ant "dead-nettle," but was
still sanguine about my bird, till I found the French form descend, as
you have seen, into a mesangel, and finally into mesange, which is a
provincialism from [Greek: meion], and means, the smallest of
birds--or, specially here,--a titmouse. I have seldom had a less
expected or more ignominious fall from the clouds.

37. The other birds, named here and in the previous description of the
garden, are introduced, as far as I can judge, nearly at random, and
with no precision of imagination like that of Aristophanes; but with a
sweet childish delight in crowding as many birds as possible into the
smallest space. The popinjay is always prominent; and I want some of
you to help me (for I have not time at present for the chase) in
hunting the parrot down on his first appearance in Europe. Just at this
particular time he contested favor even with the falcon; and I think it
a piece of good fortune that I chanced to draw for you, thinking only
of its brilliant color, the popinjay, which Carpaccio allows to be
present on the grave occasion of St. George's baptizing the princess
and her father.

38. And, indeed, as soon as the Christian poets begin to speak of the
singing of the birds, they show themselves in quite a different mood
from any that ever occurs to a Greek. Aristophanes, with infinitely
more skill, describes, and partly imitates, the singing of the
nightingale; but simply as beautiful sound. It "fills the thickets
with honey;" and if in the often-quoted--just because it is _not_
characteristic of Greek literature--passage of the Coloneus, a deeper
sentiment is shown, that feeling is dependent on association of the
bird-voices with deeply pathetic circumstances. But this troubadour
finds his heart in heaven by the power of the singing only:--

Trop parfoisaient beau servise
Ciz oiselles que je vous devise.
Il chantaient un chant ytel
Com fussent angle esperitel.

We want a moment more of word-chasing to enjoy this. "Oiseau," as you
know, comes from "avis;" but it had at this time got "oisel" for its
singular number, of which the terminating "sel" confused itself with
the "selle," from "ancilla" in domisella and demoiselle; and the
feminine form "oiselle" thus snatched for itself some of the
delightfulness belonging to the title of a young lady. Then note that
"esperitel" does not here mean merely spiritual, (because all angels
are spiritual) but an "angle esperitel" is an