Well tried through many a varying year, See Levett to the grave descend: Officious, innocent, sincere, Of every friendless name the friend. Yet still he fills affection's eye, Obscurely wise and coarsely kind; Nor, lettered arrogance, deny Thy praise to merit unrefined. When fainting Nature called for aid, And hovering death prepared the blow, His vigorous remedy displayed The power of art without the show. In misery's darkest caverns known, His ready help was ever nigh, Where hopeless anguish poured his groan, And lonely want retired to die. No summons mocked by chill delay, No petty gains disdained by pride: The modest wants of every day The toil of every day supplied. His virtues walked their narrow round, Nor made a pause, nor left a void; And sure the eternal Master found His single talent well employed. The busy day, the peaceful night, Unfelt, uncounted, glided by; His frame was firm, his powers were bright, Though now his eightieth year was nigh. Then, with no throbs of fiery pain, No cold gradations of decay, Death broke at once the vital chain, And freed his soul the nearest way. _Johnson._ XXV CHEVY CHACE THE HUNTING God prosper long our noble king, Our lives and safeties all; A woeful hunting once there did In Chevy-Chace befall; To drive the deer with hound and horn Erle Percy took his way; The child may rue that is unborn, The hunting of that day. The stout Erle of Northumberland A vow to God did make, His pleasure in the Scottish woods Three summer's days to take, The chiefest harts in Chevy-Chace To kill and bear away. These tydings to Erle Douglas came, In Scotland where he lay: Who sent Erle Percy present word, He wold prevent his sport. The English Erle, not fearing that, Did to the woods resort With fifteen hundred bow-men bold, All chosen men of might, Who knew full well in time of neede To ayme their shafts aright. The gallant greyhounds swiftly ran, To chase the fallow deere: On Monday they began to hunt, Ere daylight did appeare; And long before high noone they had An hundred fat buckes slaine; Then having dined, the drovyers went To rouse the deere againe. The bow-men mustered on the hills, Well able to endure; Their backsides all, with special care That day were guarded sure. The hounds ran swiftly through the woods, The nimble deere to take, And with their cryes the hills and dales An echo shrill did make. Lord Percy to the quarry went, To view the slaughtered deere: Quoth he, 'Erle Douglas promisËd This day to meet me here, But if I thought he wold not come, No longer wold I stay.' With that, a brave younge gentleman Thus to the Erle did say: