Sonterrife,

And tail erect, neighing he paws the ground:
Fierce rapture kindles in his redd’ning eyes,
And boils in ev'ry vein. As captive boys,
Cow'd by the ruling rod and haughty frowns
Of pedagogues severe, from their hard tasks
If once dismiss'd, no limits can contain
The tumult rais'd within their little breasts,
But give a loofe to all their frolic play;
So from their Kennel rush the joyous pack;
A thousand wanton gaieties express
Their inward ecstasy, their pleasing sport
Once more indulg'd, and liberty restor’d.
The rising sun, that o'er th' horizon peeps,
As many colours from their glossy skins
Beaming refleets, as paint the various bow,
When April show'rs descend. Delightful scene!
Where all around is gay, men, horfes, dogs,
And in each smiling countenance appears
Fresh-blooming health and universal joy.

Huntsman! tead on; lehind the clust'ring

pack
Submiss attend, hear with respect thy whip
Loud-clanging, and thy harsher voice obey,
Spare not the straggling cur, that wildly roves,
But let thy brisk assistant on his back
Imprint thy just resentments; let each lash
Bite to the quick, till howling he return,
And whining creep amid the trembling croud.

Here on this verdant spot, where Nature

kind
With double blessings crowns the farmer's hopes,
Where fow'rs autumnal spring, and the rank mead
Affords the wandring hares a rich repaft,
Throw off thy ready pack. See where thy

fpread,
And range around, and dash the glitt'ring dew!
If some stanch hound with his authentic voice
Avow the recent trail, the joftling tribe

At

Somervile., Attend his call, then with one mutual cry

The welcome news confirm, and echoing hills
Repeat the pleafing tale. See how they thread
The brakes, and up yon' furrow drive along!
But quick they back recoil, and wisely cheek
Their eager haste; then o'er the fallow'd ground
How leisurely they work, and many a pause
Th' harmonious concert breaks, till, more assur'd,
With joy redoubled the low vallies ring.
What artful labyrinths perplex their way!
Ah! there she lies: how close! The pants; she

doubts
If now she lives: she trembles as she fits,
With horror feiz'd. The wither'd grass that clings
Around her head, of the same russet hue,
Alinost deceiv'd my light, had not her eyes
With life full-beaming her vain wiles betray'd.
At distance draw the pack'; let all be hulh’d;
No clamour loud, no frantic joy, be heard,
Left the wild hound run gadding o'er the plain
Untractable, nor hear thy chiding voice.
Now gently put her off: see, how direct
To her known mew she fies! Here, huntsman,

bring
(But without hurry,) all thy jolly hounds,
And calmly lay them in. How low they stoop,
And seem to plough the ground! then all at once
With greedy nostrils Inuff the fuming steam,
That glads' their ' Autt'ring hearts. As winds let

loole
From the dark caverns of the blust'ring god
They burft away, and sweep the dewy lawn.
Hope gives them wings, while she's spurnt on by

tear.
The welkin rings; men, dogs, hills, rocks, and

woods,
In the full concert join. Now, my brave Youths!
Stripp'd for the Chase, give all your souls to joy.
See how their courfers, than the mountain roe
More fleet, the verdant carpet skim! thick clouds

1

Snor

Snorting they breathe, their shining hoofs scarce Somervile.

print
The grass unbruis'd; with emulation fir'd
They strain to lead the field, top the barr'd gate,
O’er the deep ditch exulting bound, and brush
The thorny - twining hedge: the riders bend
O'er their arch'd necks; with steady bands, by

turns
Indulge their speed, or moderate their

rage.
Where are their forrows, disappointments, wrongs,
Vexations, fickness, cares? all, all are gone!
And with the panting winds lag far behind.

Huntsman! her gait observe; if in wide rings
She wheel her mazy way, in the same round
Perfifting still, she'll foil the beaten track;
But if she fly, and with the fav’ring wind
Urge her bold course, less intricate thy task;
Puth on thy pack. Like fome poor exil'd wretch
The frighted Chase leaves her late dear abodes,
O'er plains remote she stretches far away,
Ah! never to return! for greedy Death
Hoy'ring exults, secure to seize his prey.

Hark! from yon' covert, where thole tow'ring

oaks
Above the humble copfe aspiring rise,
What glorious triumphs burlt in ev'ry gale
Upon our ravish'd ears! The hunters shout,
The clanging horns swell their sweet-winding no.

tes,
The pack wide op’ning load the trembling air
With various melody; from tree to tree
The propagated cry redoubling bounds,
And winged zephyrs waft the floating joy
Thro' all the regions near. Afflictive birch
No more the school-boy dreads; his prison

broke,
Scamp'ring he fies, nor heeds his master's call.
The weary traveller forgets his road,

And

ves

Somervile. And climbs th' adjacent hill. The ploughman ler.

:
Th' unfinish'd furrow; nor his bleating flocks
Are now the shepherd's joy. Men, boys, and

girls,
Desert th' unpeopled village, and wild crouds
Spread o'er the plain, by the sweet frenzy seiz'd.
Look how she pants! and o'er yon'op'ning glade
Slips glancing by; while at the further end
The puzzling pack unravel wile by wile,
Maze within maze! The covert's utmost bound
Slily she skirts; behind them cautious creeps,
And in that very track, lo lately stain'd
By all the steaming croud, seems to pursue
The foe The flies. Let cavillers deny
That brates have reason; sure 'tis something

more;
'Tis Heav'n directs, and stratagems inspires
Beyond the short extent of human thought.
But hold - I see her from the covert break!
Sad on yon' little eminence she fits;
Intent she listens with one ear erect
Pond'ring, and doubtful what new course to take,
And how to 'scape the fierce blood-thirsty crew
That still urge on, and still in vollies loud
Insult her woes, and mock her four distress.
As now in louder peals the loaded winds
Bring on the gath’ring storm, her fears prevail,
And o'er the plain and o'er the mountain's ridge
Away The flies; nor ships with winds and tide,
And all their canvass wings, scud half so fast.
Once more, ye jovial train! your courage try
And each clean courser's speed. We scour along,
In pleasing hurry and confusion tofs’d,
Oblivion to be wish'd. The patient pack
Hang on the scent unweary'd; up they climb,
And ardent we pursue: our lab'ring steeds
We press, we gore, till once the summit gaind,
Painfully panting: there we breathe a while;
Then like a foaming torrent, pouring down

Pre

Precipitant, we smoke along the vale.

Somervile, Happy the man, who with unrivalld speed Can país his fellows, and with pleature view The struggling pack! how in the rapid course Alternate they preside, and joftling push To guide the dubious fcent, how giddy youth Oft babbling errs, by wiser age reprov'd; How, niggard of his strength, the wise old hound Hangs in the rear, till fome important point Roufe all his diligence, or till the Chase Sinking he finds; then to the head he springs, With thirst of glory fir'd, and wins the prize. Huntsman! take heed; they stop in full career; Yon' crouding flocks, that at a distance gaze, Have haply foil d the turf. See that old hound, How busily he works, but dares not trust His doubtful sense! Dra iv yet a wider ring. Hark! now again the chorus fills. As bells, Sally'd a while, at once their pale renew, And high in air the tuneful thunder rolls. See how they tofs, with animated rage Recov ring all they loft! - That eager haste Some doubling wile foreshews. — Ah! yet once They ’re check'd - Hold back with speed - On

either hand They flowrish round – ev'n yet persist! 'Tis

right;
Away they spring; the rustling strubbles bend
Beneath the driving storm. Now the poor

Chale
Begins to flag, to her last shifts reduc d.
From brake to brake she Alies, and visits all
Her well-known haunts, where once she rang'd se-

cure,
With love and plenty bless’d. See, there she

goes;
She reels along, and by her gait betrays
Her inward weakness. See how black she looks!
The sweat that clogs th’ obstructed pores scarce lea-

more

ves

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