html.skin-theme-clientpref-night @media(prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os }Now, as the Queen, the Princes entertains,
With all the splendor, her great Court contains:
And thus does add a Glory to the Night,
While Stars, as dimmer Tapers, lend their light;
Though willing now to give Nights hours delay,
That slow Bootes tardy drift might stay;
And Ariadne, with her starry Crown,
By a lov'd leasure, on this Court look down.
Wishing the Queens bright Rival she might be,
And give her love celestial dignity;
If Albianus worth produce that flame,
Or Vortigers, so much renown'd by Fame.
But long these Princes think each hours repose,
Till Phæbus had from Thetis bosom rose;
And saw the Queen his Morning glories grace,
Design'd with them, to hunt the Harts swift Chace.
Who with great Troops of Noble Brittains wait,
And num'rous Guards attending their high State;
While noise of Trumpets, and the shriller Horn,
Salute the Queen, with tydings of the morn.
And she from Loves soft Fever of the Breast,
Or cares of rule, had early broke her rest,
The Thorns, that in such high Plantations grow,
Whence Subjects learn, how much they Princes owe.
And with a Troop of Beauties now appears,
Where each a glorious Zone, and Quiver bears;
While from her sholder hangs a pretious Bow,
Whose use the Brittish Virgins then did know.
In such a nimph-like presence Poets place
The fam'd Diana, when she takes the Chace;
Or does her Chorus eminently lead,
By some transparent stream, or flowry Mead.
And now her steed she takes, that champing stands,
Pleas'd with the Bit, which curbs him from her hands;
As if he did all other rein despise,
Or only would be guided from her eyes.
To Eppin Forrest now they lead their way,
Fam'd for the Chace, and hunting of this day;
Though both concludes with fierce attempts of fate,
From whence my Muse records a bloody date.
Soon had the Huntsmen, (watchful spies of Game)
Discover'd where a Stag to harbor came,
Of such prodigious growth, as if he liv'd,
For Natures wonder, purposely repriev'd.
His years, most antient Woodmen sought in vain,
That Ages o'r the horny Heard did raign;
And like times fatal Monster, liv'd to see,
The death of all his lasting progeny.
No Oak his mighty shade, but first he knew
A tender slip, and saw its with'ring too;
While num'rous Ravens so long-liv'd, Men tell,
From the aspiring top, before him fell.
And now insults o'r death, as if that he,
Could live to see times own Mortality;
And like Narcissus pleas'd, does view such Brooks,
That bright reflect his comely head, and looks.
The heard him Monarch own, and quit their claims
To all their Females, yielding to his flames;
Where Virgin-Hinds from his hot seasons fly,
Least by his mighty love, and strength they dye.
And Age, (the Worlds Experience) made him wise,
That he declines us'd Pathes by Forrest-spies,
Frequenting shades more dark than cloudy night;
And scarce does feed, or live, by dayes broad light.
But now to crop some pleasing ears of corn,
Had took too long repast this fatal morn;
And having drunk of the adjoyning Flood,
Swam thence discern'd, to harbor in a wood.
Which, as this Royal presence now surrounds,
The Woodmen throw off Packs of their stancht hounds;
Dogs, on whose smels, their Masters sense relies;
That equal trust their Noses, with their Eyes.
And these, whose subtle nostrils grateful find,
To chace the greatest of this horny kind;
Swiftly pursue the Slots of this huge Deer,
And rouze him from his mighty Layer here.
While he, that oft his wary eyes had clos'd,
In these thick shades, to ease, and sleep repos'd;
Where Nightingales did charming requiems sing,
Now hears the furious Hounds loud clamors ring.
Who first to give some respite to his fear,
Hopes 'twas but thunder wounds his watchful ear;
But, when he knows they'r Hounds, prepares to fly,
And if that fail, no Stag like him shall dye.
His mighty limbs then stretches out in state,
Hoping his feet are nimbler wing'd than fate:
And through the wood with wondrous swiftness breaks,
While oaks, he, with his springs, like whirlwinds shakes,
Thus to th'adjoyning Lawn, does take his flight,
Where the fair Queen, and Princes wait his sight;
On whom he looks with a Majestick view,
That they him Monarch of his Race might know.
Then to the Herd he makes, to try if they
Will let their Sov'raign be to Dogs a prey;
Minding them of their piercing Horns defence,
And calls their flights, ignoble innocence.
While these, that did him Sov'raign duties owe,
Consult their safeties, and decline his now;
Like some base vulgars, that for ends, or fear,
Desert their Prince, lest they his dangers share.
With frowns then curles his brow, and shakes his head,
As if he'd speak revenge to all that fled;
But he alass is but a Prince of Deer,
Whom Nature chiefly arms with flight, and fear.
And thus forlorn, in stately hast does flye
Scorning such vassals dare not with him dye:
As some great Chief, distress'd by Fate, and Foes,
Safety by flight unwillingly had chose.
And as he is the mightiest of his kind,
In such proportion does his speed now find;
Yet so magnanimous, designs his hast,
That Lyon-like, unseen, he runs most fast.
While Hounds, the swiftest of the Brittish Race,
As if their heels were wing'd, pursue his Chace;
To whose glad cries, the Huntsmen wind recheats,
Which Eccho's wounded ear, as shrill repeats.
Next these, the Horse of Brittains Northern kind
Fleeter than Jennets, issues of the wind;
Their dext'rous Riders speed to chace this Deer,
As when for Palms they swift contenders are.
And now this Glory of the Herd perceives
His breath impairs, in which lifes essence lives;
Wond'ring, that Nature should for life prepare
Breath, and yet want it while the world has air;
Or that so weak a substance should betray
The Bodies frame, to deaths inglorious sway;
To Woods (the Shades of Nature) then does fly,
The soft Apartments of his Monarchy;
Where he had often cool'd more mighty flames,
Among the nimble Hindes, his am'rous Dames.
And thence did these a stately Progress lead,
To sport in Streams, or fertile Vales to feed.
Now finds his shady Palaces beset,
And Men, and Dogs for his destruction met.
Whose tracts, though intricate as Lab'rinths are,
But easie problems to the Hounds appear.
While he laments his fate, that Nature gave,
To make his life thus to their treasons slave.
Then leavs these Groves, & Woods, with weary heels,
And ev'ry limb a frail supporter feels;
While thus emboss'd, he takes his long-lov'd Thames,
That oft refresht Harts wearied limbs, and flames,
And first with sighs he bids these streams adieu,
Then takes his thirsty farewel draught here too:
Which done, he faster swims, than Vessels glide,
Or into Neptune's bosom flowes the Tide.
And here the Queen, that with her nimble Steed,
Did Horse, and Hounds, and ev'n the wind out-speed;
First to this Streame pursu'd this mighty Deere,
Next whom, the Princes and their train appear,
Filling the Shoar, t' observe this famous Chace;
While Thames rejoyc'd, to see their pastimes grace
His pleasing billows, Curles his gentle brow,
Bidding his stream no further now to flow,
Until his Waves their homage here did pay
To their great Persons, gladly they obey;
Each Billow bowing with its Chrystal head,
Which done, their gentle Current joyful speed,
And with their pleasing murmurs, as they glide,
Encrease the constant Musick of their Tide,
While Thames now wish'd he might his Banks o'rflow,
And with them on his waves this Chace pursue.
Now this cool Flood, and Glory of all Streams,
Begot by Isis smooth embrace with Thames;
This mighty Deer with some refreshment leaves,
As if his flames were Julip'd from these waves.
But when he finds no Element, or Art,
Can Men, and Hounds escape, he chides his Heart;
That with his winged heels, conspir'd to fly,
And thinks now of some glorious way to dye.
Not far from hence, he views a Camp of Fame,
Great Julius rais'd, to war upon this Stream;
Where first that Conqu'ror, had him tamely bred,
And from his glorious hand, and Table fed.
Thither, with a Majestick grace he flies,
While like small riv'lets, tears flow from his eyes;
To miss his mighty Master, who did give
Him a bold Power, in spight of Foes to live.
And now at this Camps Avennue does stand,
Where he had oft been stroak'd, and lick'd his hand;
That did with glorious Chaplets wreath his Brow,
Circling his Neck with Jewell'd Collars too.
Where thus distress'd, and weary'd by long flight,
Must all his Foes without protection fight;
Though here resolves, like Cæsars Stag to dye,
And with bold rage on Men, and Dogs does flye.
Some with his Spear-like head he gores, till life
Impair'd by wounds, did breathless end his strife;
Which into air, a mingled flight does take,
No more discern'd, than Tracts soft winds do make.
Thus fell this mighty Deer, the Herds renown,
While his pursuers now a pity own;
Wishing they could his vanquish'd life restore,
That Dy'd more brave, than e'r did Hart before.
Whose bulk, and beam, as they with wonder view,
A golden Ring upon his Neck, does shew,
Him to have liv'd compleat five hundred year,
(If Fame have credit) since call'd Cæsar's Deer.
The Queen, and Princes to renown this Chace,
Resolve his Figure, stately carv'd, to place
In their bright Courts, that both his life, and fate,
Might with their Glories, bear perpetual date.
While as the Huntsmens Horns now wind his death,
And Fame, that wing'd this chace, a while took breath;
Fate does allarum her to take swift flight,
And blaze on crimson wings, a bloody fight.
For as Romes Chief, and Gauls, this Hunting knew,
Design'd for the Queens sport, and Princes too;
Resolve their plighted Faith, and Truce to break,
And with bold Arms, them here surpriz'd to take.
Thus with fierce hast their num'rous Troops they lead,
Which hot allarums to the Princes speed;
Who swiftly range their Guards of Spears, and Bows,
And with the Trusti'st, the fair Queen enclose.
Invoking Heav'ns just Pow'r, to aid their might,
As the Truce-breaking Gauls, and Romans fight;
That Ennius, with Alvatrix, thence may see
Some dismal Fate, on their joynt-treachery.
But, oh the guilt of Pow'r, imploy'd unjust,
To serve the ends of Empire, or of lust;
Which highest Mortals impiously pursue,
Yet all Crimes, (but their own) dare punish too.