284 THE TROPIC BIRD. 



guile the incubation of his female, sitting on her 

 nest in a bush close at hand. But on returning to 

 the town, we notice another little chaffinch, often in 

 some wretched alley, a prisoner with the loss of 

 both its eyes, and singing nevertheless as though its 

 little throat would burst. Does this blind captive 

 pour forth its melody in order to soothe its sorrows ? 

 Has Omnipotence kindly endowed the chaffinch 

 with vocal faculties, which at one time may be em- 

 ployed to support it in distress, and at another time 

 to add to its social enjoyments ? What answer 

 shall we make ? We know not what to say. But 

 be it as it will, I would not put out the eyes of the 

 poor chaffinch, though by doing so I might render 

 its melody ten times sweeter than that of the sweet 

 nightingale itself. O that the potentate, in whose 

 dominions this little bird is doomed to such a cruel 

 fate, would pass an edict to forbid the perpetration 

 of the barbarous deed I Then would I exclaim, 

 O king of men, thy act is worthy of a royal heart. 

 " That kind Being, who is a friend to the friendless, 

 shall recompense thee for this." 



PHAETON, OR THE TROPIC BIRD. 



Quinque tenent coelum zonse, quarum una corusco 

 Semper sole rubens, et torrida semper ab igni. _ VIRG. 



THE burning zone, in which the ancients have 

 placed the zodiac, is the favourite resort of this 

 solitary wanderer over the deep. He is called 



