The Nightingale in Virgil. 251 



of the trees," and " pouring a many-toned music 

 with many a varied turn ; " but Virgil has neither 

 of these touches. Still his lines have a beauty of 

 their own : 



Qualis populea moerens philomela sub umbra 

 Amissos queritur foetus, quos durus arator 

 Observans nido implumes detraxit ; at ilia 

 Flet noctem, ramoque sedens miserabile carmen 

 Integrat, et moestis late loca questibus implet. 1 



I will finish this chapter by quoting one more 

 passage ; in which I think we may see Virgil's 

 own observation of the habits of birds. It is a 

 famous passage in the sixth Aeneid, where Aeneas 

 has embarked with Charon to cross the Styx, and 

 the ghosts collect upon the bank to beg for passage 

 to the other side ; they gather in numbers, 



Quam multa in silvis autumni frigore primo 

 Lapsa cadunt folia, aut ad terram gurgite ab alto 



1 As in the poplar-shade a nightingale 

 Mourns her lost young, which some relentless swain, 

 Spying, from the nest has torn unfledged, but she 

 Wails the long night, and perched upon a spray 

 With sad insistence pipes her dolorous strain, 

 Till all the region with her wrongs overflows. 



Georg. iv. 511. 



