10S THE DRIFFIELD ANGLER. 



Hence too the Pearch, alike voracious brood, 

 Forbears to make this gen'rous race his food; 

 Tho' on the common drove no bound he 



finds, 

 But spreads unmeasur'd waste o'er all the 



kinds. 



Nor less the greedy Trout, and glutless Eel, 

 Incessant woes and dire destruction deal : 

 The lurking water-rat in caverns preys, 

 And in the weeds the wily otter slays : 

 The ghastly newt in muddy streams annoys, 

 And in swift floods the scaly snake destroys : 

 Toads, for the swarming fry, forsake the 



lawn, 



And croaking frogs devour the tender spawn : 

 Neither the habitants of land nor air, 

 So sure their doom the fishy numbers spare : 

 The swan, fair regent of the silver tide, 

 Their ranks destroys and spreads their ruin 



wide : 



The duck her offspring to the river leads, 

 And on the destin'd fry insatiate feeds : 

 On fatal wings the pouncing bittern soars, 

 And wafts her prey from the defenceless 



shores : 



