THE BEASTS IN THE TOWERTHE BEASTS INTHE TOWER
THE BEASTS IN THE TOWERTHE BEASTS INTHE TOWER
THE BEASTS INTHE TOWER
XII
Withinthe precincts of this yard,Each in his narrow confines barr’d,Dwells every beast that can be foundOn Afric or on Indian ground;How different was the life they ledIn those wild haunts where they were bred,To this tame servitude and fear,Enslaved by man, they suffer here!In that uneasy close recessCouches a sleeping lioness;That next den holds a bear; the nextA wolf, by hunger ever vext:There, fiercer from the keeper’s lashes,His teeth the fell hyena gnashes;That creature on whose back aboundBlack spots upon a yellow ground,A panther is—the fairest beastThat haunteth in the spacious East:He underneath a fair outsideDoes cruelty and treachery hide.That catlike beast that to and froRestless as fire does ever go,As if his courage did resentHis limbs in such confinement pent,That should their prey in forest take,And make the Indian jungles quake,A tiger is. Observe how sleekAnd glossy smooth his coat; no streakOn satin ever match’d the prideOf that which marks his furry hide.How strong his muscles! he with easeUpon the tallest man could seize;In his large mouth away could bear him,And into thousand pieces tear him:Yet cabin’d so securely here,The smallest infant need not fear.That lordly creature next to himA lion is. Survey each limb;Observe the texture of his claws,The massy thickness of those jaws;His mane that sweeps the ground in length,Like Samson’s locks, betokening strength.In force and swiftness he excelsEach beast that in the forest dwells;The savage tribes him king confessThroughout the howling wilderness.Woe to the hapless neighbourhoodWhen he is press’d by want of food!Of man, or child, or bull, or horseHe makes his prey, such is his force.A waste behind him he creates,Whole villages depopulates;Yet here within appointed linesHow small a grate his rage confines!This place, methinks, resembleth wellThe world itself in which we dwell.Perils and snares on every groundLike these wild beasts beset us round.But Providence their rage restrains,Our heavenly Keeper sets them chains;His goodness saveth every hourHis darlings from the lion’s power.
Withinthe precincts of this yard,Each in his narrow confines barr’d,Dwells every beast that can be foundOn Afric or on Indian ground;How different was the life they ledIn those wild haunts where they were bred,To this tame servitude and fear,Enslaved by man, they suffer here!In that uneasy close recessCouches a sleeping lioness;That next den holds a bear; the nextA wolf, by hunger ever vext:There, fiercer from the keeper’s lashes,His teeth the fell hyena gnashes;That creature on whose back aboundBlack spots upon a yellow ground,A panther is—the fairest beastThat haunteth in the spacious East:He underneath a fair outsideDoes cruelty and treachery hide.That catlike beast that to and froRestless as fire does ever go,As if his courage did resentHis limbs in such confinement pent,That should their prey in forest take,And make the Indian jungles quake,A tiger is. Observe how sleekAnd glossy smooth his coat; no streakOn satin ever match’d the prideOf that which marks his furry hide.How strong his muscles! he with easeUpon the tallest man could seize;In his large mouth away could bear him,And into thousand pieces tear him:Yet cabin’d so securely here,The smallest infant need not fear.That lordly creature next to himA lion is. Survey each limb;Observe the texture of his claws,The massy thickness of those jaws;His mane that sweeps the ground in length,Like Samson’s locks, betokening strength.In force and swiftness he excelsEach beast that in the forest dwells;The savage tribes him king confessThroughout the howling wilderness.Woe to the hapless neighbourhoodWhen he is press’d by want of food!Of man, or child, or bull, or horseHe makes his prey, such is his force.A waste behind him he creates,Whole villages depopulates;Yet here within appointed linesHow small a grate his rage confines!This place, methinks, resembleth wellThe world itself in which we dwell.Perils and snares on every groundLike these wild beasts beset us round.But Providence their rage restrains,Our heavenly Keeper sets them chains;His goodness saveth every hourHis darlings from the lion’s power.
Withinthe precincts of this yard,Each in his narrow confines barr’d,Dwells every beast that can be foundOn Afric or on Indian ground;How different was the life they ledIn those wild haunts where they were bred,To this tame servitude and fear,Enslaved by man, they suffer here!
Withinthe precincts of this yard,
Each in his narrow confines barr’d,
Dwells every beast that can be found
On Afric or on Indian ground;
How different was the life they led
In those wild haunts where they were bred,
To this tame servitude and fear,
Enslaved by man, they suffer here!
In that uneasy close recessCouches a sleeping lioness;That next den holds a bear; the nextA wolf, by hunger ever vext:There, fiercer from the keeper’s lashes,His teeth the fell hyena gnashes;That creature on whose back aboundBlack spots upon a yellow ground,A panther is—the fairest beastThat haunteth in the spacious East:He underneath a fair outsideDoes cruelty and treachery hide.That catlike beast that to and froRestless as fire does ever go,As if his courage did resentHis limbs in such confinement pent,That should their prey in forest take,And make the Indian jungles quake,A tiger is. Observe how sleekAnd glossy smooth his coat; no streakOn satin ever match’d the prideOf that which marks his furry hide.How strong his muscles! he with easeUpon the tallest man could seize;In his large mouth away could bear him,And into thousand pieces tear him:Yet cabin’d so securely here,The smallest infant need not fear.
In that uneasy close recess
Couches a sleeping lioness;
That next den holds a bear; the next
A wolf, by hunger ever vext:
There, fiercer from the keeper’s lashes,
His teeth the fell hyena gnashes;
That creature on whose back abound
Black spots upon a yellow ground,
A panther is—the fairest beast
That haunteth in the spacious East:
He underneath a fair outside
Does cruelty and treachery hide.
That catlike beast that to and fro
Restless as fire does ever go,
As if his courage did resent
His limbs in such confinement pent,
That should their prey in forest take,
And make the Indian jungles quake,
A tiger is. Observe how sleek
And glossy smooth his coat; no streak
On satin ever match’d the pride
Of that which marks his furry hide.
How strong his muscles! he with ease
Upon the tallest man could seize;
In his large mouth away could bear him,
And into thousand pieces tear him:
Yet cabin’d so securely here,
The smallest infant need not fear.
That lordly creature next to himA lion is. Survey each limb;Observe the texture of his claws,The massy thickness of those jaws;His mane that sweeps the ground in length,Like Samson’s locks, betokening strength.In force and swiftness he excelsEach beast that in the forest dwells;The savage tribes him king confessThroughout the howling wilderness.Woe to the hapless neighbourhoodWhen he is press’d by want of food!Of man, or child, or bull, or horseHe makes his prey, such is his force.A waste behind him he creates,Whole villages depopulates;Yet here within appointed linesHow small a grate his rage confines!
That lordly creature next to him
A lion is. Survey each limb;
Observe the texture of his claws,
The massy thickness of those jaws;
His mane that sweeps the ground in length,
Like Samson’s locks, betokening strength.
In force and swiftness he excels
Each beast that in the forest dwells;
The savage tribes him king confess
Throughout the howling wilderness.
Woe to the hapless neighbourhood
When he is press’d by want of food!
Of man, or child, or bull, or horse
He makes his prey, such is his force.
A waste behind him he creates,
Whole villages depopulates;
Yet here within appointed lines
How small a grate his rage confines!
This place, methinks, resembleth wellThe world itself in which we dwell.Perils and snares on every groundLike these wild beasts beset us round.But Providence their rage restrains,Our heavenly Keeper sets them chains;His goodness saveth every hourHis darlings from the lion’s power.
This place, methinks, resembleth well
The world itself in which we dwell.
Perils and snares on every ground
Like these wild beasts beset us round.
But Providence their rage restrains,
Our heavenly Keeper sets them chains;
His goodness saveth every hour
His darlings from the lion’s power.
(Illustration)
(Illustration)