Nay, he can climb, if need be, and for that
With him I hunt the martin and the cat ;
And yet sometimes in mounting he's so quick,
He fetches falls, are like to break his neck.
Fear is well-mouth'd, but subject to distrust :
A stranger cannot make him take a crust;
A little thing will soon his courage quail,
And 'twixt his legs he ever claps his tail.
With him Despair now often coupled goes,
Which by his roaring mouth each huntsman knows.
None hath a better mind unto the game,
But he gives off, and always seemeth lame.
My blood-hound Cruelty, as swift as wind,
Hunts to the death, and never comes behind;
Who, but she's strapt, and muzzled too withal,
Would eat her fellows, and the prey and all;
And yet, she cares not much for any food,
Unless it be the purest harmless blood.

All these are kept abroad at charge of many:
They do not cost me in a year a penny.
But there's two couple, of a middling size,
That seldom pass the sight of my own eyes;
Hope, on whose head I've laid my life to pawn;
Compassion, that on every one will fawn.
This would, when 'twas a whelp, with rabbits play,
Or lambs, and let them go unhurt away;

Nay, now she is of growth, she'll now and then
Catch you a hare and let her go again.

The two last, Joy and Sorrow, make me wonder,
For they can ne'er agree, nor 'bide asunder.
Joy's ever wanton, and no order knows :
She'll run at larks, or stand and bark at crows.
Sorrow goes by her, and ne'er moves his

eye,

Yet both do serve to help make up the cry. Then comes, behind all these, to bear the bass, Two couple more of a far larger race,

Such wide-mouth'd trollops, that 'twould do you good

To hear their loud-loud echoes tear the wood:
There's Vanity, who by her gaudy hide

May far away from all the rest be 'spied;

Though huge, yet quick; for she's now here, now

there;

Nay, look about you, and she's every where,
Yet ever with the rest, and still in chace.
Right so, Inconstancy fills every place,
And yet so strange a fickle-natur'd hound,
Look for her, and she's no where to be found.
Weakness is no fair dog unto the eye,

And yet she hath her proper quality.

But there's Presumption, when he heat hath got, He drowns the thunder and the cannon-shot ;

And when at start he his full roaring makes,
The Earth doth tremble and the Heaven shakes.
These were my dogs, ten couple just in all,
Whom by the name of Satyres I do call:
Mad curs they be, and I can ne'er come nigh
them,

But I'm in danger to be bitten by them.
Much pains I took, and spent days not a few,
To make them keep together and hunt true;
Which yet I do suppose had never been,
But that I had a Scourge to keep them in.
Now, when that I this kennel first had got,
Out of mine own demesnes I hunted not,
Save on these downs, or among yonder rocks,
After those beasts that spoil'd our parish flocks;
Nor during that time was I ever wont
With all my kennel in one day to hunt;

Nor had done yet, but that this other year,
Some beasts of prey, that haunt the deserts here,
Did, not alone, for many nights together,
Devour, sometime a lamb, sometime a wether,
And so disquiet many a poor man's herd,
But thereof losing all were much afear'd.
Yea, I among the rest did fare as bad,

Or rather worse; for the best ewes* I had,

Whose breed should be my means of life and gain,
Were in one evening by these monsters slain;
Which mischief I resolved to repay,

Or else grow desperate and hunt all away.
For in a fury, such as you shall see
Huntsmen in missing of their sport will be,
I vow'd a monster should not lurk about
In all this province, but I'd find him out;
And thereupon, without respect or care
How lame, how full, or how unfit they were,
In haste unkennel'd all my roaring crew,
Who were as mad as if my mind they knew ;
And ere they trail'd a flight-shot, the fierce curs
Had rous'd a hart, and through brakes, briers, and

furze

Follow'd at gaze so close, that Love and Fear
Got in together, and had surely, there

Quite overthrown him, but that Hope thrust in
"Twixt both, and sav'd the pinching of his skin;
Whereby he 'scap'd, till coursing overthwart,
Despair came in, and grip'd him to the heart.
I hallooed in the res'due to the fall,

And for an entrance, there I flesh'd them all;
Which having done, I dipp'd my staff in blood,
And onward led my Thunder to the wood;
Where what they did, I'll tell you out anon:
My keeper calls me, and I must be gone.

Go, if you please, awhile attend your flocks,
And when the sun is over yonder rocks,
Come to this cave again, where I will be,
If that my guardian so much favour me.
Yet, if you please, let us three sing a strain,
Before you turn your sheep into the plain.

I am content.

Willy.

Cuddy.

.As well content am I.

Philarete.

Then Will, begin! and we'll the rest supply.

Song.

Willy.

SHEPHERD! would these gates were ope,
Thou might'st take with us thy fortunes.

Philarete.

No; I'll make this narrow scope
(Since my fate doth so importune).

Means unto a wider hope.