ClafsII. NIGHTINGALE. 257 



how exprefiive of the delicate fenfibility of our Mil- 

 ton's tender ideas ! 



The earth 

 Gave fign of gratulation, and each hill ; 

 joyous the birds ; frefti gales and gentle airs 

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

 Flung rofe, flung odors from the fpicylhrub, 

 Difporting, till the amorous bird of night 

 Sung fpoufal, and bid hafle the evening ftar 

 On his hill-top to light the bridal lamp. 



Thefe, lull'd by nightingales, embracing flept j 

 And on their naked limbs the flowery roof 

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



Thefe quotations from the beft judge of melody 

 \ye thought due to the fweeteft of our feathered 

 choirifters ; and we believe no reader of tafte will 

 think them tedious. 



Virgil feems to be the only writer among the an- 

 tients who hath attended to the circumftance of this 

 bird's finging in the night time. 



Qualis populea mcerens philomela fub umbra 



Amiflbs queritur foetus, quosdurus arator 



Obfervans nido implumes detraxit: at ilia 



Flet nofiem, ramoque fedens miferabile carmen 



Integrat, et mceflis late loca queftibus implet. Georg. iv. !. 5 1 1 . 



As philomel in poplar fhades, alone, 



For her loft offspring pours a mother's moan, 



Which fome rough ploughman marking for his prey, 



From the warm neft, unfledg'd hath dragg'd away ; 



Percht on a bough, flie all night long complains, 



And fills the grove with fad repeated ftrains. F. Warton. 



Mr. Willoughhy informs us that they make their 

 neft in May, of the leaves of trees, ftraws and mofs ; 

 and that they feldom fing near their neft, for fear of 

 difcovering it : he alio obferves, they delight in no 



high 



