“Ye gentle flock, for ye so called I must, Whose track hath followed at my high behest, For your instruction hither brought I trust, Delight, and soul’s advantage found the best, As leading to that one eternal rest, Of which this life is but the entrance scene, Probation’s school and trial of the blest; Which I would fain impress, whose course thus shene, Is my dear object’s scope that leads to life serene. LXXIX. “Nature inanimate have we discoursed, Ocean, and flood, and hoary mountain bold; Wonders of earth, which my rude speech enforced, As their great Maker’s handiwork of old; The half of which has not been hither told, For Nature animate all teems with life, Which erst we will explore and eke unfold, Human, divine, forsooth; make known in priefe, And roam creation wide, with living creatures rife.” LXXX. Thus having spake he did diverge their course, To where a blackened forest distant lay; Discoursing meantime with a winning force, Did entertain them in a pleasant way; Of wilds he told, that devious led astray, Of hairbreadth ’scapes, of gins, and traps also, That did the guideless traveller betray, Of yon huge forest he would have them know, There dwelt the rav’nous beast, whose haunt he soon would show. LXXXI. Meanwhile they reached the shade of awful wood, Whose gloom-wrapped branches waved with sighing sound; A deep, dark dell, on one side where they stood, With furze o’ergrown, and brushwood did abound; A solemn stillness wont the air surround, Save when at midnight fell, the lordly beast For prey roared dreadful, shaking all yground, And lashed his tail, fierce prowling kenn’d no rest, Until his ravening maw with blood-stained food was blest. LXXXII. Wending their path through furze and matted grass, That did their feet entangle all the way, They reached at last a narrow dreary pass, That led to cave or den, where couching lay The kingly lion watching for his prey, With glaring eye, and aspect fierce and dread; While rushed the tiger from his lair to stray, With cruel fangs by gnawing hunger led, Panthers, hyena fell, there prowl’d ymong the dead. LXXXIII. And there the hideous snake all folded lay, With forked tongue of deadly venom fraught; Basked, hid in loathsome den from glare of day, Constrictor, bloated with foul victim caught, Half torpid stretched till hunger him ywrought To rear his crest, and drag his fearful trail, With vigour bold, as though his maw had nought, Or ample fare had gorged, whose eye glared bale, In ready act to seize, ’neath folds that death entail. LXXXIV.