3 



Among the sportive tenants of the lake, 

 Wide havoc water-rats and beavers make : 

 These foes with subtlety alone pursue : 

 If from the shore you at a distance view 

 A beaver plunge into the stream, in vain 

 You'll hope by darts a conquest to obtain; 

 The conscious robber dives beneath the flood, 

 Nor to the bank returns where late he stood. 



If reeds and rushes should your lakes infest, 

 Cut not away the heads and leave the rest} 

 The stems corrupt, if suffered to remain, 

 And from the roots fresh crops appear again : 

 But with a little skiff destroy the reeds ; 

 With gloves upon their hands some hold the head*. 

 With stretch'd-out arms, against the adverse waves 5 

 While others row with cars 5 or with long staves 

 The boat together with the rushes strove. 

 And to the shore the reedy forest move. 



Since nothing to the natives of the flood 

 Is more destructive than the want of food, 

 Throw grains of corn, or scatter crumbs of bread, 

 And if, of some unknown distemper dead, 

 You chance to find a sheep, or in the yoke 

 An ox should yield to death's untimely stroke, 

 To feast your hungry fish their bodies throw, 

 Or pounded acorns and cheap pulse bestow 5 

 "With figs by constant show'rs corrupted grown, 

 And apples from the trees untimely blown : 

 For famine will compel the wat'ry breed 

 Like beasts on flesh, on grass like sheep to feed, 

 With fruit like birds to fill their hungry maw, 

 And on their kind to rush with greedy jaw. 



And eke into the water fell, 



So many pewter dishes j 

 That a man might have taken up very well 



Both bcyld and roasted fishes." 



The 



