IN POETRY 327 



most severe of all but he was thinking, it is said, 

 mainly of the human magpie, in whom he discovered 

 some resemblance to the bird. 



" So have I seen in black and white 

 A prating thing, a magpie hight, 



Majestically stalk ; 

 A stately worthless animal, 

 That plies the tongue and wags the tail, 

 All flutter, pride, and talk." 



James Montgomery represents a superficial 

 onlooker as taunting the tame and educated 

 magpie by saying to him : 



" Magpie, thou, too, has learnt by rote to speak 

 Words without meaning, through thy uncouth beak." 



But he allows the magpie, with nearly equal 

 justice, to retort upon his taunter : 



" Words have I learnt, and without meaning too ; 

 Mark well my masters taught me all they knew." 



A few words only upon the magpie as a pet ; 

 for so much that I have said upon the raven, in 

 that capacity, applies to her. She has the same 

 sort of sociability, the same secretiveness, the same 

 thirst for education of a certain kind the same 

 inherent and ineradicable love of mischief. Not 

 that, in intellect and strength of character, she is, 



