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OLD ENGLISH WOOD. 



What booted it to traverse o'er 

 Plain, forest, river ? Man nor brute, 

 Nor dint of hoof, nor print of foot, 

 Lay in the wild luxuriant soil ; 

 No sign of travail none of toil. 



BYRON. 



I. 



WITH cloudy wings outstretch'd in deathly gloom 



Came shady Silence, leading black-brow'd Night 

 Mantled in darkness dreary as the tomb, 



Whose sable shield resists the piercing sight, 



And mocks the efforts of excluded light, 

 Waiting in vain to gild the pitchy vault ; 



So brooding o'er the forest's leafy height, 

 In murky clouds marching with dark assault, 

 Came gloomy Night, no morn to bid his black steeds halt. 



II. 



Hark ! from yon wood is heard the wolf's long howl, 

 Loud echoes deepen o'er the savage plain 



The list'ning fox halts on his midnight prowl, 

 Then gliding cautiously proceeds again, 

 Oft turning round, although he turns in vain, 



Increasing darkness hides each moving foe; 



Green leaves resound with drops of dancing rain, 



At intervals hoarse winds in wild gusts blow, 



While tall trees bend and sigh like men in deepest woe. 



III. 



The startled raven quits her lofty nest, 



And circles round the huge broad-branching oak, 

 Where her young nestlings closely gather'd rest, 



Stretching their beaks, rous'd by her harsh deep croak ; 



While howling wolves have ravenously broke 

 The cavern'd wood, across the heath they stray 



Impell'd by hunger, rage appears to choke 

 Their clamourous yell anon they bound away, 

 Sweeping the level plain full speed in quest of prey. 



IV. 



The wolf's stern howl, join'd with the raven's cry, 



Rouses the wild deer from his shady lair ; 

 From snow-white thorns bright pendant rain-drops fly ; 



Round the deep glen in vain his brown eyes glare, 



Impenetrable gloom resists his stare. 

 Now ! now ! he flies, he clears the frowning wood, 



Sweeps by the wond'ring, timid, trembling hare, 

 Brushes the blossom, shakes the tender bud, 

 Gains the extended plain, and swims the gurgling flood. 



