"Yet think not, huntsman, I
rejoice
To see the end so near;
Nor think the sound of horn
and hound
To me a sound of fear."

"In my strong youth, which
numbers now
Full many a Winter back,
How scornfully I shook my brush
Before the Berkeley pack"

"Then think not that I speak in
fear,
Or prophecy in hate;
Too well I know the doom
reserved
For all my tribe by fate."

"Too well I know by wisdom
taught,
The existence of my race
O'er wide England's green
domain
Is bound up with the chase."

"Better in early youth and
strength
The race for life is run
Than poisoned like the
noxious rat
Or slain by felon gun."

"For not upon these hills alone
The doom of sport shall fall;
O'er the broad face of
England creeps
The shadow on the wall."

"The years roll on; old
manners change,
Old customs lose their sway;
New fashions rule;
The grandsire's garb
moves ridicule today."

"The manly sports of
England
Shall vanish one by one;
The manly blood of England
In weaker veins shall run."

"The furzy down, the
moorland heath ,
The steam plough shall
invade;
Nor park nor manor shall
escape -
Common, nor forest glade."

"The sports of our forefathers
To baser tastes shall yield;
The vices of the town
displace
The pleasures of the field."

"For swiftly o'er the level
shore
The waves of progress ride;
The ancient landmarks one
by one
Shall sink beneath the tide."

"Base churls shall mock the
mighty names
Writ on the roll of time;
Religion shall be held a jest,
And loyalty a crime."

"No words of prayer, no
hymn of praise
Sound in the village school
The peoples education
Utilitarians shall rule."

"No harvest feast nor
Christmastide
Shall farm or manor hold;
Science alone can plenty
give,
The only god is Gold."

"The homes where love and
peace should dwell
Fierce politics shall vex,
And unsexed woman strive to
prove
Herself the coarser sex."

"The honour of old England
Cotton shall buy and sell,
And hardware manufacturers
Cry 'Peace! - Lo! All is
well'."

"Trade shall be held the only
god
And gain the sole device;
The statesman's maxim shall
be peace,
And peace at any price."

"Her army and her navy
Britain shall cast aside;
Soldiers and ships are costly
things
Defence an empty pride."

"Taught wisdom by disaster,
England shall learn to know
That trade is not the only gain
Heaven gives to man below."

"Again in hall and homestead
Shall joy and peace be seen
And smiling children raise
again
The Maypole on the green."

"Again the smiling hedgerow
Shall field from field divide;
Again among the woodlands
The scarlet troop shall ride."

Again it seemed that aged fox
More prophecies would say
When sudden came upon the
wind,
"Hark forrard! Gone away!"

The listener started from his
trance
He sat there all alone;
That well known cry had burst
the spell,
The aged fox was gone.