Beasts of Chase. 2 1 9 



" His tushes, never sheathed, he whetteth still. 

 Like to a mortal butcher, bent to kill. 

 On his bow-back he hath a battle set 

 Of bristly pikes, that ever threat his foes ; 

 His eyes, like glow-worms, shine when he doth fret ; 

 His snout digs sepulchres where'er he goes ; 

 Being moved, he strikes whate'er is in his way. 

 And whom he strikes his cruel tushes slay. 

 His brawny sides, with hairy bristles armed. 

 Are better proof than thy spear's point can enter ; 

 His short thick neck cannot be easily harmed ; 

 Being ireful, on the lion he will venture ; 

 The thorny brambles and embracing bushes, 

 As fearful of him, part, through whom he rushes." . 



Keats, too, well imagines the scene " when snouted wild 

 boars rooting the tender corn " anger the huntsmen ; for it is 

 a shrewd beast at furrowing up a field. " The rage of a wild 

 boar is able to spoil more than one wood," says Herbert. 



But Somerville, in his sketch of the " Arabian " chasing 

 the animal, is somewhat " out of the hunt : " 



'* The grisly boar is singled from his herd 

 As large as that in Erimanthean woods 

 A match for Hercules. Round him they fly 

 In circles wide, and each in passing sends 

 His feathered death into his brawny sides ; 

 But perilous the attempt, for if the steed 

 Haply too near approach, or the loose earth 

 His footing fail, the watchful angry beast 

 Th' advantage spies, and, at one sidelong glance, 

 Rips up his groin. 



Wounded, he rears aloft. 

 And, plunging, from his back the rider hurls 

 Precipitant ; then, bleeding, spurns the ground, 

 And drags his reeking entrails o'er the plain. 

 Meanwhile the surly monster hurls along. 

 But with unequal speed, for still they wound, 

 Swift wheeling in the spacious ring. A wood 

 Of darts upon his back he bears : adown 

 Pours many a gaping font ; and now, at last. 

 Staggering he falls, in blood and foam expires." 



