NIGHTINGALE VALLEY. A COLLECTION, INCLUDING A GREAT NUMBER OF THE CHOICEST LYRICS AND SHORT POEMS IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. EDITED BY GIRALDUS. Sul lito un bosco era di querce ombrose, ARIOSTO, Orl. Fur. x. 113. LONDON: BELL AND DALDY, 186, FLEET STREET. 1860. PREFACE. HE intention of this book simply is to delight the lover of poetry. Specimens critical and chronological have their own worth; we desire to present a jewel, aptly arranged of many stones, various in colour and value, but all precious. Nothing personal or circumstantial, nothing below a pure and loving loyalty to the Muse, has been wittingly suffered to interfere betwixt the idea and its realization. Much, it is true, is perforce omitted; but should the brotherly reader and the judicious critic haply find the little volume, per se, a good thing, they will scarcely complain that it does but its part. Do we curse the cup of refreshing handed us from the well because it is not twice as largewhen the well itself, too, remains? Those who best know of such things will the most readily see that a collection in any sense complete or exhaustive has not been thought of here, but an arrangement of a limited number of short poems, with some eye to grouping and general effect, and to the end (as said) of delight. But of delight-noble and fruitful. grand word "Poetry" has its mean associations, -as organ" may suggest a solemn cathedral, 66 The or a Savoyard and monkey. True Poetry, how |