256 NIGHTINGALE. Cjafs II. 



does it ferve to compofe part of the fqlemn fcenery 

 of his Penferofo % when he defcribes it 



In her faddeft fweeteft plight, 

 Smoothing the rugged brow of night ; 

 While Cynthia checks her dragon yoke, 

 Gently o'er tifaccuftom'd oak ; 

 Sweet bird, that fhun'ft the noife of folly, 

 Mod mufical, moft melancholy ! 

 Thee, chauntrefs, oft the woods among, 

 I woo to hear thy evening fong. 



In another place he ftyies it the folemn bird ; and 

 2gain fpeaks of it, 



As the wakeful bird 

 Sings darkling, and in fhadielt covert hid, 

 Tunes her notturnal note. 



The reader mull excufe a few more quotations 

 from the fame poet, on the fame fubject ; the firfh 

 defcribes the approach of evening, and the retiring 

 of all animals to their repofe. 



Silence accompanied ; for beaft and bird, 

 They to their grafly couch, thefe to their nefts 

 Were flunk ; all but the wakeful nightingale, 

 She all the night long her amorous defcant fung, 



"When E r oe palled the irkfome night preceding her 

 fall, Hie, in a dream, imagines herfelf thus reproach- 

 ed with lofing the beauties of the night by indulging 

 too long a repofe ♦, 



Why fleep'lt thou, Eve? now is the pleafant time, 

 1 he cool, the filent, fave where filence yeilds 

 To the night-warbling bird, that now awake 

 Tunes fweeteft his love-labor'd fong. 



The fame birds fing their nuptial fong, and lull 

 them to reft. How rapturous are the following lines ! 



how 



