PAIRING TIME ANTICIPATED. A FABLE. [The severe and long-continued winter of 1783-4, appears to have suggested this sprightly and elegant fable.] I SHALL not ask Jean Jacques Rousseau If birds confabulate or no ; 'Tis clear, that they were always able Must have a most uncommon skull. It chanced then on a winter's day, To forestal sweet St Valentine, In many an orchard, copse, and grove, * And with much twitter and much chatter, At length a Bulfinch, who could boast 66 My friends! be cautious how ye treat I fear we shall have winter yet." A Finch, whose tongue knew no control, With golden wing and satin poll, A last year's bird, who ne'er had tried * It was one of the whimsical speculations of this philosopher, that all fables which ascribe reason and speech to animals should be withheld from children, as being only vehicles of deception. But what child was ever deceived by them, or can be, against the evidence of his senses ?-Author's note. "Methinks the gentleman," quoth she, "Opposite in the apple-tree, By his good will would keep us single My dear Dick Redcap, what say you ?" Dick heard, and tweedling, ogling, bridling, Turning short round, strutting and sideling, Attested, glad, his approbation Of an immediate conjugation. Their sentiments so well express'd All pair'd, and each pair built a nest. But though the birds were thus in haste, The leaves came on not quite so fast, And Destiny, that sometimes bears An aspect stern on man's affairs, Not altogether smiled on theirs. The wind, of late breathed gently forth, Now shifted east, and east by north; Bare trees and shrubs but ill, you know, Could shelter them from rain or snow, Stepping into their nests, they paddled, Themselves were chill'd, their eggs were addled ; Soon every father bird and mother Grew quarrelsome, and peck'd each other, Parted without the least regret, AN EPISTLE TO JOSEPH HILL, ESQ. [First printed in Cowper's second volume. His motives for the insertion of this "truly Horatian" composition are explained in the following extract from a private letter to Mr Hill: "You do me justice when you ascribe my printed Epistle to you to my friendship for you, though, in fact, it was equally owing to the opinion that I have of yours for me. Having, in one part or other of my two volumes, distinguished by name the majority of those few for whom I entertain a friendship, it seemed to me that it would be unjustifiable negligence to omit yourself; and if I took that step without communicating to you my intention, it was only to gratify myself the more, with the hope of surprising you agreeably." 1784.] Dear Joseph,—Five-and-twenty years ago- Lest he should trespass, begg'd to go abroad. A friend! Horatio cried, and seem'd to start— I knew the man, and knew his nature mild, Perhaps his confidence just then betray'd, His grief might prompt him with the speech he made ; Some few, that I have known in days of old, An honest man, close button'd to the chin, EPITAPH ON A HARE. [First published in the Gentleman's Magazine for December, 1784. Cowper's love of animals, and the history of his "Hares" particularly, have been explained in the Life. The following extract shews that the poet's menagerie was occasionally pretty numerous : "Our friend," says Lady Hesketh, in a letter to her sister, “is very fond of animals, and had at one time five rabbits, three hares, eight pair of pigeons, two guinea pigs, a magpie, a jay, and a starling; besides two goldfinches, two canary birds, two dogs, and a squirrel, which used to play with one of the hares continually."] HERE lies, whom hound did ne'er pursue, Nor swifter greyhound follow, Whose foot ne'er tainted morning dew, Old Tiney, surliest of his kind, Though duly from my hand he took He did it with a jealous look, And, when he could, would bite. His diet was of wheaten bread, On twigs of hawthorn he regaled, A Turkey carpet was his lawn, |