Melt in foft blandishments, and humble joy ;
His gloffy fkin, or yellow-pied, or blue,
In lights or fhades by Nature's pencil drawn,
Reflects the various tints; his ears and legs
Fleckt here and there, in gay enamel'd pride,
Rival the fpeckled pard; his rufh-grown tail
O'er his broad back bends in an ample arch;
On fhoulders clean, upright and firm he stands ;
His round cat foot, ftrait hams, and wide-spread thighs, And his low-dropping cheft, confefs his fpeed,
His strength, his wind, or on the steepy hill,
Or fax-extended plain; in every part
So well proportion'd, that the nicer skill
Of Phidias himself can't blame thy choice.
Of fuch compofe thy pack. But here a mean
Obferve, nor the large hound prefer, of size
Gigantick; he in the thick-woven covert
Painfully tugs, or in the thorny brake
Torn and embarrass'd bleeds; But if too fmall,
The pigmy brood in every furrow swims;
Moil'd in the clogging clay, panting they lag
Behind inglorious; or elfe fhivering creep
Benumb'd and faint beneath the fheltering thorn.
For hounds of middle fizé, active and strong,
Will better anfwer all thy various ends,
And crown thy pleafing labours with fuccefs.
As fome brave captain, curious and exact,
By his fix'd standard forms in equal ranks
His gay battalion, as one man they move
Step after ftep, their fize the fame, their arms
Far-gleaming, dart the fame united blaze:
Reviewing generals his merit own;
How regular! how juft! And all his cares
Are well repaid, if mighty George approve.
So model thou thy pack, if honour touch
Thy generous foul, and the world's just applause.
But above all take heed, nor mix thy hounds
Of different kinds; difcordant founds fhall grate
Thy ears offended, and a lagging line
Of babbling curs difgrace thy broken pack.
But if th' amphibious otter be thy chace,
Or ftately ftag, that o'er the woodland reigns;
Or if the harmonious thunder of the field
Delight thy ravish'd ears; the deep-flew'd hound 285
Breed up with care, strong, heavy, flow, but sure;
Whofe ears down-hanging from his thick round head
Shall fweep the morning dew, whofe clanging voice
Awake the mountain echo in her cell,
And shake the forefts: The bold Talbot kind
Of these the prime; as white as Alpine fnows;
And great their use of old. Upon the banks
Of Tweed, flow winding through the vale, the feat
Of war and rapine once, ere Britons knew
The sweets of peace, or Anna's dread commands 295
To lafting leagues the haughty rivals aw'd,
There dwelt a pilfering race; well train'd and skill'd
In all the mysteries of theft, the spoil
Their only substance, feuds and war their sport :
Th' arch felon was of old, who by the tail
Drew back his lowing prize: in vain his wiles,
In vain the shelter of the covering rock,
In vain the footy cloud, and ruddy flames
That iffued from his mouth; for foon he paid
His forfeit life: a debt how justly due
To wrong'd Alcides, and avenging Heaven!
Veil'd in the shades of night they ford the stream,
Then prowling far and near, whate'er they seize
Becomes their prey; nor flocks nor herds are fafe, 310
Nor stalls protect the fteer, nor ftrong-barr'd doors
Secure the favourite horfe. Soon as the morn
Reveals his wrongs, with ghaftly visage wan
The plunder'd owner ftands, and from his lips
A thousand thronging curses burst their way :
He calls his ftout allies, and in a line
His faithful hound he leads, then with a voice
That utters loud his rage, attentive chears :
Soon the fagacious brute, his curling tail
Flourish'd in air, low bending plies around
His bufy nofe, the steaming vapour fnuffs
Inquifitive, nor leaves one turf untried,
Till, confcious of the recent ftains, his heart
Beats quick; his fnuffling nofe, his active tail,
Atteft his joy; then with deep opening mouth,
That makes the welkin tremble, he proclaims
Th' audacious felon; foot by foot he marks
His winding way, while all the listening crowd
Cacus, Virg. Æn. lib. viii.
Applaud his reafonings. O'er the watery ford,
Dry fandy heaths, and ftony barren hills,
O'er beaten paths, with men and beasts distain'd,
Unerring he pursues ; till at the cot
Arriv'd, and feizing by his guilty throat
The caitif vile, redeems the captive prey :
So exquifitely delicate his fenfe!
Should fome more curious sportsman here enquire
Whence this fagacity, this wondrous power
Of tracing step by step, or man or brute ?
What guide invifible points out their way,
O'er the dank marsh, bleak hill, and fandy plain? 340
The courteous Mufe fhall the dark caufe reveal.
The blood that from the heart inceffant rolls
In many a crimson tide, then here and there
In smaller rills difparted, as it flows
Propell'd, the ferous particles evade
Through th' open pores, and with the ambient air
Entangling mix. As fuming vapours rife,
And hang upon the gently purling brook,
There by th' incumbent atmosphere comprefs'd.
The panting chace grows warmer as he flies,
And through the net-work of the skin perspires;
Leaves a long-streaming trail behind, which by
The cooler air condens'd, remains, unless
By fome rude ftorm difpers'd, or rarified
By the meridian fun's intenser heat.
Το every fhrub the warm effluvia cling,
Hang on the grafs, impregnate earth and skies.
With noftrils opening wide, o'er hill, o'er dale
The vigorous hounds purfue, with every breath
Inhale the grateful fteam, quick pleasures fting
Their tingling nerves, while they their thanks repay,
And in triumphant melody confess
The titillating joy. Thus on the air
Depend the hunter's hopes. When ruddy streaks
At eve forebode a blustering stormy day,
Or lowering clouds blacken the mountain's brow,
When nipping frofts, and the keen biting blasts
Of the dry parching eaft, menace the trees
With tender bloffoms teeming, kindly spare
Thy fleeping pack, in their warm beds of straw
Low-finking at their eafe; liftless they shrink
Into fome dark recefs, nor hear thy voice
Though oft invok'd; or haply if thy call
Rouse up the flumbering tribe, with heavy eyes
Glaz'd, lifeless, dull, downward they drop their tails
Inverted; high on their bent backs erect
Their pointed bristles ftare, or 'mong the tufts
Of ranker weeds, each stomach-healing plant
Curious they crop, fick, fpiritless, forlorn.
These inaufpicious days, on other cares
Employ thy precious hours; th' improving friend
With open arms embrace, and from his lips
Glean fcience, feafon'd with good-natur'd wit..
But if th' inclement fkies and angry Jove
Forbid the pleafing intercourse, thy books
Invite thy ready hand, each facred page
Rich with the wife remarks of heroes old.
Converse familiar with th" illuftrious dead;
|