Headlong he falls, and on the rugged stone
Distorts his neck, and cracks the collar-bone.
O venturous youth, thy thirft of game allay :
May'st thou furvive the perils of this day!
He fhall furvive; and in late years be fent
To fnore away Debates in Parliament.

The time fhall come, when his more folid fenfe
With nod important fhall the laws difpenfe;
A Juftice with grave Juftices fhall fit;

He praise their wifdoin, they admire his wit,
No greyhound fhall attend the tenant's pace,
No rufty gun the farmer's chimney grace;
Salmons fhall leave their covers void of fear,
Nor dread the thievifh net or triple fpear;
Poachers fhall tremble at his awful name,
Whom vengeance now o'ertakes for murder'd game.
Affift me, Bacchus, and yc drunken powers,
To fing his friendships and his midnight hours!
Why doft thou glory in thy ftrength of beer,
Firm-cork'd and mellow'd till the twentieth year;
Brew'd or when Phoebus warms the fleecy fign,
Or when his languid rays in Scorpio shine?
Think on the mischiefs which from hence have sprung!
It arms with curfes dire the wrathful tongue;
Foul fcandal to the lying lip affords,

And prompts the memory with injurious words.
O where is wisdom when by this o'erpower'd ?
The ftate is cenfur'd, and the maid deflower'd !
And wilt thou ftill, O Squire, brew ale so strong?
Hear then the dictates of prophetic fong.

Methinks

Methinks I fee him in his hall appear,
Where the long table floats in clammy beer,
'Midft mugs and glaffes fhatter'd o'er the floor,
Dead drunk, his fervile crew fupinely snore;
Triumphant, o'er the proftrate brutes he ftands,
The mighty bumper trembles in his hands ;
Boldly he drinks, and, like his glorious Sires,
In copious gulps of potent ale expires.

THE

ECLOGUES.

THE

BIRTH OF THE SQUIRE.

IN IMITATION OF THE POLLIO OF VIRGIL.

E fylvan Mufes, loftier ftrains recite:

YE

Not all in fhades and humble cots delight. Hark! the bells ring; along the diftant grounds The driving gales convey the swelling sounds; Th' attentive fwain, forgetful of his work, With gaping wonder, leans upon his fork. What fudden news alarms the waking morn? To the glad Squire a hopeful heir is born. Mourn, mourn, ye ftags, and all ye beafts of chace; "This hour destruction brings on all your race: See the pleas'd tenants duteous offerings bear, Turkeys and geese and grocers' sweetest ware; With the new health the ponderous tankard flows, And old October reddens every nose.

Beagles

Beagles and spaniels round his cradle stand,
Kiss his moift lip, and gently lick his hand.
He joys to hear the fhrill horn's echoing founds,
And learns to lifp the names of all the hounds.
With frothy ale to make his cup o'erflow,
Barley fhall in paternal acres grow;

1..

The bee fhall fip the fragrant dew from flowers,
To give metheglin for his morning-hours;
For him the clustering hop fhall climb the poles,
And his own orchard fparkle in his bowls.

His Sire's exploits he now with wonder hears,
The monstrous tales indulge his greedy ears;
How, when youth ftrung his nerves and warm'd his veins,
He rode the mighty Nimrod of the plains:

He leads the staring infant through the hall,
Points out the horny fpoils that grace the wall;

Tells, how this flag through three whole counties fled,
What rivers swam, where bay'd, and where he bled.
Now he the wonders of the fox
repeats,

Describes the defperate chace, and all his cheats ;
How in one day, beneath his furious speed,

He tir'd feven courfers of the fleetest breed ;
How high the pale he leapt, how wide the ditch,
When the hound tore the haunches of the

These ftories, which defcend from son to son,

witch!

The forward boy fhall one day make his own.

*The most common accident to Sportfmen, to hunt a witch in the fhape of a hare.

Ah,