XXVI. ADDENDA ET CORRIGENDA. 



term Mallard is applied, in the west of England, to the male of 

 the tame duck. 



Page 132, line 9 from the bottom, for moonlight read 

 Moonlight. 



Page 150. Concerning the Rook, I have been since favoured 

 with the perusal of the late Lord Erskine's Poem; it is en- 

 titled the Farmer's Vision, and was composed, his Lordship 

 informs us, in consequence of his having, at the instance of his 

 bailiff in Sussex, complained to a neighbour of his Rookery, the 

 only one in that part of the country ; but having been afterwards 

 convinced of the utility of Rooks, his Lordship countermanded 

 his complaint, and wrote the Farmer's Vision, which consists of 

 about 500 lines, with some very pertinent notes. In justice to 

 his Lordship it ought, however, to be stated, that he distinctly 

 asserts lie is not a poet ; that the production was not fit for pub- 

 lication, and that a few copies only were printed for friends who 

 asked for them, and that it was too long to make them in writing. 

 It is dated from Buchan-Hill, Sussex, December 25, 1818. 

 Without controverting his Lordship's position, that he ims not a 

 poet, there will be no difficulty in stating that there never was a 

 man so eminent as an orator as Lord Erskine, who might not 

 have been a poet had he chosen to direct his attention to the 

 pursuit of poetry ; — the soul of eloquence, and the soul of poetry , 

 if not identical, are so nearly allied as scarcely to be distin- 

 guishable. Exquisite sensibility belongs to both. 



His lordship, at the commencement of the poem, in allusion to 

 birds. and other animals, says, 



" They whisper truths in reason's ear, 

 If human pride would stoop to hear." 



He then proceeds to describe how a flock of rooks were shot 

 atrby his bailiff, some of whom were 



" Fainting from many a cruel wound, 

 And dropping lifeless on the ground." 



When a rook thus addressed his lordship : 

 " Before the lord of this domain, 

 Sure, justice should not plead in vain, 



