 | The complete poetical works of Thomas Hood |  |
THE POACHER A SERIOUS BALLAD
‘But a bold pheasantry, their country's pride,
When once destroyed can never be supplied.’
—Goldsmith.
When once destroyed can never be supplied.’
—Goldsmith.
Bill Blossom was a nice young man,
And drove the Bury coach;
But bad companions were his bane,
And egg'd him on to poach.
And drove the Bury coach;
But bad companions were his bane,
And egg'd him on to poach.
They taught him how to net the birds,
And how to noose the hare;
And with a wiry terrier,
He often set a snare.
And how to noose the hare;
And with a wiry terrier,
He often set a snare.
Each ‘shiny night’ the moon was bright,
To park, preserve, and wood
He went, and kept the game alive,
By killing all he could.
To park, preserve, and wood
He went, and kept the game alive,
By killing all he could.
Land-owners, who had rabbits, swore
That he had this demerit—
Give him an inch of warren, he
Would take a yard of ferret.
That he had this demerit—
Give him an inch of warren, he
Would take a yard of ferret.
322
At partridges he was not nice;
And many, large and small,
Without Hall's powder, without lead,
Were sent to Leaden-Hall.
And many, large and small,
Without Hall's powder, without lead,
Were sent to Leaden-Hall.
He did not fear to take a deer
From forest, park, or lawn;
And without courting lord or duke,
Used frequently to fawn.
From forest, park, or lawn;
And without courting lord or duke,
Used frequently to fawn.
Folks who had hares discovered snares—
His course they could not stop:
No barber he, and yet he made
Their hares a perfect crop.
His course they could not stop:
No barber he, and yet he made
Their hares a perfect crop.
To pheasant he was such a foe,
He tried the keepers' nerves;
They swore he never seem'd to have
Jam satis of preserves.
He tried the keepers' nerves;
They swore he never seem'd to have
Jam satis of preserves.
The Shooter went to beat, and found
No sporting worth a pin,
Unless he tried the covers made
Of silver, plate, or tin.
No sporting worth a pin,
Unless he tried the covers made
Of silver, plate, or tin.
In Kent the game was little worth,
In Surrey not a button;
The Speaker said he often tried
The Manors about Sutton.
In Surrey not a button;
The Speaker said he often tried
The Manors about Sutton.
No county from his tricks was safe;
In each he tried his lucks,
And when the keepers were in Beds,
He often was at Bucks.
In each he tried his lucks,
And when the keepers were in Beds,
He often was at Bucks.
And when he went to Bucks, alas!
They always came to Herts;
And even Oxon used to wish
That he had his deserts.
They always came to Herts;
And even Oxon used to wish
That he had his deserts.
But going to his usual Hants,
Old Cheshire laid his plots:
He got entrapp'd by legal Berks,
And lost his life in Notts.
Old Cheshire laid his plots:
He got entrapp'd by legal Berks,
And lost his life in Notts.
| The complete poetical works of Thomas Hood | |