"Tis a fight to engage me if any thing can,
To mufe on the perishing pleasures of man;
Though his life be a dream, his enjoyments, I fee,
Have a being lefs durable even than he.

IDEM LATINE REDDITUM.

POPULEE cecidit gratiffima copia filvæ,
Conticuêre fufurri, omnifque evanuit umbra.
Nullæ jam levibus fe mifcent frondibus auræ
Et nulla in fluvio ramorum ludit imago.

Hei mihi! bis fenos dum luctû torqueor annos
His cogor filvis fuetoque carere receffu,
Cum ferò rediens ftratafque in gramine cernens
Infedi arboribus fub queîs errare folebam.

Ah ubi nunc merulæ cantus? Felicior illum
Silva tegit, duræ nondum permiffa bipenni;
Scilicet exuftos colles campofque patentes
Odit, et indignans et non rediturus abivit.

Sed qui fuccifas doleo fuccidar et ipfe,

Et priùs huic parilis quàm creverit altera filva
Flebor, et, exequiis parvis donatus, habebo

Defixum lapidem tumulique cubantis acervum.

Tam fubitò periiffe videns tam digna manere
Agnofco humanas fortes et triftia fata-

Sit licèt ipfe brevis, volucrique fimillimus umbræ,
Eft homini brevior citiùfque obitura voluptas.

EPITAPH ON A HARE.

HERE lies, whom hound did ne'er pursue,
Nor fwifter greyhound follow,

Whofe foot ne'er tainted morning dew,
Nor e'er heard huntsman's hallo',

Old Tiney, furlieft of his kind,
Who, nurs'd with tender care,
And to domeftic bounds confin'd,
Was ftill a wild Jack-hare.

Though duly from my hand he took His pittance ev'ry night,

He did it with a jealous look,

And, when he could, would bite.

His diet was of wheaten bread

And milk, and oats, and ftraw;

Thiftles, or lettuces inftead,

With fand to fcour his maw.

On twigs of hawthorn he regal'd,
On pippins' ruffet peel,

And, when his juicy falads fail'd,
Slic'd carrot pleas'd him well.

A Turkey carpet was his lawn
Whereon he lov'd to bound,

To fkip and gambol like a fawn,
And fwing his rump around.

His frifking was at evening hours,
For then he lost his fear,

But most before approaching fhow'rs,

Or when a ftorm drew near.

Eight years and five round-rolling moons

He thus faw fteal away,

Dozing out all his idle noons,
And ev'ry night at play.

I kept him for his humour' fake,
For he would oft beguile

My heart of thoughts that made it ache,
And force me to a smile.

But now, beneath this walnut fhade
He finds his long, last home,
And waits, in fnug concealment laid,
Till gentler Pufs shall come.

He, ftill more aged, feels the fhocks
From which no care can fave,

And, partner once of Tiney's box,

Muft foon partake his grave.

EPITAPHIUM ALTERUM.

Hic etiam jacet

Qui totum novennium vixit

Pufs.

Sifte paulifper

Qui præteriturus es

Et tecum fic reputa

Hunc neque canis venaticus
Nec plumbum miffile
Nec laqueus

Nec imbres nimii

Confecêre

Tamen mortuus eft

Et moriar ego.