Observations [by M. Davy] upon mr. Fox's letter to mr. Grey [on the song of the nightingale contained in lord Holland's preface to C.J. Fox's History of the early part of the reign of James ii].1809 - 15 pages |
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Page 3
... Chaucer , who of all poets seems to have been the fondest of the singing of birds , calls it a merry note . - The passage in Chaucer is in The Flower and the Leaf . " 2 From the foregoing observation , I should be much in- clined to ...
... Chaucer , who of all poets seems to have been the fondest of the singing of birds , calls it a merry note . - The passage in Chaucer is in The Flower and the Leaf . " 2 From the foregoing observation , I should be much in- clined to ...
Page 4
... Chaucer has so frequently applied the word mery ; and I hope to produce , what may be fairly considered as that Poet's own authority for pronouncing this quality to be sweetness . In the Manciples Tale , after a short history of Phebus ...
... Chaucer has so frequently applied the word mery ; and I hope to produce , what may be fairly considered as that Poet's own authority for pronouncing this quality to be sweetness . In the Manciples Tale , after a short history of Phebus ...
Page 5
... Chaucer adds , " A yerd she had , enclosed all about With stickes , and a drie diche without , In which she had a cok highte Chaunteclere , In all the land of crowing n ' as his pere . His vois was merier than the mery orgon , On masse ...
... Chaucer adds , " A yerd she had , enclosed all about With stickes , and a drie diche without , In which she had a cok highte Chaunteclere , In all the land of crowing n ' as his pere . His vois was merier than the mery orgon , On masse ...
Page 6
Martin Davy. In these examples , I think it is clear , that Chaucer has himself applied the word swete , to characterize those very sounds , which he had just before denominated mery . Thus the ' white crowe , that song whilom an hundred ...
Martin Davy. In these examples , I think it is clear , that Chaucer has himself applied the word swete , to characterize those very sounds , which he had just before denominated mery . Thus the ' white crowe , that song whilom an hundred ...
Page 9
... Chaucer meant to distinguish by the word mery , was remarkable in the notes of the Nightingale , in a fine voice , when singing sacred music , and in the tones of the organ , when employed in Divine Service . It must , therefore ...
... Chaucer meant to distinguish by the word mery , was remarkable in the notes of the Nightingale , in a fine voice , when singing sacred music , and in the tones of the organ , when employed in Divine Service . It must , therefore ...
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Common terms and phrases
Æschyl Agam Anderson's Poets antient applied the word applied to sounds arguments and authorities Aristophanes Bentham's History bird Chaucer Chaunteclere cheerfulness Church concord crowe different authors Divine Service Dulce English Poetry false thefe following instance following passages Hesychius Ibid ingale King Canute lamenting Itys Latin Translation latter merier merily merry mery orgon mirth Monks Munecher Nightingale Nonnes Preestes Tale note as plaintive observations opinion Pene Penelope Phebus plaintive and melancholy Reader resemblance Schol Scholiast seems shalt thou shewn shul singing solemn song whilom Soph Sophocles sorrows stan sweetness swete noise Theocritus Therwith voice Wel coude whan word mery yerd ἃ Ἴτυν ἀεὶ ἀηδών αἰὲν Ἀλλ ἂν ἀντὶ τοῦ ατυζομένα αὖ γὰρ δὲ Θρήνει θρηνεῖν καὶ κλαίειν λεύσσω μέλη μινύρεσθαι Μινύρεται μινύριζε μινύριζον μινυρίζοντες Μινυρίζω Μινυροὶ Μινυρομένη μινυρός μοι ὀλίγῃ φωνῇ ὀλοφύρεται ὀλοφυρομένη ὅπως οὐ σημαίνει τε τὴν τὸ τῷ χρῆται ὡς
Popular passages
Page 14 - Less Philomel will deign a song, In her sweetest, saddest plight, Smoothing the rugged brow of night, While Cynthia checks her dragon yoke, Gently o'er the accustomed oak; Sweet bird, that shunn'st the noise of folly, Most musical, most melancholy...
Page 15 - 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.
Page 9 - THE angel ended, and in Adam's ear So charming left his voice, that he a while Thought him still speaking, still stood fixed to hear...
Page 6 - He made the persone, and the peple, his apes. But trewely to tellen atte last, He was in chirche a noble ecclesiast. Wel coude he rede a lesson or a storie, But alderbest he sang an ofFertorie : For wel he wiste, whan that song was songe, He muste preche, and wel afile his tonge, To winne silver, as he right wel coude : Therfore he sang the merier and loude.
Page 3 - In defence of my opinion about the nightingales, I find Chaucer, — who of all poets seems to have been the fondest of the singing of birds, — calls it a merry note...
Page 14 - Itys, and the comparison of her to Electra is rather as to perseverance by day and night, than as to sorrow. At all events, a tragic poet is not half so good authority in this question as Theocritus and Chaucer. I cannot light upon the passage in the Odyssey...
Page 5 - A yerd slie had, enclosed all about With stickes, and a drie diche without, In which she had a cok highte Chaunteclere, In all the land of crowing n'as his pere. His vois was merier than the mery orgon, On masse daies that in the chirches gon. Wel sikerer was his crowing in his loge, Than is a clok, or any abbey orloge.
Page 8 - Dulce cantaverunt monachi in Ely, dum Canutus rex navigaret prope ibi, nunc milites navigate propius ad terram, et simul audiamus monachorum harmoniam', et caetera quae sequuntur, quae usque hodie in choris publice cantantur et in proverbiis memorantur.
Page 8 - So sodaiuly, that, as it were a sote, I stode astonied, and was, with the song, Thorow ravishid ; that, till late and long, I ne wist in what place I was, ne where ; And ayen, methought, she song even by mine ere. Wherefore I...
Page 5 - I gan full well aspy Where she sat in a fresh grene laurer tree, On the further side even right by me, That gave so passing a delicious smell, According to the eglentere full well. Whereof I had so inly great pleasure, That, as me thought, I surely ravished was Into Paradise, where my desire Was for to be...