2846 Birds. 



perseverance, and of contentment with the calling allotted by heaven ; 

 both wanderers, both haunters of ponds and moors. 



" From pond to pond he roamed, from moor to moor." 



Yes, and on much the same errand too ; for we believe our hero 

 could gather leeches upon occasion : indeed we durst back him for a 

 trifle (were we in the habit of laying wagers) against the old man, 

 both for quickness and tact in that employment. We have, however, 

 no wish that the poet had substituted our hero for his, in that noble 

 poem, for we would not alter a line or word of it ; we only beg that 

 our fisher may be placed side by side, as a teacher of " resolution and 

 independence " with that immortal leech-gatherer. 



Our paper has reached a greater length than we had intended, and 

 yet we have touched only on the character of an individual ; perhaps 

 we may be pardoned a few words more on the tribe to which he 

 belongs : like that of the gipsies and other Nomadie races, its origin 

 is involved in much obscurity. The probability is, that it came from 

 the east, but of its first introduction into Europe we believe history is 

 silent, and the most learned at a loss on so mysterious a subject. We 

 think, however, it is pretty certain that this wandering tribe had 

 spread widely — were perhaps more numerous than at present — before 

 the barbarians from the north had overrun the Roman empire. Nay, 

 if we might hazard a conjecture, they are so ancient that they date 

 from beyond the pyramids. 



Not however to indulge in useless disquisition, but to confine our- 

 selves strictly to the historic period ; we find abundant evidence that 

 they were firmly established in our island during the middle ages, and 

 held in much higher respect than they are at present. Not only were 

 they often present with the baron in his field sports, especially that 

 of hawking ; but not seldom in that ancient pastime, played a very 

 active part. A still stronger proof of the regard in which they were 

 held was, that when the lordly baron entertained his numerous fol- 

 lowers on grand feast-days, the dinner would have been thought very 

 incomplete had they not been present, and then not at the lower end 

 of the long table, among the poor retainers, but at its upper part, with 

 the most honoured guests. Like the Jews, the people we speak of 

 live in little knots and communities; but not like them confined to 

 some dirty quarter of a city, where they can practise their money- 

 making arts. On the contrary, our purer race avoid all towns; nay, 



