except that he has grown more discreet and less frolicsome than he was. I cannot conclude without observing, that I have lately introduced a dog to his acquaintance, a spaniel that had never seen a hare to a hare that had never seen a spaniel. I did it with great caution, but there was no real need of it. Puss discovered no token of fear, nor Marquis the least symptom of hostility. There is therefore, it should seem, no natural antipathy between dog and hare, but the pursuit of the one occasions the flight of the other, and the dog pursues because he is trained to it; they eat bread at the same time out of the same hand, and are in all respects sociable and friendly. I should not do complete justice to my subject, did I not add, that they have no ill scent belonging to them, that they are indefatigably nice in keeping themselves clean, for which purpose nature has furnished them with a brush under each foot; and that they are never infested by any vermin. May 28, 1784. MEMORANDUM FOUND AMONG MR. COWPER'S PAPERS. Tuesday, March 9, 1786. THIS day died poor Puss, aged eleven years eleven months. He died between twelve and one at noon, of mere old age, and apparently without pain. INDEX TO THE TASK. "ACQUAINT thyself with God," Animals, sagacity and fidelity, v. 779. Action, i. 367. Actor, iv. 200. vi. 610. 231. Address to domestic happi- Apostrophe to London, iii. Address to the Saviour, vi. Apostrophe to popular ap- Bodies corporate, iv. 671. 87.98. Bribe, iii. 796; iv. 609. 766. Brown study, iv. 296. Cæsar's laurels, vi. 939. Candid and liberal, iii. 93. Carvers, rural, i. 281. Chatham, ii. 237. Chess, vi. 265. Church fares ill, vi. 888. Cities, i. 128. 689; iii. 729. Civilized life, i. 596. 679; iv. 659. Clerical coxcomb, ii. 445. College discipline, ii. 699. vi. 70. Commerce, iii. 739. Common, i. 526. Composure, iv. 260. Compunction, v. 616. Conscience, iii. 185; v. 600. Constraint, v. 448. Contemplation, vi. 263. 924. Conventicle, ii. 437. Country, ("God made,") i. Country, few lovers of it, iii. Country deserted, iii. 711.750; Country, who love it, iii 320. Cowley, iv. 723. Cruelty to animals, vi. 381. 594. Cucumber, iii. 462. 566. Death unrepealable, v. 610. Despot, v. 311. Dice, iv. 221. Discipline, ii. 702. Discord, iv. 482. Discourse, iv. 174. Disgust concealed, iii. 38. Domestic happiness, iii. 41. Dreams of mankind, iii. 127. 188. Dress, ii. 600. Drunkenness, iv. 470. 505. Early rising, i. 500. East wind, iv. 363. Employments of the idle, iii. 352. Empress of Russia, v. 129. England, ii. 206; iii. 742; v. Eternity for bubbles, iii. 175. Excursive poem, iv. 232. Fables false as hell, v. 862. Familiarity with nature, vi. 121. Famine, ii. 185. Fancy, iv. 242. 286. Fatigue of idleness, i. 395. Fatigue of thought, vi. 106. Fire-side enjoyments, iv. 140. Flowers, iii. 648. Foddering of cattle, v. 30. France, ii. 213. 264; v. 468. Freedom, ii. 33. 130; v. 375. Frost, fantastic doings, v. 113. Gaiety, i. 504. Gaming, i. 503; iii. 761. Glide my life away! vi. 1000. |