LAMENTING PHILOMEL. 
25 
doubt, in the old fable which tells us of the transformation 
of Philomela, daughter of Pandion, King of Athens, into 
a nightingale, when Progne, her sister, was changed to a 
swallow.* 
Hence also the name Philomel, which is often applied 
by the poets to this bird. 
“ Philomel, with melody, 
Sing your sweet lullaby.” 
Song—-Midsummer Night's Dream , Act ii. Sc. 2. 
“ By this, lamenting Philomel had ended 
The well-tun’d warble of her nightly sorrow.” 
Lucrece. 
“ His Philomel must lose her tongue to-day.” 
Titus Andronicus , Act ii. Sc. 3. 
The nightingale is again thus designated by Shake¬ 
speare in Cymbeline , Act ii. Sc. 2, and elsewhere ; and 
“ the tragic tale of Philomel ” is prettily referred to in 
Titus Andronicus , Act iv. Sc. 1. 
In one, if not more, of his poems he has noticed the odd 
belief which formerly existed to the effect that the mourn¬ 
ful notes of the nightingale are caused by the bird’s leaning 
against a thorn to sing! 
“ Every thing did banish moan, 
Save the nightingale alone. 
“ Ovid. Metamorph.” Book vi. Fab. 6 . 
