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But restless hurry through the busy air,
Beat by unnumbered wings. The swallow sweeps
The slimy 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 unobserved,
Steal from the barn a straw-till soft and warm,
Clean and complete, their habitation grows.

660

As thus the patient dam assiduous sits,
Not to be tempted from her tender task
Or by sharp hunger or by smooth delight,
Though the whole loosened Spring around her blows,
Her sympathizing lover takes his stand

High on the opponent bank, and ceaseless sings
The tedious time away; or else supplies
Her place a moment, while she sudden flits

To pick the scanty meal. The appointed time
With pious toil fulfilled, the callow young,
Warmed and expanded into perfect life,
Their brittle bondage break, and come to light,
A helpless family demanding food

With constant clamour. Oh, what passions then,
What melting sentiments of kindly care,

On the new parents seize! Away they fly
Affectionate, and undesiring bear

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

The search begins. Even so a gentle pair,

653 restless hurry] hurry hurry 1728-38. 656 Originally (1728-38)—

Ingeniously intent. Oft from the back.

Dropped in 1744.

659 a straw] the straw 1728-38.

1728.

670

680

661 As thus] Meantime

676 Seize the new parents' hearts, &c. 1728-38.

680-85 Even so a gentle pair. . Oft] Expanded from the original text (1728-38)

By fortune sunk, but formed of generous mould,
And charmed with cares beyond the vulgar breast,
In some lone cot amid the distant woods,
Sustain'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 inspired,
Gives instant courage to the fearful race,
And to the simple art. With stealthy wing,
Should some rude foot their woody haunts molest,
Amid a neighbouring bush they silent drop,
And whirring thence, as if alarmed, deceive
The unfeeling schoolboy. Hence, around the head
Of wandering swain, the white-winged plover wheels
Her sounding flight, and then directly on

In long excursion skims the level lawn

690

To tempt him from her nest. The wild-duck, hence, O'er the rough moss, and o'er the trackless waste The heath-hen flutters, pious fraud! to lead

The hot pursuing spaniel far astray.

Be not the muse ashamed here to bemoan

So pitiful and poor

A gentle pair on providential Heaven

Cast.

700

682 charmed] pierced 1744. 685 infant] clamant 1728-38. 687 toil] pain 1744.

687-94 Nor toil alone

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The unfeeling schoolboy. These

lines, which first appeared in the edition of 1744, are an expansion of the original text (1728-38)—

Nor is the courage of the fearful kind,

Nor is their cunning less should some rude foot

Their woody haunts molest: stealthy aside

Into the centre of a neighbouring bush

They drop, and whirring thence alarmed deceive

The rambling schoolboy.

695 wandering swain] traveller 1728-38.

as if hurt 1728-38.

700 pious fraud !]

Her brothers of the grove by tyrant man
Inhuman caught, and in the narrow cage
From liberty confined, and boundless air.
Dull are the pretty slaves, their plumage dull,
Ragged, and all its brightening lustre lost;
Nor is that sprightly wildness in their notes,
Which, clear and vigorous, warbles from the beech.
Oh then, ye friends of love and love-taught song, 710
Spare the soft tribes, this barbarous art forbear!
If on your bosom innocence can win,

Music engage, or piety persuade.

But let not chief the nightingale lament Her ruined care, too delicately framed To brook the harsh confinement of the cage. Oft when, returning with her loaded bill, The astonished mother finds a vacant nest, By the hard hand of unrelenting clowns Robbed, to the ground the vain provision falls; 720 Her pinions ruffle, and, low-drooping, scarce Can bear the mourner to the poplar shade; Where, all abandoned to despair, she sings Her sorrows through the night, and, on the bough Sole-sitting, still at every dying fall

Takes up again her lamentable strain

Of winding woe, till wide around the woods

Sigh to her song and with her wail resound.

But now the feathered youth their former bounds, Ardent, disdain; and, weighing oft their wings, 730

708 sprightly] luscious 1728-38.

38)

709-13 Originally (1728

That warbles from the beech. Oh, then, desist!
Ye friends of harmony; this barbarous art

Forbear, if innocence and music can

Win on your hearts, or piety persuade.

725 Sad-sitting 1728-38.

729 But] And 1728-38.

728 Sigh to] Sigh at 1728-38.

Demand the free possession of the sky.

This one glad office more, and then dissolves
Parental love at once, now needless grown :
Unlavish Wisdom never works in vain.

'Tis on some evening, sunny, grateful, mild, When nought but balm is breathing through the woods

With yellow lustre bright, that the new tribes

Visit the spacious heavens, and look abroad
On Nature's common, far as they can see
Or wing, their range and pasture. O'er the boughs 740
Dancing about, still at the giddy verge
Their resolution fails; their pinions still,
In loose libration stretched, to trust the void
Trembling refuse-till down before them fly
The parent-guides, and chide, exhort, command,
Or push them off. The surging air receives
The plumy burden; and their self-taught wings
Winnow the waving element. On ground
Alighted, bolder up again they lead,

Farther and farther on, the lengthening flight; 750
Till, vanished every fear, and every power
Roused into life and action, light in air
The acquitted parents see their soaring race,
And, once rejoicing, never know them more.
High from the summit of a craggy cliff,
Hung o'er the deep, such as amazing frowns
On utmost Kilda's shore, whose lonely race

732 This one] But this 1728-38.

for needless grown, 1728-38.

733 now needless grown :]

743 to trust the void] the void abrupt 1728-38.

in air] in the void 1728-38.

753 acquitted] exoner'd 1728-38.

752 light

755-65 These lines are an expansion of a vigorous and picturesque passage which remained in the original text till altered in 1744. See Note at the end of the poem.

Resign the setting sun to Indian worlds,
The royal eagle draws his vigorous young,
Strong-pounced, and ardent with paternal fire. 760
Now fit to raise a kingdom of their own,

He drives them from his fort, the towering seat
For ages of his empire-which in peace
Unstained he holds, while many a league to sea
He wings his course, and preys in distant isles.
Should I my steps turn to the rural seat

Whose lofty elms and venerable oaks
Invite the rook, who high amid the boughs

In early Spring his airy city builds,

And ceaseless caws amusive; there, well-pleased, 770

I might the various polity survey

Of the mixed household-kind. The careful hen
Calls all her chirping family around,

Fed and defended by the fearless cock,

Whose breast with ardour flames, as on he walks
Graceful, and crows defiance. In the pond
The finely-checkered duck before her train
Rows garrulous. The stately-sailing swan
Gives out his snowy plumage to the gale,

And, arching proud his neck, with oary feet 780
Bears forward fierce, and guards his osier-isle,
Protective of his young. The turkey nigh,
Loud-threatening, reddens; while the peacock
spreads

His every-coloured glory to the sun,
And swims in radiant majesty along.

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766 And should I wander 1728-38. 767 lofty elms oaks] aged oaks. . gloom 1728-38. 768-70 Originally (1728-38)Invite the noisy rook, with pleasure there

A single line.

781 forward] onward 1728; guards his osier isle] beats you from the bank 1728-38. 785 radiant] floating 1728-38.

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