AN EARLY SONGSTER. 169 



But while the sweet bird is yet singing and soaring, ' as 

 if it had learned music and motion from an angel,' as 

 Jeremy Taylor says, perchance the heavens become over- 

 cast, and the bleak wind whistles through the yet naked 

 branches, heralding a sleety shower. Then may be realised 

 the picture drawn by Warton, in his poem on the first of 

 April : 



Fraught with a transient frozen shower, 

 If a cloud should haply lower, 

 Sailing o'er the landscape dark, 

 Mute on a sudden is the Lark. 

 And when gleams the sun again 

 On the pearl-bespangled plain, 

 And from behind his watery veil 

 Looks through the thin descending hail ; 

 She mounts, and lessening to the sight, 

 Salutes the blithe return of light, 

 And high her tuneful track pursues, 

 'Mid the dim rainbow's scattered hues. 



Ever is the Lark an early songster, alike the first to salute 

 the opening year and the dawning day ; therefore has 

 Shakspeare said 



Hark, hark ! the Lark at heaven's gate sings, 

 When Pho3bus 'gins to rise. 



And many other poets have hailed it as the herald of the 

 dawn ; among them is Barry Cornwall, whose sonnet we 

 are tempted to quote : 



earliest singer ! care-charming bird, 

 Married to Morning by a sweeter hymn 

 Than priest e'er chanted from his cloister dim 



At midnight; or veil'd virgin's holier word, 



At sunrise, or the paler evening, heard ; 



To which, of all Heaven's young and lovely hours, 

 Who wreathe soft light in hyacinthine bowers, 



Beautiful spirit, is thy suit preferred ? 



Unlike the creatures of this dull low earth, 

 Still dost thou woo, although thy suit be won, 

 And thus thy mistress bright is pleased ever : 



Oh, lose not thou this mark of purer birth ; 

 So may'st thou yet live on from sun to sun, 

 Thy joy unchecked, thy sweet song silent never. 



