BIKDS AND POETS. 153 



perfect here ! Even as poetry is to us the higher language 

 of our highest i. e. our angelic nature so, with this Matron 

 Sister of the stars, is this Poetry the higher expression of 

 the strong and beautiful in her. 



Furthermore, as in our case, it matters not whether this 

 expression speak outwardly through the heart, the blood, or 

 the brain, so it be the most purely creative and perfect of its 

 kind, it is yet our Poetry exalted just in proportion as the 

 brain chief organ of the soul has worked it forth. So 

 with her it boots not whether sunset, waters, clouds, herbs, 

 creeping things, beasts or Birds be her language each con- 

 dition is the expression of the Soul of action in her, and is, 

 in its highest revelations, her Poetry and as Birds embody 

 the purest graces of this action, they are her most elevated 

 articulations ! 



Is not this fairly " demonstrated?" Should they not seem 

 to us the sublimest voices of her worship, lifted up on wings 

 towards God, and be therefore sacred from all wantonness ? 

 Should they not thus be taken closely to our hearts because 

 they not only so clearly speak to us of the Soul in her, but 

 as distinctly symbolize our own Souls ? for is it not from 

 their swift aerial movements and melodious tones we gather 

 all the images and language of the Spiritual Life ? In short, 

 are not Birds the clearest, loftiest strain of the Earth's 

 Poetry the most perfect allegories of the life to come 

 the finest Anti-types of the noblest aspirations of the life 

 that is? 



Though man has, in common with the elephant, sagacity 

 with the horse, generous activity with the lion, magnani- 

 mous courage yet, only in common with the Bird hath he 

 wings, or rendereth up his heart on high in singing. But, 

 even as Anti-types of the physical virtues, Birds are the high- 

 est expression, and therefore the Heroic Poetry. 



The traits enumerated above, in connexion with brutes, 

 are those of subordinates, of such as, sword in hand, lead 

 columns crashing in the onset, or mount first "the imminent 



