THE COMPLETE ANGLER. PART 1. 



the air, that warble forth their curious ditties, with which 

 nature hath furnished them to the shame of art. 



As first the Lark, when she means to rejoice ; to cheer 

 herself and those that hear her; she then quits the earth, 

 and sings as she ascends higher into the air, and having 

 ended her heavenly employment, grows then mute, and 

 sad, to think she must descend to the dull earth, which 

 she would not touch, but for necessity. 



How do the Blackbird and Thrassel with their melo- 

 dious voices bid welcome to the cheerful Spring, and 

 in their fixed months warble forth such ditties as no art or 

 instrument can reach to ! 



Nay, the smaller birds also do the like in their par- 

 ticular seasons, as namely the Leverock, the Titlark, the 

 little Linnet, and the honest Robin, that loves mankind 

 both alive and dead. 



But the Nightingale, another of my airy creatures, 

 breathes such sweet loud music out of her .little instru- 

 mental throat, that it might make mankind to think mira- 

 cles are not ceased. He that at midnight, when the 

 very labourer sleeps securely, should hear, as I have 

 rery often, the clear airs, the sweet descants, the natural 

 rising and falling, the doubling and redoubling of her 

 voice, might well be lifted above earth, and say, Lord, 

 what music hast thou provided for the Saints in Hea- 

 ven, when thou affordest bad men such music on Earth! 



And this makes me the less to wonder at the many 

 Aviaries in Italy, or at the great charge of Varro for his 

 Aviarie, the ruins of which are yet to be seen in Rome, 

 and is still so famous there, that it is reckoned for one 

 of those notables which men of foreign nations either 

 record, or lay up in their memories when they return from 

 travel. 



This for the birds of pleasure, of which very much 

 more might be said. My next shall be of birds of political 



