tends his talons, shakes his flaky mane,
Then whurrs his tufted tail, and stooping low
His wide mouth near the ground, his dreadful roar
Makes all the desart tremble: he proclaims
His ire--proclaims his strong necessity;
And that surprise or artifice he scorns.
Unskill'd, alas! in philosophic lore,
Unbless'd with scientific erudition;
How can I sing of elemental War,
Or the contending powers of opposite
Attractions, that impel, and poize, and guide,
The ever-rolling Spheres: Animal War,
The flux of Life, devouring and devour'd,
Ceaseless in every tribe, through Earth, and Air,
And Ocean, transcends my utmost ken.

From obvious truths my Song has aim'd to shew
That War is an inevitable Ill;
An Ill through Nature's various Realms diffus'd;
An Ill subservient to the General Good.
With sympathetic sense of human woes
Deeply impress'd, the melancholy Muse
With modesty asserts this mournful Truth:
'Tis not in human wisdom to avert,
Though every feeling heart must sure lament,
The SAD NECESSITY of FATAL WAR.

* * * * *

ELEGY

ON THE ENCLOSURE OF HONINGTON GREEN.

[Motives of Enclosure.--Natural Pleasures and humble Convenience lost by
it.--Recollections of the Spot.... The Mother.--The Father.--Character
of his Mind.--The Widow.... Maternal Cares.--The Green.... It's Beauties
and Pleasures.--The Enclosure in general less an object to the
Poor.--Under whatever Change the Man will adapt itself.--The new Scene
will find it's Admirers.--Pleasures are as the Mind and it's Habits.]

* * * * *

1

Improvement extends it's domain;
The Shepherds of Britain deplore
That the Coulter has furrow'd each plain,
And their calling is needful no more.
"Enclosing Land doubles its use;
When cultur'd, the heath and the moor
Will the Riches of Ceres produce,
Yet feed as large flocks as before."

2

Such a lucrative maxim as this
The Lords of the Land all pursue,
For who such advantage wou'd miss?
Self-int'rest we all keep in view.
By it, they still more wealth amass,
Who possess'd great abundance before;
It gives pow'r to the Great, but alas!
Still poorer it renders the Poor.

3

Taste spreads, her refinements around,
Enriching her favourite Land
With prospects of beautified ground,
Where, cinctur'd, the spruce Villas stand