made him tame from the beginning. I always admitted them into the parlour after fupper, when the carpet affording their feet a firm hold, they would frisk, and bound, and play a thousand gambols, in which Befs, being remarkably ftrong and fearless, was always fuperior to the reft, and proved himself the Veftris of the party. One evening the cat, being in the room, had the hardiness to pat Befs upon the cheek, an indignity which he refented by drumming upon her back with fuch violence that the cat was happy to escape from under his paws, and hide herself.

I describe these animals as having each a character of his own. Such they were in fact, and their countenances were so expreffive of that character, that, when I looked only on the face of either, I immediately knew which it was. It is faid that a fhepherd, however numerous his flock, foon becomes so familiar with their features, that he can, by that indication only, distinguish each from all the reft; and yet, to a common observer, the difference is hardly perceptible. I doubt not that the fame discrimination in the cast of countenances would be discoverable in hares, and am perfuaded that among a thousand of them no two could be found exactly fimilar a circumstance little fufpected by those who have not had opportunity to obferve it. These creatures have a fingular fagacity in discovering the minutest alteration that is made in the place to which they are accustomed, and instantly apply their nose to the examination of a new object. A small hole being burnt in the carpet, it was mended with a patch, and that patch in a moment underwent the strictest scrutiny. They seem too to be very much directed by the smell in the choice of their favourites: to fome perfons, though they faw them daily, they could never be reconciled, and would even scream when they attempted to touch them; but a miller coming in engaged their affections at once; his powdered coat had charms that were irresistible. It is no wonder that my intimate acquaintance with these specimens of the kind has taught me to hold the sportsman's amusement in abhorrence; he little knows what amiable creatures he perfecutes, of what gratitude they are capable, how cheerful they are in their spirits, what enjoyment they have of life, and that, impressed as they seem with a peculiar dread of man, it is only because man gives them peculiar cause for it.

That I may not be tedious, I will just give a short summary of thofe articles of diet that fuit them beft.

I take it to be a general opinion, that they graze, but it is an erroneous one, at least grass is not their staple; they seem rather to use it medicinally, foon quitting it for leaves of almost any kind. Sowthiftle, dandelion, and lettuce, are their favourite vegetables, especially the laft. I discovered by accident that fine white fand is in great eftimation with them; I fuppofe as a digeftive. It happened, that I was cleaning a birdcage when the hares were with me; I placed a pot filled with such fand upon the floor, which being at once directed to by a strong instinct, they devoured voracioufly; fince that time I have generally taken care to fee them well fupplied with it. They account green corn a delicacy, both blade and stalk, but the ear they seldom eat: ftraw of any kind, efpecially wheat-ftraw, is another of their dainties; they will feed greedily upon oats, but if furnished with clean ftraw never want them; it ferves them also for a bed, and, if fhaken up daily, will be kept fweet and dry for a confiderable time. They do not indeed require aromatic herbs, but will eat a small quantity of them with great relish, and are particularly fond of the plant called mufk; they seem to resemble sheep in this, that, if their pasture be too fucculent, they are very subject to the rot; to prevent which, I always made bread their principal nourishment, and, filling a pan with it, cut into small fquares, placed it every evening in their chambers, for they feed only at evening and in the night; during the winter, when vegetables were not to be got, I mingled this mess of bread with fhreds of carrot, adding to it the rind of apples cut extremely thin; for though they are fond of the paring, the apple itself disgusts them. Thefe however not being a fufficient substitute for the juice of fummer herbs, they muft at this time be fupplied with water; but fo placed that they cannot overfet it into their beds. I must not omit, that occasionally they are much pleased with twigs of hawthorn, and of the common brier, eating even the very wood when it is of confiderable thickness.

Befs, I have faid, died young; Tiney lived to be nine years old, and died at last, I have reason to think, of some hurt in his loins by a fall; Puss is still living, and has just completed his tenth year, discovering no figns of decay, nor even of age, except that he has grown more difcreet and lefs frolicfome than he I cannot conclude without obferving, that I have lately introduced a dog to his acquaintance, a fpaniel that had never

was.

seen a hare to a hare that had never feen a spaniel. I did it with great caution, but there was no real need of it. Pufs difcovered no token of fear, nor Marquis the leaft fymptom of hoftility. There is, therefore, it should seem, no natural antipathy between dog and hare, but the pursuit of the one occafions the flight of the other, and the dog purfues because he is trained to it; they eat bread at the fame time out of the fame hand, and are in all refpects fociable and friendly.

I should not do complete juftice to my fubject, did I not add, that they have no ill fcent belonging to them, that they are indefatigably nice in keeping themselves clean, for which purpose nature has furnished them with a brufh under each foot; and that they are never infefted by any vermin.

May 28, 1784.

Memorandum found among Mr. Cowper's Papers.

Tuesday, March 9, 1786.

This day died poor Pufs, aged eleven years eleven months. He died between twelve and one at noon, of mere old apparently without pain.

age, and

TRANSLATIONS

FROM THE FRENCH OF MADAME

art,

DE LA MOTHE GUION.

1. THE NATIVITY.

IS folly all!-let me no more be told
Of Parian porticos, and roofs of gold;
Delightful views of nature, drefs'd by

Enchant no longer this indifferent heart;
The Lord of all things, in his humble birth,
Makes mean the proud magnificence of earth;
The straw, the manger, and the mouldering wall,
Eclipfe its luftre; and I fcorn it all.

Canals, and fountains, and delicious vales,
Green flopes and plains, whose plenty never fails;
Deep rooted groves, whose heads sublimely rise,
Earth-born, and yet ambitious of the skies;
The abundant foliage of whofe gloomy fhades,
Vainly the fun in all its power invades ;
Where warbled airs of fprightly birds refound,
Whofe verdure lives while Winter fcowls around;

Rocks, lofty mountains, caverns dark and deep, And torrents raving down the rugged steep; Smooth downs, whose fragrant herbs the spirits cheer;

Meads crown'd with flowers; ftreams mufical and clear,

Whose filver waters, and whofe murmurs, join
Their artless charms, to make the fcene divine;
The fruitful vineyard, and the furrow'd plain,
That seems a rolling fea of golden grain :
All, all have loft the charms they once poffefs'd:
An infant God reigns sovereign in my breast;
From Bethlehem's bofom I no more will rove;
There dwells the Saviour, and there rests my

love.

Ye mightier rivers, that, with founding force, Urge down the valleys your impetuous course! Winds, clouds, and lightnings! and, ye waves, whofe heads,

Curl'd into monftrous forms, the feaman dreads!
Horrid abyfs, where all experience fails,

Spread with the wreck of planks and shatter'd fails;
On whose broad back grim Death triumphant rides,
While havoc floats on all thy fwelling tides,
Thy shores a scene of ruin, ftrew'd around
With veffels bulged, and bodies of the drown'd!
Ye fish, that sport beneath the boundless waves,
And rest, secure from man, in rocky caves;
Swift-darting sharks, and whales of hideous fize,
Whom all the aquatic world with terror eyes!
Had I but faith immoveable and true,

I might defy the fierceft ftorm, like you :
The world, a more disturb'd and boisterous fea,