Their sprightly notes from every shade Their mutual loves proclaim; Till Winter’s chilling blasts invade, And damp th’ enlivening flame. Then all the jocund scene declines, Nor woods nor meads delight; The drooping tribe in secret pines, And mourns th’ unwelcome sight. Go, blissful warblers! timely wise, Th’ instructive moral tell; Nor thou their meaning lays despise, My charming Annabelle! Old John Dunton’s “British Apollo” sings a question and answer: Why, Valentine’s a day to choose A mistress, and our freedom lose? May I my reason interpose, The question with an answer close? To imitate we have a mind, And couple like the winged kind. Further on, in the same miscellany, is another question and answer: “_Question._ In _chusing_ valentines (according to custom) is not the party chusing (be it man or woman) to make a present to the party chosen? “_Answer._ We think it more proper to say, _drawing_ of valentines, since the most customary way is for each to take his or her _lot_. And chance cannot be termed choice. According to this method, the obligations are equal, and therefore it was formerly the custom mutually to present, but now it is customary only for the gentlemen.” This _drawing_ of valentines is remarked in Poor Robin’s Almanac for 1676, under St. Valentine’s day: “Now Andrew, Antho- ny, and William, For Valentines _draw_ Prue, Kate, Jilian.” Misson, a learned traveller, who died in England about 1721, describes the amusing practices of his time:--“On the eve of the 14th of February, St. Valentine’s day, the young folks in England and Scotland, by a very ancient custom, celebrate a little festival. An equal number of maids and bachelors get together, each writes their true or some feigned name upon separate billets, which they roll up, and draw by way of lots, the maids taking the men’s billets, and the men the maids’; so that each of the young men lights upon a girl that he calls his valentine, and each of the girls upon a young man which she calls hers. By this means each has two valentines: but the man sticks faster to the valentine that is fallen to him, than to the valentine to whom he is fallen. Fortune having thus divided the company into so many couples, the valentines give balls and treats to their mistresses, wear their billets several days upon their bosoms or sleeves, and this little sport often ends in love. This ceremony is practised differently in different counties, and according to the freedom or severity of madam Valentine. There is another kind of valentine, which is the first young man or woman that chance throws in your way in the street, or elsewhere, on that day.”