Hunting Songs :: :: University of Virginia Library

By the side of Poole cover last Saturday stood
A hundred good horses, both cocktail and blood;
Nor long stood they idle, three deep in array,
Ere Reynard by Edwards was hollo'd away.

II

Away! over meadow, away! over plough,
Away! down the dingle, away! up the brow!
“If you like not that fence, sir, get out of the way,
If one minute you lose you may lose the whole day.”

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III

Away! through the evergreens,—laurel and box,
They may screen a cock-robin but not a run fox;
As he pass'd the henroost at the Rookery Hall,
“Excuse me,” said pug, “I have no time to call.”

IV

The rail to our left and the river in front
Into two rival parties now sever'd the hunt;
I will tell by-and-by which were right and which wrong,
Meanwhile let us follow the fox with our song.

V

Away! to the Weaver, whose banks are soft sand,
“Look out, boys, ahead, there's a horse-bridge at hand.”
One by one the frail plank we cross'd cautiously o'er,
I had time just to count that we number'd a score.

VI

Though fast fox and hounds, there were men, by my troth,
Whose ambition it was to go faster than both;
If that grey in the skurry escap'd a disaster,
Little thanks the good animal ow'd to its master.

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VII

Now Hornby went crashing through bullfinch and rail
With Brancker beside him on Murray's rat tail;
Two green collars only were seen in this flight,
Squire Warburton one, and the other John White.

VIII

Where was Massey, who found us the fox that we run?
Where Philip the father? where Philip the son?
Where was Grosvenor our Guide? where was bold Shrewsberie?
We had with us one Earle, how I wish we'd had three!

IX

Where Talbot? where Lyon? though sailing away
They were both sadly out of their bearings that day;
Where Lascelles, De Trafford, Brooke, Corbet and Court?
They must take return tickets if bent upon sport.

X

Sailors, railers and tailors! what can you now do?
If you hope to nick in, the next station is Crewe;

115

Second-class well dispers'd, it was only class first
Which, escaping the boiler, came in for the burst!

XI

Away! with red rowel, away! with slack rein
For twenty-five minutes to Wistaston Lane,
Where a check gave relief both to rider and horse,
Where again the split field re-united its force.

XII

From that point we turn'd back and continued our chace
To the gorse where we found, but more sober the pace;
Reynard, skirting Poole Hall, trying sand-earth and drain,
Was at length by the pack, who deserv'd him, o'erta'en.

XIII

While they worry their fox a short word I would say,
Of advice to those riders who rode the wrong way,
Who were forc'd to put up with skim-milk for their fun,
For the skurry had skimm'd off the cream of the run:

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XIV

“As a coverside hack you may prudently stick
“To the line of the rail, it is easy and quick;
“But when fox and fast hounds on a skurry are bent,
“The line you should stick to is that of the scent.”