Earth groans beneath the burden of a war Wag'd with defenceless innocence, while he, Not fatisfied to prey on all around,
Adds tenfold bitternefs to death, by pangs Needless, and first torments ere he devours, Now happiest they that occupy the scenes The most remote from his abhorr'd resort, Whom once, as delegate of God on earth, They fear'd, and, as his perfect image lov❜d. The wilderness is theirs, with all its caves, Its hollow glenns, its thickets, and its plains Unvifited by man. There they are free, And howl and roar as likes them, uncontroul'd, Nor ask his leave to flumber or to play. Woe to the tyrant, if he dare intrude Within the confines of their wild domain: The lion tells him-I am monarch here- And if he spare him, fpares him on the terms Of royal mercy, and through gen'rous fcorn To rend a victim trembling at his foot. In measure, as by force of instinct drawn, Or by neceffity conftrain'd, they live To gratify the frenzy of his wrath, Dependent upon man; thofe in his fields, These at his crib, and fome beneath his roof; They prove too often at how dear a rate He fells protection. Witnefs, at his foot The spaniel dying for fome venial fault,
Under diffection of the knotted fcourge; Witness, the patient ox, with ftripes and yells Driv'n to the flaughter, goaded, as he runs, To madness, while the favage at his heels Laughs at the frantic fuffèrer's fury spent Upon the guiltless paffenger o'erthrown. He too is witness, nobleft of the train That wait on man, the flight-performing horfe: With unfuspecting readinefs he takes
His murd❜rer on his back, and, pufh'd all day, With bleeding fides, and flanks that heave for life, To the far-diftant goal arrives and dies. So little mercy fhows who needs fo much! Does law, fo jealous in the cause of man, Denounce no doom on the delinquent? None. He lives, and o'er his brimming beaker boasts (As if barbarity were high defert)
Th' inglorious feat, and, clamorous in praise Of the poor brute, feems wifely to suppose The honors of his matchlefs horse his own. But many a crime, deem'd innocent on earth, Is register'd in heav'n, and these, no doubt, Have each their record, with a 'curse annext. Man may difmifs compaffion from his heart, But God will never. When he charg❜d the Jew T'affist his foe's down-fallen beast to rise; And when the bush-exploring boy that feiz'd The young, to let the parent bird go free;
Prov'd he not plainly that his meaner works Are yet his care, and have an int'rest all, All, in the univerfal Father's love? On Noah, and in him on all mankind, The charter was conferr'd, by which we hold The flesh of animals in fee, and claim
O'er all we feed on, pow'r of life and death. But read the inftrument, and mark it well: Th' oppreffion of a tyrannous controul
Can find no warrant there. Feed then, and yield "Thanks for thy food. Carnivorous, through fin, Feed on the flain, but spare the living brute. The Governor of all, himself to all So bountiful, in whofe attentive ear The unfledg'd raven and the lion's whelp, Plead not in vain for pity on the pangs Of hunger unaffuag'd, has interpos'd, Not feldom, his avenging arm, to fmite Th' injurious trampler upon nature's law That claims forbearance even for a brute. He hates the hardness of a Balaam's heart; And, prophet as he was, he might not strike The blameless animal, without rebuke, On which he rode. Her opportune offence Sav'd him, or th' unrelenting feer had died. He fees that human equity is flack
To interfere, though in so just a cause,
And makes the task his own. Infpiring dumb
And helpless victims with a fense so keen
Of injury, with fuch knowledge of their strength, And fuch fagacity to take revenge,
That oft the beast has seem'd to judge the man. An ancient, not a legendary tale,
By one of found intelligence rehears'd
(If fuch, who plead for Providence, may feem In modern eyes), fhall make the doctrine clear. Where England, ftretch'd towards the setting fun,
Narrow and long, o'erlooks the western wave, Dwelt young Mifagathus; a fcorner he Of God and goodness, atheist in ostent, Vicious in act, in temper favage-fierce : He journey'd; and his chance was as he went, To join a trav❜ller, of far diff'rent note, Evander, fam'd for piety, for years Deferving honor, but for wifdom more. Fame had not left the venerable man A ftranger to the manners of the youth, Whofe face too was familiar to his view. Their way was on the margin of the land, O'er the green fummit of the rocks, whose base Beats back the roaring furge, scarce heard fo high. The charity that warm'd his heart was mov'd At fight of the man-monster. With a smile Gentle, and affable, and full of grace, As fearful of offending whom he wish'd
Much to perfuade, he plied his ear with truths Not harfhly thunder'd forth or rudely prefs'd, But like his purpose, gracious, kind and fweet. And doft thou dream, th' impenetrable man Exclaim'd, that me, the lullabies of age, And fantafies of dotards, fuch as thou,
Can cheat, or move a moment's fear in me? Mark now the proof I give thee, that the brave Need no fuch aids as fuperftition lends,
To steel their hearts against the dread of death. He spoke, and to the precipice at hand Pufh'd with a madman's fury. Fancy fhrinks, And the blood thrills and curdles, at the thought Of fuch a gulph as he defign'd his grave. But though the felon on his back could dare The dreadful leap, more rational his fteed Declin❜d the death, and wheeling fwiftly round, Or e'er his hoof had prefs'd the crumbling verge, Baffled his rider, fav'd against his will,
The frenzy of the brain may be, redress'd By medicine well applied, but without grace The heart's infanity admits no cure,
Enrag'd the more, by what might have reform'd His horrible intent, again he fought Destruction, with, a zeal to be destroy'd,
With founding whip and rowels dy'd in blood. But still in vain, The Providence that means A longer date to the far nobler beaft,
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