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Reeking in Sweat, and fmear'd with Dirt and Gore,
They fpurn the Sand, and thro' the Battel roar.

Pleas'd with the martial Noife, he fnuffs the Air,
And fmells the dufty Battel from afar ;

Blac.

Neighs to the Captain's Thunder, and the Shouts of War. Blac.
Swift as a Dove purfu'd, or Mountain Hind,

His nimble Feet could overtake the Wind;
Leave flying Darts, and swifter Storms behind.
Thus form'd for Speed, he challenges the Wind,
And leaves the Scythian Arrow far behind.
He fcours along the Field with loofen'd Reins,
And treads fo light he fcarcely prints the Plains.
In fuch a Shape grim Saturn did restrain

His heav'nly Limbs, and flow'd with fuch a Mane:
When half furpriz'd, and fearing to be feen,
The Leacher gallop'd from his jealous Queen ;
Ran up the Ridges of the Rocks amain,

Blac.

Dryd. Virg.

And with fhrill Neighings fill'd the neighb'ring Plain. Dr.Virg.
Wanton with Life, and bold with native Heat,
With thund'ring Feet he paws the trembling Ground,
He ftrikes out Fire, and purns the Sand around;
Does with loud Neighings make the Valley ring,
And with becoming Pride his Foam around him fling.
So light he treads, he leaves no Mark behind,
As if indeed defcended from the Wind;
And yet fo ftrong he does his Rider bear,
As if he felt no Burden but the Air.

A Cloud of Smoke from his wide Noftrils flies,
And his hot Spirits brighten in his Eyes.

At the fhrill Trumpets Sound he pricks his Ears,
With brave Delight furveys the glitt'ring Spears,
And covetous of War, upbraids the Coward's Fears.
Freed from his Keepers thus, with broken Reins,
The wanton Courfer prances o'er the Plains;
Or in the Pride of Youth o'er-leaps the Mounds,
And fnuffs the Females in forbidden Grounds:
Or feeks his Wat'ring in the well-known Flood,
To quench his Thirft, and cool his fiery Blood;
He fwims luxuriant in the liquid Plain,
And o'er his Shoulder flows his waving Mane:
He neighs, he fnorts, he bears his Head on high;
Before his ample Cheft the frothy Waters fly.

He fought the Courfers of the Thracion Race.
At his Approach they tofs their Heade on high,
And proudly neighing, prom Vi8
The Drifts of Thracian Snow were face o white,
Nor northern Winds in Fleetnels match'd their Flight

Blac. $

Dryd. Virg.

Officious

Officious Grooms ftand ready, by their Side;

And fome with Combs their flowing Manes divide, (Dryd. Virg. And others ftroke their Chefts, and gently footh their Pride. White were his Fetlocks and his Feet before,

And on his Front a fnowy Star he bore.

Dryd. Virg

The Beast was fturdy, large and tall,
With Mouth of Meal, and Eyes of Wall
I would fay Eye, for he'd but one,
As moft agree, tho' fome fay none.
He was well stay'd, and in his Gate
Preferv'd a grave majestick State:
At Spur or Switch no more he skip'd,
Or mended Pace, than Spaniard whip'd
And yet fo fiery, he would bound,
As if he griev'd to touch the Ground;
That Cafar's Horfe, who, as Fame goes,
Had Corns upon his Feet and Toes,
Was not by half fo tender hoof'd,
Nor trod upon the Ground fo foft:
And as that Beaft would kneel and ftoop
(Some write) to take his Rider up;
So Hudibras's ('tis well known)
Would often do to fet him down.
His ftrutting Ribs on both Sides fhow'd
Like Furrows he himself had plow'd;
For underneath the Skirt of Pannel,
'Twixt ev'ry two there was a Channel,
His dragling Tail hung in the Dirt,
Which on his Rider he would flirt;
Still as his tender Side he prick'd,
With arm'd Heel, or with unarm'd, kick'd;
For Hudibras wore but one Spur,
As wifely knowing, could he ftir
To active Trot one Side of's Horfe,
The other would not hang an Arfe.
HORSE-R Ã C E.

The Signal giv'n by the thrill Trumpets Sound,
The Courfers ftart, and fcour along the Ground:
So Boreas starting from his northern Goal,
Sweeps o'er the Mountains to the adverse Pole;
His furious Wings the flying Clouds remove
From the blue Plains and fpacious Wilds above:
Infulting o'er the Seas, he loudly roars,

And fhoves the tumbling Billows to the Shores.
While for the Palm the training Steeds contend,
Beneath their Hoofs the Grafs does fcarcely bend;

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So long and fmooth their Strokes, fo fwift they pass,
That the Spectators of the noble Race,

Can fcarce diftinguish by their doubtful Eye,
If on the Ground they run, or in the Air they fly.
So when the Earth fmiles with a Summer's Ray,
And wanton Swallows o'er the Valleys play,
In Sport each other they fo fwiftly chafe,
Sweeping with eafy Wings the Meadows Face,
They feem upon the Ground to fly a Race.
O'er Hills and Dales the speedy Courfers fly,
And with thick Clouds of Duft obfcure the Sky.
With clafhing Whips the furious Riders tear
Their Gourfer's Sides, and wound th'afflicted Air.
On their thick Manes the ftooping Riders lie,
Prefs forward, and would fain their Steeds outfly.
By turns they are behind, by turns before,

Their Flanks and Sides all bath'd in Sweat and Gore.
Such Speed the Steeds, fuch Zeal the Riders fhew,
To reach bright Fame that fwift before them flew.
Upon the laft, with fpurning Heels, the firft
Caft Storms of Sand, and fmoth'ring Clouds of Duft:
The hindmoft ftrain their Nerves, and fnort and blow,
And their white Foam upon the foremost throw:
Eager of Fame, and of the promis'd Prize,
The Riders feize the Mark with greedy Eyes.
Now Hope dilates, now Fear contracts the Breast,
Alternately with Joy and Grief poffefs'd:
Thus far with equal Fate the Riders pass,
Uncertain who fhould conquer in the Race;
But now the Goal appearing does excite

New Warmth, and calls out all their youthful Might;
They lash their Courfers Flanks with Crimson dy'd,
And stick their goaring Spurs into their Side.
Their native Courage, and the Rider's Stroke,
T'exert their Force, the gen'rous Kind provoke.

}

Blac

HOUNDS and HUNTING. See Phyfick.
Ten Brace, and more, of Greyhounds fnowy fair,
And tall as Stags, ran loofe, and cours'd around his Chair;
A Match for Pards in flight, in grappling for the Bear.
(Dryd. Pal. & Arc.
With Cries of Hounds thou may'ft purfue the Fear
Of flying Hares, or chafe the fallow Deer;
Rowze from their defart Dens the briftled Rage
Of Boars, and beamy Stags in Toils engage.

So the flanch Hound the trembling Deer pursues,
And fmells his Footsteps in the tainted Dews,
The tedious Track unrav'ling by Degrees;

But when the Scent comes warm in ev'ry Breeze,

Dryd. Virg.

Fir'd

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Add.

Add. Ovid.

Fir'd at the near Approach, he shoots away
On his full Stretch, and bears upon his Prey.
A noble Pack, or to maintain the Chace,
Or fnuff the Vapour from the fcented Grafs.
I was with Hercules and Cadmus once,
When in a Wood of Crete they bay'd the Boar
With Hounds of Sparta. Never did I hear
Such gallant Chiding; for befides the Groves,
The Skies, the Fountains, ev'ry Region near
Seem'd all one mutual Cry. I never heard
So musical a Discord, fuch sweet Thunder!
My Hounds are bred out of the Spartan Kind;
So flu'd, fo fanded, and their Heads are hung
With Ears that fweep away the Morning Dew;
Crook-kneed, and dewlap'd like Theffalian Bulls;
Slow in Purfuit, but match'd in Mouths like Bells,
Each under each: A Cry more tuneable (Night's Dream.
Was never hallow'd to, nor chear'd with Horn. Shak. Midfum.
On Mountains will I chafe,

Mix'd with the Wood-land Nymphs, the favage Race:

Nor Cold fhall hinder me with Horns and Hounds,
To thrid the Thickets, or to leap the Mounds.

And now methinks o'er fteepy Rocks I go,

(Dryd. Virg.

And rush thro' founding Woods, and bend the Parthian Bow.
My Hounds fhall make the Welkin anfwer them,
And fetch fhrill Echo from the hollow Earth. Shak. Taming of
From Hills and Dales the chearful Cries rebound; (the Shrew.
For Echo hunts along, and propagates the Sound.

Dryd. Virg.

When thro' the Woods we chac'd the foaming Boar,
With Hounds that open'd like Theffalian Bulls,
Like Tygers flu'd, and fanded as the Shore,

With Ears and Chefts that dafh'd the Morning Dew;
Driv'n with the Sport, as Ships are toft in Storms,

We ran like Winds, and matchlefs was our Course ;
Now fweeping o'er the Summit of a Hill,

Now with a full Career came thund'ring down
The Precipice, and fweat along the Vale.

Lee Theod.

Now had they reach'd the Hills, and ftorm'd the Seat
Of falvage Beafts, in Dens, their laft Retreat:
The Cry pursues the Mountain Goats; they bound
From Rock to Rock, and keep the craggy Ground:
Quite otherwife the Stags, a trembling Train,
In Herds unfingl'd fcour the dusty Plain,
And a long Chace in open view maintain.
The glad Afcanius, as his Courfer guides,

}

Spurs thro' the Vale, and these, and those outrides. Dryd. Virg.

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With well-breath'd Beagles you furround the Wood,
And often have you brought the wily Fox
To fuffer for the Firstlings of the Flocks;

Chas'd even amid ft the Folds, and made to bleed,
Like Felons, where they did the murd'rous Deed.
Th'impatient Greyhound flip'd from far,
Bounds o'er the Glebe to courfe the fearful Hare;
She in her Speed does all her Safety lay,
And he with double Speed purfaes the Prey;
O'er runs her at her fitting Turn, and licks
His Chaps in vain, and blows upon the Flix.
She 'fcapes, and for the neighb'ring Covert ftrives,
And, gaining Shelter, doubts if yet fhe lives.

Chace of a STAG.

The youthful Train

With Horns and Hounds a hunting Match ordain;
And pitch their Toils around the fhady Plain.

The Pack is fir'd, they fnuff, they vent,
And feed their hungry Noftrils with the Scent:
'Twas of a well-grown Stag, whofe Antlers rife
High o'er his Front, his Beams invade the Skies.
The unexpected Sound

Of Dogs and Men his wakeful Ears does wound :
Rowz'd with the Noife, he fcarce believes his Ear,
Willing to think th'Illufion of his Fear

Had giv'n this falfe Alarm: But ftrait his View
Confirms that more than all his Fears is true.
Betray'd in all his Strength, the Wood befet,
All Inftruments, all Arts of Ruin met;

He calls to mind his Strength, and then his Speed,
His winged Heels, and then his armed Head;
With thofe t'avoid, with this his Fate to meet ;
But Fear prevails, and bids him trust his Feet.
So faft he flies, that his reviewing Eye
Has loft the Chacers, and his Ears the Cry:
Exulting, till he finds their nobler Senfe
Their difproportion'd Speed does recompence;
Then curfes his confpiring Feet, whofe Scent
Betrays that Safety which their Swiftnefs lent:
Next tries his Friends; among the bafer Herd,
Where he fo lately was obey'd and fear'd,
His Safety feeks: The Herd unkindly wife,
Or chafes him from thence, or from him flies;
Like a declining Statesman left forlorn,
To his Friends Pity, and Purfuers Scorn,
With Shame remembers when himself was one

Pryd.

Dryd. Ovid

}

Dryd. Virg

Of

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