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" ... at that sober hour when the light of day is receding, 

 And from surrounding things the hues wherewith day has 



adorned them, 

 Fade, like the hopes of youth," 



when he heard a strange discordant noise at 

 the foot of the lake, which he mistook for 

 the evening tattoo of a bittern, till he was 

 informed that it proceeded from Mr. Southey, 

 who was thus exercising his vocal powers, at 

 a somewhat loud pitch, for the benefit of his 

 health. Perhaps the poet was reciting from 

 Horace, 



(t Solvitur acris hiems grata vice veris et Favoni," 



according to the true cantilena of the 

 ancients, and in the manner of Dr. Bentley; 

 whose musical recitative of a portion of 

 Terence was mistaken by Lord Carteret's 

 mother, simple old lady, as proceeding from 

 the effects of an extra glass of wine, and she 

 was rather displeased to think that her son 

 should encourage the " old clergyman" to 

 sing in his cups. The learned Meibomius, 

 who attempted to sing one of the odes of 



