The tenth Bookd bf 



this bird is nOt to be fet in the laft place of thofe that defervc admiration : foi: is i^ not a woondcr G 

 thatfolowd and cleerc a voice (hoiild come from (ojitde a bodie? Is it not as ftraiinge that 

 flice (hould hold her wind fo long j and continue vsith it as (bee doth? Moreover, ftiee alone 

 in her fong kcepeth time and meafiire trudy ; fhec rifeth and fallech in hernote juft with the 

 rules of muficke and perfed harmonic: for one while, in one entire breath ihc draweth out her 

 uwe at length treatable ; another while fhec quavctethj andgoethawayasfaftinher running 

 points i Ibmetime fhc makcth flops and fhort cuts in her notes, another time fhce gaihereth in 

 her wind and fingeth defcant between the pliine fong : fhe fetcheth her breath againejand then 

 you fhall have her in her catches and divifions ;anon all on a fodaine,before a man would thi nk 

 it.lhc drowneth her voice, that one can fcarce heare her: now and then flie feemeth to record to 

 herfelfc'jandthenftieebrcakethoutto fing voluntarie.In fumme, fhevariethand altereth her H 

 voice to all keyes : one whilc/ull of her largs, longs, briefes, femibriefcs, and minims ; anotlier 

 while in her crotchets, quavers, femiquavers^and double femiquavers : for at one time y on fhall 

 heare her voice full and lowd,anoiher time as low 5 and anon fhrill and on high : thicke and fhort 

 when fhe lifl jdrawne out at leifurc againe when Hie is difpofed : and then (if fhee be fo pleafed) 

 fhe rifeth & mounteih up aloft^as it were with a wind-organ. Thus fhe altereth from one to ano- 

 ther,and fingeth all parts,the Treble, the Meane, and the Bafe. To conclude, there is not a pipe 

 or inftrument againe in the world (devifed with all the Art and cunning of manfoexquifitely 

 aspoiriblymightbe)thatcana£fourdmoreraufickethan this pretie bird doth out of that little 

 throat of hers. So as no doubt there was fore-fignified moft excellent and melodious mufickc, 

 by an excellent prefage of a nightingale which feded upon the mouth of Stefichorm the Poet, 1 

 and there fung full fweetlyrwho afterwards prooved to be one of themoft rare and admirable 

 inufuianstharever was. And that no man fhould make a doubt that there is great Art and c ta- 

 iling herein, doc but marke, how there is not one Nightingale but hath many notes and tunes* 

 Againe,all of them have not the famCjbut every one a fpeciall kind of mufick by her felfe : nay, 

 they flrive who can do befl,and one laboureth to excel another in varietie of fong and long con- 

 tinuance lyea and evident it is, that they contend ingood earneft with all their will andpowcr: 

 for oftentimes fhc that hath the worle and is not able to hold out with another, dieth for it^ and 

 fooner giveth fhe up her vitallbrcath,than giveth over her fong. Ye fhall have the young Nigh- 

 tingales fludie and meditate how to fing,by themfelves jyec iliall have them liflen attentively to 

 the old birds when they fing^and to take out lefTons as it were from them,whom they would fecm K 

 to imitate ffaffe by ffaffe. The fcholler, when fhee hath given good care unto her milkeffe, pre- 

 fentlyrehearfeth what flie hath heard 5 and both of them kcepfilence foratime in their turnes. 

 A man fhall evidently perceive when the young bird hath learned well,and when againe it mufl; 

 be taught how to correal and amend wherein it did amifle :yea and how the teacher will feeme 

 toreproove and find a fault. No marveile therefore if one of thcfe Nightingales carrie the price 

 (in the market) of a bondflave ; yea and a higher too, than a man might in old time have bought 

 a good page and harnefle-bearcr.I my felfe have knowne on^ of them(mary it was white,which 

 was a rare thingand not commonly fcene) to have been fold for ^000 Scftcrces , for to be given 

 as a prefent unto the Emprefle yl^rippwa^mk of Claudim Cafar late Emperour of Rome. And 

 now of late we have known many of them taught to begin to fing,only when a man would have ^ 

 them : and keepe there refponds in courfe after othersjhi good concent and harmonic . As alfb 

 there have been found men, who by adevifcof a reed or cane had out of the water, put crofle 

 overthwart their mouth, and by putting their tongue into an hole made of purpofeinit , and 

 blowing withalljcould counterfeit the Nightingale fo perfedly, that one might not difcern and 

 diftinguifli the one from the other. Well, thelelittle Nightingales,fo great chaunters as they be^ 

 fo cunning and full of their conceits, after fifteen daies begin to abate and flake their muficke ; 

 yet fo,as a man cannot fay, they were cither wearie,or fatisned with finging : for foone after.whca 

 the weather groweth hotter, their voice is clcane altered : for neither are they mufkall and tune- 

 able in their mcafures with varietie as before, but onelyfingplainc-fong and keepe them to one 

 luncAnd more than fo, they chaunge theircolour in procefle of time : and laft of all^when win- M 

 tcrcomcsjbcno moref^ene.Tongued they arc not like other birds, with a thin tip before. They 

 begin to breed with the firffjin the prime of the fpringjand commonly lay fix egges. 



The Gnatfnappcr,Hcedula j a bird fbmewhat like unto the Nightingale, doth otherwifc 1 for 

 at one timc,it chaungcth both colour, forme, and fong.They have not that name Ficeduk pro- 

 perly 



