498 NIGHTINGALE. Class II. 



To the night-warbling bird, that now awake 

 Tunes sweetest his love-iabor'd song. 



The same birds sing their nuptial song, and 

 lull them to rest. How rapturous are the fol- 

 lowing lines ! how expressive of the delicate 

 sensibility of our Milton s tender ideas ! 



The Earth 

 Gave sign of gratulation, and each hill ; 

 Joyous the birds ; fresh gales and gentle airs 

 Whisper'd it to the woods, and from their wings 

 Flung rose, flung odors from the spicy shrub, 

 Disporting, till the amorous bird of night 

 Sung spousal, and bid haste the evening star 

 On his hill-top to light the bridal lamp. 



These, lull'd by nightingales, embracing slept; 

 And on their naked limbs the flowery roof 

 Shower'd roses, which the morn repair'd. 



These quotations from the best judge of me- 

 lody, we thought due to the sweetest of our 

 feathered choiristers, and we believe no reader 

 of taste will think them tedious. 



Virgil seems to be the only poet among the 

 antients, who hath attended to the circumstance 

 of this bird's singing in the night time. 



Qualis populea mcerens Philomela sub umbra 

 Amissos queritur foetus, quos durus arator 

 Observans nido implumes detraxit: at ilia 

 Flet Koctem, ramoque sedens miserabile carmen 

 Tntegrat, et aicestis late loca questibus implet. 



Georg. IV. 1. 511. 



