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Smith, G. / The laboratory; or, School of arts: containing a large collection of valuable secrets, experiments, and manual operations in arts and manufactures, highly useful to gilders, jewellers, enamellers, goldsmiths, dyers, cutlers, pewterers, joiners, japanners, book-binders, plasterers, artists, and to the workers in metals in general; and in plaster of paris, wood, ivory, bone, horn, and other materials
(1799)
[Part XII.] Nightingale, pp. 338-355
Page 338
538 TH LAZOtAT6RY-
NIGHTE1N6..LE.
A SAxoN word is said to form the etymology of the
namae, viz. ga,.1 to &ig, combhined with night; as
the nigktingale pours forth its strains in the lonely hours
of repose. These vigils did not pass unnoticed by the
ancients, who have remarked that "to have less rest than
a nig a signr of a bad sleeper.'
Our favourite poet Milton omits no opportunity ofin-
troducing this lovely bird. How finely does it serve to
eompose the solemn scenery of his Penseroso i
- In her saddest, sweetest plight,
Smoothing the rugged brow of night;
* While ywy ia checks her dragon yoke
wGetly o'er th' accustom'd oak.
Sweet bird, that shunn'st the noise of folly,
Most musical, most melancholy !
Thee, chauntress, oft the woods among,
I woo to hear thy evening song."
in aniother place he styles it the solemn bird; anihe
says,agaiw,- 2..
" As the owakeful bird
Sings darkling, and, in shadiest covert hid,
Tunes her nocturnal ote."
W- hope the reader will pardon one or two more quo-
tatti6is on a subJeet so truly engaging to the mind.
'Ile same poet, decribing the retirement of animals to
Silence accompanied; for beast an&bird,
Tkey to t"er gascoh, these to teir nests ,
Were sltuirJ1lu the wakeful nightinfale -
She alfnght $~Iiier am rous descant sung."
- When
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