162 
WILD SCENES AND SONG-BIRDS. 
sweet apprehensions stirred within him when he hears, mel- 
lowed through the gray rifts of Time the rhythm of 
" These birdes that I you devise 
They song her song as faire and well 
As angels doon espirituell." 
Ah, exquisite Idlers ! — would that in this busy, froward, 
vexing " Play," the only " acts" for those like you might be 
to 
" Sit apart and sing, 
And smoothe your golden hair!" 
To the Bird, this gay, bHssful Aiden is the reality of sun- 
shiny life — to the pale Poet, alas 1 the " semblant shadow" 
of a taunt. Yet, withal, his brave " faith of gentleness" 
lives too far on high — too self-sustained in its own quiet 
might to lust for base appliances. The making melody to 
feed his own heart's yearning brings to him 
" A greater content in course of true delight, 
Than to be thirsty after tottering honor, 
Or tie his treasure up in silken bags 
To please the fool and death." 
But however charming these general "similitudes" of the 
Birds and Poets may be to ws, it is necessary for us to re- 
member that there is such a thing as being " cloyed of 
sweetness" known in the world ! We must descend to par- 
ticulars in illustrating our theory of concordance. "We have 
said that song-birds were the Anti- types of they who " shall 
be accounted Poet Kings." 
By this we mean that — for each of the Human Poets who 
has illustrated the external relations of Humanity distinctly 
from himself — or, in other words, who has seen and sung 
of things as they are — and been purely creative — our mother 
furnishes among Birds a distinct Anti-type. 
