THE NIGHTINGALE. 289 



selves their great duel of jealousy. For when the latter arrive, 

 all. must be calm and peaceful ; there should prevail nothing but 

 love, tranquillity, and tenderness. The battle endures some fifteen 

 days ; and if the female birds return sooner, the effort grows deadly. 

 The story of Roland is literally realized ; he sounded his ivory horn, 

 even to the extinction of strength and life. These, too, sing until 

 their last breath — until death : they will triumph or die. 



If it be true, as we are assured, that the lovers are two or three 

 times more numerous than the lady-loves, you may conceive the 

 violence of this burning emulousness, in which, perhaps, lurks the 

 first spark and the secret of their genius. 



The fate of the vanquished is terrible — worse than death. He is 

 constrained to fly ; to quit the province, the country ; to sink into 

 the comrade of the lower races of birds ; while his song is degraded 

 into a patois. He forgets and disgraces himself; becomes vulgarized 

 among this vulgar people ; little by little gro\ving ignorant of his own 

 tongue, of theirs, of any tongue. We sometimes discover among 

 these exiles birds which preserve only the external likeness of the 

 nightingale. 



Though the rival is expelled, nothing as yet is done. The victor 

 must please, must subdue her. Oh ! bright moment, soft inspiration 

 of the new song which shall touch that little proud Wild-heart, and 

 compel it to abandon liberty for love ! The test imposed by the hen- 

 bird in other species is assistance in building or excavating the nest ; 

 that the male may show he is skilful, and will take his offspring to his 

 heart. The effect is sometimes admirable. The woodpecker, as we have 

 seen, is elevated from a workman into an artist, and from a carpenter 

 into a sculptor. But, alas ! the nightingale does not possess this 

 talent ; he knows not how to do anything. The least among the 

 small birds is a hundred times more adi'oit with his bill, his wing, 

 his claw. He has only his voice which he can make use of ; there 

 his power breaks forth, there he will be irresistible. Others may dis- 

 play their works, but his work is himself; he shows, he reveals him- 

 self, and he appears sublime and gi-and. 



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