The Chase, A Poem. To Which Is Added Hobbinol, Or The Rural Games - Softcover

William Somervile

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0461880407 ISBN 13: 9780461880403

Publisher: HardPress, 2021

Synopsis

The Chase, A Poem. To Which Is Added Hobbinol, Or The Rural Games by William Somervile presents a pair of verse works from the early Georgian era. The Chase is a multi-book epic-georgic poem that extols the British hunt, tracing its origins from primal man to the organized sport of foxing, stag, hare, and otter chases under royal sponsorship. It blends classical allusions with practical instruction for huntsmen, detailed descriptions of hounds, horses, kennels, and the terrain, and moral reflections on mercy toward beasts and the virtue of discipline. Across four books, Somervile intersperses lament and praise for the chase’s physical and social benefits, while offering keener observations on seasons, scents, and weather that govern the sport. The volume concludes with Hobbinol, a burlesque companion poem that lampoons rural life and village pageantry through a comic, celebratory May-game cycle featuring Hobbinol, Ganderetta, and a cast of rustic characters and feats. Together, the works celebrate country life, public virtue, and the theatre of communal festivity in 18th-century Britain.

Edition details

• Publisher: HardPress
• Publication date: 2021
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0461880407
• ISBN 13: 9780461880403
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 216