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It is true indeed the principal objed: of 

 foreft-law was the prefervation of game, which 

 the offender killed at his own peril. But 

 when we recoiled how extenfive the royal 

 forefts were, including little lefs than an 

 eighth part of the kingdom — when we con- 

 sider the mifchievous nature of every fpecies 

 of game, and particularly of foreft-deer in 

 cultivated lands — when we obferve farther, 

 that many of the royal forefls were blended 



The levelled towns with weeds lie covered o'er; 

 The hollow winds through naked temples roar; 

 Round broken columns clafping ivy twined; 

 O'er heaps of ruin ftalked the ftately hind; 

 The fox obfcene to gaping tombs retires, 

 And favage bowlings fill the facred quires. 



Awed by his nobles, by his commons curft, 

 The opprelTor ruled tyrannic, where he durft; 

 Stretched o'er the poor, and church his iron rod, 

 And ferved alike his vaflais, and his God. 

 Whom even the Saxon fpared, and bloody Dane. 

 The wanton victims of his fport remain. 



But fee the man, \vhofe fpacious regions oave 

 A wafte for beafts, denied himfelf a grave ! 

 Stretched on the land his fecond hope furvey, 

 At once the chafer, and at once the prey : 

 Lo ! Rufus, tugging at the deadly dart, 

 Bleeds in the foreft, like a wounded hart. 



Windfor foreft. 



with 



