Valentine Verses :: :: University of Virginia Library

Gone away! gone away! yoix forward away!
Go to him! get forward! now bravely my bay,
Lift the head, glance the eye, tip the hurdle in style,
Gallop on! burst along! make the knowing ones smile.

O noble sport! how oft I've seen,
At rising sun, the morning keen,
The glowing fields, with dew are reeking,
The coming chase, good run bespeaking.
O tell me nobles, if ye can,
A braver sport for Englishman!

Gone away! gone away! hark forward my steed,
Yoix Ranger! good Forrester, capital breed.
Melanthus! Old Growler, yah! Stranger where now!
Hark the music! yoix forward, come join in the row.

214

Ah! who has seen the deep mouth hound,
When Reynard breaking from the bound
Of hedge-row, covert, wood, or heath,
First lift his head, and show his teeth,
Then hear his tongue, Oun! Oun! away,
The pack receive the old ones, bay.

Gone away! gone away! hark the crash of the stake,
See the pieces are flying! the blackbird's awake!
He darts from the thicket with shriek of dismay!
Yoix forward my boys! now then, that's it, away!

There's something brave in sport like this,
And nothing certainly amiss,
Provided hearts of hunter's view
The chase with honor, and are true;
They need not curse, and frown, and swear,
The beauty of such chase to share.

Gone away! gone away! now then, bowl it along!
Yoix forward! Ah ha! Tallyho! that's the song,
Tallyho to the view! Yoix Candor! take breath!
O bravely my steed, we'll be in at the death.

215

Now tell me Hunters, would ye say,
The Poet wish'd to go away?
Believe the line, he wou'd, he wou'd,
Borne on the noble, free, and good;
He wou'd, he wou'd, with panting breath
Come in most gladly at the death!

But gone away! ah! gone away from me!
Not with regret, the Hunter's well-known glee!
The chase I see, and many thousands scenes,
Break on my senses! having past my teens.
Nature I view, and ardent dash along,
And sing with spirit, nature's lovely song,
Sports, works, employments, studies for the mind:—
In man, much mystery and love I find!
All living creatures, nay, the very ground
Is full of wonders, full of beauties found—
But most of all, forgive my prosing brain,
Nor think it hypocritical disdain,
Cant, cringing cant, or fawning base deceit,
The sluggard's weapons to cajole and cheat—
Most, most of all, ah, prithee do not start,
I study closely to improve the heart!
I mount my horse, and gallop where I will,
Thoughts of God's goodness will my senses fill.

216

'Twould seem sometime I hasten'd to the chase,
When all my speed is but for nature's face.
Free as the air! O thank my Father's love!
Who gave me independence so to move.
But hold my hand! my senses gently stay,
My dear young friends, behold the Gone Away!