fiobK.] Chace. 269 



At length a blood-hound bold, ftudious to kill, 

 Andexquifite offenfe, winds him from far j 

 Headlong he leaps into the flood, his mouth 

 Loud-op'ning fpends amain, and his wide throat 

 Swells ev'ry note with joy j then fearlefs dives 

 Beneath the wave, hangs on his haunch, and wounds 

 Th' unhappy brute, that flounders in the fl:ream. 

 Sorely diftrefs'd, and ft:ruogling flirives to mount 

 The fl:eepy fliore. Haply once more efcap'd. 

 Again he fl:ands at bay, amid the groves 

 Of willows, bending low their downy heads. 

 Outrageous tranfport fires the greedy pack ; 

 Thefe fwim the deep, and thofe crawl up with pain 

 The flipp'ry bank, while others on firm land 

 "Engage j the ft:ag repels each bold aflault. 

 Maintains his pofl:, and wounds for wounds returns. 

 As when fome wily corfair boards a fliip 

 Full-freighted, or from Afric's golden coafl:s. 

 Or India's wealthy fl:rand, his bloody crew 

 Upon her deck he flings i thefe in the deep 

 Drop fliort, and fwim to reach her fteepy fldes. 

 And clinging climb aloft, while thofe on board 

 Urge on the work of fate ; the mafter bold, 

 Prefs'd to his lafl: retreat, bravely refolves 

 To fink his wealth beneath the whelming wave, 

 His wealth, his foes, nor unreveng'd to die. 

 So fares it with the flag j fo he refolves 

 To plunge at once into the flood below, 

 Himfelf, his foes, in one deep gulph immers'd. 



Ere 



