But the most singular proof that, I think, I have met with, concerning the diversity of opinion touching the song of the nightingale, is to be found in the following example. When Shelley (Prometheus Unbound) is describing the luxurious pleasures of the Grove of Daphne, he mentions (in some of the finest lines he has ever written) "the voluptuous nightingales, sick with sweet love," to be among the great attractions of the place: while Dean Milman (Martyrs of Antioch), in describing the very same "dim, licentious Daphne," is particular in mention that everything there
"Ministers
Voluptuous to man's transgressions"
(even including the "winds, and flowers, and waters"); everything, in short,
"Save thou, sweet nightingale!"
The question is indeed a case of "fierce extremes," as we may see by the following table of epithets, which are taken from the British poets only:
- Amorous. Milton.
- Artless. Drummond of Hawthornden.
- Attick ("Attica aedon"). Gray.
- Beautiful. Mackay.
- Charmer. Michael Drayton, Philip Ayres.
- Charming. Sir Roger L'Estrange.
- Cheerful. Philip Ayres.
- Complaining. Shakspeare.
- Conqueror. Ford
- Dainty. Carshaw, Giles Fletcher.
- Darkling. Milton.
- Dear. Ben Jonson, Drummond of Hawthornden.
- Deep. Mrs. Hemans.
- Delicious. Crashaw, Coleridge.
- Doleful. Shakspeare.
- Dusk. Barry Cornwall.
- Enchanting. Mrs. T. Welsh.
- Enthusiast. Crashaw.
- Evening. Chaucer.
- Ever-varying. Wordsworth.
- Fervent. Mrs. Hemans.
- Fond. Moore.
- Forlorn. Shakspeare, Darwin, Hood.
- Full-hearted. Author of The Naiad (1816).
- Full-throated. Keats.
- Gentle. The Spanish Tragedy, Dunbar (Laureate to James IV. Scot.), Mrs Charlotte Smith.
- Good. Chaucer, Ben Jonson.
- Gushing. Campbell.
- Hapless. Milton.
- Happy. Keats, Mackay.
- Harmless. Crashaw, Browne.
- Harmonious. Browne.
- Heavenly.[1] Chaucer, Dryden, Wordsworth.
- Holy. Campbell.
- Hopeful. Crashaw.
- Immortal. Keats.
- Joyful. Moore.
- Joyous. Keble.
- Lamenting. Shakspeare, Michael Drayton, Drummond of Hawthornden.
- Light-foot. Crashaw.
- Light-winged. Keats.
- Liquid. Milton, Bishop Heber, Tennyson.
- Listening. Crashaw, Thomson.
- Little. James I. Scot., Philip Ayres, Crashaw.
- Lone. Beattie, Mrs. Hemans, Miss London, Mrs. Fanny Kemble, Milman.
- Lonely. Countess of Winchilsea (1715), Barry Cornwall.
- Loud. Shelley.
- Loved. Mason.
- Lovely. Bloomfield.
- Love-lorn. Milton, Scott, Collins.
- Lowly. Mrs. Thompson.
- Lusty. Chaucer.
- Melancholy. Milton, Milman.
- Melodious. Chris. Smart, Ld. Lyttelton, Southey.
- Merry. Red Book of Ossory, fourteenth century (quoted in "N. & Q.," Vol. ii., No. 54.), Chaucer, Dunbar, Coleridge.
- Minstrel. Mrs. Charlotte Smith.
- Modest. Keble.
- Mournful. Shakspeare, Theo. Lee, Pope, Lord Thurlow, Byron.
- Musical. Milton.
- Music-panting. Shelley.
- New-abashed.[2] Chaucer.
- Night-warbling. Milton, Milman.
- Pale. Author of Raffaelle and Fornarina (1826).
- Panting. Crashaw.
- Passionate. Lady E. S. Wortley.
- Pensive. Mrs. Charlotte Smith.
- Piteous. Ambrose Philips.
- Pity-pleading (used ironically). Coleridge.
- Plaintive. Lord Lyttelton, Thomson, Keats, Hood.
- Pleasant. An old but unknown author, quoted in Todd's Illustrations to Gower and Chaucer, p. 291., ed. 1810.
- Poor. Shakspeare, Ford.
- Rapt. Hon. Julian Fane (1852).
- Ravished. Lilly.
- Responsive. Darwin.
- Restless. T. Lovell Beddoes (in The Bride's Tragedy, 1822).
- Richly-toned. Southey.
- Sad. Milton, Giles Fletcher, Drummond of Hawthornden, Graves, Darwin, Collins, Beattie, Byron, Mrs. Hemans, Mrs Fanny Kemble, Hood, T. L. Beddoes.
- Shrill. Chaucer, Crashaw.
- Silver-sounding. Richard Barnfield.
- Single.[3] Southey.
- Skilled. Ford.
- Sleepless.[4] Atherstone.
- Sober-suited. Thomson.
- Soft. Milton, James I. Scot., Crashaw, Mrs. Charlotte Smith, Byron.
- Solemn. Milton, Otway, Graingle.
- Sole-sitting. Thomson.
- Sorrowing. Shakspeare.
- Soul-entrancing. Bishop Heber.
- Supple. Crashaw.
- Sweet. Chaucer, James I. Scot., Milton, Spenser, Crashaw, Drummond, Richard Barnfield, Ambrose Philips, Shelley, Cowper, Thomson, Young, Darwin, Lord Lyttelton, Mrs. Charlotte Smith, Moore, Coleridge, Wordsworth, L. E. L., Milman, Hood, Tennyson, P. J. Bailey, Kenny, Hon. J. Fane.
- Sweetest. Milton, Browne, Thomson, Turnbull, Beattie.
- Sweet-voiced. Wither.
- Syren. Crashaw.
- Tawny. Cary.
- Tender. Crashaw, Turnbull.
- Thrilling. Hon. Mrs. Wrottesley (1847).
- Tuneful. Dyer, Grainger.
- Unseen. Byron.
- Vaunting. Bloomfield.
- Voluptuous. Shelley.
- Wakeful. Milton, Coleridge.
- Wailing. Miss Landon.
- Wandering. Mrs. Charlotte Smith, Hon. Mrs. Wrottesley.
- Wanton. Coleridge.
- Warbling. Milton, Ford, Chris. Smart, Pope, Smollett, Lord Lyttelton, Jos. Warton, Gray, Cowper.
- Welcome. Wordsworth.
- Wild. Moore, Tennyson, J. Westwood (1840).
- Wise. Waller.
- Wondrous. Mrs. Fanny Kemble.
In addition to these 109 epithets, others might be added of a fuller character; such as "Queen of all the quire" (Chaucer), "Night-music's king" (Richard Barnfield, 1549), "Angel of the spring" (Ben Jonson), "Music's best seed-plot" (Crashaw), "Best poet of the grove" (Thomson), "Sweet poet of the woods" (Mrs. Charlotte Smith), "Dryad of the trees" (Keats), "Sappho of the dell" (Hood); but the foregoing list of simple adjectives (which doubtless could be greatly increased by a more extended poetical reading) sufficiently demonstrates the popularity of the nightingale as a poetical embellishment, and would, perhaps, tend to prove that a greater diversity of epithets have been bestowed upon the nightingale than have been given to any other song-bird.
Cuthbert Bede, B.A.
Footnote 1:[(return)]
The epithets "heavenly," "holy," "solemn," &c., represent the nightingale's song, as spoken of by Keats, as the bird's "plaintive anthem;" by Mackay, as its
"Hymn of gratitude and love;"
and by Moore also, in his account of the Vale of Cashmere, as
"The nightingale's hymn from the Isle of Chenars."
In A Proper New Boke of the Armony of Byrdes (quoted by Dibdin, Top. Antiq., iv. 381.), of unknown date, though probably before 1580, the nightingale is represented as singing its Te Deum:
"Tibi Cherubin
Et Seraphin
Full goodly she dyd chaunt,
With notes merely
Incessabile
Voce Prœclamant."