Fable VII The Hounds in Couples
Wedlock, a name not much in fashion,
Subservient ofttimes is to passion.
How oft we see a thoughtless pair,
Brought up by Nature’s fost’ring care,
When love first fires their youthful breast,
Pant with impatience to be blest:
Tempers unstudied! thoughts untried!
Yet sigh, alas! to be allied.
Because their hours of courtship run
Sweet, under love’s meridian sun,
They think to breathe a tranquil life,
And be the happy man and wife.
Vain thought!—the flatt’ring phantom flies,
And opes at length their purblind eyes.
Then—— but attend my simple story,
The sequel will appear before ye.
The morning dawns, with orient sky,
Clad with its purple royalty,
Once more’s the throne of infant day,
And all th’ horizon round looks gay.
The horn deep-ton’d the huntsman fills,
The strains re-echo from the hills;
Unkennell’d for the bloody chase,
Impatient rush the babbling race:
Some, widely stretching o’er the plain,
Vocif’rous chaunt the heedless train;
These stretch their limbs, while others bound
In wanton circles o’er the ground.
The squire survey’d with secret pride
The mottled pack on either side:
The puppies did not ’scape his view;
Their youthful tricks were pleasing too.
But lest a part unskill’d, and young,
Should lead the rest with lavish tongue,
It was decreed they should be tied,
And trudge in couples, side by side.
To Ringwood, Sweetlips was assign’d:
These two with patience jogg’d behind.
To Trueman, so ’twas doom’d by fate,
Maiden was yok’d as trav’lling mate:
In these an early fondness grew,
If he did this, she’d do so too;
From Maiden Trueman scarce would stray,
But spent with her the livelong day;
For her the half-pick’d bone he’d spare,
And guard her with a lover’s care.
If he in playful frolic run,
Or bask’d beneath th’ enlivening sun,
As sure she would his steps attend,
Or near his side her length extend.
From one calm mind their actions grew;
But now, alas! they spring from two.
Divided cares invade each breast;
Divided thoughts and interest;
Now ’tis they feel the galling chain,
And howl for liberty again.
To join the pack if he’s inclin’d,
She with slow pace will drag behind:
He this way draws, she tugs another,
They prove tormentors to each other.
Now boldly they exert their might,
Snarl answers snarl—bite follows bite;
With double ire their fury burns,
And gains them mastership by turns.
But strength victorious rules the field,
To force superior all must yield:
At length subdued the fair one lies,
And calls assistance by her cries;
But ah! in vain, no succour’s near,
The hunt pursue the tim’rous hare.
Too late she sees from whence arose
The source of all her bleeding woes:
Secluded now from every friend,
Her sorrows but with life can end,
What’s to be done—reflection’s vain,
And serves but to increase her pain;
Quite spent, she howling yields her life,
A prey to discontent and strife.