128 HISTORY OF THE NIGHTINGALE. Ocl. 5* 



*lear bucks, and bloods, and our gentle macaronies 

 chattering over their cups, of this little Nightingale, 

 and that little Nightingale, than of this little beagle, 

 and of that little beagle ! and tlien indeed an elegant 

 young idle gentleman of diilinftion or fortune, might, 

 if ftarting the nrft Nightingale in Scotland or Wales, 

 or in the fpirited Ireland, with propriety afTume the 

 title, the noble ewjiable tltk, of a burk of the firjl feather ! 

 and fo much am I perfuaded of the fuccefs of my pro- 

 pofal for the introduction of thefc feathered choirifters 

 into new countries that I fhall beg leave to prefent you 

 with a prophetic fong on the fubje£l from a Nightin- 

 tingale in Glallonbury Thorn, fung on mldfummer 

 evening 1786, which may perhaps not be unacceptable 

 to thofe who like to attend to the mufic of the girovcs. 



Begin, begin the evening fong. 



The wooJ-Jurk is afleep, 



There's nought but filence here among 



The owls that %7atch do Iieep : 



Save that athwart the mirky aifle 



The filthy bits do flitt. 



Our little offspring to beguile 



V.'hilc on the fpray they iit. 



Ah ! fweetly fweet is this repoie. 



My Philomela f.iir! 



One touch of thee can cure the woes 



My heart, that h.irbour there. 



Renew, renew the nightly fong. 



The wood-lark is allccp. 



The eglantine that winds along 



My thorn, my fafcty keeps. 



Tiiey fay the. people here are flavej. 



And guU'4 by f Ithy priells; 



Conic let us crofs the briny waves 



And fly their filthy feafts 



But ah! alas ! the briny fea 



Wcu'd br^vc our ftrongeft wing, 



Come then to Scotland let us fi^c, 



To men and Ircemeu ling. 



I am, Sir, with continued attachmctu to the de- 

 Hghiful ineffable art of idlenels. 



Your well-wilher, and humble Servant, 



Albanicus. 



