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But now beneath his walnut fhade

He finds his long laft home, And waits, in fnug concealment laid,

Till gentler Pufs fhall come.

He, ftill more aged, feels the shocks,
From which no care can fave,

And, partner once of Tiney's box,
Muft foon partake his grave.

EPITAPHIUM ALTERUM

Hic etiam jacet,

Qui totum novennium vixit,

Pufs.

Sifte paulifper,

Qui præteriturus es,

Et tecum fic reputa-
Nunc neque canis venaticus,
Nec plumbum miffile,

Nec laqueus,

Nec imbres nimii,

Confecêre

Tamen mortuus eft

Et moriar ego.

The following Account of the Treatment of his Hares was inserted by Mr. Cowper in the Gentleman's Magazine, whence it is tranfcribed.

In the year 1774, being much indifpofed both in mind and body, incapable of diverting myself either with company or books, and yet in a condition that made fome diverfion neceffary, I was glad of any thing, that would engage my attention without fatiguing it. The children of a neighbour of mine had a leveret given them for a plaything; it was at that time about three months old. Underftanding better how to tease the poor creature than to feed it, and, foon becoming weary of their charge, they readily consented that their father, who faw it pining and growing leaner every day, should offer it to my acceptance. I was willing enough to take the prisoner under my protection, perceiving that, in the management of fuch an animal, and in the attempt to tame it, I should find juft that fort of employment which my case required. It was foon known among the neighbours that I was pleased with the prefent; and the confequence was, that in a short time I had as many leverets offered to me, as would have ftocked a paddock. I undertook the care of three, which it is neceffary that I should here diftinguish by the names I gave them-Pufs, Tiney, and Befs. Notwithftanding the

two feminine appellatives, I muft inform you that they were all males. Immediately commencing carpenter, I built them houfes to fleep in; each had a separate apartment, so contrived that their ordure would pass through the bottom of it; an earthen pan placed under each received whatfoever fell, which being duly emptied and washed, they were thus kept perfectly sweet and clean. In the day-time they had the range of a hall, and at night retired each to his own bed, never intruding into that of another.

Pufs grew presently familiar, would leap into my lap, raise himself upon his hinder feet, and bite the hair from my temples. He would fuffer me to take him up and to carry him about in my arms, and has more than once fallen faft afleep upon my knee. He was ill three days, during which time I nurfed him, kept him apart from his fellows, that they might not moleft him (for, like many other wild animals, they perfecute one of their own fpecies that is fick), and by conftant care, and trying him with a variety of herbs, reftored him to perfect health. No creature could be more grateful than my patient after his recovery; a fentiment which he moft fignificantly expreffed by licking my hand, first the back of it, then the palm, then every finger separately, then between all the fingers, as if anxious to leave no part of it unfaluted; a ceremony which he never performed but once again upon a fimilar occafion. Finding him extremely tractable, I made it my cuftom to carry him always after breakfast into the garden, where he hid himself generally under the leaves

of a cucumber vine, sleeping or chewing the cud till evening; in the leaves alfo of that vine he found a favourite repast. I had not long habituated him to this taste of liberty, before he began to be impatient for the return of the time when he might enjoy it. He would invite me to the garden by drumming upon my knee, and by a look of fuch expreffion as it was not poffible to misinterpret. If this rhetoric did not immediately fucceed, he would take the skirt of my coat between his teeth, and pull at it with all his force. Thus Pufs might be faid to be perfectly tamed, the shyness of his nature was done away, and on the whole it was visible by many fymptoms, which I have not room to enumerate, that he was happier in human society than when shut up with his natural companions.

Not fo Tiney; upon him the kindeft treatment had not the leaft effect. He too was fick, and in his fickness had an equal share of my attention; but if, after his recovery, I took the liberty to ftroke him, he would grunt, ftrike with his fore feet, fpring forward, and bite. He was however very entertaining in his way; even his furliness was matter of mirth, and in his play he preserved such an air of gravity, and performed his feats with fuch a folemnity of manner, that in him too I had an agreeable companion.

Befs, who died foon after he was full grown, and whose death was occafioned by his being turned into his box, which had been washed, while it was yet damp, was a hare of great humour and drollery. Pufs was tamed by gentle ufage;

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