VI MISCELLANEOUS VERSES. 



A LAY OF OLD ENGLISH FIELD SPORTS. 



Old Time oft loves to linger, leaning on his scythe the while, 

 Each lovely summer evening to gaze upon our isle, 

 As he views the matron spinning, the schoolboy's sunny glee, 

 The spires that point to heaven, the cornfield's golden sea. 



He must think of bearded Druids and their orgies round the oak, 

 Erst on their bloody altars they lay smouldering mid the smoke ; 

 How they danced with flaming torches, unmaddened by the grape, 

 While the crouching Celts feared changes to buffalo or ape. 



Here, the imperial trifler on the sea beach gathered shells, 

 While the painted Britons rallied, for their wartoils 'mid the dells ; 

 Here roamed the victor Saxon, with blue eyes and yellow hair, 

 Here, when they lost their Reafen, shrieked the Danes in wild despair. 



Then the Saxon's loved Valhalla, as shadowed in his creed 

 Was a full meal of boar's-flesh and a flowing draught of mead ; 

 Then Wamba, son of Witless, on the noblest of the line 

 Cut merry jests, or wandered forth with Gurth to tend the swine. 



Next 'gainst the northern William, Harold made his last advance, 

 As he gained the shore of Sussex with the chivalry of France ; 

 Then ne'er at home stayed " nidering," that conqueror, but the roe 

 Uttered its piercing death bray, at the twanging of his bow. 



Then the peasant homeward wending, nigh his osier cottage gate, 

 Heard the barking of the dog-wolf and the answer of his mate ; 

 Viewed the wild-cat 'mongst the hollies, and the tawny crouching 



fox, 

 As it watched the rabbits bounding down their burrows in the rocks. 



Amid the hills of Charnwood, or on the Hampshire plain, 



The red deer roamed by hundreds, and the wild bull tossed his 



mane; 



Secure the wild sow farrowed, for there went a stern decree, 

 "Keep holy fear of boar and deer, or henceforth sightless be." 



Then the yellow -breasted martin, hunted down in Cranbourne Chace. 

 Gave fur, the crested chieftains and tissued dames to grace ; 

 Hunters speared the bristly badger, within its mountain dens, 

 And gaily slipped their greyhounds at the bustards in the fens. 



Oft the eagle in the marshes put a cloud of cranes to rout, 

 Or. rival to the cormorant, fished up the silver trout j 

 Quite fearless of the Manton, fed the partridge and the quail, 

 And o'er the lazy Litherpool were wild ducks wont to sail. 



