THE COCK AND THE FOX.

Engraved by J. T. WILMORE, from a Painting by T. STOTHARD, R. A.

WE feel great pleasure in presenting our subscribers this month with a subject from Chaucer by the distinguished artist who painted the Canterbury Pilgrimage. What has been said of Goldsmith as an author may, with equal truth, be applied to the late Thomas Stothard as a painter: "He touched nothing which he did not adorn." Our plate affords a specimen of his talents as an animal painter; and the style in which it is engraved by Wilmore is at once worthy of the painter's reputation and his own. The subject, as we have said, is from Chaucer, and no words could describe it more truly than the verses of the poet. The picture and the poetry mutually illustrate each other.

"And so befell that as he cast his eye
Among the wortes on a boterflie,

He was ware of this fox that lay ful low.
Nothing ne list him thanne for to crow,
But cried anon cok, cok, and up he sterte,
As man that was affraied in his herte;
For naturely a beest desireth flee
Fro his contrarie, if he may it see,

Though he never erst had seen it with his eye.
This chaunteclere, when he gan him espie,
He wold have fled, but that the fox anon
Said, gentil sire, alas! what wol ye don?
Be
ye affraid of me that am your frend?
Now, certes, I were worse than any fend,
If I to you wold harm or vilanie ;

I n' am not come your conseil to espie;

But trewely the cause of my coming

Was only for to herken how ye sing.""-The Nonnes Preestes Tale.

February 12th. I arrived this day at Gask on my second visit to Lord Kintore, and found, among others, a promising young sportsman under his roof-Mr. Dingwall, of Bruckley, in Aberdeenshire, who had just eft Oxford, whence his horses had arrived by a steamer, apparently very little the worse for the voyage. Mr. Whyte Melville was expected, but was obliged to postpone his visit.

1. ndon, 1837 Fublished for the Proprietors of the New Sporting Magazine by k Ackermann, 11, Fegent Stree