And perks his ears, and stamps and cries aloud, With all the prettiness of feign'd alarm,

And anger infignificantly fierce.

The heart is hard in nature, and unfit
For human fellowship, as being void
Of fympathy, and therefore dead alike
To love and friendship both, that is not pleas'd
With fight of animals enjoying life,

Nor feels their happiness augment his own.
The bounding fawn, that darts across the glade
When none pursues, through mere delight of heart,
And spirits buoyant with excess of glee;

The horse as wanton, and almost as fleet,
That fkims the spacious meadow at full speed,
Then flops and fnorts, and, throwing high his heels,
Starts to the voluntary race again;

The very kine that gambol at high noon,

The total herd receiving first from one

That leads the dance a fummons to be gay,

Though wild their strange vagaries, and uncouth

Their efforts, yet refolv'd with one confent
To give fuch act and utt'rance as they may
To ecftafy too big to be fupprefs'd—

These, and a thousand images of bliss,

With which kind nature graces ev'ry scene
Where cruel man defeats not her defign,
Impart to the benevolent, who wish
All that are capable of pleasure pleas'd,
A far fuperior happiness to their's,
The comfort of a reasonable joy.

Man fcarce had ris'n, obedient to his call Who form'd him from the duft, his future grave, When he was crown'd as never king was fince. God fet the diadem upon his head,

And angel choirs attended. Wond'ring food
The new-made monarch, while before him pass'd,
All happy, and all perfect in their kind,

The creatures, fummon'd from their various haunts
To fee their fov'reign, and confefs his fway.
Vait was his empire, abfolute his pow'r,
Or bounded only by a law, whofe force
'Twas his fublimeft privilege to feel

And own-the law of universal love.

He rul'd with 'meeknefs, they obey'd with joy; No cruel purpose lurk'd within his heart,

And no diftruft of his intent in their's.

So Eden was a scene of harmless sport,

Where kindness on his part who rul'd the whole
Begat a tranquil confidence in all,

And fear as yet was not, nor cause for fear.
But fin marr'd all; and the revolt of man,

That fource of evils not exhausted yet,
Was punish'd with revolt of his from him.
Garden of God, how terrible the change

Thy groves and lawns then witness'd! Ev'ry heart,
Each animal of ev'ry name, conceiv'd

A jealoufy and an inftinctive fear,

And, confcious of fome danger, either fled
Precipitate the loath'd abode of man,

Or growl'd defiance in such angry fort,
As taught him, too, to tremble in his turn.
Thus harmony and family accord

Were driv'n from Paradife; and in that hour
The feeds of cruelty, that fince have fwell'd
To fuch gigantic and enormous growth,
Were fown in human nature's fruitful foil.
Hence date the perfecution and the pain
That man inflicts on all inferior kinds,
Regardless of their plaints. To make him fport,
To gratify the frenzy of his wrath,

Or his bafe gluttony, are caufes good
And juft, in his account, why bird and beaft
Should fuffer torture, and the ftreams be dyed
With blood of their inhabitants impal'd.
Earth groans beneath the burden of a war
Wag'd with defenceless innocence, while he,
Not fatisfied to prey on all around,

Adds tenfold bitterness to death by pangs n
Needlefs, and first torments ere he devours.
Now happieft 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 their's, with all its caves,
Its hollow glens, its thickets, and its plains,
Unvifited by man.
There they are free,

And howl and roar as likes them, uncontrol'd;
Nor afk his leave to flumber or to play.
Wo 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.