The Bridal of Triermain, or the Vale of St John [By Sir W. Scott. in Verse]. [Followed By] Harold the Dauntless; A Poem. by the Author of 'The Bridal (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1817. Excerpt: ... FRAGMENTS. THE POACHER. Welcome, grave Stranger, to our green retreats, Where health with exercise and freedom meets 1 Thrice welcome, Sage, whose philosophic plan By Nature's limits metes the rights of man; Generous as he, who now for freedom bawls, Now gives full value for true Indian shawls; O'er court, o'er custom-house, his shoe who flings, Now bilks excisemen, and now bullies kings. Like his, I ween, thy comprehensive mind Holds laws as mouse-traps baited for mankind; Thine eye, applausive, each sly vermin sees, That baulks the snare, yet battens on the cheese; Thine ear has heard, with scorn instead of awe, Our buckskin'd justices expound the law, Wire-draw the acts that fix for wires the pain, And for the netted partridge noose the swain; And thy vindictive arm would fain have broke The last light fetter of the feudal yoke, To give the denizens of wood and wild, Nature's free race, to each her free-born child. Hencehast thoumark'd, with grief, fair London's race Mock'd with the boon of one poor Easter chace, And long'd to send them forth as free as when Pour'd o'er Chantilly the Parisian train, When musquet, pistol, blunderbuss, combined, And scarce the field-pieces were left behind A squadron's charge each leveret's heart dismay'd, On every covey fired a bold brigade; La Douce Humaniti approved the sport, r For great the alarm indeed, yet small the hurt; Shouts patriotic solemnized the day, And Seine re-echo'd Vive la Liberia But mad Citoyen, meek Monsieur again, With some few added links resumes his chain; VOl. i. p Then since such scenes to France no more are known, Come, view with me a hero of thine own One, whose free actions vindicate the cause Of sylvan liberty o'er feudal laws. Seek we yon glades, where the proud oak o'ertops Wide-wavin...