網頁圖片
PDF
ePub 版

Warm through the vital air, and on the heart
Harmonious feizes, the gay troops begin,
In gallant thought to plume the painted wing;
And try again the long-forgotten strain,

580

At first faint-warbled. But no fooner grows
The foft infufion prevalent and wide,

585

Than, all alive, at once their joy o'erflows
In mufic unconfin'd. Up-fprings the lark,
Shrill-voic'd, and loud, the meffenger of morn;
Ere yet the shadows fly, he mounted fings

Amid the dawning clouds, and from their haunts 590
Calls up the tuneful nations. Every copfe

Deep-tangled, tree irregular, and bush

Bending with dewy moisture, o'er the heads
Of the coy quiristers that lodge within,
Are prodigal of harmony. The thrush

595

And wood-lark, o'er the kind-contending throng
Superior heard, run through the sweetest length
Of notes; when liftening Philomela deigns
To let them joy, and purposes, in thought
Elate, to make her night excel their day.
The black-bird whistles from the thorny brake;
The mellow bullfinch answers from the grove :
Nor are the linnets, o'er the flowering furze
Pour'd out profufely, filent. Join'd to these
Innumerous fongsters, in the freshening shade
Of new-fprung leaves, their modulations mix
Mellifluous. The jay, the rook, the daw,
And each harsh pipe, difcordant heard alone,
Aid the full concert: while the stock-dove breathes

C 4

600

605

A me

A melancholy murmur through the whole. 'Tis love creates their melody, and all This waste of mufic is the voice of love;

610

That ev'n to birds, and beafts, the tender arts
Of pleafing teaches. Hence the gloffy kind
Try every winning way inventive love

615

Can dictate, and in courtship to their mates

620

Pour forth their little fouls. First, wide around,
With diftant awe, in airy rings they rove,
Endeavouring by a thousand tricks to catch
The cunning, confcious, half-averted glance
Of their regardless charmer. Should the feem
Softening the least approvance to bestow,
Their colours burnish, and, by hope infpir'd,
They brisk advance; then, on a fudden struck,
Retire diforder'd; then again approach;
In fond rotation fpread the spotted wing,
And fhiver every feather with defire.

Connubial leagues agreed, to the deep woods
They hafte away, all as their fancy leads,
Pleafure, 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,

625

630

635

Or

V

Or roughening wafte, their humble texture weave. 640
But moft in woodland folitudes delight,

In unfrequented glooms, or shaggy banks,
Steep, and divided by a babbling brook,

And bound with clay together. Now 'tis nought
But reftlefs hurry through the busy air,

Whofe murmurs foothe them all the live-long day,
When by kind duty fix'd. Among the roots
Of hazel, pendent o'er the plaintive stream,
They frame the first foundation of their domes;
Dry fprigs of trees, in artful fabric laid,

645

650

Beat by unnumber'd wings. The fwallow sweeps
The flimy pool, to build his hanging house
Intent. And often, from the careless back
Of herds and flocks a thousand tugging bills
Pluck hair and wool; and oft, when unobserv'd, 655
Steal from the barn a ftraw: till foft and warm,
Clean, and complete, their habitation grows.

As thus the patient dam affiduous fits,

Not to be tempted from her tender task,
Or by sharp hunger, or by smooth delight,

660

Though the whole loofen'd Spring around her blows.
Her fympathizing lover takes his stand

High on th' opponent bank, and ceafelefs fings
The tedious time away; or else fupplics
Her place a moment, while fhe fudden flits
To pick the fcanty meal. Th' appointed time
With pious toil fulfil'd, the callow
Warm'd and expanded into perfect life,
Their brittle bondage break, and come to light,

young,

665

A help

A helpless family, demanding food

With conftant clamour: O what paffions then,

650

What melting fentiments of kindly care,

On the new parents feize! Away they fly

Affectionate, and undefiring bear

The most delicious morfel to their young;
Which equally distributed, again

675

The fearch begins. Ev'n fo a gentle pair,

By fortune funk, but form'd of generous mold,
And charm'd with cares beyond the vulgar breaft,
In fome lone cot amid the distant 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 scorn: exalting love,
By the great Father of the Spring infpir'd,
Gives inftant courage to the fearful race,
And to the fimple art.
With stealthy wing,
Should fome rude foot their woody haunts moleft,
Amid a neighbouring bufh they filent drop,

And whirring thence, as if alarm'd, deceive

680

685

690

Th' unfeeling school-boy. Hence, around the head Of wandering fwain, the white-wing'd plover wheels 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 spaniel far aftray.

Be not the Mufe afham'd, here to bemoan

Her

700

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 flaves, their plumage dull,
Ragged, and all its brightening luftre loft;
Nor is that sprightly wildness in their notes,
Which, clear and vigorous, warbles from the beech.
O then, ye friends of love and love-taught fong,
Spare the foft tribes, this barbarous art forbear;
bofom innocence can win,

If on your
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 provision falls;
Her pinions ruffle, and, low-drooping, scarce
Can bear the mourner to the poplar shade;
Where, all abandon'd to defpair, the fings

Her forrows through the night; and, on the bough,
Sole-fitting, ftill at every dying fall

Takes up again her lamentable strain

Of winding woe; till, wide around, the woods
Sigh to her fong, and wit!: 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

705

710

715

720

725

Parental

« 上一頁繼續 »