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And now too late he wishes for the fight,
That strength he wasted in ignoble flight:
But when he sees the eager Chase renew’d
Himself by Dogs, the Dogs by Men pursu'd:
He strait revokes his bold resolve, and more
Repents his courage, than his fear before;
Finds that uncertain ways unsafest are,
And Doubt a greater mischief than Despair.
Then to the Stream, when neither Friends, nor Force,
Nor speed, nor Art avail, he shaps his course;
Thinks not their rage so despirate t' assay
An Element more merciless than they.
But fearless they pursue, nor can the Flood
Quench their dire Thirst; alas, they thirst for Blood.
So toward a Ship the oarefin’d Gallies ply,
Which wanting Sea to ride, or Wind to fly,
Stands but to fall reveng'd on those that dare
Tempt the last fury of extream Despair.
So fares the Stag among the enrag'd Hounds,
Repels their force, and wounds returns for wounds
And as a Hero, whom his baser Foes
In Troops surrounds, now these assails, now those,
Though Prodigal of Life, disdains to dye
By common hands; but if he can descry
Some nobler Foes approach, to him he calls,
And bege his Fate, and then contented falls.
So when the King a mortal Shaft lets flye
From his unerring hand, then glad to die,
Proud of the wound, to it resigns his Blood,
And stains the Crystal with a purple Flood.
This a more innocent and heppy Chase,
Than when of old, but in the self-same place,
[1]Fair Liberty pursu'd, and meant a Prey
To lawless power, here turn'd, and stood at Bay.
That strength he wasted in ignoble flight:
But when he sees the eager Chase renew’d
Himself by Dogs, the Dogs by Men pursu'd:
He strait revokes his bold resolve, and more
Repents his courage, than his fear before;
Finds that uncertain ways unsafest are,
And Doubt a greater mischief than Despair.
Then to the Stream, when neither Friends, nor Force,
Nor speed, nor Art avail, he shaps his course;
Thinks not their rage so despirate t' assay
An Element more merciless than they.
But fearless they pursue, nor can the Flood
Quench their dire Thirst; alas, they thirst for Blood.
So toward a Ship the oarefin’d Gallies ply,
Which wanting Sea to ride, or Wind to fly,
Stands but to fall reveng'd on those that dare
Tempt the last fury of extream Despair.
So fares the Stag among the enrag'd Hounds,
Repels their force, and wounds returns for wounds
And as a Hero, whom his baser Foes
In Troops surrounds, now these assails, now those,
Though Prodigal of Life, disdains to dye
By common hands; but if he can descry
Some nobler Foes approach, to him he calls,
And bege his Fate, and then contented falls.
So when the King a mortal Shaft lets flye
From his unerring hand, then glad to die,
Proud of the wound, to it resigns his Blood,
And stains the Crystal with a purple Flood.
This a more innocent and heppy Chase,
Than when of old, but in the self-same place,
[1]Fair Liberty pursu'd, and meant a Prey
To lawless power, here turn'd, and stood at Bay.
- ↑ Runny Mead, where that Great Charter was first sealed.
When
