Whose home is far away in distant vales,

Behind the mountains, or beyond the lake;

Instinctively they war where'er they meet:

The friendly parley cannot intervene;

The unknown tongue does but create alarm:

With jealous fears, stern looks, and brandish'd arms,

They stand aloof: as birds of distant groves

At the strange note prepare for instant War.

  At first they skirmishing dispute the right

Of hunting in the unappropriate waste:

But every onset aggravates their hate;

Till each increasing force, whetting their swords,

With purpos'd malice seeking out the foe,

Alternate by reprisal and revenge,

Doubly compensate each discomfiture,

Yet seek not to attack each-other's home,

Where Age, and Infancy, in safety dwell:

They war but with freebooters: private Peace

And Female Covert, Valour scorns to assail.

But when in evil hour some female hand,

 Prev. P 18/79 next