The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-06-10
AS a hint to future commentators, | suggest

As hint 10 future commentators, | suggest
a misprint here Leeks were more likely to
have been written by poetic license, as green
creSs, than as a crest, which we know to be
thing usually composed of hair or feathers.
The leading act of the life of st. Patrick, per-
formed on Croagh Patrick, is thus beautifully
narrated by a native minstrel:
"0chl Antrim hills are mighty high, and SOS the
Hill of Howth too;
But we all do know mountain that is higher than
them both, too
Twas on the top of that high mount ST. Patrick
preached sermons
He drove the frogs into the bogs, and banished all
the yermin.'
Then, after March, the noisy boy, comes
or used to come-April, the crying girl What
ever trick she may play u.s. in behaving as she
ought not to behave she cannot trick us out of
her great day of tricks we will be April Fools
The man who doesn't like to be fool, is fit for
treasons, murders, and particularly stratagems;
he is the very man to punish on the first of
April. "Beshrew the man, says Ella "who
on such day as this should affect TO stand
aloofi | am none of those sneakers. | am
free of the corporation, and care not who knows
it. He that meets me in the forest to-day, shall
meet with no wiseacre, can tell him ! Stulits
sum-translate me that, and take the meaning
of it to yourself for your pains. have
never made an acquaintance that lasted or
friendship that answered, with any one that
had not some tincture of the absurd in their
characters. ...... And take my word for
this, reader-and say fool told it you, if you
please-that he who hath not drachm of fol-
ly in his mixture, hath pounds of much worse
matter in his composition" April has her own
small jokes in the way of fool-making. The
prudent father of a family, before taking an
extended walk, looks up into her face for
hint about the weather Therell be severe
shower !" says April, with a frown. So, the
father commits himself to walk out with the
family umbrella; April takes to shining; the
sky looks as if there would be no more rain till
Midsummer; and the umbrella makes the
prudent man look like a fool Then April has
not only fools, but birds There is that much
over-rated vocalist, the nightingale. No doubt
his night-strain is unrivalled because nobody
else would think of playing melodies at mid
| night except students who are learning the
trombone, and-are ashamed to practice it when
people are about. The nightingale is all very
well but why not praise the throstle, and the
blackbird, and the wood-larki | should like
to hear better ballad-singer than the robin
As for the nightingale being crossed in love-
and sentimental in its habits though
INN. Z" Many a poet echoes the conceit
And youths and maidens Wost poeticai,
Who lose the deepening twilight of the Spring
In ball rooms and not theatres, they still
Full ofmeek sympathy, must heave their signs,
Der Philomeas pity pleading strains.
............. we have learnt
A different law: may not thus profane
Natures sweet voices. always full of love
And joyance -'Tis the MERRY nightingale.
That crowds and hurries, and precpitates,
With fast thick warhla his daliaioue nOtos
As he fearful that April night
Would be too short for him to utter forth
His love chant, and disburthen his full soul
Of all its music"
After the nightingale, there comes the wry-
neck, our woOdpecker, and the cuckoo; he is
melancholy, perhaps. Spring pigeons are to
hand, and a rage for building speculation sell
yes all the birds Now is the time for feather
ing their nests.
Then there comes also, in April, the festival
of the English Patron St George, formerly of
Cappadocia, the most unmitigated rogue that
ever got a church legend to himself, and suf.
fered registration in the list of saints
There. | shall say nothing about May. |
scorn to talk of May till have had my Winter
don't care for the disappointment that the
Spring must suffer in losing all the praise
could have showered ON it; it is nothing to the
disappointment | have suffered from the con-
stantliquidity Qfthe Serpenthe fIhave tagged
rhymes from all manner of poets about flowers,
and that sort of thing, beg to inform London
ers that they are of mo consequence Let them
stand on any of their bridges in the morning,
and they will see what Wordsworth himself
declares to be quite equal to Cumberland.
Hear him
Earth has not anything to showrnQre fair.
Dull would he be Of soul who could pass by
A sight so touching in its majesty
This city now doth, like n garment wear
The beauty of the morning Silent, bare
Ships, towers, domes, theatres and temples lie
Open unto the fields and to the sky
All bright and glittering in the spokelcss air
Never did sun more beautifully steep
In his first splcndor valleys, rock, or hill; '
Nee saw l-ncver fet-a calm so deep!n
So let us not be signing here in London after
fields and flowers. We are better off. What
are the lambs to. us unroasted? And what
do birds concern us with their feathers on?
They had better float in gravy than in music.
Others may do as they please, but shall stop
in town. ! suspect foul play. | suspect that
Winter has been made away with, and Spring
is too clearly gamer not to lie open to suspi-
cion. Spring was seen where she. had no bust
ness to be, stealing about timidly at Christmas,
and, when her proper time came, stealing away
altogether to let Winter in where and when he
was not wanted There is something wrong in
all this, although hope it is all right but
| shall stay in town; for do not choose to be
mixed up with such irregular transactions.