DIDACTIC, DIDACTIC, DESCRIPTIVE, &c.
What prudence can prevent madnefs, the worst Of maladies? Terrific peft! that blafts The huntsman's hopes, and defolation (preads Thro' all th'unpeopled kennel unreftrain'd, More fatal than th'envenom'd vipers bite, Or that Apulian fpider's pois'nous fting, Heal'd by the pleafing antidote of founds. When Sirius reigns, andthe fun's parching beams Bake the dry-gaping furface, vifit thou, Each ev'n and morn, with quick obfervant eye, Thy panting pack. If, in dark fullen mood, The glouting hound refufe his wonted meal, Retiring clofe to fome obfcure retreat, Gloomy, difconfolate, with speed remove The poor infectious wretch, and in ftrong chains Bind him fufpected. Thus that dire difeafe Which art can't cure, wife caution may prevent.
But this neglected, foon expect a change, A difmal change, confufion, frenzy, death h; Or in fome dark recefs the fenfelefs brute Sits fadly pining; deep melancholy And black defpair upon his clouded brow Hang lowring; from his half-op'ning jaws ' The clammy venom and infectious froth Diftilling fall; and from his lungs, inflam'd, Malignant vapours taint the ambient air, Breathing perdition; his dim eyes are glaz'd, He droops his penfive head; his trembling limbs No more fupport his weight; abject he lies, Dumb, fpiritlefs, benumb'd; till Death at laft, Gracious, attends, and kindly brings relief.
Or if outrageous grown, behold, alas! A yet more dreadful fcene; his glaring eyes Redden with fury; like fome angry boar Churning he foams, and on his back erect His pointed briftles rife; his tail incurv'd He drops, and with harsh broken howlings rends The poifon-tainted air; with rough hoarfe voice Inceffant bays, and fnuffs th'infectious breeze; This way and that he stares aghaft, and starts At his own fhade, jealous, as if he deem'd The world his foes. If haply t'ward the ftream He caft his roving eye, cold horror chills His foul; averse he flies, trembling appall'd; Now frantic to the kennel's utmost verge Raving he runs, and deals destruction round : The pack fly diverfe; for whate'er he meets, Vengeful he bites, and ev'ry bite is death. If now perchance thro' the weak fence efcap'd, Far up the wind he roves, with open mouth Inhales the cooling breeze, nor man nor beaft He fpares, implacable. The hunter-horse, Once kind affociate of his fylvan toils (Who haply now without the kennel's mound Crops the rank mead, and, lift'ning, hears with joy The cheering cry that morn and eve falutes His raptur'd fenfe) a wretched victim falls. Unhappy quadruped! no more, alas! Shall thy fond mafter with his voice applaud Thy gentleness, thy fpeed; or with his hand Stroke thy foft dappled fides, as he each day Vifits thy ftall, well pleas'd: no more fhalt thou With fprightly neighings, to the winding horn And the loud op'ning pack in concert join'd,
Glad his proud heart; for, oh! the fecret wound Rankling inflames! he bites the ground, and dies! Hence to the village with pernicious hafte Baleful he bends his courfe: the village flies, Alarm'd; the tender mother in her arms Hugs clofe the trembling babe; the doors are barr'd,
And flying curs, by native inftinct taught, Shun the contagious bane: the ruftic bands Hurry to arms, the rude militia feize Whate'er at hand they find; clubs, forks, or guns, From ev'ry quarter charge the furious foe, In wild diforder and uncouth array; Igor'd, Till now, with wounds on wounds opprefs'd and At one fhort pois'nous gafp he breathes his laft. Hence to the kennel, Mufe! return and view, With heavy heart, that hofpital of woe, Where Horror ftalks at large! infatiate Death Sits growling o'er his prey; each hour prefents A diffrent fcene of ruin and diftrefs.
How bufy art thou, Fate! and how fevere Thy pointed wrath! the dying and the dead Promifcuous lie; o'er thefe the living fight In one eternal broil, not confcious why, Nor yet with whom. Sodrunkards, in their cups, Spare not their friends while fenfelefs fquabble reigns.
Huntfinan, it much behoves thee to avoid The perilous debate. Ah, roufe up Thy vigilance, and tread the treach'rous ground With careful step. Thy fires unquench'd preferve, As crft the vettal flame; the pointed steel In the hot embers hide; and if furpris'd Thou feel'ft the deadly bite, quick urge it home Into the recent fore, and cauterize
The wound: fpare not thy fleth, nor dread th Vulcan fhall fave when Efculapius fails. [eveat:
Here should the knowing Mute recount the
To ftop this growing plague: and here, alas! Each hand prefents a fov'reign cure, and boafts, Infallibility; but boasts in vain.
On this depend, each to his fep'rate feat Confine, in fetters bound; give each his mess Apart, his range in open air; and then If deadly fymptoms to thy grief appear, Devote the wretch, and let him greatly fall, A gen'rous victim for the public weal.
Sing, philofophic Mufe! the dire effects Of this contagious bite on hapless man. The ruftic fwains, by long tradition taught Of leaches old, as foon as they perceive The bite imprefs'd, to the fea-coafts repair. Plung'd in the briny flood, th'unhappy youth Now journeys home fecure, but foon fhall with The feas as yet had cover'd him beneath The foaming furge, full many a fathom deep. A fate more difmal, and fuperior ills, Hang o'er his head devoted. When the moon, Clofing her monthly round, returns again
To glad the night, or when full orb'd the fhines High in the vault of Heav'n, the lurking peft Begins the dire affault. The pois'nous foam, Thro' the deep wound inftill'd with hoftile rage, And
And all its fiery particles faline, Invades th'arterial fluid, whofe red waves Tempestuous heave, and, their cohesion broke, Fermenting boil; inteftine war enfues, And arder to confusion turns embroil'd. Now the diftended veffels fcarce contain The wild uproar, but prefs each weaker part, Unable to refift: the tender brain And ftomach fuffer moft: convulfions fhake His trembling nerves, and wand'ring pungent pains Pinch fore the fleepless wretch: his flutt'ring pulfe Oft intermits: penfive and fad, he mourns His cruel fate, and to his weeping friends Laments in vain: to hafty anger prone, Refents each flight offence, walks with quick ftep, And wildly ftares: at laft, with boundlefs fway The tyrant frenzy reigns: for as the dog (Whose fatal bite convey'd th’infectious bane) Raving he foams, and howls, and barks, and bites. Like agitations in his boiling blood Prefent like fpecies to his troubled mind, His nature and his actions all canine. So (as old Homer fung) the affociates wild Of wand'ring Ithacus, by Circe's charms To fwine transform'd, ran grunting thro' the Dreadful example to a wicked world! [groves. See there diftrefs'd he lies! parch'd up with thirst, But dares not drink; till now at last his foul, Trembling, efcapes, her noifome dungeon leaves, And to fome purer region wings away.
One labour yet remains, celeftial Maid! Another element demands thy fong. No more o'er craggy fteeps, thro' coverts thick With pointed thorn, and briers intricate, Urge on with horn and voice the painful pack, But fkim with wanton wing th'irriguous vale, Where winding ftreams amid the Row'ry meads Perpetual glide along, and undermine The cavern'd banks, by the tenacious roots Of hoary willows arch'd, gloomy retreat Of the bright fcaly kind, where they at will On the green wat'ry reed, there pasture, graze, Suck the moift foil, or flumber at their cafe, Rock'd by the rettlefs brook that draws aflope Its humid train, and laves their dark abodes. Where rages not oppreffion? where, alas! Is innocence fecure? Rapine and Spoil Hauntev'n the loweft deeps; feas have their sharks, Rivers and ponds enclofe the rav'nous pike; He in his turn becomes a prey; on hin Th'amphibious otter feafts. Juft is his fate Deferv'd: but tyrants know no bounds; fpears,
That brittle on his back, defend the perch From his wide greedy jaws; nor burnith'd mail The yellow carp; nor all his arts can fave Th'infinuating eel, that hides his head Beneath the flimy mud; nor yet efcapes The crimfon-fpotted trout, the river's pride, And beauty of the ftream. Without remorse This midnight pillager, ranging around, Infatiate, fwallows all. The owner mourns Th'unpeopled rivulet, and gladly hears,
The huntfman's early call, and feca with joy
The jovial crew, that march'd upon its banks In gay parade, with bearded lances arm'd.
This fubtle fpoiler, of the beaver kind, Far off perhaps, where ancient alders shade The deep ftill pool, within fome hollow trunk Contrives his wicker couch, whence he furveys His long purlieu, lord of the stream, and all The finny fhoals his own. But you, brave youths! Difpute the felon's claim; try ev'ry root, And ev'ry reedy bank; encourage all The bufy fpreading pack, that fearless plunge Into the flood, and cross the rapid ftream. Bid rocks and caves, and each refounding fhore Proclaim your bold defiance; loudly raise Each cheering voice, till distant hills repeat The triumphs of the vale. On the foft fand See there his feal imprefs'd! and on that bank Behold the glitt'ring fpoils, half-eaten fish, Scales, fins, and bones, the leavings of his feaft Ah! on that yielding fag-bed, fee once more His feal I view. O'er yon dank rushy marsh The fly goofe-footed prowler bends his course, And feeks the diftant fhallows. Huntsman! bring Thy eager pack, and trail him to his couch. Hark! the loud peal begins, the clam'rous joy, The gallant chiding, loads the trembling air.
Ye Naiads fair! who o'er thefe floods prefide, Raife up your dripping heads above the wave, And hear our melody. Th'harmonious notes Float with the ftream, and ev'ry winding creek And hollow rock, that o'er the dimpling flood Nods pendant, ftill improve from fhore to fhore Our fweet reiterated joys. What fhouts! What clamour loud! what gay heart-cheering founds
Urge thro' the breathing brafs their mazy way! Not quires of Tritons glad with fprightlier ftrains The dancing billows, when proud Neptune rides In triumph o'er the deep. How greedily They fnuff the fifhy fteam that to each blade Rank-fcenting clings! See! how the morning dews [drop They fweep, that from their feet befprinkling Difpers'd, and leave a track oblique behind. Now on firm land they range; then in the flood They plunge tumultuous, or thro' reedy pools, Ruffling, they work their way: no holt efcapes Their curious fearch. With quick fenfations now The fuming vapour ftings; flutter their hearts, And joy redoubled burits from ev'ry mouth In louder tymphonies. Yon hollow trunk, That with its hoary head incurv'd falutes The paffing wave, must be the tyrant's fort, And dread abode. How thefe impatient climb, While others at the root inceffant bay! They put him down. Sec, there he dives along! Th'afcending bubbles mark his gloomy way. Quick fix the nets, and cut off his retreat Into the fhelt'ring deeps. Ah! there he vents! The pack plunge headlong, and protended fpears Menace deftruction, while the troubled furge Indignant foams, and all the fcaly kind, Affrighted, hide their heads. Wild tumult reigns, And loud uproar, Ah! there once more he
See! that bold hound has feiz'd him! down they Together loft, but foon fhall he repent [únk, His rafh affault. See! there efcap'd, he flies, Half-drown'd, and clambers up the flipp'ry bank, With ouze and blood diftain'd. Of all the brutes, Whether by nature form'd, or by long ufe, This artful diver beft can bear the want Of vital air. Unequal is the fight Beneath the whelming element; yet there He lives not long, but refpiration needs At proper intervals. Again he vents; Again the crowd attack. That fpear has pierc'd His neck; the crimfon waves confefs the wound. Fix'd is the bearded lance, unwelcome guest, Where'er he flies; with him it finks beneath, With him it mounts, fure guide to ev'ry foe. Inly he groans; nor can his tender wound Bear the cold ftream. Lo! to yon fedgy bank He creeps difconfolate: his num'rous foes Surround him, hounds and men. Pierc'd thro' and thro',
On pointed fpears they lift him high in air; Wriggling he hangs, and grins, and bites in vain. Bid the loud horns, in gaily-warbling strains, Proclaim the felon's fate. He dies, he dies! Rejoice, ye fcaly tribes! and leaping dance Above the wave, in fign of liberty Reftor'd; the cruel tyrant is no more. Rejoice, fecure and blefs'd, did not as yet Remain fome of your own rapacious kind, And man, fierce man! with all his various wiles. O happy, if ve knew your happy state, Ye rangers of the fields! whom Nature's boon Cheers with her fimiles, and ev'ry clement Confpires to blefs. What if no heroes frown From marble pedestals, nor Raphael's works, Nor Titian's lively tints adorn our walls; Yet thefe the meaneft of us may behold, And at another's coft may feaft at will Our wond'ring eyes: what can the owner more? But vain, alas! is wealth not grac'd with pow'r. The flow'ry landfcape and the gilded dome, And viftas op'ning to the weary'd eye, Thro' all his wide domain; the planted grove, The fhrubby wilderness, with its gay choir Of warbling birds, can't lull to foft repofe Th'ambitious wretch, whofe difcontented foul Is harrow'd day and night: he mourns, he pines, Until his prince's favour makes him great. See, there he comes, th'exalted idol comes! The circle's forin'd, and all his fawning flaves Devoutly bow to earth; from ev'ry mouth The naufcous flatt'ry flows, which he returns With promifes that die as foon as born. Vile intercourfe! where Virtue has no place. Frown but the monarch, and his glories fade; He mingles with the throng, outcast, undone, The pageant of a day; without one friend To footh his tortur'd mind; all, all are fled; For tho' they bafk'd in his meridian ray, The infects vanifh as his beams decline.
Not fuch our friends; for here no dark defign, No wicked int'reft, bribes the venal heart;
But inclination to our bofoms leads, And weds them there for life; our fecial cups Sinile as we finile; open and unreferv'd, 'We fpeak our inmoft fouls; goed-humour, mirth, Soft complaifance, and wit from malice free, Smooth ev'ry brow, and glow on ev'ry cheek. O happiacfs fincere what wretch would groan Beneath the galling load of pow'r, or walk Upon the flipp'ry pavements of the great, Who thus could reign, unenvy'd and fecure? Ye guardian Pow'rs! who make mankind your care,
Give me to know wife nature's hidden depths, Trace each myfterious caufe, with judgment read Th'expanded volume, and fubmifs adore That great creative Will, who at a word Spoke forth the wond'rous fcene. But if my foul, To this grofs clay confin'd, flutters on earth With lefs ambitious wing, unfkill'd to range From orb to orb, where Newton leads the way, And view with piercing eyes the grand machine, Worlds above worlds; fubfervient to his voice Who, veil'd in clouded majefty, alone Gives light to all, bids the great fyftem move, And changeful feafons in their turns advance, Unmov'd, unchang'd, himfelf; yet this at leaft Grant me, propitious, an inglorious life, Calm and ferene, nor loft in falfe purfuits Of wealth or honours; but enough to raise My drooping friends, preventing modeft want, That dares not afk; and if, to crown my joys, Ye grant me health, that, ruddy in my checks, Blooms in my life's decline, fields, woods, and ftreams,
Each tow'ring hill, each humble vale below, Shall hear my cheering voice; my hounds fhall
You who the fwects of rural life have known, Defpife th'ungrateful hurry of the town; In Windfor groves your eafy hours employ, And, undisturb'd, yourfelf and Mufe enjoy. Thames liftens to thy ftrains, and filent flows, And no rude wind thro' ruftling ofiers blows; While all his wond'ring nymphs around thee throng,
To hear the Syrens warble in thy fong.
But I, who ne'er was bless'd by Fortune's hand, Nor brighten'd ploughfhares in paternal land, Long in the noify town have been immur'd, Refpir'd its finoke, and all its cares endur'd; Where news and politics divide mankind, And schemes of ftate involve th'uncafy mind;
* This Poem received many material corrections from the Author after it was first published.
Faction embroils the world; and ev'ry tongue Is mov'd by flatt'ry, or with fcandal hung: Friendship, for fylvan fhades, the palace flies, Where all muft yield to Int'reft's dearer tics; Each rival Machiavel with envy burns, And Honefty fortakes them all by turns; While calumny upon cach party's thrown; Which both promote, and both alike difown. Fatigu'd at laft, a calm retreat I chofe, [pofe, And footh'd my harraf'd mind with fweet re- Where fields, and fhades, and the refreshing clime,
Infpire the tylvan fong, and prompt my rhyme. My Mufe thall rove through flow'ry meads and plains,
And deck with Rural Sports her native strains, And the fame road ambitioufly purfue, Frequented by the Mantuan Swain and You. 'Tis not that rural sports alone invite, But all the grateful country breathes delight; Here blocming Health exerts her gentle reign, And ftrings the finews of th'induftrious swain. Soon as the morning lark falutes the day, Through dewy fields I take my frequent way, Where I behold the farmer's early care In the revolving labours of the year.
When the freth Spring in all her ftate is crown'd, And high luxuriant grafs o'erfpreads the ground, The labour'r with a bending fcythe is feen, Shaving the furface of the waving green; Of all her native pride difrobes the land, And meads lays wafte before his fweeping hand; While with the mounting fun the meadow glows, The fading herbage round he loofely throws: But, if fome fign portend a lafting fhow'r, Th'experienc'd fwain forcfees the coming hour; His fun-burnt hands the featt'ring fork forfake, And ruddy damfels ply the faving rake; In rifing hills the fragrant harveft grows, And fpreads along the field in equal rows. Now when the height of heav'n bright Pho- bus gains,
And level rays cleave wide the thirty plains, When heifers feck the fhade and cooling lake, And in the middle pathway bafks the fnake,' O lead me, guar me from the fultry hours; Hide me, ye forefts, in your clofest bow'ts, Where the tall oak his fpreading arms entwines, And with the beach a mutual thade combines; Where flows the murm'ring brook, inviting dreams;
Where bord'ring hazel overhangs the ftreams, Whofe rolling current, winding round and round, With frequent falls makes all the wood refound; Upon the molly couch my limbs I caft, And e'en at noon the fweets of ev'ning tafte. Here I perufe the Mantuan's Georgic firains, And learn the labours of Italian fwains; In ev'ry page I fee new landicapes rise, And all Hefperia opeus to my eyes; I wander o'er the various rural toil, And know the nature of each diff'rent foil: This waving field is gilded o'er with corn; That, fpreading trees with bluthing fruit adorn:
Here I furvey the purple vintage grow, Climb round the poles, and rife in graceful row = Now I behold the fteed curvet and bound, And paw with reftlefs hoof the finoking ground: The dew-lap'd bull now chafes along the plain, While burning love ferments in ev'ry vein; His well-arm'd front against his rival aims, And by the dint of war his mistress claims: The careful infect 'midft his works I view, Now from the flow'rs exhauft the fragrant dew With golden treafures load his little thighs, And fteer his diftant journey thro' the ikies; Some against hoftile drones the hive defend, Others with fweets the waxen cells diftend: Each in the toil his deftin'd office bears, And in the little bulk a mighty foul appears. Or when the ploughman leaves the task of day, And trudging homeward whittles on the way; When the big-udder'd cows with patience ftand, Waiting the ftrokings of the damfel's hand; No warbling cheers the woods; the feather'd choir, To court kind flumbers, to the fprays retire; When no rude gale difturbs the ilceping trees, Nor afpen-leaves confefs the gentleft breeze; Engag'd in thought, to Neptune's bounds I stray, To take my farewell of the parting day, Far in the deep the fun his glory hides, A ftreak of gold the fea and sky divides: The purple clouds their amber linings show, And, edg'd with flame, rolls ev'ry wave below; Here penfive I behold the fading light, And o'er the distant billow lofe my fight.
Now Night in filent ftate begins to rife, And twinkling orbs beftrow th'uncloudy skies; Her borrow'd luftre growing Cynthia lends, And on the main a glitt'ring path extends; Millions of worlds hang in the fpacious air, Which round their funs their annual circles steer; Sweet contemplation elevates my fenfe, While I furvey the works of Providence. O could the Mufe in loftier ftrains rehearse The glorious Author of the universe, Who reins the winds, gives the vaft ocean bounds, And circumfcribes the floating worlds their rounds,
My foul fhould overflow in fongs of praise, And my Creator's name infpire my lays!
As in fucceffive courfe the feafons roll, So circling pleafures recreate the foul. When genial fpring a living warmth bestows, And o'er the year her verdant mantle throws, No fwelling inundation hides the grounds, But chryftal currents glide within their bounds; The finny brood their wonted haunts forfake, Float in the fun, and fkim along the lake: With frequent leap they range the thallow ftreams;
Their filver coats reflect their dazzling beams. Now let the fisherman his toils prepare, And arm himself with ev'ry wat'ry fnare; His hooks, his lines, perufe with careful eye, Increase his tackle, and his rod re-tye.
When floating clouds their spongy fleeces drain, Troubling the ftreams with fwift defcending rain; And
And waters, tumbling down the mountain's fide, | He shakes the boughs that on the margin grow, Bear the loofe foil into the fwelling tide; Then, foon as vernal gales begin to rife, And drive the liquid burthen thro' the skies, The fisher to the neighb'ring current speeds, Whose rapid furface purks unknown to weeds: Upon a rifing border of the brook
He fits him down, and ties the treach'rous hook; Now expectation cheers his eager thought, His bofom glows with treafures yet uncaught; Before his eyes a banquet feems to stand, Where ev'ry guest applauds his fkilful hand.
Far from the ftream the twisted hair he throws, Which down the murm'ring current gently flows; When, if or chance or hunger's pow'rful sway Directs the roving trout this fatal way, He greedily fucks in the twining bait, And tugs and nibbles the fallacious meat: Now, happy fisherman, now twitch the line! How thy rod bends! behold the prize is thine! Caft on the bank, he dies with gafping pains, And trickling blood his filver mail diftains.
You must not ev'ry worm promifcuous ufe; Judgment will tell the proper bait to chufe: The worm that draws a long immod❜rate fize The trout abhors, and the rank morfel flies; And, if too finall, the naked fraud's in fight, And fear forbids, while hunger does invite. Thofe baits will beft reward the fisher's pains, Whofe polish'd tails a fhining yellow ftains: Cleanfe them from filth, to give a tempting glofs, Cherish the fully'd reptile race with mofs; Amid the verdant bed they twine, they toil, And from their bodies wipe their native foil. But, when the fun difplays his glorious beams, And thallow rivers flow with filver ftreams, Then the deceit the fcaly breed furvey, Bafk in the fun, and look into the day: You now a more delufive art muft try, And tempt their hunger with the curious fly. To frame the little animal, provide All the gay hues that wait on female pride: Let nature guide thee; fometimes golden wire The fhining bellies of the fly require; The peacock's plumes thy tackle must not fail, Nor the dear purchase of the fable's tail. Each gaudy bird some slender tribute brings, And lends the growing infect proper wings: Silks of all colours must their aid impart, And ev'ry fur promote the fisher's art. So the gay lady, with expenfive care, Borrows the pride of land, of fea, and air; Furs, pearls, and plumes, the glitt'ring thing difplays,
Dazzles our eyes, and eafy hearts betrays.
Mark well the various feafons of the year, How the fucceeding infect race appear; In this revolving moon one colour reigns, Which in the next the fickle trout difdains. Oft have I feen a fkilful angler try The various colours of the treach'rous fly; When he with fruitless pain had fkinm'd the brook,
And the coy fish rejects the skipping hook,
Which o'er the ftream a waving forest throw; When if an infect fall (his certain guide) He gently takes him from the whirling tide; Examines well his form with curious eyes, His gaudy veft, his wings, his horns, and fize; Then round his hook the chofen fur he winds, And on the back a fpeckled feather binds; So just the colours fhine thro' ev'ry part, That Nature feems again to live in Art. Let not thy wary step advance too near, While all thy hope hangs on a fingle hair; The new-form'd infect on the water moves, The fpeckled trout the curious fnare approves ; Upon the curling furface let it glide, With natʼral motion from thy hand supply'd; Against the stream now gently let it play, Now in the rapid eddy roll away.
The fcaly fhoals float by, and, fciz'd with fear, Behold their fellows toft in thinner air; But foon they leap, and catch the fwimming bait, Plunge on the hook, and thare an equal fate.
When a brisk gale against the current blows, And all the wat'ry plain in wrinkles flows, Then let the fisherman his art repeat, Where bubbling eddies favour the deceit, If an enormous falmon chance to fpy The wanton errors of the floating fly, He lifts his filver gills above the flood, And greedily fucks in th'unfaithful food; Then downward plunges with the fraudful prey, And bears with joy the little fpoil away : Soon in finart pain he feels the dire mistake, Lathes the wave, and beats the foamy lake; With fudden rage he now aloft appears, And in his eye convulfive anguish bears; And now again, impatient of the wound, He rolls and wreathes his thining body round; Then headlong fhoots beneath the dashing tide; The trembling fins the boiling wave divide. Now hope exalts the fisher's beating heart; Now he turns pale, and fears his dubious art; He views the tumbling fifth with longing eyes, While the line ftretches with th'unwieldy prize; Each motion humours with his steady hands, And one flight hair the mighty bulk commands: Till, tir'd at laft, defpoil'd of all his ftrength, The game athwart the ftream unfolds his length. He now, with pleafure, views the gafping prize Gnath his fharp teeth, and roll his blood-fhot eyes; Then draws him to the fhore, with artful care, And lifts his noftrils in the fick'ning air: Upon the burthen'd ftream he floating lies, Stretches his quiv'ring fins, and, gasping, dies.
Would you preferve a num'rous finny race? Let your fierce dogs the rav'nous otter chace (Th'amphibious monster ranges all the fhores, Darts thro' the waves, and ev'ry haunt explores); Or let the gin his roving fteps betray, And fave from hoftile jaws the fcaly prey.
I never wander where the bord'ring reeds O'erlook the muddy ftream, whofe tangling weeds Perplex the fisher; I nor chufe to bear The thievifh nightly net, nor barbed spear;
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