NIGHTINGALE. 1 7 



And again — 



Sweet the coming on 

 Of grateful evening mild, then silent night 

 With this her solemn bird. 



The quaint words of Barnefield, so often attributed to Shakes- 

 peare, which the madrigal by Lord Mornington, or the duet of 

 Sir H. R. Bishop, have made so famihar, will serve as an example : — 



As it fell upon a day 

 In the merry month of May, 

 Sittini( in a pleasant shade, 

 Which a grove of myrtles made 

 Beasts did leap and birds did sing, 

 Trees did grow and plants did spring ; 

 Everything did banish moan 

 Save the Nightingale alone. 

 She, poor bird, as all forlorn, 

 Lean'd her breast against a thorn. 

 And there sang the dolefullest ditty. 

 That to hear it was great pity. 

 Fie, fie, iie, now would she cry, 

 Tereu, Tereu, by and by 

 That to hear her so complain, 

 Scarce I could from tears refrain ; 

 For her grief so lively shown 

 Made me think upon my own. 



The love-lorn Nightingale 

 Nightly to thee her sad song mourneth well. 



Milton— Comws. 



No Nightingale her love-lorn tune 

 More sweetly -warbles to the moon. 



Scott — Marmion. 



As the wakeful bird 

 Sings darkling, and in shadiest covert hid 

 Tunes her nocturnal note. 



Milton — Paradise Lost. 



Isaac Walton says of it — "The Nightingale breathes such 



sweet loud musick out of her little instrumental throat that it might 



make mankind to think that miracles are not ceased " . . . . 



and " Hfted up above earth, to say, Lord, what musick hast Thou 



provided for the saints in Heaven, when Thou affordest bad men 



such musick on Earth." 



All was still ; 

 And now the Nightingale her song poured forth 

 In such a torrent of heartfelt delight. 

 So fast it flowed, her tongue so voluble, 

 As if she thought her hearers would be gone 

 Ere half was told. RoGERS-i'WTiea. 



