What Worlds haft Thou produc'd, what Creatures fram'd'
What Infects cherish'd, that thy God is blam'd?

When, pain'd with Hunger, the wild Raven's Brood
Calls upon God, importunate for Food,

Who hears their Cry, who grants their hoarfe Requeft,
And ftills the Clamour of the craving Neft?

Who in the cruel Ostrich has fubdu'd
A Parent's Care, and fond Inquietude?
While far fhe flies, her fcatter'd Eggs are found,
Without an Owner, on the fandy Ground;
Caft out on Fortune, they at Mercy lie,
And borrow Life from an indulgent Sky;
Adopted by the Sun, in Blaze of Day,
They ripen under his prolific Ray.
Unmindful the, that fome unhappy Tread
May crush her Young in their neglected Bed.
What time she skims along the Field with Speel,
She fcorns the Rider, and pursuing Steed.

How rich the Peacock! what bright Glories run
From Plume to Plume, and vary in the Sun!
He proudly spreads them to the golden Ray,
Gives all his Colours, and adorns the Day;
With confcious State the fpacious Round difplays,
And flowly moves amid the waving Blaze.

Who taught the Hawk to find, in Seasons wife,
Perpetual Summer, and a Change of Skies?

When Clouds deform the Year, fhe mounts the Wind,
Shoots to the South, nor fears the Storm behind;

The Sun returning, the returns agen,

Lives in his Beams, and leaves ill Days to Men.

Tho' ftrong the Hawk, tho' practis'd well to fly,
An Eagle drops her in a lower Sky;
An Eagle, when, deferting Human Sight,
She feeks the Sun in her unweary'd Flight.
Did thy Command her yellow Pinion lift
So high in Air, and seat her on the Clift,

Where far above thy World fhe dwells Alone,
And proudly makes the Strength of Rocks her own;
Thence wide o'er Nature takes her dread Survey,
And with a Glance predeftinates her Prey?

She feafts her Young with Blood, and, hov'ring o'er
Th' unflaughter'd Hoft, enjoys the promis'd Gore.

Know'ft Thou how many Moons, by Me affign'd, Roll o'er the Mountain Goat, and Forest Hind, While pregnant they a Mother's Load fuftain? They bend in Anguish, and caft forth their Pain. Hale are their Young, from Human Frailties freed; Walk unfuftain'd, and unaffifted feed;

They live at once; forfake the Dam's warm Side; Take the wide World, with Nature for their Guide, Found o'er the Lawn, or feek the diftant Glade; And find a Home in each delightful Shade..

Will the tall Reem, which knows no Lord but Me, Low at the Crib, and afk an Alms of thee? Submit his unworn Shoulder to the Yoke, Break the fliff Clod, and o'er thy Furrow fmoak? Since great his Strength, go truft him, void of Care; Lay on his Neck the Toil of all the Year; Bid him bring home the Seafons to thy Doors, And caft his Load among thy gather'd Stores.

Didft Thou from Service the Wild-Afs difcharge,
And break his Bonds, and bid him live at large,
Thro' the wide Wafte, his ample Mansion, roam,
And lofe Himfelf in his Unbounded Home?
By Nature's Hand inagnificently fed,

His Meal is on the Range of Mountains spread;
As in pure Air aloft he bounds along,

He fees in diftant Smoak the City Throng,
Conscious of Freedom, fcorns the fmother'd Train,
The threat'ning Driver, and the fervile Rein.

Survey the warlike Horfe! didft Thou inveft With Thunder, his robuft diftended Cheft ?

No Senfe of Fear his dauntless Soul allays;
'Tis dreadful to behold his Noftril blaze;
To paw the Vale he proudly takes Delight,
And triumphs in the Fulness of his Might;
High-rais'd he fnuffs the Battle from afar,
And burns to plunge amid the raging War;
And mocks at Death, and throws his Foam around,
And in a Storm of Fury shakes the Ground.
How does his firm, his rifing Heart advance
Full on the brandifh'd Sword, and fhaken Lance;
While his fixt Eye-balls meet the dazling Shield,
Gaze, and return the Lightning of the Field!
He finks the Sense of Pain in gen'rous Pride,
Nor feels the Shaft that trembles in his Side;
But neighs to the fhrill Trumpet's dreadful Blaft
Till Death; and when he groans, he groans his last.

But, fiercer ftill, the Lordly Lion ftalks,
Grimly Majeftic in his lonely Walks;
When round he glares, all living Creatures fly;
He clears the Defart, with his rolling Eye.
Say, Mortal, does he roufe at thy Command,
And roar to Thee, and live upon thy Hand?
Doft thou for him in Forefts bend thy Bow,
And to his gloomy Den the Morfel throw,
Where bent on Death lie hid his tawny Brood,
And, couch'd in dreadful Ambush, pant for Blood;
Or, ftretch'd on broken Limbs, confume the Day,
In Darkness wrapt, and flimber o'er their Prey?
By the pale Moon they take their deftin'd Round,
And lafh their Sides, and furious tear the Ground.
Now Shrieks, and dying Groans, the Defart fill;
They rage, they rend, their rav'nous Jaws diftil
With crimfon Foam; and, when the Banquet's o'er,
They ftride away, and paint their Steps with Gore;
In Flight alone the Shepherd puts his Truft,
And fhudders at the Talon in the Duft.

Mild is my Behemoth, tho' large his Frame;
Smooth is his Temper, and repreft his Flame,
While unprovok'd. This Native of the Flood
Lifts his broad Foot, and puts afhore for Food;
Earth finks beneath him, as he moves along
To feek the Herbs, and mingle with the Throng.
See, with what Strength his harden'd Loins are bound,
All over Proof, and shut against a Wound.

How like a Mountain Cedar moves his Tail!
Nor can his complicated Sinews fail.

Built high and wide, his folid Bones furpass
The Bars of Steel; his Ribs are Ribs of Brafs;
His Port majestic, and his armed Jaw,

Give the wide Forest, and the Mountain, Law.
The Mountains feed him; there the Beafts admire
The mighty Stranger, and in Dread retire:
At length his Greatnefs nearer they furvey,
Graze in his Shadow, and his Eye obey.
The Fens and Marfhes are his cool Retreat,
His Noontide Shelter from the burning Heat;
Their fedgy Bofoms. his wide Couch are made,
And Groves of Willows give him all their Shade.
His Eye drinks Jordan up, when, fir'd with Drought,
He trufls to turn its Current down his Throat;
In leffen'd Waves it creeps along the Plain:
He finks a River, and He thirsts again.

Go to the Nile, and, from its fruitful Side,
Caft forth thy Line into the fwelling Tide:
With flender Hair Leviathan command,
And ftretch his Vaftness on the loaded Strand.
Will he become Thy Servant, will he own
Thy Lordly Nod, and tremble at Thy Frown?
Or with his Sport amufe thy leifure Day,
And, bound in Silk, with thy foft Maidens play?

Shall pompous Banquets fwell with such a Prize,
And the Bowl journey round his ample Size?

Or

Or the debating Merchants share the Prey,
And various Limbs to various Marts convey?
Thro' his firm Skull what Steel its Way can win ?
What forceful Engine can fubdue his Skin?
Fly far, and live; tempt not his matchless Might;
The Braveft fhrink to Cowards in his Sight;
The Rafheft dare not roufe him up: Who then
Shall turn on Me, among the Sons of Men?

Am I a Debtor? Haft thou ever heard

Whence come the Gifts which are on Me conferr'd?
My lavish Fruit a thousand Valleys fills,

And Mine the Herds, that graze a thousand Hills:
Earth, Sea, and Air, All Nature is my own;
And Stars and Sun are Duft beneath my Throne.
And dar'ft Thou with the World's great Father vye,
Thou, who doft tremble at my Creature's Eye?

At full my huge Leviathan shall rise,
Boaft all his Strength, and spread his wond'rous Size.
Who, great in Arms, e'er ftripp'd his shining Mail,
Or crown'd his Triumph with a fingle Scale?
Whofe Heart fuftains him to draw near? Behold,
Destruction yawns; his fpacious Jaws unfold,
And, marshal'd round the wide Expanse, disclose
Teeth edg'd with Death, and crouding Rows on Rows:
What hideous Fangs on either Side arise !

And what a deep Abyss between them lies!
Mete with thy Lance, and with thy Plumbet found,
The One how long, the Other how profound.

His Bulk is charg'd with fuch a furious Soul,
That Clouds of Smoke from his fpread Noftrils roll,
As from a Furnace; and, when rous'd his Ire,
Fate iffues from his Jaws in Streams of Fire.
The Rage of Tempefts, and the Roar of Seas,
Thy Terror, this thy great Superior please ;
Strength on his ample Shoulder fits in State;
His well-join'd Limbs are dreadfully complete;