The Chase - 1767 Author:William Somerville Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: T O WILLIAM SOMERVILE, Efq; On his POEM called The C H A S E. T T T HIL E you, Sir, gain thejleep Afcent to Fame, And Honours due to deathlefs M... more »erit claim; To a weak Mufe a kind Indulgence lend, Fond with jiift Praife your Labours to commend, And tell the World, that Somervile's her Friend. Her Incenfe guiltlefs of the Forms of Art Breaths all the Huntfman s Honejly of Heart; Whofe Fancy Jlill the pleafmg Scene retains 0/Edric's Villa, and Ardenna's Plains: Joys, which from Change fuperior Charms receiv'd. The Horn hoarfe-founding by the Lyre reliev'd: When the Day crown d with rural, chqfte Delight Refigns obfequious to the fejiive Night; The Thefejlive Night awakes tti harmonious Lay, And infweet Verfe recounts the Triumphs of the Day. Strange I that the Britifh Mufe Jhould leave fo long, The Chafe, the Sport of Britain's Kings, unfung! Diflinguiftid Land! by Heav'n indulgd to breed The Jlout, fagacious Hound, and gen'rous Steed: In vain! while yet no Bard adorn d our I/le, To celebrate the glorious fylvan Toil. For this what darling Son Jhall feel thy Fire, God of th' unerring Bow, and tuneful Lyre ? Our Vows are heard—attend, ye vocal Throng, Somervile meditates th' adventurous Song. Bold to attempt, and happy to excell, His numrous Verfe the Huntfman's ArtJhall tell. From him, ye Britifh Youths, a vigrous Race, Imbibe the various Science of the Chafe; And while the well-plan d Syjlem you admire, Know, Brunswick only could the Work infpire: A Georgic Mufe awaits Augustan Days, And Somerviles willfmg, when Frederics give the Bays. ToT O T H E AUTHOR of the CHASE. JVC E more, my Friend, I touch the trembling Lyre, And in my Bofom feel poetic Fire. For thee I quit the Laws more rugged Ways, To pay my humble 'Tribute to thy Lays. What, tho I ...« less