INTRODUCTION. 
Bending with dewy moisture o'er the heads 
Of the coy quiristers that lodge within. 
Are prodigal of harmony. The thrush 
And woodlark o'er the kind contending throng 
Superior heard, run thro' the sweetest length 
Of notes, when listening Philomela deigns 
To let them joy, and purposes, in thought 
Elate, to make her night excel their day. 
The blackbird whistles from the thorny brake ; 
The mellow bullfinch answers from the grove : 
Nor are the linnets, o'er the flowering furze 
Pour'd out profusely, silent. Join'd to these, 
Innumerous songsters, in the freshening shade 
Of new-sprung leaves, their modulations mix 
Mellifluous. The jay, the rook, the daw, 
And each harsh pipe, discordant heard alone. 
Aid the full concert; while the stock-dove breathes 
A melancholy murmur thro' the whole. 
'Tis love creates their melody, and all 
This waste of music is the voice of love ; 
That even to birds and beasts the tender art 
Of pleasing teaches. Hence the glossy kind 
Try every winning way inventive love 
