4t 



As when the bird that heralds rosy spring, 

 Flies to her nest on fond maternal wing : 

 At her known voice, the tender callow brood 

 Leap with delight, and ask th' expected food ; 

 With opening bills around her fondly crowd. 

 And tell their joy in chirrups clear and loud, 

 Till all the hospitable dome around 

 That shields their nest, re-echoes to the sound. 



Nor is her grief for the loss of her unfledged progeny, when de- 

 voured by a serpent, less faithfully painted. He had a passage of 

 Homer in view, but he ha« improved on his original. 



fij i' OTOT o^TttKf)(fii(Ti ysXihoo'i vrjTietyoKri 

 Ne^S'Sv vxi^ o^o(poio rv^av o^ig ay^t ■atXa.trirtiy 

 K«< THi fhiD xa.riTi(pn xai itrTccffni zv^ov oiovrm, 



Aoiyicc Tir^dyuice, (f)ovii yoov aXX' on vaiS»g 

 Ah^no'l (p^tfJi'ivag, ^3' nxiTi (pv^tv oXe^f 8 

 Ai^erai, aXX' avrrjiriv vrui ymvso'a'iv h^ctKovrog 

 ^iXiTui) f^Krp' o^viv sX^ '!ta,iSoKTO)i6i artj. 



Hal. E. 1. 579. 



Thus when a serpent creeps, with hunger stung. 

 Where hangs the swallow's nest of twittering young ; 

 As down his cruel jaws he draws the prize, 

 The wretched dam around him screaming flies. 

 Their fate bewailing, 'till her helpless brood 

 Have all become th' insatiate monster's food : 



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