'.;,;'( 174 ) _ . 



little alteration for a defcription alfb of Beau- 

 lieu-river) two kinds of birds are introduced ; 



thofe, which difport themfelves in flu- 



minis alveo ; and thofe, which tzthera mulcebant 

 canfu, lucoque volabant. With the actions of 

 the former of thefe we have already been 

 entertained: but we have not yet liftened to 

 the mufic of the latter. I have been told 

 it is extraordinary ; and that all thefe woods, 

 on both fides of the river (fo extenfive are 

 they, and unmolefted) are filled with fuch 

 innumerable flights of finging birds, that to 

 fail up the river in a morning, or an evening 

 in the fpring, affords, in Virgil's language, 

 an truium concerting hardly any where elfe to be 

 found. The nightingale, the thrufh, the 

 blackbird, and the linnet are the chief per- 

 formers in the concert. Some of thefe you 

 hear continually burfting out either at hand, 

 or from a diftance : while the various little 

 chirpers of the woods join the chorus : and 

 tho alone their untuneable voices might be 

 harfh ; yet all together (one foftening the 

 difcordancy of another) they make a kind 

 of melody ; or at leaft an agreeable contraft to 

 fuch of the band, as are better fkilled in their 

 bufmefs. 



I cannot 



