BIRDS AND POETS. 161 



Thereby ravished into paradise, he sat him down upon " the 

 sote grasse" to drink in tranquilly the fulness of the new 

 bliss ; and reclined thus, his heart begins to chaunt of itself 

 like wind-stirred boughs concerning this song of its little 

 Brother which so moved it. Above all images of soft de- 

 light, that rippling accord was 



" More pleasaunt to me by many fold 

 Than meat or drinke or any other thing, 

 Thereto the herber was so fresh and cold, 

 The wholesome savours eke so comforting, 

 That as I deemed sith the beginning 

 Of the world was never seene er than 

 So pleasaunt a ground of none earthly man !" 



You perceive that Chaucer and his Goldfinch might both 

 have sprung from from a very " Halcyon's nest" of spiritual 

 ' ' Loafer dom ! " Indeed, 



the placid mien 



Of liim who first with harmony informed 

 The language of our fathers " 



seems to have marked him peculiarly as Prince and Founder 

 of this world- wide Order of " the lovers of quiet." He ab- 

 solutely and unblushingly confesses the whole implication in 

 " The Komaunt of the Kose" 



" And then wist I and saw full well 

 That Idlenesse me served well, 

 That put me in such jolitie." 



But then, who does not love that "jolitie" when he under- 

 stands that 



" There were many a bird singing 

 Throughout the yerde all thringing," 



" is fit for treasons, stratagems," &c. Ay, he is the veriest 

 hind that ever turned up clod, who has not a fountain of 



