2 24 ^-^^^ Poets Beasts. 



far behind the deer. Drayton is a poet who is seldom read, 

 but as he Hved in the days when stags w^ere running wild in 

 England he is well worth the hearing — quite apart from the 

 rare robustness of his verse — 



" The best of chase, the tall and lusty Red, 

 The stag for goodly shape and statelinesse of head, 

 Is fitt'st to hunt at force." 



Such is the beast he starts with. He shows us the 

 huntsman in " the thicke," tracking it by its slot or by his 

 wood-craft, and then on a sudden the stag, startled by the 

 " bellowing hounds," rushes out — 



" He through the brakes dotli drive, 

 As though up by the roots the bushes he would rive." 



The hounds fall to, the horns are blown, and the quarry's 

 afoot — 



" The lusty stag his high palmed head upbears, 



His body showing state, with unbent knees upright, 

 Expressing (from all beasts) his courage in his fliglit." 



But the pack come up to him, and then he exerts his 

 utmost speed. The baying of the hounds dies away, and 

 the stag, to baffle further pursuit, ''doth beat the brooks 

 and ponds," and " makes among the herds and flocks of 

 shag-wooUed sheep." But wherever he goes he finds him- 

 self shunned or opposed. In the fields the ploughman 

 goes after him with his goad, " while his team he letteth 

 stand." In the pasture the shepherd chases him, "and to 

 his dog doth halow." And all tliis time tlic hounds come 

 creeping up again, while the stag has wearied itself in futile 

 stratagem. " Through toylc bereaved of strength, his long 

 and sinewy legs are fayling him at length." A village comes 

 in his way; and he flies for safety to the abodes of men ; 

 but the people turn out and drive him forth. There are the 

 hounds, full in sight ; so there is nothing for it but to stand 

 at bav. " Some bank or quick set finds, to which his haunch 



