39 



Once on the grassy border of a flood 

 A boy, and round a youthful circle stood, 

 With floated line, and rod, did next prepare, 

 The 'guileful charm to hide the barbed snare j 

 The boy commanded silence with a nod, 

 And threw his twisted line into the flood: 

 By chance a mullet in the stream appear'd 

 Large, and conspicuous by a length of beard: 

 tie nibbled at the bait in sportive play, 

 And then refusing seem'd to swim away. 

 Now with the current down the stream he glides 

 Now with his tail the adverse waves divides^ 



The worm that writhes, too, on the barbed steel, 

 Knows not less pain than does the culprit feel, 

 When legal vengeance drags him to her den : 

 His well-knit limbs, his nerves, his sinews firm, 

 Defy not torture better than a worm 

 Reptiles are flesh and blood as well as men. 



'Tis not for man to lift his murd'ring arm 

 Against the artless, unoffending swarm, 



To wage unequal combat with a fish. 

 So much, believe me, liberty I prize, 

 I'd rather on their freedom feast my eyes, 



Than view them smoaking on the glutton's dish. 



Enough for me if, while I roam at ease, 



And taste, svyeet Isis, on thy banks, the breeze 



That wantons there, upon her silken wings, 

 Health's genial hand its bounty shall bestow, 

 And on my cheek impress the livid glow^ 



And all the charms the lovely goddess brings. 



Farewell, my rod, and to my lines farewell, 



No more shall sports like these my bosom swell- 

 No more shall ye to cruelty invoke me : 



Perhaps some fish, with patriot rage may burn 



Perhaps some trout be savage in its turn 



And, dying for its injur'd brethren, choak me.'* J. T. 



But 



