N Z2 \U CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY THE WORDSWORTH COLLECTION ^■^^k^ft>-z^^^-^'i'^^ '/«r^--«- Non omues eadem mirantur amantque : Quid dem ? quid non dem ? renuis tu, quod jubet alter. Hoe, Ep. ii. 2. THE NATURALIST'S POETICAL COMPANION WITH NOTES, O Nature ! lovely Nature ! thou canst give Delight thyself a thousand ways, and lend To every object charms ! With thee, even books A higher relish gain. The Poet's lay Grows sweeter in the shade of wavy woods. Or lulling lapse of crystal stream beside. BiDLAKE. SELECTED BY A FELLOW OF THE LINNjEAN SOCIETY, LONDON: HAMILTON, ADAMS, & CO., PATERNOSTER-ROW AND J. Y. KNIGHT, LEEDS. MDCCCXXXIII. Printed by Anthony Pickahd, Briggate. I RMC o RMC 'h *2» X PREFACE. The Study of Natural History is within the reach of every one ; and he who is engaged in it^ is presented at every step in his progress, with something capable of awakening pleasing emotions. The whole earth is to him a vast Museum, in which are crowded beauti- ful and sublime objects, animate and inanimate, in an almost endless variety, all combining to amuse the understanding and gladden the heart. Nor is the study less useful than delightful. Common and indispensable as are on our tables, the wheaten loaf, the potatoe, and other vegetable sub- stances, they were all once in appearance, only weeds among weeds ; and it is by a discriminating attention to plants, that they have been brought to occupy so important a place in our domestic economy. From a similar examination of the productions of the earth, the physician has extracted from their secret channels those correcting juices, which remove or alleviate the diseases incident to the human body, restoring it to the freshness and vigour of health. But for this study likewise, to take one or two instances from a thou- sand, the pods of the cotton-tree, and the cocoon of the silk-worm, which contribute so largely to the com- a3 PREFACE. fort and elegance of our clothings would drop useless to the ground, and rot among decayed and decaying foliage. This search into Natvire produces also a highly beneficial influence on the understanding. Mathe- matics do not more effectually strengthen and disci- pline the judgment. By a continual analysis, com- parison, and generalization of things, the study of Natural History teaches the art of thinking clearly and accurately, and of reasoning with precision and force, with a much less degree of weariness, than that which usually accompanies the study of simple quantities and mere abstract forms. An attention to Natural Objects also improves the taste. Nature is the admitted standard of perfection. The student who is closely examining the proportions of her inimitable forms, is taking the surest way to ac- quire a correct judgment of what is fit and elegant. It exercises at the same time a powerful and sa- lutary influence over the affections. There are studies which have a tendency to deaden the feelings and ren- der the heart callous to the best moral impressions ; but by fixing the mind on living objects, in which wis- dom and goodness are strikingly exhibited, and by rais- ing it through them to the Creator, in whom centre all perfection and happiness, the study of Natural Objects excites a continual train of ideas most friendly to what- ever is pure, benevolent, and grateful. And next to the devout exercises of religion, perhaps nothing will more completely remove sadness and disquietude, than the silent eloquence of flowers, and the vocal song of birds It has been justly observed by the excellent Ornitho- logist, Alexander Wilson, who studied his favourite subject among the wild as well as civilized provinces PREFACE. Vli. of the United States : — " An intercourse with these little innocent warblers is favourable to delicacy of feeling and to sentiments of humanity ; for I have ob- served the rudest and most savage softened into be- nevolence^ while contemplating the interesting man- ners of these inoffensive little creatures." — Indeed, it is our firm belief, that there exists not a person,, how- ever depraved and abandoned his life may be, in whose bosom kind and soothing feelings have not been ex- cited in some favourable moment, by the contempla- tion of Animated Nature. Useful and pleasing, as the study of Nature un- questionably is, it was for a long time greatly neg- lected. Yet there have been in all ages minds of the highest order, which have directed all their energies to this most rational pursuit. A Shakspeare and a Scott have not bestowed more pains in delineating every shade of character among men, and in pursu- ing every river and streamlet of passion, as it boils and meanders in the human breast, than a Linnceus and a Smith in observing the qualities of inferior ob- jects, over which man is the appointed lord : nor have Poets of eminence disdained to exercise their genius in describing vegetables and insects. A Selection of the most pleasing pieces in our own language, the compiler of this little Volume ventures to offer to the public, not being aware that any thing of the kind has hitherto been published. Notes, by way of illustration, have been added from the writ- ings of others, and occasionally from his own reflec- tions. In some of the Poems and Notes which were not altogether adapted to his purpose, he has taken the liberty of making a few slight omissions. The Poems have been chiefly taken from modern Vin. PREFACE. publications ; yet a few have been introduced from those of a more ancient date. Of these, the leaves and blossoms may not be so fresh and beautiful as their more youthful associates, but the fruit, the moral sentiment, is both sweet and salutary. Many pieces have been selected from the works of female writers, who have of late meritoriously em- ployed a portion of their leisure in throwing over Na- tural Objects a poetic ornament. It is from a belief that these productions will be found equal in beauty and interest to any the compiler could present to the reader, and from a desire to exhibit the nicely distin- guishing graces of female genius. He has only to add, that in making this selection, it has been his endeavour to submit to its readers such pieces as would gratify the taste and improve the understanding. Happy should he feel, if it prove the means of enhancing in any degree the pleasure of those, to whom the various beauties of Nature are already familiar, or of leading others more fre- quently to examine and admire the wonderful works of Creation, and to offer praise to that Almighty Be- ing, who, in wisdom, has gilded the insect's wing, made sweet the linnet's voice, and bid the roses bloom. " O how canst thou renounce the boundless store Of channs, which Nature to her votary yields ! The warbling woodland, the resounding shore, The pomp of groves, and garniture of fields ; All that the genial ray of morning gilds. And all that echoes to the song of even, AU that the mountain's sheltering bosom shields. And all the dread magnificence of Heaven, — O how canst thou renounce, and hope to be forgiven ?" September 26th, 1833. CONTENTS. Page. On the Study of Nature Grahame 1 Hymn Mrs. Opie 2 On the Economy of Nature B. StilHngfleet 2 The Snowdrop J. R 4 On a Flower opening to the Sun Susanna Wilson 5 The Daisy Dr. Leyden 6 To Blossoms Herrick 6 The Primrose Clare 7 The Bee Smyth 8 The Rise and Expanse of a River Lobb 9 Angling J. Davors 10 On Hope Bishop Heber 11 Birds C. W. Thompson 11 The Swallow's Return TV. Franklin 12 Morning Twilight Mary M. Colling 14 Nature's Harmony J. Woodhouse 14 The Redbreast J- Jones 15 To a Butterfly Rogers 17 Field Flowers Campbell ■ • 17 Weeds Saturday Magazine . . 18 The Cowslip Anonymous 19 Friendship R. Blair 20 The Forget-me-not C. P. Edgar 20 The Village Boy Anonymous 21 The Glow-worm Mrs. Opie 21 A Contemplation on Human Knowledge J. Howell 23 The Stormy Petrel B. Cornwall 24 To a Waterfowl W. C. Bryant 25 The Corn-crake Dr. Leyden 26 The Valentine Wreath Montgomery 27 April N.P. Willis 28 Native Home Miss Roberts 29 X. . CONTENTS. Page. The Daisy in India Montgomery 30 The Palm-tree Mrs. Hemans 32 The Mountain Rill T. DoubUday 34 To the Cuckoo Wordsworth 34 The Nightingale Hurdis 36 Birds forbidden in Lev. xi. 13-19 Bibliotheca Biblica 36 The Rose Clare 38 On the Antipathies of Plants Phillips 39 The Sky-lark Mrs. J. Conder 40 Birds of Passage Mrs. Hemans 40 The Bell-flower Author of May you like it 41 Animals happy, a delightful Sight Cmvper 43 On the Gladness of Nature W. C. Bryant 44 Insects H. Brooke 45 The Butterfly Anonymous 46 The Hive-hee Anonymous 47 Epitaph on a Gnat Montgomery 47 The Fish-hawk, or Osprey Alex. Wilson 48 A Wood-note Howitt 49 The WaU-flower Moir 50 To the Bee-Ophrys J. Holland 52 The Oak Strutt's Sylva Brit. . . 53 The Moss in the Desert Ale.v. Leatham, 54 Lo, the Lilies of the Field Bishop Heber 56 Forest Trees W. Browne 56 To the Round-leaved Sundew Wild Garland 57 The St. John's-wort Blackwood's Magazine 58 The Pimpernel Rev. R. W. Evans 59 Fidelity Wordsworth 60 On the Death of Mr. C. Gough Sir W. Scott 62 The Thistle Campbell 63 The Flowers of Scotland Hogg 64 Violets B. Barton 65 Elegy to the Bee Walcot 6<- The Daisy Dr. J. M. Good 6f Herbs Shenstone 67 The Flower-girl Mrs. Cobbold 6t The Naturalist's Summer-Evening Walk G. White 70 The Hare-bell Miss C. Symmons .... 71 Spring Earl of Surrey 72 Spring Flowers Clare 73 The Butterfly's First Flight New Monthly Magazine 74 The Metamorphosis Haworth's Lepid. Brit. 75 The Melodies of Morning Beattie 76 To the Cricket Rev. T. Cole . . 76 On a Goldfinch Cowper 78 The Forest Fly Harrington 79 All Nature beautiful New Monthly Magazine 80 Swallows Hayley 80 The Glow-worm Montgomery 81 CONTENTS. XI. Page. The Silk-worm Cowper 82 On Taking a Fly from a Spider's Nest Time's Telescope 83 The Banyan-tree Southey 84 To the Small Celandine Wordsworth 86 To a Mouse Burns 86 The Furze-bush Horace Smith 88 The Lily of the Valley Hurdis 89 The Grasshopper Anacreon 90 Summer Moods Anonymous 91 To the Bat Gentleman's Magazine 92 The Sudden Effects of Spring Cowper 93 The Gentianella Montgomery 94 The Sky-lark Hogg 95 The Nightingale Coleridge 96 The Moss-Rose Blackwood's Magazine 97 The Cuckoo J. Logan 98 To the Rosemarj' H. K. White 99 To the Passion-flower B. Barton 100 The Language of Flowers J.G. Percival 101 To the Yew-tree Dr. Leyden 102 The Changing Rose-Hibiscus Neiv Monthly Magazine 103 Various Uses of Trees Anonymous 104 To the Flying-Fish T. Moore 105 The Elephant Montgomery lOff The Ant Clare 107 The Mouse's Petition Mrs. Barbauld 108 Summer Evening Anonymous 109 Night-blowing Flowers Mrs. Hemans 110 The Flowers Bishop Home Ill Nature's Music Bible Lyrics 112 Nosegay of Wild Flowers Mrs. C. Smith 113 The Sea-Eryngo Dr. W. H. Drummond 114 The Heart's-Ease Village Magazine 115 Highland Scenery Sir W. Scott 116 On the Nestling of Birds Bidlake 117 To a Wren Jennings 119 The Thrush's Nest Clare 120 To a Wood-Pigeon Moir 120 The Sky-lark W