University of Virginia Library

Some two or three weeks before valentine day
At a time when Sir Winter grew kind & in play
Shook hands with Miss Flora he wooed her to spare
A few pretty snowdrops to stick in his hair
Intending for truth as he said to resign
His throne to Miss Spring & her priest Valentine
Which trifle he asked for before he set forth
To remind him of all when he got in the north
& this is the reason that snowdrops appear
Mid the cold of the winter so soon in the year
Flora gladly complied & the instant she heard
Flew away with the news to each bachelor bird
Who in raptures half moved on loves errands to start
Their songs muttered over to get them by heart
Nay the Mavis at once sung aloud in their glee
& looked for a spot where loves dwelling should be
& ever since then both in garden & grove
The Mavis tunes first a short ditty to love—
While all the young gentlemen birds that were near
Fell to trimming their jackets anew for the year
One & all they determined to seek for a mate
& thought it a folly for seasons to wait
So even agreed before valentine day
To join hearts in love but the ladies said nay
Yet each one consented at once to resign
Her heart unto Hymen on St Valentine
While winter who only pretended to go
Lapt himself out of sight in some hillocks of snow
That behind all the rest neath the wood hedges lay
So close that the sun could not drive them away
Yet the gentlemen birds on their love errands flew
Thinking all flora told them was nothing but true
Till out winter came & his frowns in a trice
Turned the lady birds hearts all as hardened as ice
In vain might the gentles in love sue & plead
They heard but not once did they notice or heed
From winter they crept who in tyranny proud
Yoked his horses of storms to his coach of a cloud
For on Valentines morn he was raving so high
Lady Spring for the life of her dare not come nigh
While Floras gay feet where so numbed with the snow
That she could not put on her best slippers to go
Then spring she fell ill & her health to regain
On a sunbeam rode back to her south once again
& as both were the bridemaids their teazing delay
Made the lady birds put off their weddings till may
Some sighed their excuses & feared to catch cold
& the redcap in mantle all bordered with gold
Sore feared that the weather would spoil her fine cloaths
& nought but complaints through the forrest arose
So St Valentine came on his journey alone
In the coach of the morn for he'd none of his own
& put on his cassock & band & went in
To the temple of Hymen the rights to begin
Where the Mavis Thrush waited along with his bride
Nor in the whole place was a lady beside
The gentlemen they came alone to the saint
& instead of being married each made a complaint
Of Sir Winter whose folly had caused the delay
& forced love to put off the wedding till May
So the priest shook his head & undrest to be gone
As he had no day for his leisure but one
& when the May came with Miss Flora & Spring
They had nought but old cares & new sorrows to sing
For some of the lady birds ceased to be kind
To their old loves & changed for newcomers their mind
& some had resolved to keep single that year
Untill St Valentine with the next should appear

Then the birds sung their sorrows the whole summer long
& the Robin first mixed up his ills with his song
He sung of his griefs—how in love hed been crost
& gave up his heart as eternally lost
Twas burnt to a coal as sly Cupid let fall
A spark that scorched through both the feathers & all
To cure it time tried but neer found out the way
So the mark on his bosom he wears to this day
& when birds are all silent & not a leaf seen
On the trees but the ivy & holly so green
In frost & in snow little Robin will sing
To put off the sorrow that ruffles his wing
& that is the cause in our gardens we hear
The Robins sweet note in the close of the year

The Wagtail too mourned in his doubtlet of gray
As if powdered with rime on a dull winters day
He twittered of love—how he courted a fair
Who altered her mind & so made him despair
In a stone pit he chose her a place for a nest
But she like a wanton but made it a jest
Though he dabbled in brooks to convince her how kind
He would feed her with worms which he laboured to find
Till he een got the ague still nought could prevail
So ever since then he's been wagging his tail
In the white thorn the linnet bides lonely to sing
How his lady love shunned his embraces in spring
Though he found out a bush that the sun had half drest
With leaves quite sufficient to shelter their nest
& yet she forsook him no more to be seen
So that is the reason he dresses in green
Then aloud in his grief sings the gay speckled Thrush
That changes his music on every bush—
“My love she has left me to sorrow & mourn
“Yet I hope in my heart she'll repent & return”
So he tries at all notes her approval to meet
& that is the reason he singeth so sweet
& as sweet sang the Bulfinch although he confest
That the anguish he felt was more deep then the rest
& they all marvelled much how he'd spirits to sing
When to show them his anguish he held up his wing
From his throat to his tail not a feather was found
But what had been stained red as blood from the wound

& sad chirped the Sparrow of joys fled & gone
Of his love being lost he so doated upon
So he vowed constant silence for that very thing
& this is the reason why Sparrows dont sing

Then next came the Rook & the sorrowful crow
To tell birds the cause why in mourning they go
Ever since their old loves their embraces forsook
& all seemed to pity the Crow & the Rook

The Jay he affected to hide his despair
& rather than mourn he had spirits to wear
A coat of all colours yet in it some blue
Denoted his passion though crossed was too true
So now in lone woods he will hide him all day
& aloud he scolds all that intrude in his way

The Magpie declared it should never be said
That he mourned for a lover though fifty had fled
Yet his heart all the while was so burnt & distrest
That it turned all the feathers coal black on his breast
The birds they all marvelled but still he denied
& wore a black cap his deep blushes to hide
So that is the reason himself & his kin
Wear hoods with the lappets quite under the chin

Then last came the Owl grieving loud as he flew
Saying how his false lover had bade him adieu
& though he knew not where to find her or follow
Yet round their old haunts he would still whoop & halloo
For no sleep could he get in his sorrowful plight
So that is the reason Owls halloo at night

& here ends the song of each woe stricken bird
Now was a more pitiful story eer heard
The rest was all coupled & happy & they
Sung the old merry songs which they sung at this day
& good little boys when this tale they read oer
Will neer have the hearts to hurt birds any more
& add to the griefs they already have sung
By robbing their nests of their eggs & their young
But feel for their sufferings & pity their pain
Nor give them new cause of their lot to complain