the petit maitre cast, however, he was tolerable, and he is said to have arrived at excellence in personating the mock French characters. Every at tempt to suppress his passion for the stage having become 1