Book II. O^^IT HO LOgT. ZZI 



The Rhetorical Harangues of Modern Writers in commendation of the Nightingale 

 I ftudioufly omit, fith almoft all they have concerning it is owing to Pliny, being either 

 repeated in the fame words, or a few only changed $ or elfe compofed in imitation of 

 what we have delivered out of him. Thefe things, though with me they fcarce ob- 

 tain belief, yet will they feem very credible, if compared with what Gefner, from the 

 relation ot a certain friend of his, delivers concerning the admirable faculty of thefe 

 birds in imitating of humane fpeech. To thefe things(faith he)let me add a ftory which 

 a friend of mine,, a very learned and credible perfon, wrote to me. 



Becaufe you are writing of Birds, I will tell you (bmething concerning Nightingales 

 imitating mens voice, and repeating their difcourfes, which is indeed wonderful, and 

 alrnoft incredible, but yet moft true, and which I my felf heard with thefe Ears, and 

 had experience of, thislaft Diet at Ratkbone in the year 1546. whilft I lodged there 

 in a common Inn at the fign of the Golden Crown. Our Hoft had three Nightingales^ 

 placed feparately, fo that each was fhut up fingly by it felf in a dark Cage. It hap- 

 ned that at that time, being the Spring of the year, when thofe birds are wont to iing 

 indefatigably, and almoft inceflantly 5 1 was fo airlifted with the Stone, that I could 

 fleep but very little all night. Then about and after Midnight, when there was no 

 noile in the houfe, but all (till, you might have heard ftrange janglings and emulati- 

 ons of two Nightingales, talking one with another, and plainly imitating mens dif- 

 courfes. For my part I was almoft aftonifhed with wonder. For they in the night- 

 feafon, when all was whift and quiet, in conference together produced and repeated 

 whatever they had heard in the day time from the Guefts talking together, and had 

 thought upon. Thofe two of them which were moft notable, and matters of this 

 Art, werefcarce ten foot diftant one from the other : The third hung more remote, 

 fb that I could not fo well hear it as I lay in bed. But thofe two it is wonderful to tell, 

 how they provoked one another, and by anfwering invited and drew one another to 

 fpeak. Yet did they not confound their words, talking both together, but rather 

 utter them alternately, or by courfe. But befides the daily difcourfe, which they had 

 lately heard of the Guefts, they did chant out efpecially two ftories one to the other 

 for a long time, even from Midnight till Morning, fo long as there was no noife of 

 men ftirring, and that with that native modulation and various inflection of their 

 notes, that no man, unlefs he were very attentive and heedful, would either have 

 expected from thofe little Creatures, «or eafily obferved. When I asked the Hoft, 

 whether their Tongues had been fIit,or they taught to fpeak any thing > He anfwered 

 no 5 whether he had obferved or did underftand what they fung in the night ) He 

 likewife denied that. The fame faid the whole Family. But I who could not fleep 

 whole nights together, did greedily and attentively hearken to the birds, great- 

 ly indeed admiring their induftry and contention. One of the ftories was concern- 

 ing the Tapfter, or * Houfe-knight (as they call them ) and his Wife, who refufed * servant of 

 to follow him going into the Wars, as he defired her. For the Husband endea- * he houfe - 

 voured to perfuadehis wife, as far as I underftand by thofe birds, in hope of prey, 

 that the would leave her fervicein that Inn,and go along with him into the Wars. But 

 ihe, refuting to follow him, did refblve either to ftay at Ratkbone, or go away to 

 Nuremberg. For there had been an earneft and long contention between them about 

 this matter, but( as far as I underftood)no body being prefent befides, and without 

 the privity of the Matter of the Houfe 5 and all this Dialogue the birds repeated. And 

 if by chance in their wrangling they caft forth any unfeemly words, and that ought 

 rather to have been fuppreffed and kept fecret, the Birds, as not knowing the diffe- 

 rence between modeft and immodeft,honeft and filthy words,did out with them. This 

 difpute and wrangling the Birds did often repeat in the night time, as which (as I 

 gueffed ) did moft firmly ftick in their memories, and which they had well conned 

 and thought upon. The other was a Hiftory or Predi&ion of the War of the Empe- 

 rour againft the Proteftants, which was then imminent. For as it were prefaging or 

 prophecy ing they feemedto chant forth the whole bufmefs as it afterwards fell out. 

 They did alfo with that ftory mingle what had been done before againft the Duke of 

 Branfipick. But I fuppofe thofe Birds had all from the fecret conferences of fome 

 Noblemen and Captains, which as being in a public Inn, might frequently have been 

 had in that place where the Birds were kept. Thefe things ( as I faid ) they did in the 

 night, efpecially after twelve of the clock, when there was a deep filence, repeat. 

 But in the day-time for the moft part they were filent, and ieemed to do nothing but 

 meditate upon, and revolve with themfelves what the Guefts conferred together 

 about either at Table, or elfe as they walked. I verily had never believed our Pliny 



Writing 



