The Birds of Shakespeare 
The same artificial note of sadness runs 
through the other allusions to Philomel. 
In Lucrece we read: 
By this, lamenting Philomel had ended 
‘The well-tuned warble of her nightly sorrow.1 
Again in the Sonnets : 
As Philomel in summer’s front doth sing, 
And stops her pipe in growth of riper days : 
Not that the summer is less pleasant now 
Than when her mournful hymns did hush the night, 
But that wild music burthens every bough, 
And sweets grown common lose their dear delight.? 
The poet has brought Philomel into his 
fairy-land, and has for the moment left out 
any reference to the alleged mournfulness 
of her music: 
Philomel, with melody 
Sing in our sweet lullaby ; 
Lulla, lulla, lullaby, lulla, lulla, lullaby : 
| Never harm, 
Nor spell, nor charm, 
Come our lovely lady nigh ; 
So, good night, with lullaby.® 
1 Lucrece, 1079. 2 Sonnet, Cil. 
8 Midsummer-Nigh?’s Dream, 11; 11. 13. 
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