E'en GILES, for all his cares and watchings past, And all his contests with the wintry blast, Claims a full share of that sweet praise bestow'd By gazing neighbours, when along the road, Or village green, his curly-coated throng Suspends the chorus of the spinner's song; When Admiration's unaffected grace Lisps from the tongue, and beams in every face: Delightful moments!... Sunshine, Health, and Joy, Play round, and cheer the elevated Boy! '_Another_ SPRING!' his heart exulting cries; '_Another_ YEAR! with promis'd blessings rise!... 'ETERNAL POWER! from whom those blessings flow, 'Teach me still more to wonder, more to know: '_Seed-time_ and _Harvest_ let me see again; 'Wander the _leaf-strewn_ wood, _frozen_ plain: 'Let the first Flower, corn-waving Field, Plain, Tree, 'Here round my home, still lift my soul to THEE; 'And let me ever, midst thy bounties, raise 'An humble note of thankfulness and praise!'-- APRIL 22, 1798. NOTES _A fav'rite morsel with the Rook, &c._ P. 9, l. 104. In these verses, which have much of picturesque, there is a severe charge against _Rooks and Crows_, as very formidable depredators; and their destruction, as such, seems to be recommended. Such was the prevalent opinion some years back. It is less general now: and I am sure the humanity of the Author, and his benevolence to Animals in general, will dispose him to rejoice in whatever plea can be offered in stay of execution of this sentence. And yet more so, if it shall appear that ROOKS, at least, deserve not only mercy, but _protection_ and _encouragement_ from the Farmer. I shall quote a passage from BEWICK'S interesting HISTORY of BIRDS: the narrative part of which is often as full of information as the embellishments cut in wood are beautiful.... It is this. Speaking of Birds of the PIE-KIND in general, he says "Birds of this kind [Footnote: P. 63] are found in every part of the known world, from Greenland to the Cape of Good Hope. In many respects they may be said to be of singular benefit to mankind: principally by destroying great quantities of noxious insects, worms, and reptiles. ROOKS, in particular, are fond of the erucae of the _hedge-chaffer_, or chesnut _brown beetle_: for which they search with indefatigable pains. These insects," he adds in a note, "appear in hot weather in formidable numbers: disrobing the fields and trees of their verdure, blossoms, and fruit; spreading desolation and destruction wherever they go.... They appeared in great numbers in IRELAND during a hot summer, and committed great ravages. In the year 1747 whole meadows and corn-fields were destroyed by them in SUFFOLK. The decrease of Rookeries in that County was thought to be the occasion of it. The many Rookeries with us is in some measure the reason why we have so few of these destructive animals."[Footnote: Wallis's History of Northumberland.]