Of their regardlefs charmer. Should she feem
Softening the leaft approvance to bestow,
Their colours burnish, and by hope infpir'd,
They brisk advance; then, on a fudden ftruck,
Retire diforder'd; then again approach;
In fond rotation fpread the spotted wing,
And shiver every feather with defire.
CONNUBIAL leagues agreed, to the deep woods
They hafte away, all as their fancy leads,
Pleasure, or food, or fecret fafety prompts;
That NATURE's great command may be obey'd:
Nor all the fweet fenfations they perceive
Indulg'd in vain. Some to the holly-hedge
Neftling repair, and to the thicket fome;
Some to the rude protection of the thorn
Commit their feeble offspring: The cleft tree
Offers its kind concealment to a few,
Their food its infects, and its mofs their nefts.
Others apart far in the graffy dale,
Or roughening wafte, their humble texture weave.
But moft in woodland folitudes delight,
In unfrequented glooms, or shaggy banks,
Steep, and divided by a babbling brook,
Whofe murmurs foothe them all the live-long day,
When by kind duty fix'd. Among the roots
Of hazel, pendant o'er the plaintive ftream,
They frame the firft foundation of their domes;
Dry sprigs of trees, in artful fabric laid,
And bound with clay together. Now 'tis nought
But reftlefs hurry thro' the bufy air,
Beat by unnumber'd wings. The fwallow fweeps
The slimy pool, to build his hanging house
Intent. And often, from the careless back
Of herds and flocks, a thoufand tugging bills
Pluck hair and wool; and oft, when unobferv'd,
Steal from the barn a ftraw: till foft and warm,
Clean, and compleate, their habitation grows.
As thus the patient dam affiduous fits,
Not to be tempted from her tender task,
Or by sharp hunger, or by fmooth delight,
Tho' the whole loofened Spring around her blows,
Her fympathizing lover takes his ftand
High on th' opponent bank, and ceaseless fings
The tedious time away; or else supplies
Her place a moment, while she fudden flits
To pick the fcanty meal. Th' appointed time
With pious toil fulfill'd, the callow young,
Warm'd and expanded into perfect life,
Their brittle bondage break, and come to light,
A helpless family, demanding food
With conftant clamour: O what paffions then,
What melting fentiments of kindly care,
On the new parents feize! Away they fly
Affectionate, and undefiring bear
The moft delicious morfel to their youngs
Which equally diftributed, again
The fearch begins. Even fo a gentle pair,
By fortune funk, but form'd of generous mold,
And charm'd with cares beyond the vulgar breast,
In fome lone cott amid the diftant woods,
Suftain'd alone by providential HEAVEN,
Oft, as they weeping eye their infant train,
Check their own appetites, and give them all.
Nor toil alone they fcorn: exalting love,
By the great FATHER OF THE SPRING infpir'd,
Gives inftant courage to the fearful race,
And to the fimple art. With ftealthy wing,
Should fome rude foot their woody haunts moleft,
Amid a neighbouring bush they filent drop,
And whirring thence, as if alarm'd, deceive
Th' unfeeling fchool-boy. Hence, around the head
Of wandering fwain, the white-wing'd plover wheels 695
Her founding flight, and then directly on
In long excurfion skims the level lawn,
To tempt him from her neft. The wild-duck, hence,
O'er the rough mofs, and o'er the tracklefs wafte
The heath-hen flutters, (pious fraud!) to lead
The hot pursuing fpaniel far aftray.
Be not the Mufe asham'd, here to bemoan
Her brothers of the grove, by tyrant Man
Inhuman caught, and in the narrow cage
From liberty confin'd, and boundless air.
Dull are the pretty slaves, their plumage dull,
Ragged, and all its brightening luftre loft;
Nor is that fprightly wildnefs in their notes,
Which clear and vigorous, warbles from the beech.
Oh then, ye friends of love and love-taught fong, 710
Spare the foft tribes, this barbarous art forbear;
If on your bofom innocence can win,
Mufic engage, or piety perfuade!
BUT let not chief the nightingale lament Her ruin'd care, too delicately fram'd
To brook the harsh confinement of the cage.
Oft when, returning with her loaded bill,
Th' aftonish'd mother finds a vacant neft,
By the hard hand of unrelenting clowns
Robb'd, to the ground the vain provifion falls;
Her pinions ruffle, and low.drooping scarce
Can bear the mourner to the poplar shade;
Where, all abandon'd to defpair, she fings
Her forrows thro' the night; and, on the bough,
Sole-fitting, ftill at every dying fall
Takes up again her lamentable ftrain
Of winding woe; till wide around the woods
Sigh to her fong, and with her wail refound.
BUT now the feather'd youth their former bounds, Ardent, disdain; and, weighing oft their wings, Demand the free poffeffion of the sky: This one glad office more, and then diffolves Parental love at once, now needless grown. Unlavish Wisdom never works in vain.
'Tis on fome evening, funny, grateful, mild,
When nought but balm is breathing thro' the woods,
With yellow luftre bright, that the new tribes
Vifit the fpacious heavens, and lock abroad
On Nature's common, far as they can fee,
Or wing, their range and pasture. O'er the boughs 740
Dancing about, ftill at the giddy verge
Their refolution fails; their pinions ftill,
In loose libration ftretch'd, to truft the void
Trembling refuse: till down before them fly
The parent-guides, and chide, exhort, command, 745
Or push them off. The furging air receives
The plumy burden; and their felf-taught wings
Winnow the waving element. On ground
Alighted, bolder up again they lead,
Farther and farther on, the lengthening flight;
Till vanish'd every fear, and every power
Rouz'd into life and action, light in air
Th' acquitted parents fee their foaring race,
And once rejoicing never know them more.
HIGH from the fummit of a craggy cliff,
Hung o'er the deep, fuch as amazing frowns
On utmost * Kilda's shore, whofe lonely race
Refign the fetting fun to Indian worlds,
The royal eagle draws his vigorous young,
Strong-pounc'd, and ardent with paternal fire.
Now fit to raise a kingdom of their own,
He drives them from his fort, the towering feat
For ages, of his empire; which, in peace,
Unftain'd he holds, while many a league to fea
He wings his courfe, and preys in diftant isles.
SHOULD I my steps turn to the rural feat,
Whofe lofty elms, and venerable oaks,
Invite the rook, who high amid the boughs,
In early Spring, his airy city builds,
And ceaseless caws amufive; there, well-pleas'd,
I might the various polity furvey
Of the mixt houshold kind. The careful hen
Calls all her chirping family around,
Fed and defended by the fearless cock;
Whofe breaft with ardour flames, as on he walks, 775
Graceful, and crows defiance. In the pond,
The finely-checker'd duck, before her train,
Rows garrulous. The ftately failing fwan
Gives out his fnowy plumage to the gale;
And, arching proud his neck, with oary feet
Bears forward fierce, and guards his ofier-isle,
Protective of his young. The turkey nigh,
* The fartheft of the western islands in Scotland.
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