"My own darling Mossy's hair, cut off after he was dead by dear Drum,
August 22, 1819. He was the greatest darling that ever lived (son of
Maria and Mr. Webb's 'Ruler,' a famous dog given him by Lord Rivers),
and was, when he died, about seven or eight years old. He was a large
black dog, of the largest and strongest kind of greyhounds; very fast
and honest, and resolute past example; an excellent killer of hares, and
a most magnificent and noble-looking creature. His coat was of the
finest and most glossy black, with no white, except a very little under
his feet (pretty white shoe linings I used to call them)--a little
beautiful white spot, quite small, in the very middle of his neck,
between his chin and his breast--and a white mark on his bosom. His face
was singularly beautiful; the finest black eyes, very bright, and yet
sweet, and fond, and tender--eyes that seemed to speak; a beautiful,
complacent mouth, which used sometimes to show one of the long white
teeth at the side; a jet black nose; a brow which was bent and flexible,
like Mr. Fox's, and gave great sweetness and expression, and a look of
thought to his dear face. There never was such a dog! His temper was,
beyond comparison, the sweetest ever known. Nobody ever saw him out of
humor. And his sagacity was equal to his temper. Thank God, he went off
without suffering. He must have died in a moment. I thought I should
have broken my heart when I came home and found what had happened. I
shall miss him every moment of my life; I have missed him every instant
to-day--so have Drum and Granny. He was laid out last night in the
stable, and this morning we buried him in the middle plantation on the
house side of the fence, in the flowery corner, between the fence and
Lord Shrewsbury's fields. We covered his dear body with flowers; every
flower in the garden. Everybody loved him; 'dear saint,' as I used to
call him, and as I do not doubt he now is!! No human being was ever so
faithful, so gentle, so generous, and so fond! I shall never love
anything half so well.