To all her subtle play: by nature led A thousand shifts she tries; to unravel these The industrious beagle twists his waving tail, Through all her labyrinths pursues, and rings Her doleful knell. See there with countenance blithe, And with a courtly grin, the fawning hound Salutes thee cowering, his wide-opening nose _240 Upward he curls, and his large sloe-black eyes Melt in soft blandishments, and humble joy; His glossy skin, or yellow-pied, or blue, In lights or shades by Nature's pencil drawn, Reflects the various tints; his ears and legs Flecked here and there, in gay enamelled pride Rival the speckled pard; his rush-grown tail O'er his broad back bends in an ample arch; On shoulders clean, upright and firm he stands, His round cat foot, straight hams, and wide-spread thighs, _250 And his low-dropping chest, confess his speed, His strength, his wind, or on the steepy hill, Or far-extended plain; in every part So well proportioned, that the nicer skill Of Phidias himself can't blame thy choice. Of such compose thy pack. But here a mean Observe, nor the large hound prefer, of size Gigantic; he in the thick-woven covert Painfully tugs, or in the thorny brake Torn and embarrassed bleeds: but if too small, _260 The pigmy brood in every furrow swims; Moiled in the clogging clay, panting they lag Behind inglorious; or else shivering creep Benumbed and faint beneath the sheltering thorn. For hounds of middle size, active and strong, Will better answer all thy various ends, And crown thy pleasing labours with success. As some brave captain, curious and exact, By his fixed standard forms in equal ranks His gay battalion, as one man they move _270 Step after step, their size the same, their arms Far gleaming, dart the same united blaze: Reviewing generals his merit own; How regular! how just! and all his cares Are well repaid, if mighty George approve. So model thou thy pack, if honour touch Thy generous soul, and the world's just applause. But above all take heed, nor mix thy hounds Of different kinds; discordant sounds shall grate Thy ears offended, and a lagging line _280 Of babbling curs disgrace thy broken pack. But if the amphibious otter be thy chase, Or stately stag, that o'er the woodland reigns; Or if the harmonious thunder of the field Delight thy ravished ears; the deep-flewed hound Breed up with care, strong, heavy, slow, but sure, Whose ears down-hanging from his thick round head Shall sweep the morning dew, whose clanging voice Awake the mountain echo in her cell, And shake the forests: the bold talbot[6] kind _290 Of these the prime, as white as Alpine snows; And great their use of old. Upon the banks Of Tweed, slow winding through the vale, the seat Of war and rapine once, ere Britons knew The sweets of peace, or Anna's dread commands To lasting leagues the haughty rivals awed,