202 The Poets' Beasts. 



small deer, who, as required for the table, were caught 

 and put into jars provided with every sort of mouse 

 luxury. 



Rat is a frequent epithet of reproach. Sycophants 

 deserting a declining patron " as rats do a falling house," 

 are vermin. So are beggars " as poor as church rats " 

 (Marvell), and so are thieves. " There be land-rats and 

 water-rats, land-thieves and water-thieves," and so are the 

 Jesuits in Oldham. 



" Prophet, curse me the babbling lip. 

 And curse me the British vermin, the rat ; 

 I know not whether he came in the Hanover ship 

 But I know that he lies and listens mute 

 In an ancient mansion's crannies and holes. 

 Arsenic, arsenic, sure would do it. 

 Except that now we poison our babes, poor souls ! 

 It is all used up for that." 



Its two great historical iniquities, eating Mrs. Throck- 

 morton's bullfinch — 



" P'or aided both by ear and scent, 

 Right to his mark the monster went. 



Ah, muse ! forbear to speak. 

 Minute the horrors that ensued ; 

 His teeth were strong, his cage was wood, 

 He left poor Bully's beak" (^Cowper) — 



And Bishop Hatto — 



" In at the windows, and in at the door, 



And through the walls by thousands they pour, 

 And down from the ceiling and up from the floor, 

 From the right and the left, from behind and before, 

 From within and without, from above and below, 

 And all at once to the bishop they go. 

 They have whetted their teeth against the stones, 

 And now they pick the bishop's bones. 



