Oft they the guards affail; as oft repell'd
They fly reluctant, with hot-boiling rage
Stung to the quick, and mad with wild despair.
Thus day by day they still the chace renew,
At night encamp; till now in ftreighter bounds
The circle leffens, and the beasts perceive
The wall that hems them in on every fide.
And now their fury bursts, and knows no mean;
From man they turn, and point their ill-judg'd rage
Againft their fellow brutes. With teeth and claws
The civil war begins; grappling they tear.
Lions on tigers prey, and bears on wolves:
Horrible difcord till the crowd behind
Shouting purfue, and part the bloody fray.
At once their wrath fubfides; tame as the lamb
The lion hangs his head, the furious pard,
Cow'd and fubdued, flies from the face of man,
Nor bears one glance of his commanding eye.
So abject is a tyrant in distress !
At laft, within the narrow plain confin'd, A lifted field, mark'd out for bloody deeds,
An amphitheatre more glorious far
Than ancient Rome could boaft, they crowd in heaps,
With decent pride they fit, that fearless hear
The lion's dreadful roar; and down the rock
Swift-fhooting plunge, or o'er the mountain's ridge
Stretching along, the greedy tiger leave
Panting behind. On foot their faithful slaves
With javelins arm'd attend; each watchful eye
Fix'd on his youthful care, for him alone
He fears, and, to redeem his life, unmov'd
Would lofe his own.
From his high-elevated throne, beholds
His blooming race; revolving in his mind
What once he was, in his gay fpring of life,
When vigour ftrung his nerves. Parental joy
Melts in his eye, and flushes in his cheek.
Now the loud trumpet founds a charge. The fhouts
Of eager hofts, through all the circling line,
And the wild howlings of the beafts within
Rend wide the welkin, flights of arrows, wing'd
With death, and javelins launch'd from every arm,
Gall fore the brutal bands, with many a wound
Gor'd through and through. Defpair at laft prevails,
When fainting nature fhrinks, and roufes all
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Their drooping courage. Swell'd with furious rage,
Their eyes dart fire; and on the youthful band
They rufh implacable. They their broad fhields
Quick interpofe; on each devoted head
Their flaming falchions, as the bolts of Jove,
Defcend unerring. Proftrate on the ground
The grinning monfters lie, and their foul gore
Defiles the verdant plain. Nor idle stand
The trufty flaves; with pointed fpears the pierce
Through their tough hides; or at their gaping mouths
An eafier paffage find. The king of brutes
In broken roarings breathes his laft; the bear
Grumbles in death; nor can his fpotted fkin,
Though fleek it shine, with varied beauties gay,
Save the proud pard from unrelenting fate.
The battle bleeds, grim Slaughter ftrides along,
Glutting her greedy jaws, grins o'er her prey.
Men, horfes, dogs, fierce beasts of every kind,
A ftrange promifcuous carnage, drench'd in blood,
And heaps on heaps amafs'd. What yet remain
Alive, with vain affault contend to break
Th' impenetrable line. Others, whom fear
Infpires with felf-preferving wiles, beneath
The bodies of the flain for fhelter creep.
Aghaft they fly, or hide their heads difpers'd.
And now perchance (had Heaven but pleas'd) the work
Of death had been compleat; and Aurengzebe
By one dread frown extinguish'd half their race.
When lo! the bright fultanas of his court
Appear, and to his ravish'd eyes display
Those charms but rarely to the day reveal'd.
Lowly they bend, and humbly fue, to fave
The vanquish'd hoft. What mortal can deny
When fuppliant beauty begs? At his command,
Opening to right and left, the well-train'd troops 515
Leave a large void for their retreating foes.
Away they fly, on wings of fear upborn,
To feek on diftant hills their late abodes.
Ye proud oppreffors, whose vain hearts exult In wantonnefs of power, 'gainst the brute race, Fierce robbers like yourselves, a guiltless war
Wage uncontroll'd: here quench your thirst of blood; But learn from Aurengzebe to fpare mankind.
Of King Edgar, and his impofing a tribute of wolves heads upon the kings of Wales: from hence a tranfition to fox-hunting, which is described in all its parts. Cenfure of an over-numerous pack. Of the feveral engines to destroy foxes and other wild beafts. The steel-trap described, and the manner of ufing it. Description of the pitfall for the lion; and another for the elephant. The ancient way of hunting the tiger with a mirror. The Arabian manner of hunting the wild boar. Defcription of the royal ftag-chace at Windfor Foreft. Concludes with an addrefs to his
Majefty, and an eulogy upon mercy.
'N Albion's ifle when glorious Edgar reign'd,
He, wifely provident, from her white cliffs
Launch'd half her forefts, and with numerous fleets
Cover'd his wide domain: there proudly rode
Lord of the deep, the great prerogative
Of British monarchs. Each invader bold,
Dane and Norwegian, at a distance gaz'd,
And, difappointed, gnash'd his teeth in vain.
He fcour'd the feas, and to remotest shores
With fwelling fails the trembling corfair fled,
Rich commerce flourish'd; and with busy oars
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