COWPER'S THREE TAME HARES 53 



156. aromatic herbs. Such as anise, mint, parsley, &c. 



179. discovering no signs of decay. ' Discovering ' here has the 

 meaning of ' showing '. Among Cowper's papers, after his 

 death, was found the following memorandum : * Tuesday, 

 March 9, 1786. This day died poor Puss, aged eleven years 

 eleven months. She (sic) died between twelve and one at noon, 

 of mere old age, and apparently without pain.' 



THE HUNTED HARE 



POOR is the triumph o'er the timid bare, The hare 



Scared from the corn, and now to some lone seat !^ r 



Retired the rushy fen, the ragged furze 



Stretched o'er the stony heath, the stubble chapt, 



The thistly lawn, the thick entangled broom, 



Of the same friendly hue the withered fern, 



The fallow ground laid open to the sun 



Concoctive, and the nodding sandy bank 



Hung o'er the mazes of the mountain brook. 



10 Vain is her best precaution, though she sits Her 



Concealed with folded ears, unsleeping eyes vigilance. 



By Nature raised to take the horizon in, 



And head couched close betwixt her hairy feet, 



In act to spring away. 



The scented dew The 



Betrays her early labyrinth; and deep, Harriers! 



In scattered sullen openings, far behind, 

 With every breeze she hears the coming storm. 



But, nearer and more frequent as it loads Her flight. 



The sighing gale, she springs amazed, and all 

 20 The savage soul of game is up at once ; 



