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. END OF VOL. II. BY WILLIAM COWPER, ESQ. TOGETHER WITH HIS POSTHUMOUS POETRY, AND A SKETCH OF HIS LIFE BY JOHN JOHNSON, LL. D. THREE VOLUMES IN ONE. NEW EDITION. BOSTON PHILLIPS, SAMPSON, & CO 110 WASHINGTON STREET. 1853. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE EARL SPENCER. MY LORD, A GENERAL request having encouraged me to become the Editor of a more complete collection of the posthumous compositions of my revered relation, the poct COWPER, than has hitherto appeared, I consider it as my duty to the deceased, to inscribe the volume that contains them to his exalted friend, by whom the genius of the poet was as justly appreciated, as the virtues of the moralist were effectually patronized. It would be impertinent in me to attempt any new encomium on a writer so highly endeared to every cultivated mind in that country which it was the favourite exercise of his patriotick spirit to describe and to celebrate : but I may be allowed to observe, that one of the few additions inserted in this collection will be particularly welcome to every reader of sensibility, as an eulogy on that attractive quality so gracefully visible in all the writings of Cowper. Permit me to close this imperfect tribute of my respect, by saying, it is my deep sense of those important services, for which the afflicted poet was indebted to the kindness of LORD SPENCER, that impels me to the liberty I am now taking, of thus publickly declaring myself Your Lordship's JOHN JOHNSON. PREFACE. Ir is incumbent on me to apprize the reader tnat, by far the greater part of the poems to which I have now the honour to introduce him, have been already published by Mr. Hayley. That endeared friend of the deceased poet having enriched his copious and faithful life of him with a large collection of his minor pieces soon after his death, and having since given to the world a distinct edition of his Translations from the Latin and Italian verses of Milton, every thing seemed to be accomplished that the merits and memory of a poet, so justly popular as Cowper, appeared to require. But of late years a fresh and detached collec tion of all his poems being wished for by his friends, I was flattered by their request, that I would present them to the publick as the editor of his third poetical volume. Having accepted this honourable invitation, my first care was to assemble as many of the editions of the two former volumes as I could possibly meet with, that nothing might be admitted into their projected companion which the publick already possessed in them. With one slight exception I believe I secured that desirable point. My next employment was to make such a copious but careful selection from the unpublished poetry of Cowper, which I happily pos sessed, and which I had only imparted to a few friends, as, while it gratified his admirers, might in no instance detract from his poetical reputation. I should tremble for the hazard to which my partiality to the compositions of my beloved relation exposed me in discharging this part of my office, if I did not hope to find in |