xD 



28 The Poets' Beasts, 



are, not unnaturally perhaps, even less popular with the 

 poets. They never forget the abuse of this animal's terrific 

 instinct — Moore's " precious scent " — of which man has at 

 different periods of history been guilty, and the crime is 

 poetically transferred from the human criminal to his inno- 

 cent instrument. They are gloomily apostrophised as " ban- 

 dogs." The flying slave, 



" 'Midst the shrieks of murder on the wind, 

 Heard the mute bloodhound's death-step close behind," 



and the poets have never ceased to hear it ever since. It 

 is "the sagacious bloodhound" in many poets, but the 

 sagacity is that of the sleuth-hound, " skilled too well in all 

 the murd'ring qualities of hell " (Pomfret). It is " staunch " 

 also, but only in its fearful steadfastness to '*the bloody 

 trail." Shelley adds a horror to imprisonment in "the 

 prison bloodhounds huge and grim" that were permitted 

 to become familiar with the convicts whom they might 

 have to track, and they are used as similes for the relent- 

 less whirlwind in Faber, and for famine and pestilence in 

 Shelley. Says Byron, " Kings ! 'tis a great name for blood- 

 hounds," and Shelley, " the bloodhound of Religion's hungry 

 zeal." 



As the "limehound," "creatures whose cold secrecy was 

 meant, by Nature, for a surprise," this animal was at one time 

 in demand on the Cheviot marches for tracking human 

 delinquents — 



" Soon the sagacious brute, his curling tail 

 Flourished in the air, low bending plies around 

 His busy nose, the steaming vapour snuffs 

 Inquisitive, nor leaves one turf untry'd. 

 Till, conscious of the recent stains, his heart 

 Beats quick ; his snufiing nose, his active tail, 

 Attest his joy ; then with deep op'ning mouih 

 That makes the welkin tremble, he proclaims 



