130 THE LANGUAGE OF BIRDS. 
about a hundred paces off, lights another woodlark. 
Distant from the first, and under him, as near as we 
could judge, was another nightingale ; these four 
birds sung with so melodious harmony, warbling out 
their pleasant notes, for above a whole hour, that 
never any music came in competition with it, to the 
pleasing of our ears. As soon as the woodlarks were 
gone, the nightingales, we supposed, went a little to 
refresh nature, having played their parts so well that 
every bird, in the highest degree, strove for mastery, 
each striving to outvie the other. My friend and I 
having stood a full hour to hear these songsters 
charming our ears, at our going, I persuaded him 
to sing a merry catch under the woodside ; which he 
had no sooner begun, but one of the nightingales 
came and bore his part, and, in a minute^s time, 
came the other to bear his part, still keeping of their 
stations, and my friend and I standing between them ; 
and as he raised his notes, so did they, that he did 
protest he never enjoyed more pleasure in so short 
a time in all his life ; for the coppice or wood, being 
upon the side of a hill, and a valley in the bottom, 
so doubled all their notes with such a sweet and 
pleasant echo, that I am confident none could think 
