And toffes high his beamy head; the copfe
Beneath his antlers bends. What doubling fhifts
He tries not more the wily hare; in thefe
Would still perfift, did not the full-mouth'd pack
With dreadful concert thunder in his rear.
The woods reply, the hunter's cheering fhouts
Float through the glades, and the wide foreft rings.
How merrily they chant! their noftrils deep
Inhale the grateful ftcam. Such is the cry,
And fuch th' harmonious din, the foldier deems
The battle kindling, and the ftatefman grave
Forgets his weighty cares: each age, each fex,
In the wild tranfport joins: luxuriant joy,
And pleasure in excefs, fparkling exult
On ev'ry brow, and revel unreftain'd.
How happy art thou, Man! when thou'rt no more
Thyfelf! when all the pangs that grind thy foul,
In rapture and in fweet oblivion loft,
Yield a fhort interval and eafe from pain!

See the fwift courfer ftrains, his fhining hoofs
Securely beat the folid ground. Who now
The dang'rous pitfall fears, with tangling heath
High-overgrown? or who the quiv'ring bog,
Soft-yielding to the ftep? All now is plain,
Plain as the ftrand fea-lav'd, that stretches far
Beneath the rocky fhore. Glades croffing glades,
The foreft opens to our wond'ring view:
Such was the king's command. Let tyrants fierce
Lay wafte the world; his the more glorious part
To check their pride; and when the brazen voice
Of war is huth'd (as erft victorious Rome)
T'employ his ftation'd legions in the works
Of peace; to fmooth the rugged wilderness,
To drain the ftagnate fen, to raise the flope
Depending road, and to make gay the face
Of nature with th' embellishments of art.

How melts my beating heart! as I behold
Each lovely nymph, our island's boaft and pride,
Puth on the gen'rous fteed, that strokes along
O'er rough, o'er fmooth, nor heeds the fteepy hill,
Nor falters in th' extended vale below;
Their garments loofely waving in the wind,
And all the flush of beauty in their cheeks!
While at their fides their penfive lovers wait,
Direct their dubious courfe, now chill'd with fear
Solicitous, and now with love inflam'd.
Oh grant, indulgent Heaven! no rifing ftorm
May darken with black wings this glorious fcene!
Should fome malignant pow'r thus damp our joys,
Vain were the gloomy cave, fuch as of old
Betray'd to lawless love the Tyrian queen:
For Britain's virtuous nymphs are chafte as fair;
Spotless, unblam'd, with equal triumph reign
In the dun gloom as in the blaze of day.
Now the blown ftag thro' woods, bogs, roads, and
"Has meafur'd half the foreft; but, alas! [ftreams,
He flics in vain; he flies not from his fears.
Tho' far he caft the ling`ring pack behind,
His haggard fancy ftill with horror views
The fell deftroyer; ftill the fatal cry
Infults his cars, and wounds his trembling heart.
So the poor fury-haunted wretch (his hands
In guiltless blood diftain'd) ftill feems to hear
The dying fhrieks; and the pale threat'ning ghoft
Moves as he moves, and as he flies pursues.

7

Pants on his brow awhile, fadly looks back
See here his flot; up yon green hill he climbs,
But, wrung with anguish, bears not long the fight,
On his purfuers, cov'ring all the plain;
Shoots down the steep, and fweats along the vale;
Proud monarch of the groves, whofe clashing beam
There mingles with the herd,where once he reign'd
His rivals aw'd, and whofe exalted pow'r
Was ftill rewarded with fuccefsful love.
But the bafe herd have learn'd the ways of men;
Averfe they fly, or with rebellious aim
Chafe him from thence: needlefs their impiousdeed,
The huntsman knows him by a thousand marks,
Black, and imbofs'd; nor are his hounds deceiv'd;
Too well diftinguifh these, and never leave
His fcent, and ftrong their appetite to kill.
Their once devoted foe: familiar grows
Again he flies, and with redoubled speed
Hang on the track, aloud demand their prey,
Skims 'o'er the lawn; ftill the tenacious crew
Too far efcap'd, and the gay courtly train
And push him many a league. If haply then
Behind are caft, the huntiiman's clanging whip
Stops full their bold career: paffive they stand,
As if by ftern Medufa gaz'd to ftones.
Unmov'd, an humble and obfequious crowd,
In full purfuit, and check their thirst of blood.
So at their general's voice whole armies halt
Soon at the king's command, like hafty ftreams
Damm'd up awhile, they foam, and poor along
With fresh recruiting might. The ftag, who hop'd
His foes were loft, now once more hears aftunn'd
The dreadful din: he fhivers ev'ry limb;
He starts, he bounds; each bufh prefents a foe.
Prefs'd by the fresh relay, no paufe allow'd,
Breathlefs and faint, he falters in his pace,
Suftain their load: he pants, he fobs appall'd;
And lifts his weary limbs with pain, that scarce
His cumbrous beams opprefs'd. But if perchance
Drops down his heavy head to earth, beneath
Some prying eye furprite him, foon he rears
Erect his tow 'ring front, bounds o'er the lawn
With ill-diffembled vigour, to amufe
At his weak thifts and unavailing frauds.
The knowing forefter, who inly fmiles
So midnight tapers waste their last remains,
From wood to wood redoubling thunders roll,
Shine forth awhile, and as they blaze expire.
And bellow thro' the valcs; the moving storm
Thickens amain, and loud triumphant fhouts,
To his approaching fate.
And horns fhrill warbling in each glade, prelude
And now in view,
With hobbling gait and high, exerts amaz'd
Reduc'd, his spirits fail, on ev'ry fide
What ftrength is left: to the last dregs of life
Hemm'd in, befieg'd; not the leaft op'ning left
To gleaming hope, th'unhappy's laft referve.
Where shall he turn, or whither fly Despair
Gives courage to the weak. Refolv'd to die,
And deals his deaths around; beneath his feet
He fears no more, but rushes on his foes,
Thefe grovelling lie, thote by his antlers gor'd
He stands at bay against yon knotty trunk,
Defile th'enfanguin'd plain. Ah, fee! diftrefs'd
That covers well his rear; his front prefents

Book II.

DIDACTIC, DESCRIPTIVE, &c.

An hoft of foes. O fhun, ye noble train !
The rude encounter, and believe your lives
Your country's due alone. As now aloof
They wing around, he finds his foul uprais'd
To dare fome great exploit; he charges home
Upon the broken pack, that on each fide
Fly diverfe; then as o'er the turf he strains,
He vents the cooling ftream, and up the brecze
Urges his courfe with eager violence;
Then takes the foil, and plunges in the flood
Precipitant: down the mid ftream he wafts
Along, till (like a ship distress'd, that runs
Into fome winding creek) close to the verge
Of a small island, for his weary feet

Sure anchorage he finds, there sculks immers'd:
His nofe alone above the wave draws in
The vital air; all elfe beneath the flood
Conceal'd and lost, deceives each prying eye
Of man or brute. In vain the crowding pack
Draw on the margin of the stream, or cut
The liquid wave with oary feet, that move
In equal time. The gliding waters leave
No trace behind, and his contracted pores
But fparingly perfpire: the huntsman strains
His lab'ring lungs, and puffs his cheeks in vain.
At length a blood-hound bold, ftudious to kill,
And exquifite of fenfe, winds him from far;
Headlong he leaps into the flood, his mouth
Loud op'ning fpends amain, and his wide throat
Swells ev'ry note with joy; then fearless dives
Beneath the wave,hangs on his haunch, and wounds
Th' unhappy brute, that flounders in the ftream,
Sorely diftrefs'd, and ftruggling ftrives to mount
The fteepy fhore. Haply once more escap'd,
Again he stands at bay, amid the groves
Of willows bending low their downy heads.
Outrageous tranfport fires the greedy pack;
Thefe iwim the deep, and thofe crawl up with pain
The flipp'ry bank, while others on firm land
Engage: the ftag repels cach bold affault,
Maintains his poft, and wounds for wounds returns.
As when fome wily corfair boards a fhip
Full-freighted, or from Afric's golden coafts
Or India's wealthy ftrand, his bloody crew
Upon her deck he flings; thefe in the deep
Drop fhort, and fwim to reach her steepy fides,
And clinging climb aloft, while those on board
Urge on the work of fate; the matter bold,
Prefs'd to his last retreat, bravely refolves
To fink his wealth beneath the whelming wave,
His wealth, his foes, nor unreveng'd to die:
So fares it with the ftag; fo he refolves
To plunge at once into the flood below,
Himfelf, his foes, in one deep gulph immers'd.
Ere yet he executes this dire intent,
In wild diforder once more views the light;
Beneath a weight of woe he groans diftrefs'd,
The tears run trickling down his hairy checks:
He weeps, nor weeps in vain. The king beholds
His wretched plight, and tenderness innate
Moves his great foul. Soon at his high command
Rebuk'd, the disappointed hungry pack
Retire fubmifs, and grumbling quit their
Great Prince! from thee what may thy fubjects
hope,

prey.

So kind and fo beneficent to brutes?

335

O Mercy, heavenly born! fweet attribute!
Thou great, thou beft, prerogative of pow'r!
Juftice may guard the throne; but, join'd with thee,
On rocks of adamant it stands fecure,

And braves the ftorm beneath : foon as thy fimiles
Gild the rough deep, the foaming waves fubfide
And all the noify tumult finks in peace.
BOOK IV.

THE ARGUMENT.

Of the neceffity of deftroying fome beafts, and pre-
ferving others for the ufe of man. Of breeding
of bounds; the feafon for this business. The
choice of the dog of great moment. Of the lit-
ter of whelps. Of the number to be reared. Of
fetting them out to their feveral walks. Care
to be taken to prevent their hunting too fcon. Of
entering the whelps. Of breaking them from
running at fbeep. Of the difeafes of bounds.
Of their age. Of madness: two forts of it de-
fcribed; the dumb, and outrag cous, madness: its
dreadful effects. Burning of the wound recom
mended as preventing all ill confequences. The
infectious bounds to be feparated, and fed apart.
The vanity of trusting to the many infallible
cures for this malady. The difmal effects of the
biting of a mad dog upon man defcribed. De-
feription of the otter bunting. The conclufion.
WHATE'ER of earth is form'd to earth returns
Diffolv'd: the various objects we behold,
Plants, animals, this whole material mass,
Are ever changing, ever new. The foul
Of man alone, that partiele divine,

Efcapes the wreck of worlds, when all things fail:
Hence great the distance 'twixt the beafts that perifh
And God's bright image, man's immortal race.
The brute creation are his property,
Subfervient to his will, and for him made:
As hurtful thefe he kills, as useful thofe
Preferves; their fole and arbitrary king.
Should he not kill (as erft the Samian fage
Taught unadvis'd, and Indian brachmans now
As vainly preach), the teeming rav'nous brutes
Might fill the fcanty space of this terrene,
Encumb'ring all the globe: fhould not his care
Improve his growing ftock, their kinds might fail;
Man might once more on roots and acorns feed,
And thro' the defarts range, thiv'ring, forlorn,
Quite deftitute of ev'ry folace dear,
And ev'ry fmiling gaiety of life.

The prudent huntfman therefore will fupply
With annual large recruits his broken pack,
And propagate their kind. As from the root
Fresh fcions fill fpring forth and daily yield,
New blooming honours to the parent tree;
Far fhall his pack be fam'd, far fought his breed;
And princes at their tables feaft thofe hounds
His hand prefents, an acceptable boon.

Ere yet the fun thro' the bright Ram has urg'd
His freepy courfe, or mother Earth unbound
Her frozen bofom to the western gale;
When feather'd troops,their focial leaguesdiffolv'd,
Select their mates, and on the leaficis elm

The

The noify rook builds high her wicker neft;
Mark well the wanton females of thy pack,
That curl their taper tails, and frisking court
Their piebald mates enamour'd; their red eyes
Flash fires impure; nor reft nor food they take,
Goaded by furious love. In feparate cells
Confine them now, left bloody civil wars
Annoy thy peaceful ftate. If left at large,
The growling rivals in dread battle join,
And rude encounter; on Scamander's ftream
Heroes of old with far lefs fury fought
For the bright Spartan dame, their valour's prize.
Mangled and torn thy fav'rite hounds fhall lie
Stretch'd on the ground; thy kennel fhall appear
A field of blood: like fome unhappy town
In civil broils confus'd, while Difcord thakes
Her bloody fcourge aloft, fierce parties rage,
Staining their impious hands in mutual death;
And ftill the best belov'd and braveft fall:
Such are the dire effects of lawless love.

Huntsman! thefe ills by timely prudent care
Prevent for ev'ry longing dame felect
Some happy paramour; to him alone
In leagues connubial join. Confider well
His lineage; what his fathers did of old,
Chiefs of the pack, and first to climb the rock,
Or plunge into the deep, or thread the brake
With thorns fharp-pointed, plash'd, and briers
inwoven.

Obferve with care his fhape, fort, colour, fize:
Nor will fagacious huntfmen lefs regard
His inward habits. The vain babbler fhun,
Ever loquacious, ever in the wrong:
His foolish offspring thall offend thy cars
With falfe alarms and loud impertinence.
Nor lefs the fhifting cur avoid, that breaks
Illufive from the pack; to the next hedge
Devious he ftrays, there ev'ry mufe he tries;
If haply then he crofs the fteaming fcent,
Away he flies vain-glorious, and exults
As of the pack fupreme, and in his fpeed
And ftrength unrivail'd. Lo! caft far behind
His vex'd affociates pant, and lab`ring ftrain
To climb the fteep afcent. Soon as they reach
Th' infulting boafter, his falfe courage fails,
Behind he lags, doom'd to the fatal noofe,
His mafter's hate, and fcorn of all the field.
What can from fuch be hop'd but a base brood
Of coward curs, a frantic, vagrant, race?

When now the third revolving moon appears,
With fharpen'd horns, above th' horizon's brink,
Without Lucina's aid expect thy hopes

Arc amply crown'd: fhort pangs produce to light
The fmoking litter, crawling, helpless, blind,
Nature their guide, they feck the pouting teat
That plenteous ftreams. Soon as the tender dam
Has form'd them with her tongue, with pleasure
The marks of their renown'd progenitors, [view
Sure pledge of triumphs yet to come. All thefe
Select with joy, but to the merciless flood
Expfe the dwindling refufe, nor o'erload
Th' indulgent mother. If thy heart relent,
Unwilling to deftroy, a nurse provide,
And to the fofter-parent give the care

Of thy fuperfluous brood; fhe'll cherish kind
The alien offspring; pleas'd thou shalt behold
Her tendernets and hofpitable love.

If frolic now and playful they defert
Their gloomy cell, and on the verdant turf,
With nerves improv'd, purfue the mimic chace,
Courfing around, unto thy choiceft friends
Commit thy valued prize: the ruftic dames
Shall at thy kennel wait, and in their laps
Receive thy growing hop.s, with many a kiss
With fome great title, and refounding name
Carefs, and dignify their little charge
To check their youthful ardour; nor permit
Of high import. But cautious here obferve
The unexperienc'd younker, immature,
Alone to range the woods, or haunt the brakes
Where dodging conies fport: his nerves unftrung,
And strength unequal, the laborious chace
Shall ftint his growth, and his rafh forward youth
Contract fuch vicious habits as thy care
And late correction never fhall reclaim.

When to full ftrength arriv'd, mature and bold,
Conduct them to the field: not all at once;
But, as thy cooler prudence fhall direct,
Select a few, and form them by degrees
To ftricter di.cipline. With thefe confort
By long experience vers'd in all the wiles
The ftanch and steady fages of thy pack,
And fubtle doublings of the various chace.
Eafy the leffon of the youthful train
When inftinct prompts, and when example guides
If the too forward younker at the head
Prefs boldly on in wanton fportive mood,
Correct his hafte, and let him feel abath'd
The ruling whip; but if he ftoop behind
In wary modeft guife, to his own nose
Confiding fure, give him full fcope to work
His winding way, and with thy voice applaud
His patience and his care; foon fhalt thou view
The hopeful pupil leader of his tribe,
And all the lift ning pack attend his call.

Oft lead them forth where wanton lambkins play,
And bleating dams with jealous eyes obferve
Their tender care. If at the crowding flock
He bay prefumptuous, or with eager hafte
Purfue them fcatter'd o'er the verdant plain,
In the foul fact attach'd, to the strong ram
Tie faft the rafh offender. See! at firft
Shall drag hin trembling o'er the rugged ground;
His horn'd companion, fearful and amaz'd,
Then, with his load fatigued, fhall turn ahead,
And with his curl'd hard front inceffant peal
The panting wretch, till, breathlefs and aftunn'd,
Stretch'd on the turf he lie. Then spare not thou
Lath after lath; and with thy threat'ning voice,
The twining whip, but ply his bleeding fides,
Harth-echoing from the hills, inculcate loud
His vile offence. Sooner fhall trembling doves,
Efcap'd the hawk's fharp talons, in mid air
Affail their dang 'rous foc, than he once more
Disturb the peaceful flocks. In tender age
Thus youth is train'd, as curious artists bend
The taper pliant twig, or potters form
Their foft and ductile clay to various fhapes.

Nor