Some Poets Dogs. i':^'^ 



" Let {hy fleet greyhound urge his flying foe. 



With what delight the rapid course I view ! 

 How does my eye the circling race pursue ! 

 lie snaps deceitful air with empty jaws, 

 The subtle hare darts swift between his paws. 

 She flies, he stretches ; now with nimble bound 

 Eager he presses on, but overshoots his ground ; 

 She turns, he winds, and soon regains the way, 

 Then tears with gory mouth the screaming prey." 



Nor less emphatic than Gay's "delight" at such a scene 

 is Somerville's denunciation of it. Not, be it remembered, 

 from any sympathy with the hare, but because he preferred 

 killing it with harriers — 



" Nor the tim'rous hare 

 O'ermatched destroy, but leave that vile offence 

 To the mean, murdering, coursing crew, intent 

 On blood and spoil. Oh blast their hopes, just Heaven ! " 



The spaniel, as a pet— "household spaniel," "parlour 

 spaniel," " fond spaniel " — is a touch of description which 

 the poets use with excellent effect as completing the 

 domestic scene or rounding off strong family emotions. 

 As the water-spaniel it is utilised as the disturbing element 

 of water-fowl existence, the acid in the mixture that effer- 

 vesces the general tranquillity of life among water-lilies. 



As the ordinary spaniel of bird-shooting, and " skilful to 

 betray " when it is usually " the snuffing spaniel " — its habit 

 of making a point often makes another for the poets. 

 Thus Thomson — 



" In his mid career the spaniel struck 

 Stiff by the tainted gale, with open nose 

 Outstretched and finely sensible, draws full. 

 Fearful and cautious, on the latent prey." 



While Grahame, Hurdis^Pope, and others find the simile 

 of the spaniel that — 



