Book III.
THE CHACE.
85
Forgets his weighty Cares; each Age, each Sex
In the wild Transport joins; luxuriant Joy,
And Pleasure in Excess, sparkling exult 420
On ev'ry Brow, and revel unrestrain'd.
How happy art thou Man, when thou'rt no more
Thy self! when all the Pangs that grind thy Soul,
In Rapture and in sweet Oblivion lost,
Yield a short Interval, and Ease from Pain! 425
In the wild Transport joins; luxuriant Joy,
And Pleasure in Excess, sparkling exult 420
On ev'ry Brow, and revel unrestrain'd.
How happy art thou Man, when thou'rt no more
Thy self! when all the Pangs that grind thy Soul,
In Rapture and in sweet Oblivion lost,
Yield a short Interval, and Ease from Pain! 425
See the swift Courser strains, his shining Hoofs
Securely beat the solid Ground. Who now
The dang'rous Pitfall fears, with tangling Heath
High-overgrown? Or who the quiv'ring Bog
Soft-yielding to the Step? All now is plain, 430
Plain as the Strand Sea-lav'd, that stretches far
Beneath the rocky Shore. Glades crossing Glades
The Forest opens to our wond'ring View:
Such was the King's Command. Let Tyrants fierce
Securely beat the solid Ground. Who now
The dang'rous Pitfall fears, with tangling Heath
High-overgrown? Or who the quiv'ring Bog
Soft-yielding to the Step? All now is plain, 430
Plain as the Strand Sea-lav'd, that stretches far
Beneath the rocky Shore. Glades crossing Glades
The Forest opens to our wond'ring View:
Such was the King's Command. Let Tyrants fierce
Lay
