,,folk-,,lore ,,of ,,shakespeare ,,by ,,the ,,rev4 ,t4 ,f4 ,,thiselton ,,dyer1 ,m4,a4 ,,oxon4 ,,author ,,of ,,british ,,popular ,,customs1 ,,past ,,and ,,present1 ,,etc4 ,,new ,,york ,,harper ,,brothers1 ,,franklin ,,square #ahhd ,,preface4 ,it would be difficult to overestimate the value which must be attached to the plays of ,shakespeare in connection with the social life of the ,elizabethan age4 ,possessed of a rich treasury of knowledge of a most varied kind1 much of which he may be said to have picked up almost intuitively1 he embellished his writings with a choice store of illustrations descriptive of the period in which he lived4 ,apart1 too1 from his copious references to the manners and customs of the time1 he seems to have had not only a wide knowledge of many technical subjects1 but also an intimate acquaintance with the folk-lore of bygone days4 ,how far this was the case may be gathered from the following pages1 in which are collected and grouped together1 as far as arrangement would permit1 the various subjects relating to this interesting and popular branch of our domestic history4 ,it only remains for me to add that the edition of the poet's plays made use of is the ,globe1 published by ,messrs4 ,macmillan4 ,t4 ,f4 ,,thiselton ,,dyer4 ,,contents4 ,,chap4 ,,page4 ,i4 ,,fairies #a ,,ii4 ,,witches #be ,,iii4 ,,ghosts #dc ,,iv4 ,,demonology ,,and ,,devil-,,lore #eb ,v4 ,,natural ,,phenomena #fb ,,vi4 ,,birds #ig ,,vii4 ,,animals #afa ,,viii4 ,,plants #bja ,,ix4 ,,insects ,,and ,,reptiles #bej ,x4 ,,folk-,,medicine #bfd ,,xi4 ,,customs ,,connected ,,with ,,the ,,calendar #bif ,,xii4 ,,birth ,,and ,,baptism #ccb ,,xiii4 ,,marriage #cdb ,,xiv4 ,,death ,,and ,,burial #cfb ,,xv4 ,,rings ,,and ,,precious ,,stones #chf ,,xvi4 ,,sports ,,and ,,pastimes #cid ,,xvii4 ,,dances #dbd ,,xviii4 ,,punishments #dcc ,,xix4 ,,proverbs #ddd ,,xx4 ,,human ,,body #dge ,,xxi4 ,,fishes #dig ,,xxii4 ,,sundry ,,superstitions #eje ,,xxiii4 ,,miscellaneous ,,customs1 ,,etc4 #eba ,,index #edi ,,folk-,,lore ,,of ,,shakespeare4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,fairies4 ,the wealth of ,shakespeare's luxuriant imagination and glowing language seems to have been poured forth in the graphic accounts which he has given us of the fairy tribe4 ,indeed1 the profusion of poetic imagery with which he has so richly clad his fairy characters is unrivalled1 and the ,midsummer-,night's ,dream holds a unique position in so far as it contains the finest modern artistic realization of the fairy kingdom4 ,mr4 ,dowden1 in his ,shakspere ,primer 7#ahgg1 pp4 #ga1 #gb7 justly remarks3 ,as the two extremes of exquisite delicacy1 of dainty elegance1 and1 on the other hand1 of thick-witted grossness and clumsiness1 stand the fairy tribe and the group of ,athenian handicraftsmen4 ,the world of the poet's dream includes the two--a ,titania1 and a ,bottom the weaver--and can bring them into grotesque conjunction4 ,no such fairy poetry existed anywhere in ,english literature before ,shakspere4 ,the tiny elves1 to whom a cowslip is tall1 for whom the third part of a minute is an important division of time1 have a miniature perfection which is charming4 ,they delight in all beautiful and dainty things1 and war with things that creep and things that fly1 if they be uncomely2 their lives are gay with fine frolic and delicate revelry4 ,puck1 the jester of fairyland1 stands apart from the rest1 the recognizable lob of spirits1 a rough1 fawn-faced1 shock-pated little fellow1 dainty-limbed shapes around him4 ,judging1 then1 from the elaborate account which the poet has bequeathed us of the fairies1 it is evident that the subject was one in which he took a special interest4 ,indeed1 the graphic pictures he has handed down to us of ,elves of hills1 brooks1 standing lakes and groves2 ,and ye1 that on the sands with printless foot1 ,do chase the ebbing ,neptune1 and do fly him ,when he comes back2 you demy-puppets that ,by moonshine do the green-sour ringlets make ,whereof the ewe not bites1 etc41 show how intimately he was acquainted with the history of these little people1 and what a complete knowledge he possessed of the superstitious fancies which had clustered round them4 ,in ,shakespeare's day1 too1 it must be remembered1 fairies were much in fashion2 and1 as ,johnson remarks1 common tradition had made them familiar4 ,it has also been observed that1 well acquainted1 from the rural habits of his early life1 with the notions of the peasantry respecting these beings1 he saw that they were capable of being applied to a production of a species of the wonderful4 ,hence1 as ,mr4 ,halliwell-,phillipps#a has so aptly written1 he founded his elfin world on the prettiest of the people's traditions1 and has clothed it in the ever-living flowers of his own exuberant fancy4 ,referring to the fairy mythology in the ,midsummer-,night's ,dream1 it is described by ,mr4 ,keightley#b as an attempt to blend the elves of the village with the fays of romance4 ,his fairies agree with the former in their diminutive stature--diminished1 indeed1 to dimensions inappreciable by village gossips--in their fondness for dancing1 their love of cleanliness1 and their child-abstracting propensities4 ,like the fays1 they form a community1 ruled over by the princely ,oberon and the fair ,titania4 ,there is a court and chivalry2 ,oberon would have the queen's sweet changeling to be a knight of his train1 to trace the forests wild4 ,like earthly monarchs1 he has his jester1 that shrewd and knavish sprite called ,robin ,goodfellow4 #a ,illustrations of the ,fairy ,mythology of ',a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream1' #ahde1 p4 xiii4 #b ,fairy ,mythology1 p4 #cbe4 ,of the fairy characters treated by ,shakespeare may be mentioned ,oberon1 king of fairyland1 and ,titania1 his queen4 ,they are represented as keeping rival courts in consequence of a quarrel1 the cause of which is thus told by ,puck 7,midsummer-,night's ,dream1 ii4 #a73 ,the king doth keep his revels here to-night3 ,take heed the queen come not within his sight2 ,for ,oberon is passing fell and wrath1 ,because that she as her attendant hath ,a lovely boy1 stolen from an ,indian king2 ,she never had so sweet a changeling2 ,and jealous ,oberon would have the child ,knight of his train1 to trace the forests wild2 ,but she perforce withholds the loved boy1 ,crowns him with flowers and makes him all her joy2 ,and now they never meet in grove or green1 ,by fountain clear1 or spangled starlight sheen1 etc4 ,oberon first appears in the old ,french romance of ,huon de ,bourdeaux1 and is identical with ,elberich1 the dwarf king of the ,german story of ,otuit in the ,heldenbuch4 ,the name ,elberich1 or1 as it appears in the ,nibelungenlied1 ,albrich1 was changed1 in passing into ,french1 first into ,auberich1 then into ,auberon1 and finally became our ,oberon4 ,he is introduced by ,spenser in the ,fairy ,queen 7book ii4 cant4 i4 st4 #f71 where he describes ,sir ,guyon3 ,well could he tournay1 and in lists debate1 ,and knighthood tooke of good ,sir ,huon's hand1 ,when with ,king ,oberon he came to faery land4 ,and in the tenth canto of the same book 7stanza #ge7 he is the allegorical representative of ,henry ,,viii4 ,the wise ,elficleos left two sons1 of which faire ,elferon1 ,the eldest brother1 did untimely dy2 ,whose emptie place the mightie ,oberon ,doubly supplide1 in spousall and dominion4 ,oboram1 ,king of ,fayeries1 is one of the characters in ,greene's ,james the ,fourth4#c #c ,aldis ,wright's ,midsummer-,night's ,dream1 #ahgg1 ,preface1 pp4 xv41 xvi42 ,ritson's ,fairy ,mythology1 #ahge1 pp4 #bb1 #bc4 ,the name ,titania for the queen of the fairies appears to have been the invention of ,shakespeare1 for1 as ,mr4 ,ritson#d remarks1 she is not so called by any other writer4 ,why1 however1 the poet designated her by this title1 presents1 according to ,mr4 ,keightley1#e no difficulty4 ,it was1 he says1 the belief of those days that the fairies were the same as the classic nymphs1 the attendants of ,diana4 ,the fairy queen was therefore the same as ,diana1 whom ,ovid 7,met4 iii4 #agc7 styles ,titania4 ,in ,chaucer's ,merchant's ,tale ,pluto is the king of faerie1 and his queen1 ,proserpina1 who danced and sang about the well under the laurel in ,january's garden4#f #d ,essay on ,fairies in ,fairy ,mythology of ,shakspeare1 p4 #bc4 #e ,fairy ,mythology1 #ahgh1 p4 #cbe4 #f ,notes to ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream1 by ,aldis ,wright1 #ahgg1 ,preface1 p4 xvi4 ,in ,romeo and ,juliet 7i4 #d7 she is known by the more familiar appellation1 ,queen ,mab4 ,i dream'd a dream to-night1 says ,romeo1 whereupon ,mercutio replies1 in that well-known famous passage-- ,o1 then1 ,i see ,queen ,mab hath been with you1 this being the earliest instance in which ,mab is used to designate the fairy queen4 ,mr4 ,thoms#g thinks that the origin of this name is to be found in the ,celtic1 and that it contains a distinct allusion to the diminutive form of the elfin sovereign4 ,mab1 both in ,welsh and in the kindred dialects of ,brittany1 signifies a child or infant1 and hence it is a befitting epithet to one who comes ,in shape no bigger than an agate-stone ,on the fore-finger of an alderman4 ,mr4 ,keightley suggests that ,mab may be a contraction of ,habundia1 who1 ,heywood says1 ruled over the fairies2 and another derivation is from ,mabel1 of which ,mab is an abbreviation4 #g ,three ,notelets on ,shakespeare1 pp4 #ajj-ajg4 ,among the references to ,queen ,mab we may mention ,drayton's ,nymphidia3 ,hence ,oberon1 him sport to make 7,their rest when weary mortals take1 ,and none but only fairies wake71 ,descendeth for his pleasure3 ,and ,mab1 his merry queen1 by night ,bestrides young folks that lie upright1 etc4 ,ben ,jonson1 in his ,entertainment of the ,queen and ,prince at ,althrope1 in #afjc1 describes as tripping up the lawn a bevy of fairies1 attending on ,mab1 their queen1 who1 falling into an artificial ring that there was cut in the path1 began to dance around4 ,in the same masque the queen is thus characterized by a satyr4 ,this is ,mab1 the mistress fairy1 ,that doth nightly rob the dairy1 ,and can help or hurt the cherning ,as she please1 without discerning1 etc4 ,like ,puck1 ,shakespeare has invested ,queen ,mab with mischievous properties1 which identify her with the night hag of popular superstition1 and she is represented as ,platting the manes of horses in the night4 ,the merry ,puck1 who is so prominent an actor in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream1 is the mischief-loving sprite1 the jester of the fairy court1 whose characteristics are roguery and sportiveness4 ,in his description of him1 ,shakespeare1 as ,mr4 ,thoms points out1 has embodied almost every attribute with which the imagination of the people has invested the fairy race2 and has neither omitted one trait necessary to give brilliancy and distinctness to the likeness1 nor sought to heighten its effect by the slightest exaggeration4 ,for1 carefully and elaborately as he has finished the picture1 he has not in it invested the 'lob of spirits' with one gift or quality which the popular voice of the age was not unanimous in bestowing upon him4 ,thus 7ii4 #a7 the fairy says3 ,either ,i mistake your shape and making quite1 ,or else you are that shrewd and knavish sprite1 ,call'd ,robin ,goodfellow3 are you not he ,that frights the maidens of the villagery2 ,skim milk2 and sometimes labour in the quern1 ,and bootless make the breathless housewife churn2 ,and sometime make the drink to bear no barm2 ,mislead night-wanderers1 laughing at their harm8 ,those that ,hobgoblin call you1 and sweet ,puck1 ,you do their work1 and they shall have good luck3 ,are not you he8 ,the name ,puck was formerly applied to the whole race of fairies1 and not to any individual sprite--puck1 or pouke1 being an old word for devil1 in which sense it is used in the ,vision of ,piers ,plowman3 ,out of the poukes pondfold ,no maynprise may us fecche4 ,the ,icelandic puki is the same word1 and in ,friesland and ,jutland the domestic spirit is called ,puk by the peasantry4 ,in ,devonshire1 ,piskey is the name for a fairy1 with which we may compare the ,cornish ,pixey4 ,in ,worcestershire1 too1 we read how the peasantry are occasionally poake-ledden1 that is1 misled by a mischievous spirit called poake4 ,and1 according to ,grose's ,provincial ,glossary1 in ,hampshire they give the name of ,colt-pixey to a supposed spirit or fairy1 which1 in the shape of a horse1 neighs1 and misleads horses into bogs4 ,the ,irish1 again1 have their ,pooka1#h and the ,welsh their ,pwcca--both words derived from ,pouke or ,puck4 ,mr4 ,keightley#i thinks1 also1 that the ,scottish pawkey1 sly1 knowing1 may belong to the same list of words4 ,it is evident1 then1 that the term ,puck was in bygone years extensively applied to the fairy race1 an appellation still found in the west of ,england4 ,referring to its use in ,wales1 there is a ,welsh tradition to the effect that ,shakespeare received his knowledge of the ,cambrian fairies from his friend ,richard ,price1 son of ,sir ,john ,price1 of the ,priory of ,brecon4 ,it is even claimed that ,cwm ,pwcca1 or ,puck ,valley1 a part of the romantic glen of the ,clydach1 in ,breconshire1 is the original scene of the ,midsummer-,night's ,dream4#aj #h ,see ,croker's ,fairy ,legends of ,south of ,ireland1 #ahfb1 p4 #ace4 #i ,fairy ,mythology1 #ahgh1 p4 #caf4 #aj ,wirt ,sikes's ,british ,goblins1 #ahhj1 p4 #bj4 ,another of ,puck's names was ,robin ,goodfellow1 and one of the most valuable illustrations we have of the ,midsummer-,night's ,dream is a black-letter tract published in ,london1 #afbh1 under the title of ,robin ,goodfellow3 ,his ,mad ,pranks1 and ,merry ,jests1 full of honest mirth1 and is a fit medicine for melancholy4#aa ,mr4 ,halliwell-,phillipps1#ab speaking of ,robin ,goodfellow1 says1 there can be no doubt that in the time of ,shakespeare the fairies held a more prominent position in our popular literature than can be now concluded from the pieces on the subject that have descended to us4 ,the author of ,tarlton's ,news out of ,purgatory1 printed in #aeij1 assures us that ,robin ,goodfellow was famosed in every old wives chronicle for his mad merry pranks2 and we learn from ,henslowe's ,diary that ,chettle was the writer of a drama on the adventures of that merry wanderer of the night4 ,these have disappeared2 and time has dealt so harshly with the memory of poor ,robin that we might almost imagine his spirit was still leading us astray over massive volumes of antiquity1 in a delusive search after documents forever lost2 or1 rather1 perhaps1 it is his punishment for the useless journeys he has given our ancestors1 misleading night-wanderers1 and laughing at their harm4#ac ,he is mentioned by ,drayton in his ,nymphidia3 ,he meeteth ,puck1 which most men call ,hob-goblin1 and on him doth fall1 etc41 hob being the familiar or diminutive form of ,robert and ,robin1 so that ,hobgoblin is equivalent to ,robin the ,goblin4 i4 e41 ,robin ,goodfellow4#ad ,burton1 in his ,anatomy of ,melancholy1 alludes to him thus3 ,a bigger kinde there is of them1 called with us hobgoblins and ,robin ,goodfellows1 that would1 in superstitious times1 grinde corne for a mess of milk1 cut wood1 or do any manner of drudgery work4 ,under his name of ,robin ,goodfellow1 ,puck is well characterized in ,jonson's masque of ,love ,restored4#ae #aa ,this is reprinted in ,hazlitt's ,fairy ,tales1 ,legends1 and ,romances1 illustrating ,shakespeare and other ,english ,writers1 #ahge1 p4 #agc4 #ab ,illustrations of the ,fairy ,mythology of the ,midsummer-,night's ,dream1 printed for the ,shakespeare ,society1 p4 viii4 #ac ,see ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 ii4 pp4 #ejh-eab4 #ad ,thoms's ,three ,notelets on ,shakespeare1 p4 #hh4 #ae ,see ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 ii4 p4 #fie4 ,another epithet applied to ,puck is ,lob1 as in the ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7ii4 #a71 where he is addressed by the fairy as ,thou lob of spirits4#af ,with this we may compare the lubber-fiend of ,milton1 and the following in ,beaumont and ,fletcher's ,knight of the ,burning ,pestle 7iii4 #d73 ,there is a pretty tale of a witch that had the devil's mark about her1 that had a giant to be her son1 that was called ,lob-lye-by-the-,fire4 ,grimm#ag mentions a spirit1 named the ,good ,lubber1 to whom the bones of animals used to be offered at ,manseld1 in ,germany4 ,once more1 the phrase of being in1 or getting into ,lob's pound1 is easy of explanation1 presuming ,lob to be a fairy epithet--the term being equivalent to ,poake-ledden or ,pixy-led4#ah ,in ,hudibras this term is employed as a name for the stocks in which the knight puts ,crowdero3 ,crowdero1 whom in irons bound1 ,thou basely threw'st into ,lob's pound4 #af ,mr4 ,dyce considers that ,lob is descriptive of the contrast between ,puck's square figure and the airy shapes of the other fairies4 #ag ,deutsche ,mythologie1 p4 #dib4 #ah ,see ,keightley's ,fairy ,mythology1 pp4 #cah1 #cai4 ,it occurs1 also1 in ,massinger's ,duke of ,milan 7iii4 #b71 where it means behind the arras3 ,who forc'd the gentleman1 to save her credit1 ,to marry her1 and say he was the party ,found in ,lob's pound4 ,the allusion by ,shakespeare to the ,will-o'-the-,wisp1 where he speaks of ,puck as sometime a fire1 is noticed elsewhere1 this being one of the forms under which this fairy was supposed to play his midnight pranks4 ,referring1 in the next place1 to the several names of ,shakespeare's fairies1 we may quote from ,the ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7iv4 #c71 where ,mrs4 ,page speaks of urchins1 ouphes1 and fairies--urchin having been an appellation for one class of fairies4 ,in the ,maydes' ,metamorphosis of ,lyly 7#afjj71 we find fairies1 elves1 and urchins separately accommodated with dances for their use4 ,the following is the urchin's dance3 ,by the moone we sport and play1 ,with the night begins our day2 ,as we frisk the dew doth fall1 ,trip it1 little urchins all1 ,lightly as the little bee1 ,two by two1 and three by three1 ,and about goe wee1 goe wee4 ,in ,the ,tempest 7i4 #b7 their actions are also limited to the night3 ,urchins ,shall1 for that vast of night that they may work1 ,all exercise on thee4 ,the children employed to torment ,falstaff1 in ,the ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7iv4 #d71 were to be dressed in these fairy shapes4 ,mr4 ,douce regards the word urchin1 when used to designate a fairy1 as of ,celtic origin1 with which view ,mr4 ,thoms#ai compares the urisks of ,highland fairies4 #ai ,three ,notelets on ,shakespeare1 pp4 #gi-hb4 ,the term ouphe1 according to ,grimm1 is only another form of the cognate elf1 which corresponds with the ,middle ,high-,german ulf1 in the plural ulve4 ,he further proves the identity of this ulf with alp1 and with our ,english elf1 from a ,swedish song published by ,asdwiddson1 in his ,collection of ,swedish ,ballads1 in one version of which the elfin king is called ,herr ,elfver1 and in the second ,herr ,ulfver4 ,the name elf1 which is frequently used by ,shakespeare1 is the same as the ,anglo-,saxon alf1 the ,old ,high-,german and the ,middle ,high-,german ulf4 ,fairies and elvs1 says ,tollet1 are frequently mentioned together in the poets without any distinction of character that ,i can recollect4 ,the other fairies1 ,peas-blossom1 ,cobweb1 ,moth1 and ,mustard-seed probably owe their appellations to the poet himself4 ,how fully ,shakespeare has described the characteristics of the fairy tribe1 besides giving a detailed account of their habits and doings1 may be gathered from the following pages1 in which we have briefly enumerated the various items of fairy lore as scattered through the poet's writings4 ,beauty1 then1 united with power1 was one of the popular characteristics of the fairy tribe4 ,such was that of the ,fairy ,queen of ,spenser1 and of ,titania in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream4 ,in ,antony and ,cleopatra 7iv4 #h71 ,antony1 on seeing ,cleopatra enter1 says to ,scarus3 ,to this great fairy ,i'll commend thy acts1 ,make her thanks bless thee4 ,in ,cymbeline 7iii4 #f71 when the two brothers find ,imogen in their cave1 ,belarius exclaims3 ,but that it eats our victuals1 ,i should think ,here were a fairy4#bj ,and he then adds3 ,by ,jupiter1 an angel6 or1 if not1 ,an earthly paragon6 behold divineness ,no elder than a boy4 #bj ,showing1 as ,mr4 ,ritson says1 that they never ate4 ,the fairies1 as represented in many of our old legends and folk-tales1 are generally noticeable for their beauty1 the same being the case with all their surroundings4 ,as ,sir ,walter ,scott1#ba too1 says1 ,their pageants and court entertainments comprehended all that the imagination could conceive of what were accounted gallant and splendid4 ,at their processions they paraded more beautiful steeds than those of mere earthly parentage4 ,the hawks and hounds which they employed in their chase were of the first race4 ,at their daily banquets1 the board was set forth with a splendor which the proudest kings of the earth dared not aspire to1 and the hall of their dancers echoed to the most exquisite music4 #ba ,letters on ,demonology and ,witchcraft1 #ahca1 p4 #aba4 ,mr4 ,douce#bb quotes from the romance of ,lancelot of the ,lake1 where the author1 speaking of the days of ,king ,arthur1 says1 ,en celui temps estoient appellees faees toutes selles qui sentre-mettoient denchantemens et de charmes1 et moult en estoit pour lors principalement en la ,grande ,bretaigne1 et savoient la force et la vertu des paroles1 des pierres1 et des herbes1 parquoy elles estoient tenues et jeunesse et en beaulte1 et en grandes richesses comme elles devisoient4 #bb ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 p4 #aae4 ,this perpetual youth and beauty1 he adds1 cannot well be separated from a state of immortality2 another characteristic ascribed to the fairy race4 ,it is probably alluded to by ,titania in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7ii4 #a73 ,the human mortals want their winter here4 ,and further on 7ii4 #a71 when speaking of the changeling's mother1 she says3 ,but she1 being mortal1 of that boy did die4 ,again1 a fairy addresses ,bottom the weaver 7iii4 #a7-- ,hail1 mortal6 --an indication that she was not so herself4 ,the very fact1 indeed1 that fairies call themselves spirits1 ghosts1 or shadows1 seems to be a proof of their immortality4 ,thus ,puck styles ,oberon king of shadows1 and this monarch asserts of himself and his subjects-- ,but we are spirits of another sort4 ,fletcher1 in the ,faithful ,shepherdess1 describes 7i4 #b7-- ,a virtuous well1 about whose flow'ry banks ,the nimble-footed fairies dance their rounds1 ,by the pale moonshine1 dipping oftentimes ,their stolen children1 so to make them free ,from dying flesh1 and dull mortality4 ,ariosto1 in his ,orlando ,furioso 7book xliii4 stanza #ih7 says3 ,i am a fayrie1 and to make you know1 ,to be a fayrie what it doth import1 ,we cannot dye1 how old so e'er we grow4 ,of paines and harmes of ev'rie other sort ,we taste1 onelie no death we nature ow4 ,an important feature of the fairy race was their power of vanishing at will1 and of assuming various forms4 ,in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream ,oberon says3 ,i am invisible1 ,and ,i will overhear their conference4 ,puck relates how he was in the habit of taking all kinds of outlandish forms2 and in the ,tempest1 ,shakespeare has bequeathed to us a graphic account of ,ariel's eccentricities4 ,besides1 says ,mr4 ,spalding1#bc appearing in his natural shape1 and dividing into flames1 and behaving in such a manner as to cause young ,ferdinand to leap into the sea1 crying1 ',hell is empty1 and all the devils are here6' he assumes the forms of a water nymph 7i4 #b71 a harpy 7iii4 #c71 and also the ,goddess ,ceres 7iv4 #a71 while the strange shapes1 masquers1 and even the hounds that hunt and worry the would-be king and viceroys of the island1 are ,ariel's 'meaner fellows4' ,poor ,caliban complains of ,prospero's spirits 7ii4 #b73 ,for every trifle are they set upon me2 ,sometimes like apes1 that mow and chatter at me1 ,and after bite me3 then like hedgehogs which ,lie tumbling in my bare-foot way1 and mount ,their pricks at my footfall2 sometime am ,i ,all wound with adders1 who1 with cloven tongues ,do hiss me into madness4 #bc ,elizabethan ,demonology1 p4 #ej4 ,that fairies are sometimes exceedingly diminutive is fully shown by ,shakespeare1 who gives several instances of this peculiarity4 ,thus ,queen ,mab1 in ,romeo and ,juliet1 to which passage we have already had occasion to allude 7i4 #d71 is said to come ,in shape no bigger than an agate stone ,on the fore-finger of an alderman4#bd #bd ,agate was used metaphorically for a very diminutive person1 in allusion to the small figures cut in agate for rings4 ,in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7i4 #b71 ,falstaff says3 ,i was never manned with an agate till now2 but ,i will inset you neither in gold nor silver1 but in vile apparel1 and send you back again to your master1 for a jewel4 ,in ,much ,ado ,about ,nothing 7iii4 #a7 ,hero speaks of a man as being low1 an agate very vilely cut4 ,and ,puck tells us1 in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7ii4 #a71 that when ,oberon and ,titania meet1 they do square1 that all their elves1 for fear1 ,creep into acorn cups1 and hide them there4 ,further on 7ii4 #c7 the duties imposed by ,titania upon her train point to their tiny character3 ,come1 now a roundel and a fairy song2 ,then1 for the third part of a minute1 hence2 ,some to kill cankers in the musk-rose buds1 ,some war with rere-mice for their leathern wings1 ,to make my small elves coats4 ,and when enamoured of ,bottom1 she directs her elves that they should-- ,hop in his walks and gambol in his eyes2 ,feed him with apricocks and dewberries1 ,with purple grapes1 green figs1 and mulberries2 ,the honey bags steal from the humble-bees1 ,and for night tapers crop their waxen thighs ,and light them at the fiery glow-worm's eyes1 ,to have my love to bed1 and to arise2 ,and pluck the wings from painted butterflies ,to fan the moonbeams from his sleeping eyes4 ,we may compare1 too1 ,ariel's well-known song in ,the ,tempest 7v4 #a73 ,where the bee sucks1 there suck ,i3 ,in a cowslip's bell ,i lie2 ,there ,i couch when owls do cry1 ,on the bat's back ,i do fly ,after summer merrily1 ,merrily1 merrily shall ,i live now ,under the blossom that hangs on the bough4 ,again1 from the following passage in ,the ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7iv4 #d7 where ,mrs4 ,page1 after conferring with her husband1 suggests that-- ,nan ,page my daughter1 and my little son1 ,and three or four more of their growth1 we'll dress ,like urchins1 ouphes1 and fairies1 green and white1 ,with rounds of waxen tapers on their heads1 ,and rattles in their hands it is evident that in ,shakespeare's day fairies were supposed to be of the size of children4 ,the notion of their diminutiveness1 too1 it appears was not confined to this country1#be but existed in ,denmark1#bf for in the ballad of ,eline of ,villenskov we read3 ,out then spake the smallest ,trold2 ,no bigger than an ant2-- ,oh6 here is come a ,christian man1 ,his schemes ,i'll sure prevent4 #be ,see ,grimm's ,deutsche ,mythologie4 #bf ,thoms's ,three ,notelets on ,shakespeare1 #ahfe1 pp4 #ch1 #ci4 ,again1 various stories are current in ,germany descriptive of the fairy dwarfs2 one of the most noted being that relating to ,elberich1 who aided the ,emperor ,otnit to gain the daughter of the ,paynim ,soldan of ,syria4#bg #bg ,see ,keightley's ,fairy ,mythology1 #ahgh1 p4 #bjh4 ,the haunt of the fairies on earth are generally supposed to be the most romantic and rural that can be selected2 such a spot being the place of ,titania's repose described by ,oberon in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7ii4 #a73bh a bank where the wild thyme blows1 ,where oxlips and the nodding violet grows1 ,quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine1 ,with sweet musk-roses and with eglantine3 ,there sleeps ,titania some time of the night1 ,lull'd in these flowers with dances and delight2 ,and there the snake throws her enamell'd skin1 ,weed wide enough to wrap a fairy in4 #bh ,see also ,thorpe's ,northern ,mythology1 #aheb1 vol4 iii4 p4 #cb1 etc4 ,titania also tells how the fairy race meet on hill1 in dale1 forest1 or mead1 ,by paved fountain1 or by rushy brook1 ,or in the beached margent of the sea4 ,in ,the ,tempest 7v4 #a71 we have the following beautiful invocation by ,prospero3 ,ye elves of hills1 brooks1 standing lakes1 and groves2 ,and ye1 that on the sands with printless foot ,do chase the ebbing ,neptune1 and do fly him ,when he comes back-- ,their haunts1 however1 varied in different localities1 but their favorite abode was in the interior of conical green hills1 on the slopes of which they danced by moonlight4 ,milton1 in the ,paradise ,lost 7book i471 speaks of fairy elves1 ,whose midnight revels1 by a forest side ,or fountain1 some belated peasant sees1 ,or dreams he sees1 while overhead the moon ,sits arbitress1 and nearer to the earth ,wheels her pale course1 they1 on their mirth and dance ,intent1 with jocund music charm his ear2 ,at once with joy and fear his heart rebounds4 ,the ,irish fairies occasionally inhabited the ancient burial-places known as tumuli or barrows1 while some of the ,scottish fairies took up their abode under the door-stane or threshold of some particular house1 to the inmates of which they administered good offices4#bi #bi ,gunyon's ,illustrations of ,scottish ,history1 ,life1 and ,superstitions1 p4 #bii4 ,the so-called fairy-rings in old pastures#cj--little circles of a brighter green1 within which it was supposed the fairies dance by night--are now known to result from the out-spreading propagation of a particular mushroom1 the fairy-ringed fungus1 by which the ground is manured for a richer following vegetation4 ,an immense deal of legendary lore1 however1 has clustered round this curious phenomenon1 popular superstition attributing it to the merry roundelays of the moonlight fairies4#ca ,in ,the ,tempest 7v4 #a7 ,prospero invokes the fairies as the demy-puppets that ,by moonshine do the green-sour ringlets make1 ,whereof the ewe not bites2 and you1 whose pastime ,is to make midnight-mushrooms4 #cj ,chambers's ,book of ,days1 vol4 i4 p4 #fga4 #ca ,among the various conjectures as to the cause of these verdant circles1 some have ascribed them to lightning2 others maintained that they are occasioned by ants4 ,see ,miss ,baker's ,northamptonshire ,glossary1 vol4 i4 p4 #bah2 ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 ii4 pp4 #dhj-dhc2 and also the ,phytologist1 #ahfb1 pp4 #bcf-bch4 ,in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7ii4 #a71 the fairy says3 ,i do wander everywhere1 ,swifter than the moon's sphere2 ,and ,i serve the fairy queen1 ,to dew her orbs upon the green4 ,again1 in the ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7v4 #e71 ,anne ,page says3 ,and nightly1 meadow-fairies1 look1 you sing ,like to the ,garter's compass1 in a ring2 ,the expressure that it bears1 green let it be1 ,more fertile-fresh than all the field to see4 ,and once in ,macbeth 7v4 #a71 ,hecate says3 ,like elves and fairies in a ring4 ,drayton1 in his ,nymphidia 7l4 #fi-gb71 mentions this superstition3 ,and in their courses make that round1 ,in meadows and in marshes found1 ,of them so called the fayrie ground1 ,of which they have the keeping4 ,cowley1 too1 in his ,complaint1 says3 ,where once such fairies dance1 no grass does ever grow4 ,and again1 in his ode upon ,dr4 ,harvey3 ,and dance1 like fairies1 a fantastic round4 ,pluquet1 in his ,contes ,populaires de ,bayeux1 tells us that the fairy rings1 called by the peasants of ,normandy ,cercles des fes1 are said to be the work of fairies4 ,among the numerous superstitions which have clustered round the fairy rings1 we are told that when damsels of old gathered the ,may dew on the grass1 which they made use of to improve their complexions1 they left undisturbed such of it as they perceived on the fairy-rings1 apprehensive that the fairies should in revenge destroy their beauty4 ,nor was it considered safe to put the foot within the rings1 lest they should be liable to the fairies' power4#cb ,the ,athenian ,oracle 7i4 #cig7 mentions a popular belief that if a house be built upon the ground where fairy rings are1 whoever shall inhabit therein does wonderfully prosper4 #cb ,douce's ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 p4 #aab4 ,speaking of their dress1 we are told that they constantly wore green vests1 unless they had some reason for changing their attire4 ,in the ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7iv4 #d7 they are spoken of as-- ,urchins1 ouphes1 and fairies1 green and white4 ,and further on 7v4 #d73 ,fairies1 black1 grey1 green1 and white4 ,the fairies of the moors were often clad in heath-brown or lichen-dyed garments1 whence the epithet of ,elfin-grey4#cc #cc ,ritson's ,fairy ,mythology1 #ahgh1 pp4 #bf1 #bg4 ,the legends of most countries are unanimous in ascribing to the fairies an inordinate love of music2 such harmonious sounds as those which ,caliban depicts in ,the ,tempest 7iii4 #b7 being generally ascribed to them3 ,the isle is full of noises1 ,sounds and sweet airs1 that give delight and hurt not4 ,sometimes a thousand twangling instruments ,will hum about mine ears1 and sometime voices ,that1 if ,i then had waked after long sleep1 ,will make me sleep again4 ,in the ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7ii4 #c71 when ,titania is desirous of taking a nap1 she says to her attendants3 ,come1 now a roundel1 and a fairy song4 ,and further on 7iii4 #a7 she tells ,bottom3 ,i'll give thee fairies to attend on thee1 ,and they shall fetch thee jewels from the deep1 ,and sing1 while thou on pressed flowers dost sleep4 ,the author of ,round ,about our ,coal ,fire#cd tells us that they had fine musick always among themselves1 and danced in a moonshiny night1 around1 or in1 a ring4 #cd ,quoted by ,brand1 ,pop4 ,antiq41 vol4 ii4 p4 #dha4 ,they were equally fond of dancing1 and we are told how they meet-- ,to dance their ringlets to the whistling wind2 and in the ,maydes' ,metamorphosis of ,lyly1 the fairies1 as they dance1 sing3 ,round about1 round about1 in a fine ring a1 ,thus we dance1 thus we dance1 and thus we sing a1 ,trip and go1 to and fro1 over this green a1 ,all about1 in and out1 for our brave queen a1 etc4 ,as ,mr4 ,thoms says1 in his ,three ,notelets on ,shakespeare 7#ahfe1 pp4 #dj1 #da71 the writings of ,shakespeare abound in graphic notices of these fairy revels1 couched in the highest strains of poetry2 and a comparison of these with some of the popular legends which the industry of ,continental antiquaries has preserved will show us clearly that these delightful sketches of elfin enjoyment have been drawn by a hand as faithful as it is masterly4 ,it would seem that the fairies disliked irreligious people3 and so1 in ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7v4 #e71 the mock fairies are said to chastise unchaste persons1 and those who do not say their prayers4 ,this coincides with what ,lilly1 in his ,life and ,times1 says3 ,fairies love a strict diet and upright life2 fervent prayers unto ,god conduce much to the assistance of those who are curious hereways1 i4 e41 who wish to cultivate an acquaintance with them4 ,again1 fairies are generally represented as great lovers and patrons of cleanliness and propriety1 for the observance of which they were frequently said to reward good servants1 by dropping money into their shoes in the night2 and1 on the other hand1 they were reported to punish most severely the sluts and slovenly1 by pinching them black and blue4#ce ,thus1 in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7v4 #a71 ,puck says3 ,i am sent1 with broom1 before1 ,to sweep the dust behind the door4 #ce ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 ii4 p4 #dhc4 ,in ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7v4 #e71 ,pistol1 speaking of the mock fairy queen1 says3 ,our radiant queen hates sluts and sluttery2 and the fairies who haunt the towers of ,windsor are enjoined3 ,about1 about1 ,search ,windsor ,castle1 elves1 within and out3 ,strew good luck1 ouphes1 on every sacred room3 99 99 99 99 99 ,the several chairs of order look you scour ,with juice of balm and every precious flower4 ,in ,ben ,jonson's ballad of ,robin ,goodfellow#cf we have a further illustration of this notion3 ,when house or hearth cloth sluttish lie1 ,i pinch the maidens black and blue1 ,the bed clothes from the bed pull ,i1 ,and lay them naked all to view4 ',twixt sleep and wake ,i do them take1 ,and on the key-cold floor them throw2 ,if out they cry1 ,then forth ,i fly1 ,and loudly laugh ,i1 ho1 ho1 ho6 #cf ,halliwell-,phillipps's ,illustrations of ,fairy ,mythology1 p4 #afg2 see ,douce's ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 pp4 #abb1 #abc4 ,in ,round ,about our ,coal ,fire1 we find the following passage bearing on the subject3 ,when the master and mistress were laid on the pillows1 the men and maids1 if they had a game at romps1 and blundered up stairs1 or jumbled a chair1 the next morning every one would swear 'twas the fairies1 and that they heard them stamping up and down stairs all night1 crying1 ',waters lock'd1 waters lock'd6' when there was no water in every pail in the kitchen4 ,herrick1 too1 in his ,hesperides1 speaks of this superstition3 ,if ye will with ,mab find grace1 ,set each platter in his place2 ,rake the fire up1 and set ,water in1 ere sun be set1 ,wash your pales and cleanse your dairies1 ,sluts are loathesome to the fairies3 ,sweep your house2 who doth not so1 ,mab will pinch her by the toe4 ,while the belief in the power of fairies existed1 they were supposed to perform much good service to mankind4 ,thus1 in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7v4 #a71 ,oberon says3 ,with this field-dew consecrate1 ,every fairy take his gait2 ,and each several chamber bless1 ,through this palace1 with sweet peace2 ,and the owner of it blest1 ,ever shall in safety rest-- the object of their blessing being to bring peace upon the house of ,theseus4 ,mr4 ,douce#cg remarks that the great influence which the belief in fairies had on the popular mind gave so much offence to the holy monks and friars1 that they determined to exert all their power to expel these imaginary beings from the minds of the people1 by taking the office of the fairies' benedictions entirely into their own hands2 a proof of which we have in ,chaucer's ,wife of ,bath3 ,i speke of many hundred yeres ago2 ,but now can no man see non elves mo1 ,for now the grete charitee and prayeres ,of limitoures and other holy freres ,that serchen every land and every streme1 ,as thikke as motes in the sonne beme1 ,blissing halles1 chambres1 kichenes1 and boures1 ,citees and burghes1 castles highe and toures1 ,thropes and bernes1 shepenes and dairies1 ,this maketh that ther ben no faeries3 ,for ther as wont to walken was an elf ,ther walketh now the limitour himself4 #cg ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 pp4 #abf1 #abg4 ,macbeth1 too 7v4 #h71 in his encounter with ,macduff1 says3 ,i bear a charmed life1 which must not yield ,to one of woman born4 ,in the days of chivalry1 the champion's arms were ceremoniously blessed1 each taking an oath that he used no charmed weapon4 ,in ,spenser's ,fairy ,queen 7book i4 canto #d7 we read3 he bears a charmed shield1 ,and eke enchanted arms1 that none can pierce4 ,fairies were amazingly expeditious in their journeys4 ,thus1 ,puck goes swifter than arrow from the ,tartar's bow1 and in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream he answers ,oberon1 who was about to send him on a secret expedition3 ,i'll put a girdle round about the earth ,in forty minutes4 ,again1 the same fairy addresses him3 ,fairy king1 attend1 and mark3 ,i do hear the morning lark4 ,oberon4 ,then1 my queen1 in silence sad1 ,trip we after the night's shade3 ,we the globe can compass soon1 ,swifter than the wand'ring moon4 ,once more1 ,puck says3 ,my fairy lord1 this must be done with haste1 ,for night's swift dragons cut the clouds full fast1 ,and yonder shines ,aurora's harbinger1 etc4 ,it was fatal1 if we may believe ,falstaff in ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7v4 #e7 to speak to a fairy3 ,they are fairies2 he that speaks to them shall die4 ,fairies are accustomed to enrich their favorites2 and in ,a ,winter's ,tale 7iii4 #c7 the shepherd says3 ,it was told me ,i should be rich by the fairies2#ch and in ,cymbeline 7v4 #d71 ,posthumus1 on waking and finding the mysterious paper1 exclaims3 ,what fairies haunt this ground8 ,a book8 ,o rare one6 ,be not1 as is our fangled world1 a garment ,nobler than that it covers1 etc4 #ch ,see ,croker's ,fairy ,legends and ,traditions of the ,south of ,ireland1 p4 #caf4 ,at the same time1 however1 it was unlucky to reveal their acts of generosity1 as the shepherd further tells us3 ,this is fairy gold1 boy2 and 'twill prove so2 up with't1 keep it close1 home1 home1 the next way4 ,we are lucky1 boy2 and to be so still requires nothing but secrecy4 ,the necessity of secrecy in fairy transactions of this kind is illustrated in ,massinger and ,field's play of ,the ,fatal ,dowry1 #afcb 7iv4 #a71ci where ,romont says3 ,but not a word o' it2 'tis fairies' treasure1 ,which1 but reveal'd1 brings on the blabber's ruin4 #ci ,see ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 vol4 ii4 p4 #dic4 ,among the many other good qualities belonging to the fairy tribe1 we are told that they were humanely attentive to the youthful dead4#dj ,thus ,guiderius1 in ,cymbeline1 thinking that ,imogen is dead 7iv4 #b71 says3 ,with female fairies will his tomb be haunted1 ,and worms will not come to thee2#da there having been a popular notion that where fairies resorted no noxious creature could be found4 #dj ,ritson's ,fairy ,mythology of ,shakespeare1 #ahge1 p4 #bi4 #da ,some copies read them4 ,in the pathetic dirge of ,collins a similar allusion is made3 ,no wither'd witch shall here be seen1 ,no goblin lead their nightly crew2 ,the female fays shall haunt the green1 ,and dress thy grave with pearly dew4 ,it seems1 however1 that they were also supposed to be malignant2 but this1 it may be1 says ,mr4 ,ritson1 was merely calumny1 as being utterly inconsistent with their general character1 which was singularly innocent and amiable4 ,thus1 when ,imogen1 in ,cymbeline 7ii4 #b71 prays on going to sleep1 ,from fairies and the tempters of the night1 ,guard me1 beseech ye1#db it must have been1 says ,mr4 ,ritson1#dc the incubus she was so afraid of4 #db ,we may compare ,banquo's words in ,macbeth 7ii4 #a73 ,restrain in me the cursed thoughts that nature ,gives way to in repose4 #dc ,fairy ,mythology1 pp4 #bg1 #bh4 ,hamlet1 too1 notices this imputed malignity of the fairies 7i4 #a73 ,then no planet strikes1 ,nor fairy takes1 nor witch hath power to charm4#dd #dd ,comedy of ,errors 7iv4 #b7 some critics read3 ,a fiend1 a fairy1 pitiless and rough4 ,that the fairies1 however1 were fond of indulging in mischievous sport at the expense of mortals is beyond all doubt1 the merry pranks of ,puck or ,robin ,goodfellow fully illustrating this item of our fairy-lore4 ,thus1 in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7ii4 #a7 this playful fairy says3 ,i am that merry wanderer of the night4 ,i jest to ,oberon and make him smile1 ,when ,i a fat and bean-fed horse beguile1 ,neighing in likeness of a filly foal3 ,and sometime lurk ,i in a gossip's bowl1 ,in very likeness of a roasted crab2 ,and when she drinks1 against her lips ,i bob1 ,and on her wither'd dewlap pour the ale4 ,the wisest aunt1 telling the saddest tale1 ,sometime for three-foot stool mistaketh me2 ,then slip ,i from her bum1 down topples she1 ,and 'tailor' cries1 and falls into a cough4 ,a fairy1 in another passage1 asks ,robin3 ,are you not he ,that frights the maidens of the villagery1 99 99 99 99 99 ,mislead night-wanderers1 laughing at their harm8 ,we have already mentioned how ,queen ,mab had the same mischievous humor in her composition1 which is described by ,mercutio in ,romeo and ,juliet 7i4 #d73 ,this is that very ,mab ,that plats the manes of horses in the night1 ,and bakes the elflocks in foul sluttish hairs1 ,which1 once untangled1 much misfortune bodes4 ,another reprehensible practice attributed to the fairies was that of carrying off and exchanging children1 such being designated changelings4#de ,the special agent in transactions of the sort was also ,queen ,mab1 and hence ,mercutio says3 ,she is the fairies' midwife4 ,and she is so called1 says ,mr4 ,halliwell-,phillipps1 because it was her supposed custom to steal new-born babes in the night and leave others in their place4 ,mr4 ,steevens gives a different interpretation to this line1 and says1 ,it does not mean that she was the midwife to the fairies1 but that she was the person among the fairies whose department it was to deliver the fancies of sleeping men in their dreams1 those children of an idle brain4 #de ,this superstition is fully described in chapter on ,birth4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,witches4 ,in years gone by witchcraft was one of the grossest forms of superstition1 and it would be difficult to estimate the extent of its influence in this and other countries4 ,it is not surprising that ,shakespeare should have made frequent allusions to this popular belief1 considering how extensively it prevailed in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries2 the religious and dramatic literature of the period being full of it4 ,indeed1 as ,mr4 ,williams#df points out1 what the vulgar superstition must have been may be easily conceived1 when men of the greatest genius or learning credited the possibility1 and not only a theoretical but possible occurrence1 of these infernal phenomena4 ,thus1 ,francis ,bacon was not able to get rid of the principles upon which the creed was based4 ,sir ,edward ,coke1 his contemporary1 the most acute lawyer of the age1 ventured even to define the devil's agents in witchcraft4 ,sir ,thomas ,browne and ,sir ,matthew ,hale1 in #affd1 proved their faith--the one by his solemn testimony in open court1 the other by his still more solemn sentence4 ,hence1 it was only to be expected that ,shakespeare should introduce into his writings descriptions of a creed which held such a prominent place in the history of his day1 and which has made itself famous for all time by the thousands of victims it caused to be sent to the torture-chamber1 to the stake1 and to the scaffold4 ,thus he has given a graphic account of the celebrated ,jeanne ,d',arc1 the ,maid of ,orleans1 in #a ,henry ,,vi41 although ,mr4 ,dowden#dg is of opinion that this play was written by one or more authors1 ,greene having had1 perhaps1 a chief hand in it1 assisted by ,peele and ,marlowe4 ,he says1 ,it is a happiness not to have to ascribe to our greatest poet the crude and hateful handling of the character of ,joan of ,arc1 excused though to some extent it may be by the occurrence of view in our old ,english chronicles4 #df ,superstitions of ,witchcraft1 #ahfe1 p4 #bbj4 #dg ,shakspere ,primer1 #ahgg1 p4 #fc4 ,mr4 ,lecky1#dh too1 regards the conception of ,joan of ,arc given in #a ,henry ,,vi4 as the darkest blot upon the poet's genius1 but it must be remembered that we have only expressed the current belief of his day--the ,english vulgar having regarded her as a sorceress1 the ,french as an inspired heroine4 ,talbot is represented as accusing her of being a witch1 serving the ,evil ,one1 and entering ,rouen by means of her sorceries 7iii4 #b73 ,france1 thou shalt rue this treason with thy tears1 ,if ,talbot but survive thy treachery4 ,pucelle1 that witch1 that damned sorceress1 ,hath wrought this hellish mischief unawares1 ,that hardly we escaped the pride of ,france4 #dh ,rationalism in ,europe1 #ahgj1 vol4 i4 p4 #ajf4 ,further on 7v4 #c7 she is made to summon fiends before her1 but she wishes them in vain1 for they speak not1 hanging their heads in sign of approaching disaster4 ,now help1 ye charming spells and periapts2 ,and ye choice spirits that admonish me ,and give me signs of future accidents4 ,you speedy helpers1 that are substitutes ,under the lordly monarch of the north1 ,appear and aid me in this enterprise4 ,but she adds3 ,see1 they forsake me6 ,now the time is come ,that ,france must vail her lofty-plumed crest1 ,and let her head fall into ,england's lap4 ,my ancient incantations are too weak1 ,and hell too strong for me to buckle with3 ,now1 ,france1 thy glory droopeth to the dust4 ,finally1 convicted of practising sorcery1 and filling the world with vicious qualities1 she was condemned to be burned4 ,her death1 however1 ,sir ,walter ,scott#di says1 was not1 we are sorry to say1 a sacrifice to superstitious fear of witchcraft1 but a cruel instance of wicked policy1 mingled with national jealousy and hatred4 ,the ,duke of ,bedford1 when the ill-starred ,jeanne fell into his hands1 took away her life in order to stigmatize her memory with sorcery1 and to destroy the reputation she had acquired among the ,french4 #di ,demonology and ,witchcraft1 #ahha1 pp4 #aib1 #aic4 ,the cases of the ,duchess of ,gloucester and of ,jane ,shore1 also immortalized by ,shakespeare1 are both referred to in the succeeding pages4 ,the ,witch of ,brentford1 mentioned by ,mrs4 ,page in ,the ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7iv4 #b71 was an actual personage1 the fame1 says ,staunton1#ej of whose vaticinations must have been traditionally well known to an audience of the time1 although the records we possess of her are scant enough4 ,the chief of them is a black-letter tract1 printed by ,william ,copland in the middle of the sixteenth century1 entitled ,jyl of ,braintford's ,testament1 from which it appears she was hostess of a tavern at ,brentford4#ea ,one of the characters in ,dekker and ,webster's ,westward ,ho#eb says1 ,i doubt that old hag1 ,gillian of ,brainford1 has bewitched me4 #ej ,shakespeare1 #ahfd1 vol ii4 p4 #afa4 #ea ,see ,dyce's ,glossary1 p4 #ea4 #eb ,webster's ,works1 edited by ,dyce1 #aheg1 p4 #bch4 ,the witches in ,macbeth are probably ,scottish hags4 ,as ,mr4 ,gunnyon remarks1#ec ,they are hellish monsters1 brewing hell-broth1 having cats and toads for familiars1 loving midnight1 riding on the passing storm1 and devising evil against such as offend them4 ,they crouch beneath the gibbet of the murderer1 meet in gloomy caverns1 amid earthquake convulsions1 or in thunder1 lightning1 and rain4 ,coleridge1 speaking of them1 observes that the weird sisters are as true a creation of ,shakespeare's as his ,ariel and ,caliban--fates1 fairies1 and materializing witches being the elements4 ,they are wholly different from any representation of witches in the contemporary writers1 and yet presented a sufficient external resemblance to the creatures of vulgar prejudice to act immediately on the audience4 ,their character consists in the imaginative disconnected from the good1 they are the shadowy obscure and fearfully anomalous of physical nature1 elemental avengers without sex or kin4 #ec ,illustrations of ,scottish ,history1 ,life1 and ,superstition1 #ahgi1 p4 #cbb4 ,it has been urged1 however1 by certain modern critics1 that these three sisters1 who play such an important part in ',macbeth1' are not witches at all1 but are1 or are intimately allied to1 the ,norns or ,fates of ,scandinavian paganism4#ed ,thus1 a writer in the ,academy 7,feb4 #h1 #ahgi7 thinks that ,shakespeare drew upon ,scandinavian mythology for a portion of the material he used in constructing these characters1 and that he derived the rest from the traditions of contemporary witchcraft2 in fact1 that the sisters are hybrids between ,norns and witches4 ,the supposed proof of this is that each sister exercises the special function of one of the ,norns4 ,the third1 it is said1 is the special prophetess1 while the first takes cognizance of the past1 and the second of the present1 in affairs connected with humanity4 ,these are the tasks of ,urda1 ,verdandi1 and ,skulda4 ,the first begins by asking1 ',when shall we three meet again8' ,the second decides the time3 ',when the battle's lost and won4' ,the third the future prophesies3 ',that will be ere the set of sun4' ,the first again asks1 ',where8' ,the second decides3 ',upon the heath4' ,the third the future prophesies3 ',there to meet with ,macbeth4' #ed ,spalding's ,elizabethan ,demonology1 #ahhj1 p4 #hf4 ,it is further added that the description of the sisters given by ,banquo 7i4 #c7 applies to ,norns rather than witches3 ,what are these ,so wither'd and so wild in their attire1 ,that look not like the inhabitants o' the earth1 ,and yet are on't8 ,live you8 or are you aught ,that man may question8 ,you seem to understand me1 ,by each at once her chappy finger laying ,upon her skinny lips3 you should be women1 ,and yet your beards forbid me to interpret ,that you are so4 ,but1 as ,mr4 ,spalding truly adds1 a more accurate poetical counterpart to the prose descriptions given by contemporary writers of the appearance of the poor creatures who were charged with the crime of witchcraft could hardly have been penned4 ,scot1 for instance1 in his ,discovery of ,witchcraft 7book i4 chap4 iii4 #g71 says3 ,they are women which commonly be old1 lame1 bleare-eied1 pale1 fowle1 and full of wrinkles2 they are leane and deformed1 showing melancholie in their faces4 ,harsnet1 too1 in his ,declaration of ,popish ,impostures 7#afjc1 p4 #acf71 speaks of a witch as an old weather-beaten crone1 having her chin and knees meeting for age1 walking like a bow1 leaning on a staff1 hollow-eyed1 un-toothed1 furrowed1 having her limbs trembling with palsy1 going mumbling in the streets2 one that hath forgotten her paternoster1 yet hath a shrewd tongue to call a drab a drab4 ,the beard1 also1 to which ,shakespeare refers in the passage above1 was the recognized characteristic of the witch4 ,thus1 in the ,honest ,man's ,fortune 7ii4 #a71 it is said1 ,the women that come to us for disguises must wear beards1 and that's to say a token of a witch4 ,in the ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7iv4 #b71 ,sir ,hugh ,evans says of the disguised ,falstaff3 ,by yea and no1 ,i think the 'oman is a witch indeed3 ,i like not when a 'oman has a great peard2 ,i spy a great peard under her muffler4 ,it seems probable1 then1 that witches are alluded to by ,shakespeare in ,macbeth1 the contemporary literature on the subject fully supporting this theory4 ,again1 by his introduction of ,hecate among the witches in ,macbeth 7iii4 #e71 ,shakespeare has been censured for confounding ancient with modern superstitions4 ,but the incongruity is found in all the poets of the ,renaissance4 ,hecate1 of course1 is only another name for ,diana4 ,witchcraft1 in truth1 is no modern invention4 ,witches were believed in by the vulgar in the time of ,horace as implicitly as in the time of ,shakespeare4 ,and the belief that the pagan gods were really existent as evil demons is one which has come down from the very earliest ages of ,christianity4#ee ,as far back as the fourth century1 the ,council of ,ancyra is said to have condemned the pretensions of witches2 that in the night-time they rode abroad or feasted with their mistress1 who was one of the pagan goddesses1 ,minerva1 ,sibylla1 or ,diana1 or else ,herodias4#ef ,in ,middleton's ,witch1 ,hecate is the name of one of his witches1 and she has a son a low buffoon4 ,in ,jonson's ,sad ,shepherd 7ii4 #a7 ,maudlin the witch calls ,hecate1 the mistress of witches1 ,our dame ,hecate4 ,while speaking of the witches in ,macbeth1 it may be pointed out that#eg the full meaning of the first scene is the fag-end of a witch's ,sabbath1 which1 if fully represented1 would bear a strong resemblance to the scene at the commencement of the fourth act4 ,but a long scene on such a subject would be tedious and uninteresting at the commencement of the play4 ,the audience is therefore left to assume that the witches have met1 performed their conjurations1 obtained from the evil spirits the information concerning ,macbeth's career that they desired to obtain1 and perhaps have been commanded by the fiends to perform the mission they subsequently carry through4 ,brand#eh describes this ,sabbath of the witches as a meeting to which the sisterhood1 after having been anointed with certain magical ointments1 provided by their infernal leader1 are supposed to be carried through the air on brooms1 etc4 ,it was supposed to be held on a ,saturday1 and in past centuries this piece of superstition was most extensively credited1 and was one of the leading doctrines associated with the system of witchcraft4 #ee ,notes to ,macbeth 7,clark and ,wright71 #ahgg1 p4 #acg4 #ef ,scot's ,discovery of ,witchcraft1 #aehd1 book iii4 chap4 #af4 ,see ,douce's ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 p4 #bce4 #eg ,elizabethan ,demonology1 pp4 #ajb1 #ajc4 ,see ,conway's ,demonology and ,devil-lore1 vol4 ii4 p4 #bec4 #eh ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 iii4 p4 #h4 ,referring1 in the next place1 to the numerous scattered notices of witches given by ,shakespeare throughout his plays1 it is evident that he had made himself thoroughly acquainted with the superstitions connected with the subject1 many of which he has described with the most minute accuracy4 ,it appears1 then1 that although they were supposed to possess extraordinary powers1 which they exerted in various ways1 yet these were limited1 as in the case of ,christmas night1 when1 we are told in ,hamlet 7i4 #a71 they have no power to charm4 ,in spite1 too1 of their being able to assume the form of any animal at pleasure1 the tail was always wanting4 ,in ,macbeth 7i4 #c71 the first witch says3 ,and1 like a rat without a tail1 ,i'll do1 ,i'll do1 and ,i'll do4 ,one distinctive mark1 also1 of a were-wolf1 or human being changed into a wolf1 was the absence of a tail4 ,the cat was said to be the form most commonly assumed by the familiar spirits of witches2 as1 for instance1 where the first witch says1 ,i come1 ,graymalkin6#ei 7i4 #a71 and further on 7iv4 #a71 ,thrice the brinded cat hath mew'd4 ,in ,german legends and traditions we find frequent notice of witches assuming the form of a cat1 and displaying their fiendish character in certain diabolical acts4 ,it was1 however1 the absence of the tail that only too often was the cause of the witch being detected in her disguised form4 ,there were various other modes of detecting witches3 one being the trial by the stool1 to which an allusion is made in ,troilus and ,cressida 7ii4 #a71 where ,ajax says to ,thersites1 ,thou stool for a witch6 --a practice which is thus explained in ,grey's ,notes 7ii4 #bcf73 ,in one way of trying a witch1 they used to place her upon a chair or a stool1 with her legs tied cross1 that all the weight of her body might rest upon her seat1 and by that means1 after some time1 the circulation of the blood would be much stopped1 and her sitting would be as painful as the wooden horse2 and she must continue in this pain twenty-four hours1 without either sleep or meat2 and it was no wonder that1 when they were tired out with such an ungodly trial1 they would confess themselves many times guilty to free themselves from such torture4 #ei ,graymalkin--a gray cat4 ,again1 it was a part of the system of witchcraft that drawing blood from a witch rendered her enchantments ineffectual4 ,thus1 in #a ,henry ,,vi4 7i4 #e71 ,talbot says to the ,maid of ,orleans3 ,i'll have a bout with thee2 ,devil or devil's dam1 ,i'll conjure thee3 ,blood will ,i draw on thee1 thou art a witch4 ,an instance of this superstition occurred some years ago in a ,cornish village1 when a man was summoned before the bench of magistrates and fined1 for having assaulted the plaintiff and scratched her with a pin4 ,indeed1 this notion has by no means died out4 ,as recently as the year #ahgj1 a man eighty years of age was fined at ,barnstaple1 in ,devonshire1 for scratching with a needle the arm of a young girl4 ,he pleaded that he had suffered affliction through her for five years1 had had four complaints on him at once1 had lost fourteen canaries1 and about fifty goldfinches1 and that his neighbors told him this was the only way to break the spell and get out of her power4#fj #fj ,henderson's ,folk-,lore of ,northern ,counties1 p4 #aha4 ,it was1 also1 a popular belief that a great share of faith was a protection from witchcraft4 ,hence1 in the ,comedy of ,errors 7iii4 #b71 ,dromio of ,syracuse says of ,nell3 if my breast had not been made of faith and my heart of steel1 ,she had transform'd me to a curtail-dog1 and made me turn i' the wheel4 ,in order1 moreover1 to check the power of witches1 it was supposed to be necessary to propitiate them1 a ceremony which was often performed4 ,it is alluded to further on in the same play 7iv4 #c71 where ,dromio of ,syracuse says-- ,some devils ask but the parings of one's nail1 ,a rush1 a hair1 a drop of blood1 a pin1 ,a nut1 a cherry-stone2 and in ,macbeth we read of their being propitiated by gifts of blood4 ,witches were supposed to have the power of creating storms and other atmospheric disturbances--a notion to which much prominence is given in ,macbeth4 ,thus1 the witches elect to meet in thunder1 lightning1 or rain4 ,they are represented as being able to loose and bind the winds 7v4 #c71 to cause vessels to be tempest-tossed at sea4 ,hence ,macbeth addresses them 7iv4 #a73 ,though you untie the winds1 and let them fight ,against the churches2 though the yesty waves ,confound and swallow navigation up2 ,though bladed corn be lodged and trees blown down2 ,though castles topple on their warders' heads2 ,though palaces and pyramids do slope ,their heads to their foundations2 though the treasure ,of nature's germins tumble all together1 ,even till destruction sicken4 ,thus1 by way of illustration1 we may quote a curious confession made in ,scotland1 about the year #aeia1 by ,agnes ,sampson1 a reputed witch4 ,she vowed that at the time his majesty ,james ,,vi4 was in ,denmark1 she took a cat and christened it1 and afterwards bound to each part of that cat the chiefest parts of a dead man1 and several joints of his body2 and that in the night following1 the said cat was conveyed into the midst of the sea1 by herself and other witches1 sailing in their riddles1 or crieves1 and so left the said cat right before the town of ,leith1 in ,scotland4 ,this done1 there arose such a tempest in the sea1 as a greater hath not been seen1 which tempest was the cause of the perishing of a boat or vessel coming from the town of ,brunt ,island to the town of ,leith1 wherein were sundry jewels and rich gifts1 which should have been presented to the new ,queen of ,scotland at his majesty's coming to ,leith4 ,again1 it is confessed that the said christened cat was the cause of the king's majesty's ship1 at his coming forth of ,denmark1 having a contrary wind to the rest of the ships then being in his company1 which thing was most strange and true1 as the king's majesty acknowledged4 ,it is to this circumstance that ,shakespeare probably alludes in ,macbeth 7i4 #c71 where he makes the witch say3 ,though his bark cannot be lost1 ,yet it shall be tempest-toss'd4 ,witches were also believed to be able to sell or give winds1 a notion thus described in ,drayton's ,moon-,calf 7#hfe73 ,she could sell winds to any one that would ,buy them for money1 forcing them to hold ,what time she listed1 tie them in a thread1 ,which ever as the seafarer undid ,they rose or scantled1 as his sails would drive ,to the same port whereas he would arrive4 ,so1 in ,macbeth 7i4 #c73 #b ,witch4 ,i'll give thee a wind4 #a ,witch4 ,thou'rt kind4 #c ,witch4 ,and ,i another4 ,singer quotes from ,sumner's ,last ,will and ,testament3 ,in ,ireland1 and in ,denmark both1 ,witches for gold will sell a man a wind1 ,which1 in the corner of a napkin wrapp'd1 ,shall blow him safe unto what coast he will4 ,at one time the ,finlanders and ,laplanders drove a profitable trade by the sale of winds4 ,after being paid they knitted three magical knots1 and told the buyer that when he untied the first he would have a good gale2 when the second1 a strong wind2 and when the third1 a severe tempest4#fa #fa ,olaus ,magnus's ,history of the ,goths1 #afch1 p4 #dg4 ,see note to ,the ,pirate4 ,the sieve1 as a symbol of the clouds1 has been regarded among all nations of the ,aryan stock as the mythical vehicle used by witches1 nightmares1 and other elfish beings in their excursions over land and sea4#fb ,thus1 the first witch in ,macbeth 7i4 #c71 referring to the scoff which she had received from a sailor's wife1 says3 ,her husband's to ,aleppo gone1 master o' the ,tiger3 ,but in a sieve ,i'll thither sail4#fc #fb ,see ,hardwick's ,traditions and ,folk-,lore1 pp4 #ajh1 #aji2 ,kelly's ,indo-,european ,folk-,lore1 pp4 #bad1 #bae4 #fc ,in ,greek1 ,greek3 hepi rhipous plein1 to go to sea in a sieve1 was a proverbial expression for an enterprise of extreme hazard or impossible of achievement4--,clark and ,wright's ,notes to ,macbeth1 #ahgg1 p4 #hb4 ,stories of voyages performed in this way are common enough in ,germany4 ,a man1 for instance1 going through a corn-field1 finds a sieve on the path1 which he takes with him4 ,he does not go far before a young lady hurries after him1 and hunts up and down as if looking for something1 ejaculating all the time1 ,how my children are crying in ,england6 ,thereupon the man lays down the sieve1 and has hardly done so ere sieve and lady vanish4 ,in the case of another damsel of the same species1 mentioned by ,mr4 ,kelly1 the usual exclamation is thus varied3 ,my sieve rim6 my sieve rim6 how my mother is calling me in ,england6 ,at the sound of her mother's voice the daughter immediately thinks of her sieve4 ,steevens quotes from the ,life of ,doctor ,fian1 a notable sorcerer1 burned at ,edinburgh1 ,january1 #aeia1 how that he and a number of witches went to sea1 each one in a riddle or cive4 ,in the ,discovery of ,witchcraft1 ,reginald ,scot says it was believed that witches could sail in an egg-shell1 a cockle or muscle-shell1 through and under the tempestuous seas4 ,thus1 in ,pericles 7iv4 #d71 ,gower says3 ,thus time we waste1 and longest leagues make short2 ,sail seas in cockles1 have1 and wish but for't4 ,their dance is thus noticed in ,macbeth 7iv4 #a73 ,i'll charm the air to give a sound ,while you perform your antic round4 ,witches also were supposed to have the power of vanishing at will1 a notion referred to in ,macbeth 7i4 #c71 where1 in reply to ,banquo's inquiry as to whither the witches are vanished1 ,macbeth replies3 ,into the air2 and what seem'd corporal melted ,as breath into the wind4 ,in his letter to his wife he likewise observes3 ,they made themselves air1 into which they vanished4 ,hecate1 in the third act1 fifth scene1 after giving instructions to the weird host1 says3 ,i am for the air2 this night ,i'll spend ,unto a dismal and a fatal end4 ,to this purpose they prepared various ointments1 concerning which ,reginald ,scot#fd says3 ,the devil teacheth them to make ointment of the bowels and members of children1 whereby they ride in the air and accomplish all their desires4 ,after burial they steal them out of their graves and seethe them in a caldron till the flesh be made potable1 of which they make an ointment by which they ride in the air4 ,lord ,bacon also informs us that the ointment the witches use is reported to be made of the fat of children digged out of their graves1 of the juices of smallage1 wolf bane1 and cinquefoil1 mingled with the meal of fine wheat2 but ,i suppose the soporiferous medicines are likest to do it1 which are henbane1 hemlock1 mandrake1 moonshade--or rather nightshade--tobacco1 opium1 saffron1#fe etc4 ,these witch recipes1 which are very numerous1 are well illustrated in ,shakespeare's grim caldron scene1 in ,macbeth 7iv4 #a71 where the first witch speaks of grease that's sweaten ,from the murderer's gibbet4 ,we may compare a similar notion given by ,apuleius1 who1 in describing the process used by the witch1 ,milo's wife1 for transforming herself into a bird1 says3 ,that she cut the lumps of flesh of such as were hanged4#ff #fd ,discovery of ,witchcraft1 #aehd1 book iii4 chap4 i4 p4 #dj2 see ,spalding's ,elizabethan ,demonology1 p4 #ajc4 #fe ,see ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 vol4 iii4 pp4 #h-aj4 #ff ,douce1 ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 p4 #bde1 says3 ,see ,adlington's ,translation 7#aeif1 p4 #di71 a book certainly used by ,shakespeare on other occasions4 ,another way by which witches exercise their power was by looking into futurity1 as in ,macbeth 7i4 #c71 where ,banquo says to them3 ,if you can look into the seeds of time1 ,and say which grain will grow and which will not1 ,speak then to me4 ,charles ,knight1 in his biography of ,shakespeare1 quotes a witch trial1 which aptly illustrates the passage above2 the case being that of ,johnnet ,wischert1 who was indicted for passing to the green-growing corn in ,may1 twenty-two years since1 or thereby1 sitting thereupon tymous in the morning before the sun-rising2 and being there found and demanded what she was doing1 thus answered1 ,i shall tell thee2 ,i have been piling the blades of the corn4 ,i find it will be a dear year2 the blade of the corn grows withersones contrary to the course of the sun1 and when it grows sonegatis about with the course of the sun1 it will be a good1 cheap year4 ,according to a common notion firmly believed in days gone by1 witches were supposed to make waxen figures of those they intended to harm1 which they stuck through with pins1 or melted before a slow fire4 ,then1 as the figure wasted1 so the person it represented was said to waste away also4 ,thus1 in ,macbeth 7i4 #c71 the first witch says3 ,weary sev'n-nights1 nine times nine1 ,shall he dwindle1 peak1 and pine4 ,referring to the histories of the ,duchess of ,gloucester and of ,jane ,shore1 who were accused of practising this mode of witchcraft1 ,shakespeare1 in #b ,henry ,,vi4 7i4 #b71 makes the former address ,hume thus3 ,what say'st thou1 man8 hast them as yet conferr'd ,with ,margery ,jourdain1 the cunning witch1 ,with ,roger ,bolingbroke1 the conjurer8 ,and will they undertake to do me good8 ,she was afterwards1 however1 accused of consulting witches concerning the mode of compassing the death of her husband's nephew1 ,henry ,,vi4 ,it was asserted that there was found in the possession of herself and accomplices a waxen image of the king1 which they melted in a magical manner before a slow fire1 with the intention of making ,henry's force and vigor waste away by like insensible degrees4 ,a similar charge was brought against ,jane ,shore1 the mistress of ,edward ,,iv41 by ,richard1 ,duke of ,gloucester4 ,thus1 in ,king ,richard ,,iii4 7iii4 #d71 ,gloucester asks ,hastings3 ,i pray you all1 tell me what they deserve ,that do conspire my death with devilish plots ,of damned witchcraft1 and that have prevail'd ,upon my body with their hellish charms8 ,and he then further adds3 ,look how ,i am bewitch'd2 behold mine arm ,is1 like a blasted sapling1 wither'd up3 ,and this is ,edward's wife1 that monstrous witch1 ,consorted with that harlot1 strumpet ,shore1 ,that by their witchcraft thus have marked me4 ,this superstition is further alluded to in ,king ,john 7v4 #d7 by ,melun1 who1 wounded1 says3 ,have ,i not hideous death within my view1 ,retaining but a quantity of life1 ,which bleeds away1 even as a form of wax ,resolveth from his figure 'gainst the fire8 ,and1 again1 in ,the ,two ,gentlemen of ,verona 7ii4 #d71 ,proteus says3 for now my love is thaw'd2 ,which1 like a waxen image 'gainst a fire1 ,bears no impression of the thing it was4#fg #fg ,see ,henderson's ,folk-,lore of the ,northern ,counties1 #ahgi1 p4 #aha4 ,images were frequently formed of other materials1 and maltreated in some form or other1 to produce similar results--a piece of superstition which still prevails to a great extent in the ,east4 ,dubois1 in his ,people of ,india 7#ahbe71 speaks of magicians who make small images in mud or clay1 and then write the names of their animosity on the breasts thereof2 these are otherwise pierced with thorns or mutilated1 so as to communicate a corresponding injury to the person represented4 ,they were also said to extract moisture from the body1 as in ,macbeth 7i4 #c73 ,i will drain him dry as hay4 ,referring to the other mischievous acts of witches1 ,steevens quotes the following from ,a ,detection of ,damnable ,driftes ,practised by ,three ,witches1 etc41 arraigned at ,chelmisforde1 in ,essex1 #aegi3 ,item--,also she came on a tyme to the house of one ,robert ,lathburie1 who1 dislyking her dealyng1 sent her home emptie2 but presently after her departure his hogges fell sicke and died1 to the number of twentie4 ,hence in ,macbeth 7i4 #c7 in reply to the inquiry of the first witch3 ,where hast thou been1 sister8 the second replies3 ,killing swine4 ,it appears to have been their practice to destroy the cattle of their neighbors1 and the farmers have to this day many ceremonies to secure their cows and other cattle from witchcraft2 but they seem to have been most suspected of malice against swine4 ,harsnet observes how1 formerly1 ,a sow could not be ill of the measles1 nor a girl of the sullens1 but some old woman was charged with witchcraft4#fh #fh ,see ,pig1 chap4 vi4 ,mr4 ,henderson1 in his ,folk-,lore of the ,northern ,counties 7#ahgi1 p4 #ahb71 relates how a few years ago a witch died in the village of ,bovey ,tracey1 ,devonshire4 ,she was accused of overlooking her neighbors' pigs1 so that her son1 if ever betrayed into a quarrel with her1 used always to say1 before they parted1 ,mother1 mother1 spare my pigs4 ,multiples of three and nine were specially employed by witches1 ancient and modern4 ,thus1 in ,macbeth 7i4 #c71 the witches take hold of hands and dance round in a ring nine times--three rounds for each witch1 as a charm for the furtherance of her purposes3#fi ,thrice to thine and thrice to mine1 ,and thrice again1 to make up nine4 ,peace6 the charm's wound up4 #fi ,notes to ,macbeth1 by ,clark and ,wright1 #ahgg1 p4 #hd4 ,the love of witches for odd numbers is further illustrated 7iv4 #a71 where one of them tells how ,thrice and once the hedge-pig whined1 this being the witches' way of saying four times4 ,in ,fairfax's ,tasso 7book xiii4 stanza #f7 it is said that ,witchcraft loveth numbers odd4 ,this notion is very old1 and we may compare the following quotations from ,ovid's ,metamorphoses 7xiv4 #eh73 ,ter novies carmen magico demurmurat ore4 ,and1 again 7vii4 #ahi-aia73 ,ter se convertit2 ter sumtis flumine crinem ,irroravit aquis2 ternis ululatibus ora ,solvit4 ,vergil1 too1 in his ,eclogues 7viii4 #ge71 says3 ,numero deus impare gaudet4 ,the belief in the luck of odd numbers is noticed by ,falstaff in the ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7v4 #a73 ,they say there is divinity in odd numbers1 either in nativity1 chance1 or death6 ,in ,king ,lear 7iv4 #b7 when the ,duke of ,albany tells ,goneril1 ,she that herself will sliver and disbranch ,from her material sap1 perforce must wither ,and come to deadly use-- he alludes to the use that witches and enchanters were commonly supposed to make of withered branches in their charms4#gj #gj ,see ,jones's ,credulities1 ,past and ,present1 #ahhj1 pp4 #bef-bhi4 ,among other items of witch-lore mentioned by ,shakespeare may be noticed the common belief in the intercourse between demons and witches1 to which ,prospero alludes in the ,tempest 7i4 #b73 ,thou poisonous slave1 got by the devil himself ,upon thy wicked dam1 come forth6 ,this notion is seriously refuted by ,scot in his ,discovery of ,witchcraft 7book iv471 where he shows it to be flat knavery4 ,the offspring of a witch was termed ,hag-seed1 and as such is spoken of by ,prospero in the ,tempest 7i4 #b74 ,witches were also in the habit of saying their prayers backwards3 a practice to which ,hero refers in ,much ,ado ,about ,nothing 7iii4 #a71 where1 speaking of ,beatrice1 she says3 ,i never yet saw man1 ,how wise1 how noble1 young1 how rarely featured1 ,but she would spell him backward4 ,familiar spirits#ga attending on magicians and witches were always impatient of confinement4#gb ,so in the ,tempest 7i4 #b7 we find an illustration of this notion in the following dialogue3 ,prospero4 ,what is't thou canst demand8 ,ariel4 ,my liberty4 ,prospero4 ,before the time be out8 ,no more4 #ga ,allusions to this superstition occur in ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7i4 #b71 love is a familiar2 in #a ,henry ,,vi4 7iii4 #b71 ,i think her old familiar is asleep2 and in #b ,henry ,,vi4 7iv4 #g71 he has a familiar under his tongue4 #gb ,see ,scot's ,discovery of ,witchcraft1 #aehd1 p4 #he4 ,lastly1 the term ,aroint thee 7,macbeth1 i4 #c71 used by the first witch1 occurs again in ,king ,lear 7iii4 #d71 ,aroint thee1 witch1 aroint thee4 ,that aroint is equivalent to away1 begone1 seems to be agreed1 though its etymology is uncertain4#gc ,rynt thee is used by milkmaids in ,cheshire to a cow1 when she has been milked1 to bid her get out of the way4 ,ray1 in his ,collection of ,north ,country ,words 7#agfh1 p4 #eb71 gives ,rynt ye1 by your leave1 stand handsomely1 as rynt you witch1 quoth ,bessie ,locket to her mother4 ,proverb1 ,chesh4 ,some connect it with the adverb aroume1 meaning abroad1 found in ,chaucer's ,house of ,fame 7book ii4 stanza #cb73 ,that ,i a-roume was in the field4 ,other derivations are from the ,latin averrunco3 the ,italian rogna1 a cutaneous disease1 etc4 #gc ,sec ,dyce's ,glossary1 pp4 #ah1 #ai4 ,how thoroughly ,shakespeare was acquainted with the system of witchcraft is evident from the preceding pages1 in which we have noticed his allusions to most of the prominent forms of this species of superstition4 ,many other items of witch-lore1 however1 are referred to by him1 mention of which is made in succeeding chapters4#gd #gd ,notes to ,macbeth 7,clark and ,wright71 pp4 #ha1 #hb4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,ghosts4 ,few subjects have1 from time immemorial1 possessed a wider interest than ghosts1 and the superstitions associated with them in this and other countries form an extensive collection in folk-lore literature4 ,in ,shakespeare's day1 it would seem that the belief in ghosts was specially prevalent1 and ghost tales were told by the firelight in nearly every household4 ,the young1 as ,mr4 ,goadby1 in his ,england of ,shakespeare1 says 7#ahha1 p4 #aif71 were thus touched by the prevailing superstitions in their most impressionable years4 ,they looked for the incorporeal creatures of whom they had heard1 and they were quick to invest any trick of moonbeam shadow with the attributes of the supernatural4 ,a description of one of these tale-tellings is given in the ,winter's ,tale 7ii4 #a73 ,her4 ,what wisdom stirs amongst you8 ,come1 sir1 now ,i am for you again3 pray you1 sit by us1 ,and tell's a tale4 ,mam4 ,merry or sad shall't be8 ,her4 ,as merry as you will4 ,mam4 ,a sad tale's best for winter3 ,i have one of sprites and goblins4 ,her4 ,let's have that1 good sir4 ,come on1 sit down3 ,come on1 and do your best ,to fright me with your sprites3 you're powerful at it4 ,mam4 ,there was a man1-- ,her4 ,nay1 come1 sit down2 then on4 ,mam4 ,dwelt by a churchyard3 ,i will tell it softly2 ,yond crickets shall not hear it4 ,her4 ,come on1 then1 ,and give't me in mine ear4 ,the important part which ,shakespeare has assigned to the ghost in ,hamlet has a special value1 inasmuch as it illustrates many of the old beliefs current in his day respecting their history and habits4 ,thus1 according to a popular notion1 ghosts are generally supposed to assume the exact appearance by which they were usually known when in the material state1 even to the smallest detail of their dress4 ,so ,horatio tells ,hamlet how1 when ,marcellus and ,bernardo were on their watch 7i4 #b71 ,a figure like your father1 ,arm'd at point1 exactly1 cap-a-pe1 ,appears before them1 and with solemn march ,goes slow and stately by them4 ,further on1 when the ghost appears again1 ,hamlet addresses it thus3 ,what may this mean1 ,that thou1 dead corse1 again1 in complete steel1 ,revisit'st thus the glimpses of the moon1 ,making night hideous4 ,in the graphic description of ,banquo's ghost in ,macbeth 7iii4 #d71 we have a further allusion to the same belief2 one1 indeed1 which is retained at the present day with as much faith as in days of old4 ,shakespeare has several allusions to the notion which prevailed in days gone by1 of certain persons being able to exorcise or raise spirits4 ,thus1 in ,cymbeline 7iv4 #b71 ,guiderius says over ,fidele's grave3 ,no exorciser harm thee4 ,in ,julius ,csar 7ii4 #a71 ,ligarius says3 ,soul of ,rome6 ,brave son1 derived from honourable loins6 ,thou1 like an exorcist1 hast conjured up ,my mortified spirit4 ,now bid me run1 ,and ,i will strive with things impossible2 ,yea1 get the better of them4 ,in ,all's ,well that ,ends ,well 7v4 #c7 the king says3 ,is there no exorcist ,beguiles the truer office of mine eyes8 ,is't real that ,i see8 ,this superstition1 it may be added1 has of late years gained additional notoriety since the so-called spiritualism has attracted the attention and support of the credulous4 ,as learning was considered necessary for an exorcist1 the schoolmaster was often employed4 ,thus1 in the ,comedy of ,errors 7iv4 #d71 the schoolmaster ,pinch is introduced in this capacity4 ,within1 indeed1 the last fifty years the pedagogue was still a reputed conjurer4 ,in ,hamlet 7i4 #a71 ,marcellus1 alluding to the ghost1 says3 ,thou art a scholar2 speak to it1 ,horatio4 ,and in ,much ,ado ,about ,nothing 7ii4 #a71 ,benedick says3 ,i would to ,god some scholar would conjure her4 ,for the same reason exorcisms were usually practised by the clergy in ,latin2 and so ,toby1 in the ,night ,walker of ,beaumont and ,fletcher 7ii4 #a71 says3 ,let's call the butler up1 for he speaks ,latin1 ,and that will daunt the devil4 ,it was also necessary that spirits1 when evoked1 should be questioned quickly1 as they were supposed to be impatient of being interrogated4 ,hence in ,macbeth 7iv4 #a7 the apparition says3 ,dismiss me4 ,enough6 ,the spirit1 likewise1 in #b ,henry ,,vi4 7i4 #d7 utters these words3 ,ask what thou wilt4 ,that ,i had said and done6 ,spirits were supposed to maintain an obdurate silence till interrogated by the persons to whom they made their special appearance4#ge ,thus ,hamlet1 alluding to the appearance of the ghost1 asks ,horatio 7i4 #b73 ,did you not speak to it8 ,whereupon he replies3 ,my lord1 ,i did2 ,but answer made it none3 yet once1 methought ,it lifted up its head and did address ,itself to motion1 like as it would speak4 #ge ,we may compare the words unquestionable spirit in ,as ,you ,like ,it 7iii4 #b71 which means a spirit averse to conversation4 ,the walking of spirits seems also to have been enjoined by way of penance4 ,the ghost of ,hamlet's father 7i4 #e7 says3 ,i am thy father's spirit1 ,doom'd for a certain term to walk the night1 ,and for the day confin'd to fast in fires1 ,till the foul crimes done in my days of nature ,are burnt and purg'd away4 ,and further on 7iii4 #b7 ,hamlet exclaims3 ,it is a damned ghost that we have seen4 ,this superstition is referred to by ,spenser in his ,fairy ,queen 7book i4 canto #b73 ,what voice of damned ghost from ,limbo lake ,or guileful spright wand'ring in empty ayre1 ,sends to my doubtful eares these speeches rare8 ,according to a universal belief prevalent from the earliest times1 it was supposed that ghosts had some particular reason for quitting the mansions of the dead1 such as a desire that their bodies1 if unburied1 should receive ,christian rites of sepulture1 that a murderer might be brought to due punishment1 etc4#gf ,on this account ,horatio 7,hamlet1 i4 #a7 invokes the ghost3 ,if there be any good thing to be done1 ,that may to thee do ease and grace to me1 ,speak to me4 ,and in a later scene 7i4 #d7 ,hamlet says3 ,say1 why is this8 wherefore8 ,what should we do8 #gf ,douce's ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 pp4 #dej1 #dea4 ,the ,greeks believed that such as had not received funeral rites would be excluded from ,elysium2 and thus the wandering shade of ,patroclus appears to ,achilles in his sleep1 and demands the performance of his funeral4 ,the younger ,pliny tells a story of a haunted house at ,athens1 in which a ghost played all kinds of pranks1 owing to his funeral rites having been neglected4 ,a further reference to the superstition occurs in ,titus ,andronicus 7i4 #a71 where ,lucius1 speaking of the unburied sons of ,titus1 says3 ,give us the proudest prisoner of the ,goths1 ,that we may hew his limbs1 and1 on a pile1 ,ad manes fratrum sacrifice his flesh1 ,before this earthy prison of their bones2 ,that so the shadows be not unappeased1 ,nor we disturbed with prodigies on earth4 ,in olden times1 spirits were said to have different allotments of time1 suitable to the variety and nature of their agency4 ,prospero1 in the ,tempest 7i4 #b71 says to ,caliban3 ,be sure1 to-night thou shalt have cramps1 ,side-stitches that shall pen thy breath up2 urchins ,shall1 for that vast#gg of night that they may work1 ,all exercise on thee4 #gg ,vast1 i4 e41 space of night4 ,so in ,hamlet 7i4 #b73 ,in the dead waste and middle of the night4 ,according to a popular notion1 the presence of unearthly beings was announced by an alteration in the tint of the lights which happened to be burning--a superstition alluded to in ,richard ,,iii4 7v4 #c71 where the tyrant exclaims1 as he awakens3 ,the lights burn blue4--,it is now dead midnight1 ,cold fearful drops stand on my trembling flesh-- 99 99 99 99 99 ,methought the souls of all that ,i had murder'd ,came to my tent4 ,so in ,julius ,csar 7iv4 #c71 ,brutus1 on seeing the ghost of ,csar1 exclaims3 ,how ill this taper burns6 ,ha6 who comes here8 ,it has been a widespread belief from the most remote period that ghosts cannot bear the light1 and so disappear at the dawn of day2 their signal being the cock-crow4#gh ,the ghost of ,hamlet's father says 7i4 #e73 ,but1 soft6 methinks ,i scent the morning air2 ,brief let me be-- and-- ,fare thee well at once4 ,the glow-worm shows the matin to be near1 ,and 'gins to pale his uneffectual fire3 ,adieu1 adieu6 ,hamlet1 remember me4 #gh ,see p4 #ajd4 ,again1 in ,king ,lear 7iii4 #d71 ,edgar says3 ,this is the foul fiend ,flibbertigibbet3 he begins at curfew1 and walks till the first cock4 ,the time of night1 as the season wherein spirits wander abroad1 is further noticed by ,gardiner in ,henry ,,viii4 7v4 #a73 ,affairs1 that walk1 ,as they say spirits do1 at midnight4 ,it was a prevalent notion that a person who crossed the spot on which a spectre was seen became subject to its malignant influence4 ,in ,hamlet 7i4 #a71 ,horatio says1 in reference to the ghost3 ,but soft1 behold6 lo1 where it comes again6 ,i'll cross it1 though it blast me4 ,lodge1 in his ,illustrations of ,british ,history 7iii4 #dh71 tells us that among the reasons for supposing the death of ,ferdinand1 ,earl of ,derby 7who died young1 in #aeid71 to have been occasioned by witchcraft1 was the following3 ,on ,friday there appeared a tall man1 who twice crossed him swiftly2 and when the earl came to the place where he saw this man1 he fell sick4 ,reginald ,scot1 in his ,discovery of ,witchcraft 7#aehd71 enumerates the different kinds of spirits1 and particularly notices white1 black1 gray1 and red spirits4 ,so in ,macbeth 7iv4 #a71 black spirits are mentioned--the charm song referred to 7like the one in act iv47 being found in ,middleton's ,witch 7v4 #b73 ,black spirits and white1 ,red spirits and gray2 ,mingle1 mingle1 mingle1 ,you that mingle may4 ,a well-known superstition which still prevails in this and foreign countries is that of the spectre huntsman and his furious host4 ,as night-time approaches1 it is supposed that this invisible personage rides through the air with his yelping hounds2 their weird sound being thought to forbode misfortune of some kind4 ,this popular piece of folk-lore exists in the north of ,england under a variety of forms among our peasantry1 who tenaciously cling to the traditions which have been handed down to them4#gi ,it has been suggested that ,shakespeare had some of these superstitions in view when he placed in the mouth of ,macbeth 7i4 #g71 while contemplating the murder of ,duncan1 the following metaphors3 ,and pity1 like a naked new-born babe1 ,striding the blast1 or heaven's cherubim1 horsed ,upon the sightless couriers of the air1 ,shall blow the horrid deed in every eye1 ,that tears shall drown the wind6 #gi ,see ,hardwick's ,traditions1 ,superstitions1 and ,folk-lore1 #ahgb1 pp4 #aec-agf4 ,again1 in ,the ,tempest 7iv4 #a71 ,prospero and ,ariel are represented as setting on spirits1 in the shape of hounds1 to hunt ,stephano and ,trinculo4 ,this species of diabolical or spectral chase was formerly a popular article of belief4 ,as ,drake aptly remarks1#hj the hell-hounds of ,shakespeare appear to be sufficiently formidable1 for1 not merely commissioned to hunt their victims1 they are ordered1 likewise1 as goblins1 to-- grind their joints ,with dry convulsions2 shorten up their sinews ,with aged cramps2 and more pinch-spotted make them ,than pard or cat o' mountain4 ,ariel4 ,hark1 they roar6 ,prospero4 ,let them be hunted soundly4 #hj ,shakespeare and ,his ,times1 vol4 i4 p4 #cgh4 ,,transmigration ,,of ,,souls4 ,shakespeare has several references to the old superstitious belief in the transmigration of souls1 traces of which may still be found in the reverence paid to the robin1 the wren1 and other birds4 ,thus1 in ,the ,merchant of ,venice 7iv4 #a71 ,gratiano says to ,shylock3 ,thou almost makest me waver in my faith ,to hold opinion with ,pythagoras ,that souls of animals infuse themselves ,into the trunks of men3 thy currish spirit ,govern'd a wolf1 who1 hang'd for human slaughter1 ,even from the gallows did his fell soul fleet1 ,and1 whilst thou lay'st in thy unhallow'd dam1 ,infused itself in thee2 for thy desires ,are wolfish1 bloody1 starved1 and ravenous4 ,caliban1 when remonstrating with the drunken ,stephano and ,trinculo1 for delaying at the mouth of the cave of ,prospero1 instead of taking the magician's life 7,tempest1 iv4 #a71 says3 ,i will have none on't3 we shall lose our time1 ,and all be turn'd to barnacles1 or to apes4 ,in ,hamlet 7iv4 #e71 in the scene where ,ophelia1 in her mental aberration1 quotes snatches of old ballads1 she says3 ,they say the owl was a baker's daughter6 ,lord1 we know what we are1 but know not what we may be4#ha #ha ,see ,owl1 chap4 vi4 ,again1 in ,twelfth ,night 7iv4 #b71 there is another reference in the amusing passage where the clown1 under the pretence of his being ,sir ,topas1 the curate1 questions ,malvolio1 when confined in a dark room1 as a presumed lunatic3 ,mal4 ,i am no more mad than you are3 make the trial of it in any constant question4 ,clo4 ,what is the opinion of ,pythagoras concerning wild fowl8 ,mal4 ,that the soul of our grandam might haply inhabit a bird4 ,clo4 ,what thinkest thou of his opinion8 ,mal4 ,i think nobly of the soul1 and no way approve his opinion4 ,clo4 ,fare thee well4 ,remain thou still in darkness3 thou shalt hold the opinion of ,pythagoras ere ,i will allow of thy wits1 and fear to kill a woodcock lest thou dispossess the soul of thy grandam4 ,although this primitive superstition is almost effete among civilized nations1 yet it still retains an important place in the religious beliefs of savage and uncivilized communities4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,demonology ,,and ,,devil-,,lore4 ,the state of popular feeling in past centuries with regard to the active agency of devils has been well represented by ,reginald ,scot1 who1 in his work on ,witchcraft1 has shown how the superstitious belief in demonology was part of the great system of witchcraft4 ,many of the popular delusions of this terrible form of superstition have been in a masterly manner exposed by ,shakespeare2 and the scattered allusions which he has given1 illustrative of it1 are indeed sufficient to prove1 if it were necessary1 what a highly elaborate creed it was4 ,happily1 ,shakespeare1 like the other dramatists of the period1 has generally treated the subject with ridicule1 showing that he had no sympathy with the grosser opinions shared by various classes in those times1 whether held by king or clown4 ,according to an old belief1 still firmly credited in the poet's day1 it was supposed that devils could at any moment assume whatever form they pleased that would most conduce to the success of any contemplated enterprise they might have in hand2 and hence the charge of being a devil1 so commonly brought against innocent and harmless persons in former years1 can easily be understood4 ,among the incidental allusions to this notion1 given by ,shakespeare1 ,prince ,hal 7#a ,henry ,,iv41 ii4 #d7 tells ,falstaff there is a devil haunts thee in the likeness of an old fat man2 an old white-bearded ,satan4 ,in the ,merchant of ,venice 7iii4 #a7 ,salanio1 on the approach of ,shylock1 says3 ,let me say 'amen' betimes1 lest the devil cross my prayer1 for here he comes in the likeness of a ,jew4 ,indeed1 all shapes that man goes up and down in seem to have been at the devil's control1 a belief referred to in ,timon of ,athens 7ii4 #b73 ,var4 ,serv4 ,what is a whoremaster1 fool8 ,fool4 ,a fool in good clothes1 and something like thee4 ',tis a spirit3 sometime 't appears like a lord2 sometime like a lawyer2 sometime like a philosopher1 with two stones moe than's artificial one3 he is very often like a knight2 and1 generally1 in all shapes that man goes up and down in from fourscore to thirteen1 this spirit walks in4 ,a popular form assumed by evil spirits was that of a negro or ,moor1 to which ,iago alludes when he incites ,brabantio to search for his daughter1 in ,othello 7i4 #a73 ,zounds1 sir1 you are robb'd2 for shame1 put on your gown2 ,your heart is burst1 you have lost half your soul2 ,even now1 now1 very now1 an old black ram ,is tupping your white ewe4 ,arise1 arise6 ,awake the snorting citizens with the bell1 ,or else the devil will make a grandsire of you4 ,arise1 ,i say4 ,on the other hand1 so diverse were the forms which devils were supposed to assume that they are said occasionally to appear in the fairest form1 even in that of a girl 7ii4 #c73 ,when devils will the blackest sins put on1 ,they do suggest at first with heavenly shows4 ,so in ,the ,comedy of ,errors 7iv4 #c7 we have the following dialogue3 ,ant4 ,s4 ,satan1 avoid6 ,i charge thee1 tempt me not6 ,dro4 ,s4 ,master1 is this mistress ,satan8 ,ant4 ,s4 ,it is the devil4 ,dro4 ,s4 ,nay1 she is worse1 she is the devil's dam2 and here she comes in the habit of a light wench2 and thereof comes that the wenches say1 ',god damn me2' that's as much as to say1 ',god make me a light wench4' ,it is written1 they appear to men like angels of light4 7,cf4 also ,love's ,labour's ,lost1 iv4 #c47 ,in ,king ,john 7iii4 #a7 even the fair ,blanch seemed to ,constance none other than the devil tempting ,lewis in likeness of a new untrimmed bride4 ,not only1 too1 were devils thought to assume any human shape they fancied1 but1 as ,mr4 ,spalding remarks1#hb the forms of the whole of the animal kingdom appear to have been at their disposal2 and1 not content with these1 they seem to have sought for unlikely shapes to appear in--the same characteristic belonging also to the fairy tribe4 #hb ,elizabethan ,demonology1 p4 #di4 ,thus1 when ,edgar is trying to persuade the blind ,gloucester that he has in reality cast himself over the cliff1 he describes the being from whom he is supposed to have just departed3 ,as ,i stood here below1 methought his eyes ,were two full moons2 he had a thousand noses1 ,horns whelk'd and wav'd like the enridged sea3 ,it was some fiend4 ,again1 ,edgar says 7,king ,lear1 iii4 #f73 ,the foul fiend haunts poor ,tom in the voice of a nightingale--the allusion probably being to the following incident related by ,friswood ,williams3 ,there was also another strange thing happened at ,denham about a bird4 ,mistris ,peckham had a nightingale which she kept in a cage1 wherein ,maister ,dibdale took great delight1 and would often be playing with it4 ,the nightingale was one night conveyed out of the cage1 and being next morning diligently sought for1 could not be heard of1 till ,maister ,mainie's devil1 in one of his fits 7as it was pretended71 said that the wicked spirit which was in this examinate's sister had taken the bird out of the cage and killed it in despite of ,maister ,dibdale4#hc #hc ,harsnet's ,declaration of ,egregious ,popish ,impostures1 p4 #bbe4 ,even the shape of a fly was a favorite one with evil spirits1 so much so1 that the term fly was a popular synonym for a familiar4 ,in ,titus ,andronicus 7iii4 #b7 there is an allusion to this belief1 where ,marcus1 being rebuked by ,titus for having killed a fly1 gives as his reason3 ,it was a black ill-favour'd fly1 ,like to the empress' ,moor3 therefore ,i kill'd him4 ,mr4 ,spalding gives the following illustrations of the superstition3 ,at the execution of ,urban ,grandier1 the famous magician of ,loudun1 in #afcd1 a large fly was seen buzzing about the stake2 and a priest promptly seizing the opportunity of improving the occasion for the benefit of the onlookers1 declared that ,beelzebub had come in his own proper person to carry off ,grandier's soul to hell4 ,in #affd occurred the celebrated witch trials which took place before ,sir ,matthew ,hale4 ,the accused were charged with bewitching two children1 and part of the evidence against them was that flies and bees were seen to carry into their victims' mouths the nails and pins which they afterwards vomited4 ,once more1 another form devils assumed was that of a dead friend4 ,thus ,hamlet 7i4 #d71 when he confronts the apparition1 exclaims3 ,angels and ministers of grace defend us6 ,be thou a spirit of health1 or goblin damn'd1 ,bring with thee airs from heaven1 or blasts from hell1 ,be thy intents wicked1 or charitable1 ,thou com'st in such a questionable shape ,that ,i will speak to thee-- for1 as ,mr4 ,spalding remarks1 it cannot be imagined that ,hamlet imagined that a 'goblin damned' could actually be the spirit of his dead father2 and1 therefore1 the alternative in his mind must be that he saw a devil assuming his father's likeness--a form which the ,evil ,one knew would most incite ,hamlet to intercourse4 ,the same idea seems present in ,horatio's mind3 ,what1 if it tempt you toward the flood1 my lord1 ,or to the dreadful summit of the cliff1 ,that beetles o'er his base into the sea1 ,and there assume some other horrible form1 ,which might deprive your sovereignty of reason1 ,and draw you into madness8 ,once more1 in the next act 7ii4 #b71 ,hamlet again expresses his doubts3 ,the spirit that ,i have seen ,may be the devil3 and the devil hath power ,to assume a pleasing shape2 yea1 and1 perhaps1 ,out of my weakness and my melancholy1 ,as he is very potent with such spirits1 ,abuses me to damn me4 ,in the ,elizabethan times1 too1 no superstitious belief exerted a more pernicious and baneful influence on the credulous and ignorant than the notion that evil spirits from time to time entered into human beings1 and so completely gained a despotic control over them as to render them perfectly helpless4 ,harsnet1 in his ,declaration of ,egregious ,popish ,impostures 7#afjc71 has exposed this gross superstition2 and a comparison of the passages in ,king ,lear1 spoken by ,edgar when feigning madness1 with those given by ,harsnet1 will show that ,shakespeare has accurately given the contemporary belief on the subject4 ,mr4 ,spalding also considers that nearly all the allusions in ,king ,lear refer to a youth known as ,richard ,mainey1 a minute account of whose supposed possession has been given by ,harsnet4 ,persons so possessed were often bound and shut up in a dark room1 occasionally being forced to submit to flagellation--a treatment not unlike that described in ,romeo and ,juliet 7i4 #b73 ,not mad1 but bound more than a madman is2 ,shut up in prison1 kept without my food1 ,whipp'd and tormented4 ,in the ,comedy of ,errors 7iv4 #d7 we have an amusing scene1 further illustrative1 probably1 of the kind of treatment adopted in ,shakespeare's day3 ,courtesan4 ,how say you now8 is not your husband mad8 ,adriana4 ,his incivility confirms no less-- ,good doctor ,pinch1 you are a conjurer2 ,establish him in his true sense again1 ,and ,i will please you what you will demand4 ,luciana4 ,alas1 how fiery and how sharp he looks6 ,courtesan4 ,mark how he trembles in his ecstasy6 ,pinch4 ,give me your hand1 and let me feel your pulse4 ,ant4 ,e4 ,there is my hand1 and let it feel your ear4 ,pinch4 ,i charge thee1 ,satan1 hous'd within this man1 ,to yield possession to my holy prayers1 ,and to thy state of darkness hie thee straight3 ,i conjure thee by all the saints in heaven4 ,pinch further says3 ,they must be bound1 and laid in some dark room4 ,as ,brand remarks1#hd there is no vulgar story of the devil's having appeared anywhere without a cloven foot4 ,in graphic representations he is seldom or never pictured without one4 ,in the following passage1 where ,othello is questioning whether ,iago is a devil or not1 he says 7v4 #b73 ,i look down towards his feet2--but that's a fable4-- ,if that thou be'st a devil1 ,i cannot kill thee4 #hd ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 ii4 pp4 #eag-eai4 ,dr4 ,johnson gives this explanation3 ,i look towards his feet to see if1 according to the common opinion1 his feet be cloven4 ,in ,massinger's ,virgin ,martyr 7iii4 #c71 ,harpax1 an evil spirit1 following ,theophilus in the shape of a secretary1 speaks thus of the superstitious ,christian's description of his infernal enemy3 ,i'll tell you what now of the devil3 ,he's no such horrid creature2 cloven-footed1 ,black1 saucer-ey'd1 his nostrils breathing fire1 ,as these lying ,christians make him4 ,,good ,,and ,,evil ,,demons4 ,it was formerly commonly believed that not only kingdoms had their tutelary guardians1 but that every person had his particular genius or good angel1 to protect and admonish him by dreams1 visions1 etc4#he ,hence1 in ,antony and ,cleopatra 7ii4 #c71 the soothsayer1 speaking of ,csar1 says3 ,o ,antony1 stay not by his side3 ,thy demon1--that's thy spirit which keeps thee1--is ,noble1 courageous1 high1 unmatchable1 ,where ,csar's is not2 but1 near him1 thy angel ,becomes a fear1 as being o'erpower'd4 #he ,ibid4 vol4 i4 pp4 #cfe-cfg4 ,thus ,macbeth 7iii4 #a7 speaks in a similar manner in reference to ,banquo3 ,there is none but he ,whose being ,i do fear2 and1 under him1 ,my ,genius is rebuked2 as1 it is said1 ,mark ,antony's was by ,csar4 ,so1 too1 in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7i4 #b71 the ,chief-justice says3 ,you follow the young prince up and down1 like his ill angel4 ,we may quote a further reference in ,julius ,csar 7iii4 #b71 where ,antony says3 ,for ,brutus1 as you know1 was ,csar's angel4 ,in the ,roman world1 says ,mr4 ,tylor1 in his ,primitive ,culture 7#ahgc1 vol4 ii4 p4 #bjb71 each man had his 'genius natalis1' associated with him from birth to death1 influencing his action and his fate1 standing represented by its proper image1 as a lar among the household gods and at weddings and joyous times1 and especially on the anniversary of the birthday when genius and man began their united career1 worship was paid with song and dance to the divine image1 adorned with garlands1 and propitiated with incense and libations of wine4 ,the demon or genius was1 as it were1 the man's companion soul1 a second spiritual ,ego4 ,the ,egyptian astrologer warned ,antonius to keep far from the young ,octavius1 ',for thy demon1' said he1 'is in fear of his4' ,the allusion by ,lady ,macbeth 7i4 #e71 in the following passage1 is to the spirits of ,revenge3 ,come1 you spirits ,that tend on mortal thoughts1 unsex me here1 ,and fill me1 from the crown to the toe1 top-full ,of direst cruelty6 ,in ,nash's ,pierce ,pennilesse we find a description of these spirits and of their office4 ,the second kind of devils which he most employeth are those northern ,martii1 called the ,spirits of ,revenge1 and the authors of massacres and seed-men of mischief2 for they have commission to incense men to rapine1 sacrilege1 theft1 murder1 wrath1 fury1 and all manner of cruelties2 and they command certain of the southern spirits to wait upon them1 as also great ,arioch1 that is termed the ,spirit of ,revenge4 ,in another passage we are further told how the spirits of the aire will mixe themselves with thunder and lightning1 and so infect the clime where they raise any tempest1 that suddenly great mortalitie shall ensue of the inhabitants4 ,aerial spirits or devils1 according to ,burton's ,anatomy of ,melancholy1 are such as keep quarter most part in the aire1 cause many tempests1 thunder and lightnings1 tear oakes1 fire steeples1 houses1 strike men and beasts1 etc4 ,thus1 in ,king ,john 7iii4 #b71 the ,bastard remarks3 ,now1 by my life1 this day grows wondrous hot2 ,some airy devil hovers in the sky1 ,and pours down mischief4 ,it was anciently supposed that all mines of gold1 etc41 were guarded by evil spirits4 ,thus ,falstaff1 in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7iv4 #c71 speaks of learning as a mere hoard of gold kept by a devil4 ,this superstition still prevails1 and has been made the subject of many a legend4 ,thus1 it is believed by the peasantry living near ,largo-,law1 ,scotland1 that a rich mine of gold is concealed in the mountain4 ,a spectre once appeared there1 supposed to be the guardian of the mine1 who1 being accosted by a neighboring shepherd1 promised to tell him at a certain time and on certain conditions1 where 'the gowd mine is in ,largo-,law1' especially enjoining that the horn sounded for the housing of the cows at the adjoining farm of ,balmain should not blow4 ,every precaution having been taken1 the ghost was true to his tryst2 but1 unhappily1 when he was about to divulge the desired secret1 ,tammie ,norrie1 the cowherd of ,balmain1 blew a blast1 whereupon the ghost vanished1 with the denunciation3 ',woe to the man that blew the horn1 ,for out of the spot he shall ne'er be borne4' ,the unlucky horn-blower was struck dead1 and1 as it was found impossible to remove the body1 a cairn of stones was raised over it4#hf #hf ,see ,jones's ,credulities1 ,past and ,present1 #ahhj1 p4 #acc4 ,steevens considers that when ,macbeth 7iii4 #b7 says3 ,good things of day begin to droop and drowse2 ,whiles night's black agents to their preys do rouse1 he refers to those demons who were supposed to remain in their several places of confinement all day1 but at the close of it were released2 such1 indeed1 as are mentioned in ,the ,tempest 7v4 #a71 as rejoicing to hear the solemn curfew1 because it announced the hour of their freedom4 ,among other superstitions we may quote one in the ,merchant of ,venice 7iii4 #a71 where ,salanio says3 ,let me say 'amen' betimes1 lest the devil cross my prayer4 ,of the devils mentioned by ,shakespeare may be noted the following3 ,amaimon is one of the chief1 whose dominion is on the north side of the infernal gulf4 ,he might be bound or restrained from doing hurt from the third hour till noon1 and from the ninth hour till evening4 ,in the ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7ii4 #b7 ,ford mentions this devil1 and in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7ii4 #d7 ,falstaff says3 ,that same mad fellow of the north1 ,percy2 and he of ,wales1 that gave ,amaimon the bastinado1 and made ,lucifer cuckold4#hg #hg ,see ,scot's ,discovery of ,witchcraft1 #aehd1 p4 #cic2 ,douce's ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 p4 #bfd4 ,the north was always supposed to be the particular habitation of bad spirits4 ,milton1 therefore1 assembles the rebel angels in the north4 ,in #a ,henry ,,vi4 7v4 #c71 ,la ,pucelle invokes the aid of the spirits3 ,under the lordly monarch of the north4 ,barbason4 ,this demon would seem to be the same as ,marbas1 alias ,barbas1 who1 as ,scot#hh informs us1 is a great president1 and appeareth in the forme of a mightie lion2 but at the commandment of a conjurer cometh up in the likeness of man1 and answereth fullie as touching anything which is hidden or secret4 ,in the ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7ii4 #b7 it is mentioned by ,ford in connection with ,lucifer1 and again in ,henry ,v4 7ii4 #a7 ,nym tells ,pistol3 ,i am not ,barbason2 you cannot conjure me4 #hh ,ibid4 p4 #cgh4 ,the names of the several fiends in ,king ,lear1 ,shakespeare is supposed to have derived from ,harsnet's ,declaration of ,egregious ,popish ,impostures 7#afjc74 ,flibbertigibbet1 one of the fiends that possessed poor ,tom1 is1 we are told 7iv4 #a71 the fiend of mopping and mowing1 who since possesses chambermaids and waiting-women4 ,and again 7iii4 #d71 he begins at curfew1 and walks till the first cock2 he gives the web and the pin4 ,frateretto is referred to by ,edgar 7iii4 #f73 ,frateretto calls me2 and tells me1 ,nero is an angler in the lake of darkness4 ,pray1 innocent1 and beware the foul fiend4 ,hobbididance is noticed as prince of dumbness 7iv4 #a71 and perhaps is the same as ,hopdance 7iii4 #f71 who cries1 says ,edgar1 in ,tom's belly for two white herring4 ,mahu1 like ,modo1 would seem to be another name for the prince of darkness 7iii4 #d71 and further on 7iv4 #a7 he is spoken of as the fiend of stealing2 whereas the latter is described as the fiend of murder4 ,harsnet thus speaks of them3 ,maho was general dictator of hell2 and yet1 for good manners' sake1 he was contented of his good nature to make show1 that himself was under the check of ,modu1 the graund devil in ,ma7ister7 ,maynie4 ,obidicut1 another name of the fiend known as ,haberdicut 7iv4 #a74 ,smulkin 7iii4 #d74 ,this is spelled ,smolkin by ,harsnet4 ,thus1 in a masterly manner1 ,shakespeare has illustrated and embellished his plays with references to the demonology of the period2 having been careful in every case--while enlivening his audience--to convince them of the utter absurdity of this degraded form of superstition4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,,natural ,,phenomena4 ,many of the most beautiful and graphic passages in ,shakespeare's writings have pictured the sun in highly glowing language1 and often invested it with that sweet pathos for which the poet was so signally famous4 ,expressions1 for instance1 such as the following1 are ever frequent3 the glorious sun 7,twelfth ,night1 iv4 #c72 heaven's glorious sun 7,love's ,labour's ,lost1 i4 #a72 gorgeous as the sun at midsummer 7#a ,henry ,,iv41 iv4 #a72 all the world is cheered by the sun 7,richard ,,iii41 i4 #b72 the sacred radiance of the sun 7,king ,lear1 i4 #a72 sweet tidings of the sun's uprise 7,titus ,andronicus1 iii4 #a71 etc4 ,then1 again1 how often we come across passages replete with pathos1 such as thy sun sets weeping in the lowly west 7,richard ,,ii41 ii4 #d72 ere the weary sun set in the west 7,comedy of ,errors1 i4 #b72 the weary sun hath made a golden set 7,richard ,,iii41 v4 #c72 ,the sun1 for sorrow1 will not show his head 7,romeo and ,juliet1 v4 #c71 etc4 ,although1 however1 ,shakespeare has made such constant mention of the sun1 yet his allusions to the folk-lore connected with it are somewhat scanty4 ,according to the old philosophy the sun was accounted a planet1#hi and thought to be whirled round the earth by the motion of a solid sphere1 in which it was fixed4 ,in ,antony and ,cleopatra 7iv4 #ac71 ,cleopatra exclaims3 ,o sun1 ,burn the great sphere thou mov'st in6 darkling stand ,the varying shore o' the world4 #hi ,singer's ,shakespeare1 vol4 x4 p4 #bib4 ,supposing this sphere consumed1 the sun must wander in endless space1 and1 as a natural consequence1 the earth be involved in endless night4 ,in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7i4 #b71 ,falstaff1 according to vulgar astronomy1 calls the sun a wandering knight1 and by this expression evidently alludes to some knight of romance4 ,mr4 ,douce#ij considered the allusion was to ,the ,voyage of the ,wandering ,knight1 by ,jean de ,cathenay1 of which the translation1 by ,w4 ,goodyeare1 appeared about the year #afjj4 ,the words may be a portion of some forgotten ballad4 #ij ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 #ahci1 pp4 #bee1 #bef4 ,a pretty fancy is referred to in ,romeo and ,juliet 7iii4 #e71 where ,capulet says3 ,when the sun sets1 the air doth drizzle dew2 ,but for the sunset of my brother's son ,it rains downright4 ,and so1 too1 in the ,rape of ,lucrece3 ,but as the earth doth weep1 the sun being set4 ,that ,shakespeare thought it was the air1 says ,singer1#ia and not the earth1 that drizzled dew1 is evident from many passages in his works4 ,thus1 in ',king ,john' 7ii4 #a7 he says3 ',before the dew of evening fall4' ,steevens1 alluding to the following passage in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7iii4 #a71 and when she i4 e41 the moon weeps1 weeps every little flower1 says that ,shakespeare means that every little flower is moistened with dew1 as if with tears2 and not that the flower itself drizzles dew4 #ia ,singer's ,shakespeare1 vol4 viii4 p4 #bjh4 ,by a popular fancy1 the sun was formerly said to dance at its rising on ,easter morning--to which there may be an allusion in ,romeo and ,juliet 7iii4 #e71 where ,romeo1 addressing ,juliet1 says3 look1 love1 what envious streaks ,do lace the severing clouds in yonder east2 ,night's candles are burnt out1 and jocund day ,stands tiptoe on the misty mountain tops4 ,we may also compare the expression in ,coriolanus 7v4 #d73 ,the trumpets1 sackbuts1 psalteries1 and fifes1 ,tabors1 and cymbals1 and the shouting ,romans1 ,make the sun dance4 ,mr4 ,knight remarks1 there was something exquisitely beautiful in the old custom of going forth into the fields before the sun had risen on ,easter ,day1 to see him mounting over the hills with tremulous motion1 as if it were an animate thing1 bounding in sympathy with the redeemed of mankind4#ib #ib ,see ,knight's ,life of ,shakespeare1 #ahdc1 p4 #fc4 ,a cloudy rising of the sun has generally been regarded as ominous--a superstition equally prevalent on the ,continent as in this country4 ,in ,richard ,,iii4 7v4 #c71 ,king ,richard asks3 ,who saw the sun to-day8 ,ratcliff4 ,not ,i1 my lord4 ,k4 ,richard4 ,then he disdains to shine2 for1 by the book ,he should have braved the east an hour ago3 ,a black day will it be to somebody4 ,the learned ,moresin1 in his ',papatus1' says ,brand1#ic reckons among omens the cloudy rising of the sun4 ,vergil1 too1 in his first ,georgic 7#dda-ddi71 considers it a sign of stormy weather3#id ,ille ubi nascentem maculis variaverit ortum ,conditus in nubem1 medioque refugerit orbe1 ,suspecti tibi sint imbres2 namque urget ab alto ,arboribusque satisque ,notus pecorique sinister1 ,aut ubi sub lucem densa inter nubila sese ,diversi rumpent radii1 aut ubi pallida surget1 ,tithoni croceum linquens ,aurora cubile1 ,heu1 male tum mitis defendet pampinus uvas3 ,tam multa in tectis crepitans salit horrida grando4 #ic ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 iii4 p4 #bda4 #id ,see ,swainson's ,weather-,lore1 #ahgc1 p4 #agf1 for popular adages on the ,continent4 ,a red sunrise is also unpropitious1 and1 according to a well-known rhyme3 ,if red the sun begins his race1 ,be sure the rain will fall apace4 ,this old piece of weather-wisdom is mentioned by our ,lord in ,st4 ,matthew1 xvi4 #b1 #c3 ,when it is evening1 ye say1 ,it will be fair weather3 for the sky is red4 ,and in the morning1 ,it will be foul weather to-day1 for the sky is red and lowring4 ,shakespeare1 in his ,venus and ,adonis1 thus describes it3 a red morn1 that ever yet betoken'd ,wreck to the seaman1 tempest to the field1 ,sorrow to shepherds1 woe unto the birds1 ,gusts and foul flaws to herdmen and to herds4 ,mr4 ,swainson#ie shows that this notion is common on the ,continent4 ,thus1 at ,milan the proverb runs1 ,if the morn be red1 rain is at hand4 #ie ,weather-,lore1 pp4 #age1 #agf4 ,shakespeare1 in ,richard ,,ii4 7ii4 #d71 alludes to another indication of rain3 ,thy sun sets weeping in the lowly west1 ,witnessing storms to come1 woe and unrest4 ,a watery sunset is still considered by many a forerunner of wet4 ,a red sunset1 on the other hand1 beautifully described in ,richard ,,iii4 7v4 #c7-- ,the weary sun hath made a golden set4-- is universally regarded as a prognostication of fine weather1 and we find countless proverbs illustrative of this notion1 one of the most popular being1 ,sky red at night1 is the sailor's delight4 ,from the earliest times an eclipse of the sun was looked upon as an omen of coming calamity2 and was oftentimes the source of extraordinary alarm as well as the occasion of various superstitious ceremonies4 ,in #aeig1 during an eclipse of the sun1 it is stated that1 at ,edinburgh1 men and women thought the day of judgment was come4#if ,many women swooned1 much crying was heard in the streets1 and in fear some ran to the kirk to pray4 ,mr4 ,napier says he remembers an eclipse about #ahah1 when about three parts of the sun was covered4 ,the alarm in the village was very great1 indoor work was suspended for the time1 and in several families prayers were offered for protection1 believing that it portended some awful calamity2 but when it passed off there was a general feeling of relief4 ,in ,king ,lear 7i4 #b71 ,gloucester remarks3 ,these late eclipses in the sun and moon portend no good to us3 though the wisdom of nature can reason it thus and thus1 yet nature finds itself scourged by the sequent effects2 love cools1 friendship falls off1 brothers divide2 in cities1 mutinies2 in countries1 discord2 in palaces1 treason2 and the bond cracked 'twixt son and father4 ,othello1 too 7v4 #b71 in his agony and despair1 exclaims3 ,o heavy hour6 ,methinks it should be now a huge eclipse ,of sun and moon1 and that the affrighted globe ,should yawn at alteration4 #if ,napier's ,folk-,lore of ,west of ,scotland1 #ahgi1 p4 #ada4 ,francis ,bernier#ig says that1 in ,france1 in #afed1 at an eclipse of the sun1 some bought drugs against the eclipse1 others kept themselves close in the dark in their caves and their well-closed chambers1 others cast themselves in great multitudes into the churches2 those apprehending some malign and dangerous influence1 and these believing that they were come to the last day1 and that the eclipse would shake the foundations of nature4#ih #ig ,quoted in ,southey's ,commonplace ,book1 #ahdi1 #b;d series1 p4 #dfb4 #ih ,see ,tylor's ,primitive ,culture1 #ahga1 vol4 i4 pp4 #bfa1 #bif1 #big1 #cba4 ,in #c ,henry ,,vi4 7ii4 #a71 ,shakespeare refers to a curious circumstance in which1 on a certain occasion1 the sun is reported to have appeared like three suns4 ,edward says1 do ,i see three suns8 to which ,richard replies3 ,three glorious suns1 each one a perfect sun2 ,not separated with the racking clouds1 ,but sever'd in a pale clear-shining sky4 ,see1 see6 they join1 embrace1 and seem to kiss1 ,as if they vow'd some league inviolable3 ,now are they but one lamp1 one light1 one sun1 ,in this the heaven figures some event4#ii #ii ,in #c ,henry ,,vi4 7ii4 #a71 ,edward says3 henceforward will ,i bear ,upon my target three fair shining suns4 ,this fact is mentioned both by ,hall and ,holinshed2 the latter says3 ,at which tyme the sun 7as some write7 appeared to the ,earl of ,march like three sunnes1 and sodainely joyned altogether in one1 upon whiche sight hee tooke such courage1 that he fiercely setting on his enemyes put them to flight4 ,we may note here that on ,trinity ,sunday three suns are supposed to be seen4 ,in the ,mmoires de l',acadmie ,celtique 7iii4 #ddg71 it is stated that ,le jour de la fte de la ,trinit1 quelques personne vont de grand matin dans la campagne1 pour y voir levre trois soleils la fois4 ,according to an old proverb1 to quit a better for a worse situation was spoken of as to go out of ,god's blessing into the warm sun1 a reference to which we find in ,king ,lear 7ii4 #b71 where ,kent says3 ,good king1 that must approve the common saw1 ,thou out of heaven's benediction com'st ,to the warm sun4 ,dr4 ,johnson thinks that ,hamlet alludes to this saying 7i4 #b71 for when the king says to him1 ,how is it that the clouds still hang on you8 he replies1 ,not so1 my lord2 ,i am too much i' the sun1 i4 e41 out of ,god's blessing4 ,this expression1 says ,mr4 ,dyce1#ajj is found in various authors from ,heywood down to ,swift4 ,the former has3 ,in your running from him to me1 yee runne ,out of ,god's blessing into the warme sunne2 and the latter3 ,lord ,sparkish4 ,they say1 marriages are made in heaven2 but ,i doubt1 when she was married1 she had no friend there4 ,neverout4 ,well1 she's got out of ,god's blessing into the warm sun4#aja #ajj ,glossary to ,shakespeare1 p4 #bhc4 #aja ,ray gives the ,latin equivalent ,ab equis ad asinos4 ,there seems to have been a prejudice from time immemorial against sunshine in ,march2 and1 according to a ,german saying1 it were better to be bitten by a snake than to feel the sun in ,march4 ,thus1 in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7iv4 #a71 ,hotspur says3 worse than the sun in ,march1 ,this praise doth nourish agues4 ,shakespeare employs the word sunburned in the sense of uncomely1 ill-favored4 ,in ,much ,ado 7ii4 #a71 ,beatrice says1 ,i am sunburnt2 and in ,troilus and ,cressida 7i4 #c71 neas remarks3 ,the ,grecian dames are sunburnt1 and not worth ,the splinter of a lance4 ,moon4 ,apart from his sundry allusions to the pale-faced1 silver moon1 ,shakespeare has referred to many of the superstitions associated with it1 several of which still linger on in country nooks4 ,a widespread legend of great antiquity informs us that the moon is inhabited by a man1#ajb with a bundle of sticks on his back1 who has been exiled thither for many centuries1 and who is so far off that he is beyond the reach of death4 ,this tradition1 which has given rise to many superstitions1 is still preserved under various forms in most countries2 but it has not been decided who the culprit originally was1 and how he came to be imprisoned in his lonely abode4 ,dante calls him ,cain2 ,chaucer assigns his exile as a punishment for theft1 and gives him a thorn-bush to carry1 while ,shakespeare also loads him with the thorns1 but by way of compensation gives him a dog for a companion4 ,in ,the ,tempest 7ii4 #b71 ,caliban asks ,stephano whether he has not dropped from heaven8 to which he answers1 ,out o' the moon1 ,i do assure thee3 ,i was the man i' the moon when time was4 ,whereupon ,caliban says3 ,i have seen thee in her and ,i do adore thee3 my mistress show'd me thee1 and thy dog and thy bush4 ,we may also compare the expression in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7v4 #a71 where1 in the directions for the performance of the play of ,pyramus and ,thisbe1 ,moonshine is represented with lanthorn1 dog1 and bush of thorn4 ,and further on1 in the same scene1 describing himself1 ,moonshine says3 ,all that ,i have to say1 is1 to tell you that the lanthorn is the moon2 ,i1 the man in the moon2#ajc this thorn-bush1 my thorn-bush2 and this dog1 my dog4 #ajb ,baring-,gould's ,curious ,myths of the ,middle ,ages1 #ahgg1 p4 #aij4 #ajc ,cf4 ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7v4 #b73 ,yet still she is the moon1 and ,i the man4 ,ordinarily1#ajd however1 his offence is stated to have been ,sabbath-breaking--an idea derived from the ,old ,testament4 ,like the man mentioned in the ,book of ,numbers 7xv4 #cb71 he is caught gathering sticks on the ,sabbath2 and1 as an example to mankind1 he is condemned to stand forever in the moon1 with his bundle on his back4 ,instead of a dog1 one ,german version places him with a woman1 whose crime was churning butter on ,sunday4 ,the ,jews have a legend that ,jacob is the moon1 and they believe that his face is visible4 ,mr4 ,baring-,gould#aje says that the idea of locating animals in the two great luminaries of heaven is very ancient1 and is a relic of a primeval superstition of the ,aryan race4 ,the natives of ,ceylon1 instead of a man1 have placed a hare in the moon2 and the ,chinese represent the moon by a rabbit pounding rice in a mortar4#ajf #ajd ,fiske1 ,myths and ,mythmakers1 #ahgc1 p4 #bg4 #aje ,curious ,myths of the ,middle ,ages1 #ahgg1 p4 #aig4 #ajf ,douce's ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 #ahci1 p4 #aj4 ,from the very earliest times the moon has not only been an object of popular superstition1 but been honored by various acts of adoration4 ,in ,europe1#ajg in the fifteenth century1 it was a matter of complaint that some still worshipped the new moon with bended knee1 or hood or hat removed4 ,and to this day we may still see a hat raised to her1 half in conservatism and half in jest4 ,it is with deference to silver as the lunar metal that money is turned when the act of adoration is performed1 while practical peasant wit dwells on the ill-luck of having no piece of silver when the new moon is first seen4 ,shakespeare often incidentally alludes to this form of superstition4 ,to quote one or two out of many instances1 ,enobarbus1 in ,antony and ,cleopatra 7iv4 #i71 says3 ,be witness to me1 ,o thou blessed moon6 #ajg ,for further information on this subject1 see ,tylor's ,primitive ,culture1 #ahgc1 vol4 i4 pp4 #bhh1 #ced-cef2 vol4 ii4 pp4 #gj1 #bjb1 #bjc4 ,in ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7v4 #b7 the king says3 ,vouchsafe1 bright moon1 and these thy stars1 to shine1 ,those clouds1 removed1 upon our watery eyne4 ,indeed1 it was formerly a common practice for people to address invocations to the moon1#ajh and even at the present day we find remnants of this practice both in this country and abroad4 ,thus1 in many places it is customary for young women to appeal to the moon to tell them of their future prospects in matrimony1#aji the following or similar lines being repeated on the occasion3 ,new moon1 new moon1 ,i hail thee3 ,new moon1 new moon1 be kind to me2 ,if ,i marry man or man marry me1 ,show me how many moons it will be4 #ajh ,see ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 vol4 iii4 pp4 #adb1 #adc4 #aji ,see ,english ,folk-lore1 pp4 #dc1 #dd4 ,it was also the practice to swear by the moon1 to which we find an allusion in ,romeo and ,juliet 7ii4 #b71 where ,juliet reproves her lover for testifying his affections by this means3 ,o1 swear not by the moon1 the inconstant moon1 ,that monthly changes in her circled orb1 ,lest that thy love prove likewise variable4 ,and again1 in ,the ,merchant of ,venice 7v4 #a71 where ,gratiano exclaims3 ,by yonder moon ,i swear you do me wrong4 ,we may note here that the inconstancy#aaj of the moon is the subject of various myths1 of which ,mr4 ,tylor has given the following examples3 ,thus1 an ,australian legend says that ,mityan1 the moon1 was a native cat1 who fell in love with some one else's wife1 and was driven away to wander ever since4 ,a ,slavonic legend tells us that the moon1 king of night1 and husband of the sun1 faithlessly loved the morning star1 wherefore he was cloven through in punishment1 as we see him in the sky4 ,the ,khasias of the ,himalaya say that the moon falls monthly in love with his mother-in-law1 who throws ashes in his face1 whence his spots4#aaa #aaj ,primitive ,culture1 #ahgc1 vol4 i4 pp4 #ced1 #cee4 #aaa ,the words moonish 7,as ,you ,like ,it1 iii4 #b7 and moonlike 7,love's ,labour's ,lost1 iv4 #c7 are used in the sense of inconstant4 ,as in the case of the sun1 an eclipse of the moon was formerly considered ominous4 ,the ,romans#aab supposed it was owing to the influence of magical charms1 to counteract which they had recourse to the sound of brazen instruments of all kinds4 ,juvenal alludes to this practice in his sixth ,satire 7#dda71 when he describes his talkative woman3 ,jam nemo tubas1 nemo ra fatiget1 ,una laboranti poterit succurrere lun4 #aab ,see ,douce's ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 #ahci1 p4 #ah4 ,indeed1 eclipses1 which to us are well-known phenomena witnessing to the exactness of natural laws1 were1 in the earlier stages of civilization1 regarded as the very embodiment of miraculous disaster4 ,thus1 the ,chinese believed that during eclipses of the sun and moon these celestial bodies were attacked by a great serpent1 to drive away which they struck their gongs or brazen drums4 ,the ,peruvians1 entertaining a similar notion1 raised a frightful din when the moon was eclipsed1#aac while some savages would shoot up arrows to defend their luminaries against the enemies they fancied were attacking them4 ,it was also a popular belief that the moon was affected by the influence of witchcraft1 a notion referred to by ,prospero in ,the ,tempest 7v4 #a71 who says3 ,his mother was a witch1 and one so strong ,that could control the moon4 #aac ,tylor's ,primitive ,culture1 vol4 i4 p4 #cbi4 ,in a former scene 7ii4 #a7 ,gonzalo remarks3 ,you are gentlemen of brave mettle2 you would lift the moon out of her sphere4 ,douce#aad quotes a marginal reference from ,adlington's translation of ,apuleius 7#aeif71 a book well known to ,shakespeare3 ,witches in old time were supposed to be of such power that they could put downe the moone by their inchantment4#aae ,one of the earliest references to this superstition among classical authorities is that in the ,clouds of ,aristophanes1 where ,strepsiades proposes the hiring of a ,thessalian witch1 to bring down the moon and shut her up in a box1 that he might thus evade paying his debts by a month4 ,ovid1 in his ,metamorphoses 7bk4 xii4 #bfc71 says3 ,mater erat ,mycale2 quam deduxisse canendo ,spe reluctanti constabat cornua lun4 #aad ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 #ahci1 p4 #af4 #aae ,see ,scot's ,discovery of ,witchcraft1 #aehd1 pp4 #agd1 #bbf1 #bbg1 #bej4 ,horace1 in his fifth ,epode 7#de71 tells us3 ,qu sidera excantata voce ,thessala1 ,lunamque clo deripit4#aaf #aaf ,for further examples1 see ,douce's ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 p4 #ag4 ,reverting again to the moon's eclipse1 such a season1 being considered most unlucky for lawful enterprises1 was held suitable for evil designs4 ,thus1 in ,macbeth 7iv4 #a71 one of the witches1 speaking of the ingredients of the caldron1 says3 ,gall of goat1 and slips of yew1 ,sliver'd in the moon's eclipse4 ,as a harbinger of misfortune it is referred to in ,antony and ,cleopatra1 where 7iii4 #ac71 ,antony says3 ,alack1 our terrene moon ,is now eclipsed2 and it portends alone ,the fall of ,antony6 ,milton1 in his ,paradise ,lost 7bk4 i4 #eig71 speaks much in the same strain3 as when the sun new-risen ,looks through the horizontal misty air ,shorn of his beams1 or from behind the moon ,in dim eclipse1 disastrous twilight sheds ,on half the nations4 ,and in ,lycidas1 he says of the unlucky ship that was wrecked3 ,it was that fatal and perfidious bark ,built in the eclipse4 ,its sanguine color is also mentioned as an indication of coming disasters in ,richard ,,ii4 7ii4 #d71 where the ,welsh captain remarks how3 ,the pale-faced moon looks bloody on the earth4 ,and its paleness1 too1 in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7ii4 #b71 is spoken of as an unpropitious sign4 ,according to a long-accepted theory1 insane persons are said to be influenced by the moon3 and many old writers have supported this notion4 ,indeed1 ,shakespeare himself1 in ,othello 7v4 #b71 tells how the moon when ,she comes more nearer earth than she was wont1 ,and makes men mad4 ,dr4 ,forbes ,winslow1 in his ,light3 its ,influence on ,life and ,health1 says that it is impossible altogether to ignore the evidence of such men as ,pinel1 ,daquin1 ,guislain1 and others1 yet the experience of modern psychological physicians is to a great degree opposed to the deductions of these eminent men4 ,he suggests that the alleged changes observed among the insane at certain phases of the moon may arise1 not from the direct1 but the indirect1 influence of the planet4 ,it is well known that certain important meteorological phenomena result from the various phases of the moon1 such as the rarity of the air1 the electric conditions of the atmosphere1 the degree of heat1 dryness1 moisture1 and amount of wind prevailing4 ,it is urged1 then1 that those suffering from diseases of the brain and nervous system1 affecting the mind1 cannot be considered as exempt from the operation of agencies that are admitted to affect patients afflicted with other maladies4 ,dr4 ,winslow further adds1 that an intelligent lady1 who occupied for about five years the position of matron in my establishment for insane ladies1 has remarked that she invariably observed among them a greater agitation when the moon was at its full4 ,a correspondent of ,notes and ,queries 7#b;d series1 xii4 #dib7 explains the apparent aggravated symptoms of madness at the full moon by the fact that the insane are naturally more restless on light than on dark nights1 and that in consequence loss of sleep makes them more excitable4 ,we may note here1 that in ,antony and ,cleopatra 7iv4 #i7 ,enobarbus invokes the moon as the sovereign mistress of true melancholy4 ,the moisture of the moon is invariably noticed by ,shakespeare4 ,in ,hamlet 7i4 #a7 ,horatio tells how the moist star1 ,upon whose influence ,neptune's empire stands1 ,was sick almost to doomsday with eclipse4 ,in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7ii4 #a7 ,titania says3 ,therefore the moon1 the governess of floods1 ,pale in her anger1 washes all the air1 ,that rheumatic diseases do abound4 ,and in ,the ,winter's ,tale 7i4 #b7 ,polixenes commences by saying how3 ,nine changes of the watery star hath been ,the shepherd's note1 since we have left our throne ,without a burthen4 ,we may compare1 too1 the words of ,enobarbus in ,antony and ,cleopatra 7iv4 #i71 who1 after addressing the moon1 says3 ,the poisonous damp of night disponge upon me4 ,and once more1 in ,romeo and ,juliet 7i4 #d71 we read of the moonshine's watery beams4 ,the same idea is frequently found in old writers4 ,thus1 for instance1 in ,newton's ,direction for the ,health of ,magistrates and ,studentes 7#aegd71 we are told that the moone is ladye of moisture4 ,bartholomus1 in ,de ,proprietate ,rerum1 describes the moon as mother of all humours1 minister and ladye of the sea4#aag ,in ,lydgate's prologue to his ,story of ,thebes there are two lines not unlike those in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream1 already quoted3 ,of ,lucina the moone1 moist and pale1 ,that many shoure fro heaven made availe4 #aag ,see ,douce's ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 #ahci1 p4 #aaf4 ,of course1 the moon is thus spoken of as governing the tides1 and from its supposed influence on the weather4#aah ,in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7i4 #b7 ,falstaff alludes to the sea being governed by our noble and chaste mistress1 the moon2 and in ,richard ,,iii4 7ii4 #b7 ,queen ,elizabeth says3 ,that ,i1 being govern'd by the watery moon1 ,may send forth plenteous tears to drown the world4 #aah ,see ,swainson's ,weather-,lore1 #ahgc1 pp4 #ahb-aib4 ,we may compare1 too1 what ,timon says 7,timon of ,athens1 iv4 #c73 ,the sea's a thief1 whose liquid surge resolves ,the moon into salt tears4 ,the expression of ,hecate1 in ,macbeth 7iii4 #e73 ,upon the corner of the moon ,there hangs a vaporous drop profound1 seems to have been meant for the same as the virus lunare of the ancients1 being a foam which the moon was supposed to shed on particular herbs1 when strongly solicited by enchantment4 ,lucan introduces ,erictho using it 7,pharsalia1 book vi4 #ffi73 ,et virus large lunare ministrat4 ,by a popular astrological doctrine the moon was supposed to exercise great influence over agricultural operations1 and also over many of the minor concerns of life1 such as the gathering of herbs1 the killing of animals for the table1 and other matters of a like nature4 ,thus the following passage in the ,merchant of ,venice 7v4 #a71 it has been suggested1 has reference to the practices of the old herbalists who attributed particular virtues to plants gathered during particular phases of the moon and hours of the night4 ,after ,lorenzo has spoken of the moon shining brightly1 ,jessica adds3 ,in such a night ,medea gather'd the enchanted herbs1 ,that did renew old son4 ,and in ,hamlet 7iv4 #g7 the description which ,laertes gives of the weapon-poison refers to the same notion3 ,i bought an unction of a mountebank1 ,so mortal that1 but dip a knife in it1 ,where it draws blood no cataplasm so rare1 ,collected from all simples that have virtue ,under the moon1 can save the thing from death4 ,the sympathy of growing and declining nature with the waxing and waning moon is a superstition widely spread1 and is as firmly believed in by many as when ,tusser1 in his ,five ,hundred ,points of ,good ,husbandry1 under ,february gave the following advice3 ,sow peason and beans in the wane of the moon1 ,who soweth them sooner1 he soweth too soon1 ,that they with the planet may rest and arise1 ,and flourish1 with bearing most plentifull wise4 ,warburton considers that this notion is alluded to by ,shakespeare in ,troilus and ,cressida 7iii4 #b71 where ,troilus1 speaking of the sincerity of his love1 tells ,cressida it is1 ,as true as steel1 as plantage to the moon1 ,as sun to day1 as turtle to her mate4 ,there is a little doubt as to the exact meaning of plantage in this passage4 ,nares observes that it probably means anything that is planted2 but ,mr4 ,ellacombe1 in his ,plant-lore of ,shakespeare 7#ahgh1 p4 #afe71 says it is doubtless the same as plantain4 ,it appears that1 in days gone by1 neither sowing1 planting1 nor grafting was ever undertaken without a scrupulous attention to the increase or waning of the moon4#aai ,scot1 in his ,discovery of ,witchcraft1 notes how the poore husbandman perceiveth that the increase of the moone maketh plants fruitful1 so as in the full moone they are in best strength2 decaieing in the wane1 and in the conjunction do utterlie wither and vade4 #aai ,see ,tylor's ,primitive ,culture1 #ahgc1 vol4 i4 p4 #acj2 ,english ,folk-,lore1 #ahgh1 pp4 #da1 #db4 ,it was a prevailing notion that the moon had an attending star--,lilly calls it ,lunisequa2 and ,sir ,richard ,hawkins1 in his ,observations in a ,voyage to the ,south ,seas in #aeic1 published in #afbb1 remarks3 ,some ,i have heard say1 and others write1 that there is a starre which never separateth itself from the moon1 but a small distance4 ,staunton considers that there is an allusion to this idea in ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7iv4 #c71 where the king says3 ,my love1 her mistress1 is a gracious moon3 ,she an attending star1 scarce seen a light4 ,the sharp ends of the new moon are popularly termed horns--a term which occurs in ,coriolanus 7i4 #a7-- they threw their caps ,as they would hang them on the horns o' the moon4 ,it is made use of in ,decker's ,match me in ,london 7i473 ,my lord1 doe you see this change i' the moone8 ,sharp hornes doe threaten windy weather4 ,when the horns of the moon appear to point upwards the moon is said to be like a boat1 and various weather prognostications are drawn from this phenomenon4#abj ,according to sailors1 it is an omen of fine weather1 whereas others affirm it is a sign of rain--resembling a basin full of water about to fall4 #abj ,see ,swainson's ,weather-,lore1 pp4 #ahb1 #ahc4 ,among other items of folk-lore connected with the moon we may mention the moon-calf1 a false conception1 or foetus imperfectly formed1 in consequence1 as was supposed1 of the influence of the moon4 ,the best account of this fabulous substance may be found in ,drayton's poem with that title4 ,trinculo1 in ,the ,tempest 7ii4 #b71 supposes ,caliban to be a moon-calf3 ,i hid me under the dead moon-calf's gaberdine4 ,it has been suggested that in calling ,caliban a moon-calf ,shakespeare alluded to a superstitious belief formerly current1 in the intercourse of demons and other non-human beings with mankind4 ,in the days of witchcraft1 it was supposed that a class of devils called ,incubi and ,succubi roamed the earth with the express purpose of tempting people to abandon their purity of life4 ,hence1 all badly deformed children were suspected of having had such an undesirable parentage4#aba #aba ,see ,williams's ,superstitions of ,witchcraft1 pp4 #abc-abe2 ,scot's ,discovery of ,witchcraft1 bk4 iv4 p4 #ade4 ,a curious expression1 a sop o' the moonshine1 occurs in ,king ,lear 7ii4 #b71 which probably alludes to some dish so called4 ,kent says to the steward1 ,draw1 you rogue2 for1 though it be night1 yet the moon shines2 ,i'll make a sop o' the moonshine of you4 ,there was a way of dressing eggs1 called eggs in moonshine1 of which ,douce#abb gives the following description3 ,eggs were broken and boiled in salad oil till the yolks became hard4 ,they were eaten with slices of onion fried in oil1 butter1 verjuice1 nutmeg1 and salt4 ,a sop in the moonshine must have been a sippet in this dish4#abc #abb ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 #ahci1 p4 #dje4 #abc ,nares's ,glossary1 #ahgb1 vol4 ii4 p4 #ehj4 ,planets4 ,the irregular motion of the planets was supposed to portend some disaster to mankind4 ,ulysses1 in ,troilus and ,cressida 7i4 #c71 declares how3 when the planets ,in evil mixture1 to disorder wander1 ,what plagues and what portents6 what mutiny6 ,what raging of the sea6 shaking of earth6 ,commotion in the winds6 frights1 changes1 horrors1 ,divert and crack1 rend and deracinate ,the unity and married calm of states ,quite from their fixture4 ,indeed1 the planets themselves were not thought1 in days gone by1 to be confined in any fixed orbit of their own1 but ceaselessly to wander about1 as the etymology of their name demonstrates4 ,a popular name for the planets was wandering stars1 of which ,cotgrave says1 they bee also called wandering starres1 because they never keep one certain place or station in the firmament4 ,thus ,hamlet 7v4 #a71 approaching the grave of ,ophelia1 addresses ,laertes3 ,what is he1 whose grief ,bears such an emphasis8 whose phrase of sorrow ,conjures the wandering stars1 and makes them stand ,like wonder-wounded hearers8 ,in ,tomkis's ,albumazar 7i4 #a7 they are called wanderers3 ,your patron ,mercury1 in his mysterious character ,holds all the marks of the other wanderers4 ,according to vulgar astrology1 the planets1 like the stars1 were supposed to affect1 more or less1 the affairs of this world1 a notion frequently referred to by old writers4 ,in ,winter's ,tale 7ii4 #a71 ,hermione consoles herself in the thought-- ,there's some ill planet reigns3 ,i must be patient till the heavens look ,with an aspect more favourable4 ,in #a ,henry ,,vi4 7i4 #a71 the ,duke of ,exeter asks3 ,what6 shall we curse the planets of mishap ,that plotted thus our glory's overthrow8 ,again1 ,king ,richard 7,richard ,,iii41 iv4 #d73 ,be opposite all planets of good luck ,to my proceeding4 ,and once more1 in ,hamlet 7i4 #a71 ,marcellus1 speaking of the season of our ,saviour's birth1 says1 then no planets strike4 ,that diseases1 too1 are dependent upon planetary influence is referred to in ,timon of ,athens 7iv4 #c73 ,be as a planetary plague1 when ,jove ,will o'er some high-viced city hang his poison ,in the sick air3 let not thy sword skip one4 ,fiery ,trigon was a term in the old judicial astrology1 when the three upper planets met in a fiery sign--a phenomenon which was supposed to indicate rage and contention4 ,it is mentioned in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7ii4 #d73 ,p4 ,hen4 ,saturn and ,venus this year in conjunction6 what says the almanac to that8 ,poins4 ,and1 look1 whether the fiery ,trigon1 his man1 be not lisping to his master's old tables4 ,dr4 ,nash1 in his notes to ,butler's ,hudibras1 says3 ,the twelve signs in astrology are divided into four trigons or triplicities1 each denominated from the connatural element2 so they are three fiery signs1 three airy1 three watery1 and three earthy3 ,fiery--,aries1 ,leo1 ,sagittarius4 ,airy--,gemini1 ,libra1 ,aquarius4 ,watery--,cancer1 ,scorpio1 ,pisces4 ,earthly--,taurus1 ,virgo1 ,capricornus4 ,thus1 when the three superior planets met in ,aries1 ,leo1 or ,sagittarius1 they formed a fiery trigon2 when in ,cancer1 ,scorpio1 and ,pisces1 a watery one4 ,charles's ,wain was the old name for the seven bright stars of the constellation ,ursa ,major4 ,the constellation was so named in honor of ,charlemagne2 or1 according to some1 it is a corruption of chorles or churl's1 i4 e41 rustic's1 wain4 ,chorl is frequently used for a countryman1 in old books1 from the ,saxon ceorl4 ,in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7ii4 #a71 the ,carrier says1 ,charles' wain is over the new chimney4 ,music of the spheres4 ,pythagoras was the first who suggested this notion1 so beautifully expressed by ,shakespeare in the ,merchant of ,venice 7v4 #a73 ,there's not the smallest orb which thou behold'st1 ,but in his motion like an angel sings1 ,still quiring to the young-eyed cherubins4 ,plato says that a siren sits on each planet1 who carols a most sweet song1 agreeing to the motion of her own particular planet1 but harmonizing with the other seven4 ,hence ,milton1 in his ,arcades1 speaks of the celestial ,sirens' harmony1 that sit upon the nine enfolded spheres4 ,stars4 ,an astrological doctrine1 which has kept its place in modern popular philosophy1 asserts that mundane events are more or less influenced by the stars4 ,that astronomers should have divided the sun's course into imaginary signs of the ,zodiac1 was enough1 says ,mr4 ,tylor1#abd to originate astrological rules that these celestial signs have an actual effect on real earthly rams1 bulls1 crabs1 lions1 virgins4 ,hence we are told that a child born under the sign of the ,lion will be courageous2 but one born under the ,crab will not go forth well in life2 one born under the ,waterman is likely to be drowned1 and so forth4 ,shakespeare frequently alludes to this piece of superstition1 which1 it must be remembered1 was carried to a ridiculous height in his day4 ,in ,julius ,csar 7i4 #b71 ,cassius says3 ,the fault1 dear ,brutus1 is not in our stars1 ,but in ourselves1 that we are underlings4 #abd ,primitive ,culture1 vol4 i4 p4 #aca4 ,in the following passage in ,twelfth ,night 7i4 #c73 ,sir ,tob4 ,were we not born under ,taurus8 ,sir ,and4 ,taurus6 that's sides and heart4 ,sir ,tob4 ,no1 sir2 it is legs and thighs4 ,both the knights1 says ,mr4 ,douce 7,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 p4 #ed71 are wrong in their astrology1 according to the almanacs of the time1 which make ,taurus govern the neck and throat4 ,beatrice1 in ,much ,ado about ,nothing 7ii4 #a71 says3 there was a star danced1 and under that was ,i born2 ,kent1 in ,king ,lear 7iv4 #c71 remarks1 ,it is the stars1 ,the stars above us1 govern our conditions2 and once more1 in ,pericles 7i4 #a71 ,king ,antiochus1 speaking of the charming qualities of his daughter1 says3 ,bring in our daughter1 clothed like a bride1 ,for the embracements even of ,jove himself3 ,at whose conception1 till ,lucina reign'd1 ,nature this dowry gave1 to glad her presence1 ,the senate-house of planets all did sit1 ,to knit in her their best perfections4#abe #abe ,cf4 ,richard ,,iii4 7iv4 #d72 #a ,henry ,,iv4 7i4 #a1 iii4 #a72 ,antony and ,cleopatra 7iii4 #ac72 ,the ,tempest 7i4 #b72 ,hamlet 7i4 #d72 ,cymbeline 7v4 #d72 ,winter's ,tale 7iii4 #b72 ,richard ,,ii4 7iv4 #a74 ,throughout the ,east1 says ,mr4 ,tylor1#abf astrology even now remains a science in full esteem4 ,the condition of medival ,europe may still be perfectly realized by the traveller in ,persia1 where the ,shah waits for days outside the walls of his capital till the constellations allow him to enter2 and where1 on the days appointed by the stars for letting blood1 it literally flows in streams from the barbers' shops in the streets4 ,professor ,wuttke declares that there are many districts in ,germany where the child's horoscope is still regularly kept with the baptismal certificate in the family chest4 ,astrology is ridiculed in a masterly manner in ,king ,lear 7i4 #b72 and ,warburton suggests that if the date of the first performance of ,king ,lear were well considered1 it would be found that something or other had happened at that time which gave a more than ordinary run to this deceit1 as these words seem to indicate--',i am thinking1 brother1 of a prediction ,i read this other day1 what should follow these eclipses4' ,zouch1#abg speaking of ,queen ,mary's reign1 tells us that ,judicial astrology was much in use long after this time4 ,its predictions were received with reverential awe3 and even men of the most enlightened understandings were inclined to believe that the conjunctions and oppositions of the planets had no little influence in the affairs of the world4 #abf ,primitive ,culture1 vol4 i4 p4 #aca2 see ,brand's ,popular ,antiquities1 #ahdi1 vol4 iii4 pp4 #cda-cdh4 #abg ,walton's ,lives1 #agif1 p4 #aac1 note4 ,the pretence1 also1 of predicting events1 such as pestilence1 from the aspect of the heavenly bodies--one form of medical astrology--is noticed in ,venus and ,adonis3 ,long may they kiss each other1 for this cure6 ,o1 never let their crimson liveries wear6 ,and as they last1 their verdure still endure1 ,to drive infection from the dangerous year6 ,that the star-gazers1 having writ on death1 ,may say1 the plague is banish'd by thy breath6 ,heroes were in ancient times immortalized by being placed among the stars1 a custom to which ,bedford refers in #a ,henry ,,vi4 7i4 #a73 ,a far more glorious star thy soul will make ,than ,julius ,csar4 ,and1 again1 ,pericles 7v4 #c7 exclaims3 ,heavens make a star of him4 ,on a medal of ,hadrian1 the adopted son of ,trajan and ,plotina1 the divinity of his parents is expressed by placing a star over their heads2 and in like manner the medals of ,faustina the ,elder exhibit her on an eagle1 her head surrounded with stars4#abh #abh ,douce's ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 #ahci1 p4 #cig4 ,in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7iv4 #c7 a ludicrous term for the stars is1 cinders of the elements2 and in ,merchant of ,venice 7v4 #a7 they are designated candles of the night4 ,meteors4 ,an elegant description of a meteor well known to sailors is given by ,ariel in ,the ,tempest 7i4 #b73 sometime ,i'd divide ,and burn in many places2 on the topmast1 ,the yards1 and bowsprit1 would ,i flame distinctly1 ,then meet and join4 ,it is called1 by the ,french and ,spaniards inhabiting the coasts of the ,mediterranean1 ,st4 ,helme's or ,st4 ,telme's fire2 by the ,italians1 the fire of ,st4 ,peter and ,st4 ,nicholas4 ,it is also known as the fire of ,st4 ,helen1 ,st4 ,herm1 and ,st4 ,clare4 ,douce#abi tells us that whenever it appeared as a single flame it was supposed by the ancients to be ,helena1 the sister of ,castor and ,pollux1 and in this state to bring ill luck1 from the calamities which this lady is known to have caused in the ,trojan war4 ,when it came as a double flame it was called ,castor and ,pollux1 and accounted a good omen4 ,it has been described as a little blaze of fire1 sometimes appearing by night on the tops of soldiers' lances1 or at sea on masts and sailyards1 whirling and leaping in a moment from one place to another4 ,according to some1 it never appears but after a tempest1 and is supposed to lead people to suicide by drowning4 ,shakespeare in all probability consulted ,batman's ,golden ,books of the ,leaden ,goddes1 who1 speaking of ,castor and ,pollux1 says3 ,they were figured like two lampes or cresset lightes--one on the toppe of a maste1 the other on the stemme or foreshippe4 ,he adds that if the first light appears in the stem or foreship and ascends upwards1 it is a sign of good luck2 if either lights begin at the topmast1 bowsprit1 or foreship1 and descends towards the sea1 it is a sign of a tempest4 ,in taking1 therefore1 the latter position1 ,ariel had fulfilled the commands of ,prospero1 and raised a storm4#acj ,mr4 ,swainson1 in his ,weather-,lore 7#ahgc1 p4 #aic71 quotes the following1 which is to the same purport3 ,last night ,i saw ,saint ,elmo's stars1 ,with their glittering lanterns all at play1 ,on the tops of the masts and the tips of the spars1 ,and ,i knew we should have foul weather that day4 #abi ,ibid4 p4 #c4 #acj ,see ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 iii4 p4 #djj4 ,capell1 in his ,school of ,shakespeare 7#aggi1 iii4 #g71 has pointed out a passage in ,hakluyt's ,voyages 7#aeih1 iii4 #dej71 which strikingly illustrates the speech of ,ariel quoted above3 ,i do remember that in the great and boysterous storme of this foule weather1 in the night1 there came vpon the toppe of our maine yarde and maine maste1 a certaine little light1 much like unto the light of a little candle1 which the ,spaniards called the ,cuerpo-,santo1 and said it was ,st4 ,elmo1 whom they take to bee the aduocate of sailers4444 ,this light continued aboord our ship about three houres1 flying from maste to maste1 and from top to top2 and sometimes it would be in two or three places at once4 ,this meteor was by some supposed to be a spirit2 and by others an exhalation of moyst vapours1 that are ingendered by foul and tempestuous weather4#aca ,mr4 ,thoms1 in his ,notelets on ,shakespeare 7#ahfe1 p4 #ei71 says that1 no doubt1 ,shakespeare had in mind the will-o'-the-wisp4#acb #aca ,purchas1 ,his ,pilgrimes 7#afbe1 pt4 i4 lib4 iii4 p4 #acc71 quoted by ,mr4 ,aldis ,wright in his ,notes to ,the ,tempest1 #ahge1 p4 #hf4 #acb ,see ,puck as ,will-o'-the-,wisp2 chapter on ,fairy-,lore4 ,fire-,drake1 which is jocularly used in ,henry ,,viii4 7v4 #d7 for a man with a red face1 was one of the popular terms for the will-o'-the-wisp1#acc and ,burton1 in his ,anatomy of ,melancholy1 says3 ,fiery spirits or devils are such as commonly work by fire-drakes1 or ignes fatui1 which lead men often in flumina et prcipitia4 ,in ,bullokar's ,english ,expositor 7#afaf71 we have a quaint account of this phenomenon3 ,fire-drake2 a fire sometimes seen flying in the night like a dragon4 ,common people think it a spirit that keepeth some treasure hid1 but philosophers affirme it to be a great unequal exhalation inflamed betweene two clouds1 the one hot1 the other cold1 which is the reason that it also smoketh1 the middle part whereof1 according to the proportion of the hot cloud being greater than the rest1 maketh it seem like a bellie1 and both ends like unto a head and taill4#acd ,white1 however1 in his ,peripateticall ,institutions 7p4 #aef71 calls the fiery-dragon or fire-drake1 a weaker kind of lightning4 ,its livid colors1 and its falling without noise and slowly1 demonstrate a great mixture of watery exhalation in it4444 ',tis sufficient for its shape1 that it has some resemblance of a dragon1 not the expresse figure4 #acc ,see ,notes and ,queries1 #eth series1 vol4 x4 p4 #dii2 ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 iii4 p4 #daj2 ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 i4 p4 #cji4 #acd ,a fire-drake appears to have been also an artificial firework1 perhaps what is now called a serpent4 ,thus1 in ,middleton's ,your ,five ,gallants 7#afjg73 ,but1 like fire-drakes1 ,mounted a little1 gave a crack and fell4 ,among other allusions to the will-o'-the-wisp by ,shakespeare1 ,mr4 ,hunter#ace notices one in ,king ,lear 7iii4 #d71 where ,gloster's torch being seen in the distance1 the fool says1 ,look1 here comes a walking fire4 ,whereupon ,edgar replies1 ,this is the foul fiend1 ,flibbertigibbet2 he begins at curfew1 and walks till the first cock4 ,from which1 observes ,mr4 ,hunter1 ,flibbertigibbet seems to be a name for the will-o'-the-wisp4 ,hence the propriety of ',he begins at curfew1 and walks till the crowing of the cock1' that is1 is seen in all the dark of the night4 ,it appears that when ,shakespeare wrote1 a walking fire was a common name for the ignis fatuus1 as we learn from the story of ,how ,robin ,goodfellow lead a company of fellows out of their way3 ,a company of young men1 having been making merry with their sweethearts1 were1 at their coming home1 to come over a heath2 ,robin ,goodfellow1 knowing of it1 met them1 and to make some pastime hee led them up and downe the heathe a whole night1 so that they could not get out of it1 for hee went before them in the shape of a walking fire1 which they all saw and followed till the day did appeare2 then ,robin left them1 and at his departure spake these words3 ',get you home1 you merry lads1 ,tell your mammies and your dads1 ,and all those that newes desire ,how you saw a walking fire1 ,wenches1 that doe smile and lispe1 ,use to call me willy-wispe4' #ace ,new ,illustrations of the ,life1 ,studies1 and ,writings of ,shakespeare1 vol4 ii4 p4 #bgb4 ,another allusion to this subject occurs in ,the ,tempest 7iv4 #a71 where ,stephano1 after ,ariel has led him and his drunken companions through tooth'd briers1 sharp furzes1 pricking goss and thorns1 and at last left them i' the filthy mantled pool1 reproaches ,caliban in these words3 ,monster1 your fairy1 which you say is a harmless fairy1 has done little better than played the ,jack with us--that is1 to quote ,dr4 ,johnson's explanation of this passage1 he has played ,jack-with-a-lanthorn1 has led us about like an ignis fatuus1 by which travellers are decoyed into the mire4#acf ,once more1 when ,puck1 in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7iii4 #a71 speaks of the various forms he assumes in order to mislead night wanderers1 laughing at their harm1 he says3 ,sometime a horse ,i'll be1 sometime a hound1 ,a hog1 a headless bear1 sometime a fire4 #acf ,see ,thoms's ,notelets on ,shakespeare1 p4 #ei4 ,shakespeare1 no doubt1 here alludes to the will-o'-the wisp1 an opinion shared by ,mr4 ,joseph ,ritson1#acg who says3 ,this ,puck1 or ,robin ,goodfellow1 seems likewise to be the illusory candle-holder1 so fatal to travellers1 and who is more usually called ',jack-a-lantern1'#ach or ',will-with-a-wisp1' and ',kit-with-the-candlestick4' ,milton1 in ,paradise ,lost 7book ix471 alludes to this deceptive gleam in the following lines3 ,a wandering fire ,compact of unctuous vapour1 which the night ,condenses1 and the cold environs round1 ,kindled through agitation to a flame1 ,which oft1 they say1 some evil spirit attends1 ,hovering and blazing with delusive light1 ,misleads th' amaz'd night-wanderer from his way ,to bogs and mires1 and oft through pond and pool4#aci #acg ,fairy ,mythology1 edited by ,hazlitt1 #ahge1 p4 #dj4 #ach ,among the many other names given to this appearance may be mentioned the following3 ,will-a-wisp1 ,joan-in-the-wad1 ,jacket-a-wad1 ,peg-a-lantern1 ,elf-fire1 etc4 ,a correspondent of ,notes and ,queries 7#eth series1 vol4 x4 p4 #dii7 says3 ,the wandering meteor of the moss or fell appears to have been personified as ,jack1 ,gill1 ,joan1 ,will1 or ,robin1 indifferently1 according as the supposed spirit of the lamp seemed to the particular rustic mind to be a male or female apparition4 ,in ,worcestershire it is called ,hob-and-his-lanthorn1 and ,hobany's or ,hobnedy's ,lanthorn4 #aci ,mr4 ,ritson says that ,milton is frequently content to pilfer a happy expression from ,shakespeare--on this occasion1 'night-wanderer4' ,he elsewhere calls it the friar's lantern4 ,this appearance has given rise to a most extensive folk-lore1 and is embodied in many of the fairy legends and superstitions of this and other countries4 ,thus1 in ,germany1 ,jack-o'-lanterns are said to be the souls of unbaptized children1 that have no rest in the grave1 and must hover between heaven and earth4 ,in many places they are called land-measurers1 and are seen like figures of fire1 running to and fro with a red-hot measuring rod4 ,these are said to be persons who have falsely sworn away land1 or fraudulently measured it1 or removed landmarks4#adj ,in the neighborhood of ,magdeburg1 they are known as ,lchtemannekens2 and to cause them to appear1 it is sufficient to call out ,ninove1 ,ninove4 ,in the ,south ,altmark they are termed ,dickepten2 and if a person only prays as soon as he sees one1 he draws it to him2 if he curses1 it retires4 ,in some parts1 too1 a popular name is ,huckepten1 and ,tuckbolde4 ,the ,jack-o'-lanterns of ,denmark#ada are the spirits of unrighteous men1 who1 by a false glimmer1 seek to mislead the traveller1 and to decoy him into bogs and moors4 ,the best safeguard against them1 when they appear1 is to turn one's cap inside out4 ,a similar notion occurs in ,devonshire with regard to the ,pixies1 who delight in leading astray such persons as they find abroad after nightfall2 the only remedy to escape them being to turn some part of the dress4 ,in ,normandy these fires are called ,feux ,follets1 and they are believed to be cruel spirits1 whom it is dangerous to encounter4 ,among the superstitions which prevail in connection with them1 two1 says ,mr4 ,thoms1#adb are deserving of notice3 ,one is1 that the ignis fatuus is the spirit of some unhappy woman1 who is destined to run en furolle1 to expiate her intrigues with a minister of the church1 and it is designated from that circumstance ,la ,fourlore1 or ,la ,fourolle4 ,another opinion is1 that ,le ,feu ,follet is the soul of a priest1 who has been condemned thus to expiate his broken vows of perpetual chastity2 and it is very probable that it is to some similar belief existing in this country1 at the time when he wrote1 that ,milton alludes in ,l',allegro1 when he says3 ,she was pinched and pulled1 she said1 ,and he by ,friar's ,lanthorn led4 #adj ,thorpe1 ,northern ,mythology1 #aheb1 vol4 iii4 pp4 #he1 #aeh1 #bbj4 #ada ,notelets on ,shakespeare1 pp4 #fd1 #fe4 #adb ,ibid4 ,in ,brittany the ,porte-brandon appears in the form of a child bearing a torch1 which he turns like a burning wheel2 and with this1 we are told1 he sets fire to the villages1 which are suddenly1 sometimes in the middle of the night1 wrapped in flames4 ,the appearance of meteors ,shakespeare ranks among omens1 as in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7ii4 #d71 where ,bardolph says3 ,my lord1 do you see these meteors8 do you behold these exhalations8 ,what think you they portend8 ,and in ,king ,john 7iii4 #d71 ,pandulph speaks of meteors as prodigies and signs4 ,the ,welsh captain1 in ,richard ,,ii4 7ii4 #d71 says3 ',tis thought the king is dead2 we will not stay4 ,the bay-trees in our country are all wither'd1 ,and meteors fright the fixed stars of heaven4 ,comet4 ,from the earliest times comets have been superstitiously regarded1 and ranked among omens4 ,thus ,thucydides tells us that the ,peloponnesian war was heralded by an abundance of earthquakes and comets2 and ,vergil1 in speaking of the death of ,csar1 declares that at no other time did comets and other supernatural prodigies appear in greater numbers4 ,it is probably to this latter event that ,shakespeare alludes in ,julius ,csar 7ii4 #b71 where he represents ,calpurnia as saying3 ,when beggars die1 there are no comets seen2 ,the heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes4 ,again1 in #a ,henry ,,vi4 7i4 #a71 the play opens with the following words1 uttered by the ,duke of ,bedford3 ,hung be the heavens with black1 yield day to night6 ,comets1 importing change of times and states1 ,brandish your crystal tresses in the sky1 ,and with them scourge the bad revolting stars ,that have consented unto ,henry's death6 ,in ,taming of the ,shrew 7iii4 #b71 too1 ,petruchio1 when he makes his appearance on his wedding-day1 says3 ,gentles1 methinks you frown3 ,and wherefore gaze this goodly company1 ,as if they saw some wondrous monument1 ,some comet1 or unusual prodigy8 ,in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7iii4 #b71 the king1 when telling his son how he had always avoided making himself common-hackney'd in the eyes of men1 adds3 ,by being seldom seen1 ,i could not stir ,but1 like a comet1 ,i was wonder'd at4 ,arcite1 in the ,two ,noble ,kinsmen 7v4 #a71 when addressing the altar of ,mars1 says3 ,whose approach ,comets forewarn4#adc #adc ,see ,proctor's ,myths of ,astronomy2 ,chambers's ,domestic ,annals of ,scotland1 #aheh1 vol4 ii4 pp4 #daj-dab2 ,douce's ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 pp4 #cfd1 #cfe4 ,dew4 ,among the many virtues ascribed to dew was its supposed power over the complexion1 a source of superstition which still finds many believers1 especially on ,may morning4 ,all dew1 however1 does not appear to have possessed this quality1 some being of a deadly or malignant quality4 ,thus ,ariel1 in ,the ,tempest 7i4 #b71 speaks of the deep brook in the harbor3 where once ,thou call'dst me up at midnight to fetch dew ,from the still vex'd ,bermoothes4 ,and ,caliban 7i4 #b71 when venting his rage on ,prospero and ,miranda1 can find no stronger curse than the following3 ,as wicked dew as e'er my mother brush'd1 ,with raven's feather from unwholesome fen ,drop on you both6 ,it has been suggested that in ,antony and ,cleopatra 7iii4 #ab7 ,shakespeare may refer to an old notion whereby the sea was considered the source of dews as well as rain4 ,euphronius is represented as saying3 ,such as ,i am1 ,i come from ,antony3 ,i was of late as petty to his ends ,as is the morn-dew on the myrtle leaf ,to his grand sea4 ,according to an erroneous notion formerly current1 it was supposed that the air1 and not the earth1 drizzled dew--a notion referred to in ,romeo and ,juliet 7iii4 #e73 ,when the sun sets1 the air doth drizzle dew4 ,and in ,king ,john 7ii4 #a73 ,before the dew of evening fall4 ,then there is the celebrated honey-dew1 a substance which has furnished the poet with a touching simile1 which he has put into the mouth of ,titus ,andronicus 7iii4 #a73 ,when ,i did name her brothers1 then fresh tears ,stood on her cheeks2 as doth the honey-dew ,upon a gather'd lily almost wither'd4 ,according to ,pliny1 honey-dew is the saliva of the stars1 or a liquid produced by the purgation of the air4 ,it is1 however1 a secretion deposited by a small insect1 which is distinguished by the generic name of aphis4#add #add ,see ,patterson's ,insects ,mentioned by ,shakespeare1 #ahda1 p4 #ade4 ,rainbow4 ,secondary rainbows1 the watery appearance in the sky accompanying the rainbow1 are in many places termed water-galls--a term we find in the ,rape of ,lucrece 7#aehf-hi73 ,and round about her tear-distained eye ,blue circles stream'd1 like rainbows in the sky3 ,these water-galls in her dim element ,foretell new storms to those already spent4 ,horace ,walpole several times makes use of the word3 ,false good news are always produced by true good1 like the water-gall by the rainbow2 and again1 ,thank heaven it is complete1 and did not remain imperfect1 like a water-gall4#ade ,in ,the ,dialect of ,craven we find ,water-gall1 a secondary or broken rainbow4 ,germ4 ,wasser-galle4 #ade ,letters1 vol4 i4 p4 #caj2 vol4 vi4 pp4 #a1 #ahg4--;,ed4 ,cunningham4 ,thunder4 ,according to an erroneous fancy the destruction occasioned by lightning was effected by some solid body known as the thunder-stone or thunder-bolt4 ,thus1 in the beautiful dirge in ,cymbeline 7iv4 #b73 ,guid4 ,fear no more the lightning flash1 ,arv4 ,or the all-dreaded thunder-stone4 ,othello asks 7v4 #b73 ,are there no stones in heaven ,but what serve for the thunder8 ,and in ,julius ,csar 7i4 #c71 ,cassius says3 ,and1 thus unbraced1 ,casca1 as you see1 ,have bared my bosom to the thunder-stone4 ,the thunder-stone is the imaginary product of the thunder1 which the ancients called ,brontia1 mentioned by ,pliny 7,nat4 ,hist4 xxxvii4 #aj7 as a species of gem1 and as that which1 falling with the lightning1 does the mischief4 ,it is the fossil commonly called the ,belemnite1 or finger-stone1 and now known to be a shell4 ,a superstitious notion prevailed among the ancients that those who were stricken with lightning were honored by ,jupiter1 and therefore to be accounted holy4 ,it is probably to this idea that ,shakespeare alludes in ,antony and ,cleopatra 7ii4 #e73 ,some innocents 'scape not the thunderbolt4#adf #adf ,douce's ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 #ahci1 p4 #cfi4 ,the bodies of such were supposed not to putrefy2 and1 after having been exhibited for a certain time to the people1 were not buried in the usual manner1 but interred on the spot where the lightning fell1 and a monument erected over them4 ,some1 however1 held a contrary opinion4 ,thus ,persius 7sat4 ii4 l4 #bg7 says3 ,triste jaces lucis evitandumque bidental4 ,the ground1 too1 that had been smitten by a thunder-bolt was accounted sacred1 and afterwards enclosed2 nor did any one even presume to walk on it4 ,such spots were1 therefore1 consecrated to the gods1 and could not in future become the property of any one4 ,among the many other items of folk-lore associated with thunder is a curious one referred to in ,pericles 7iv4 #c73 ,thunder shall not so awake the bed of eels4 ,the notion formerly being that thunder had the effect of rousing eels from their mud1 and so rendered them more easy to be taken in stormy weather4 ,marston alludes to this superstition in his satires 7,scourge of ,villainie1 sat4 vii473 ,they are nought but eeles1 that never will appeare ,till that tempestuous winds or thunder teare ,their slimy beds4 ,the silence that often precedes a thunder-storm is thus graphically described in ,hamlet 7ii4 #b73 'we often see1 against some storm1 ,a silence in the heavens1 the rack stand still1 ,the bold winds speechless1 and the orb below ,as hush as death1 anon the dreadful thunder ,doth rend the region4' ,earthquakes1 around which so many curious myths and superstitions have clustered1#adg are scarcely noticed by ,shakespeare4 ,they are mentioned among the ominous signs of that terrible night on which ,duncan is so treacherously slain 7,macbeth1 ii4 #c73 the obscure bird ,clamour'd the livelong night3 some say1 the earth ,was feverous and did shake4 #adg ,see ,tylor's ,primitive ,culture1 vol4 i4 pp4 #cfd-cfg4 ,and in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7iii4 #a7 ,hotspur assigns as a reason for the earthquakes the following theory3 ,diseased nature oftentimes breaks forth ,in strange eruptions2 oft the teeming earth ,is with a kind of colic pinch'd and vex'd ,by the imprisoning of unruly wind ,within her womb2 which1 for enlargement striving1 ,shakes the old beldam earth1 and topples down ,steeples1 and moss-grown towers4 ,equinox4 ,the storms that prevail in spring at the vernal equinox are aptly alluded to in ,macbeth 7i4 #b73 ,as whence the sun 'gins his reflection ,shipwrecking storms and direful thunders break1 ,so from that spring1 whence comfort seem'd to come1 ,discomfort swells4 --the meaning being3 the beginning of the reflection of the sun is the epoch of his passing from the severe to the milder season1 opening1 however1 with storms4 ,wind4 ,an immense deal of curious weather-lore#adh has been associated with the wind from the earliest period2 and in our own and foreign countries innumerable proverbs are found describing the future state of the weather from the position of the wind1 for1 according to an old saying1 every wind has its weather4 ,shakespeare has introduced some of these1 showing how keen an observer he was of those every-day sayings which have always been much in use1 especially among the lower classes4 ,thus the proverbial wet which accompanies the wind when in the south is mentioned in ,as ,you ,like ,it 7iii4 #e73 ,like foggy south1 puffing with wind and rain4 #adh ,see ,swainson's ,weather-,lore4 ,and again1 in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7v4 #a73 ,the southern wind ,doth play the trumpet to his i4 e41 the sun's purposes2 ,and by his hollow whistling in the leaves ,foretells a tempest1 and a blustering day4 ,a popular saying to the same effect1 still in use1 tells us that3 ,when the wind is in the south1 ,it is in the rain's mouth4 ,again1 in days gone by1 the southerly winds were generally supposed to be bearers of noxious fogs and vapors1 frequent allusions to which are given by ,shakespeare4 ,thus1 in ,the ,tempest 7i4 #b71 ,caliban says3 a south-west blow on ye ,and blister you all o'er4 ,a book1#adi too1 with which1 as already noticed1 ,shakespeare appears to have been familiar1 tells us1 ,this southern wind is hot and moist4 ,southern winds corrupt and destroy2 they heat1 and make men fall into the sickness4 ,hence1 in ,troilus and ,cressida 7v4 #a71 ,thersites speaks of the rotten diseases of the south2 and in ,coriolanus 7i4 #d71 ,marcius exclaims3 ,all the contagion of the south light on you4 #adi ,batman upon ,bartholomus--,de ,proprietatibus ,rerum1 lib4 xi4 c4 #c4 ,once more1 in ,cymbeline 7ii4 #c71 ,cloten speaks in the same strain3 ,the south fog rot him4 ,flaws4 ,these are sudden gusts of wind4 ,it was the opinion1 says ,warburton1 of some philosophers that the vapors being congealed in the air by cold 7which is the most intense in the morning71 and being afterwards rarefied and let loose by the warmth of the sun1 occasion those sudden and impetuous gusts of wind which were called 'flaws4' ,thus he comments on the following passage in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7iv4 #d73 ,as humorous as winter1 and as sudden ,as flaws congealed in the spring of day4 ,in #b ,henry ,,vi4 7iii4 #a7 these outbursts of wind are further alluded to3 ,and this fell tempest shall not cease to rage ,until the golden circuit on my head1 ,like to the glorious sun's transparent beams1 ,do calm the fury of this mad-bred flaw4 ,again1 in ,venus and ,adonis 7#dbe71 there is an additional reference3 ,like a red morn1 that ever yet betoken'd ,wreck to the seaman1 tempest to the field1 ,sorrow to shepherds1 woe unto the birds1 ,gusts and foul flaws to herdmen and to herds4 ,in the ,cornish dialect a flaw signifies primitively a cut4#aej ,but it is also there used in a secondary sense for those sudden or cutting gusts of wind4#aea #aej ,polwhele's ,cornish ,vocabulary4 #aea ,cf4 ,macbeth1 iii4 #d1 ,o1 these flaws and starts4 ,squalls4 ,there is a common notion that the sudden storm lasts not three hours1 an idea referred to by ,john of ,gaunt in ,richard ,,ii4 7ii4 #a73 ,small showers last long1 but sudden storms are short4 ,thus1 in ,norfolk1 the peasantry say that the faster the rain1 the quicker the hold up1 which is only a difference in words from the popular adage1 after a storm comes a calm4 ,clouds4 ,in days gone by1 clouds floating before the wind1 like a reek or vapor1 were termed racking clouds4 ,hence in #c ,henry ,,vi4 7ii4 #a71 ,richard speaks of3 ,three glorious suns1 each one a perfect sun2 ,not separated with the racking clouds4 ,this verb1 though now obsolete1 was formerly in common use2 and in ,king ,edward ,,iii41 #aeif1 we read3 ,like inconstant clouds1 ,that1 rack'd upon the carriage of the winds1 ,increase1 etc4 ,at the present day one may often hear the phrase1 the rack of the weather1 in our agricultural districts2 many1 too1 of the items of weather-lore noticed by ,shakespeare being still firmly credited by our peasantry4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,birds4 ,in the present chapter we have not only a striking proof of ,shakespeare's minute acquaintance with natural history1 but of his remarkable versatility as a writer4 ,while displaying a most extensive knowledge of ornithology1 he has further illustrated his subject by alluding to those numerous legends1 popular sayings1 and superstitions which have1 in this and other countries1 clustered round the feathered race4 ,indeed1 the following pages are alone sufficient to show1 if it were necessary1 how fully he appreciated every branch of antiquarian lore2 and what a diligent student he must have been in the pursuit of that wide range of information1 the possession of which has made him one of the most many-sided writers that the world has ever seen4 ,the numerous incidental allusions1 too1 by ,shakespeare1 to the folk-lore of bygone days1 while showing how deeply he must have read and gathered knowledge from every available source1 serve as an additional proof of his retentive memory1 and marvellous power of embellishing his ideas by the most apposite illustrations4 ,unfortunately1 however1 these have1 hitherto1 been frequently lost sight of through the reader's unacquaintance with that extensive field of folk-lore which was so well known to the poet4 ,for the sake of easy reference1 the birds with which the present chapter deals are arranged alphabetically4 ,barnacle-,goose4 ,there was a curious notion1 very prevalent in former times1 that this bird 7,anser bernicla7 was generated from the barnacle 7,lepas anatifera71 a shell-fish1 growing on a flexible stem1 and adhering to loose timber1 bottoms of ships1 etc41 a metamorphosis to which ,shakespeare alludes in ,the ,tempest 7iv4 #a71 where he makes ,caliban say3 we shall lose our time1 ,and all be turn'd to barnacles4 ,this vulgar error1 no doubt1 originated in mistaking the fleshy peduncle of the shell-fish for the neck of a goose1 the shell for its head1 and the tentacula for a tuft of feathers4 ,these shell-fish1 therefore1 bearing1 as seen out of the water1 a resemblance to the goose's neck1 were ignorantly1 and without investigation1 confounded with geese themselves4 ,in ,france1 the barnacle-goose may be eaten on fast days1 by virtue of this old belief in its fishy origin4#aeb ,like other fictions this one had its variations1#aec for sometime the barnacles were supposed to grow on trees1 and thence to drop into the sea1 and become geese1 as in ,drayton's account of ,furness 7,polyolb4 #afbb1 song #bg1 l4 #aaij74 ,as early as the #abth century this idea#aed was promulgated by ,giraldus ,cambrensis in his ,topographia ,hiberni4 ,gerarde1 who in the year #aeig published his ,herball1 or ,generall ,historie of ,plantes1 narrates the following3 ,there are found in the north parts of ,scotland1 and the isles adjacent called ,orcades1 certain trees1 whereon do grow certain shell-fishes1 of a white color1 tending to russet1 wherein are contained little living creatures2 which shells in time of maturity do open1 and out of them grow those little living things which1 falling into the water1 do become fowls1 whom we call barnacles1 in the north of ,england brant geese1 and in ,lancashire tree geese2 but the others that do fall upon the land perish1 and do come to nothing4 ,thus much of the writings of others1 and also from the mouths of people of those parts1 which may very well accord with truth4 ,but what our eyes have seen and hands have touched1 we shall declare4 ,there is a small island in ,lancashire called the ,pile of ,foulders1 wherein are found the broken pieces of old ships1 some whereof have been cast thither by shipwreck1 and also the trunks or bodies1 with the branches1 of old rotten trees1 cast up there likewise1 whereon is found a certain spume or froth1 that in time breedeth into certain shells1 in shape like those of the mussel1 but sharper pointed1 and of a whitish color3 wherein is contained a thing in form like a lace of silk1 one end whereof is fastened unto the inside of the shell1 even as the fish of oysters and mussels are4 ,the other end is made fast unto the belly of a rude mass or lump1 which in time cometh to the shape and form of a bird2 when it is perfectly formed the shell gapeth open1 and the first thing that appeareth is the foresaid lace or string2 next come the legs of the bird hanging out1 and as it groweth greater it openeth the shell by degrees1 till at length it is all come forth and hangeth only by the bill4 ,in short space after it cometh to full maturity1 and falleth into the sea1 where it gathereth feathers and groweth to a fowl1 bigger than a mallard1 and lesser than a goose2 having black legs and bill1 or beak1 and feathers black and white1 spotted in such a manner as is our magpie1 which the people of ,lancashire call by no other name than a tree goose4 ,an interesting cut of these birds so growing is given by ,mr4 ,halliwell-,phillipps from a manuscript of the #adth century1 who is of opinion that the barnacle mentioned by ,caliban was the tree-goose4 ,it is not to be supposed1 however1 that there were none who doubted this marvellous story1 or who took steps to refute it4 ,belon1 so long ago as #aeea1 says ,mr4 ,harting1#aee and others after him1 treated it with ridicule1 and a refutation may be found in ,willughby's ,ornithology1 which was edited by ,ray in #afgh4aef ,this vulgar error is mentioned by many of the old writers4 ,thus ,bishop ,hall1 in his ,virgidemiarum 7lib4 iv4 sat4 #b71 says3 ,the ,scottish barnacle1 if ,i might choose1 ,that of a worme doth waxe a winged goose4 #aeb ,see ,harland and ,wilkinson's ,lancashire ,folk-,lore1 #ahfg1 pp4 #aaf-aba2 ,notes and ,queries1 #ast series1 vol4 viii4 p4 #bbd2 ,penny ,cyclopdia1 vol4 vii4 p4 #bjf1 article ,cirripeda4 #aec ,nares's ,glossary1 #ahgb1 vol4 i4 p4 #ef4 #aed ,see ,harting's ,ornithology of ,shakespeare1 #ahga1 pp4 #bdf-beg4 #aee ,ornithology of ,shakespeare1 #ahga1 p4 #beb4 #aef ,see ,philosophical ,transactions for #ahce2 ,darwin's ,monograph of the ,cirrhipedia1 published by the ,ray ,society2 a paper by ,sir ,j4 ,emerson ,tennent in ,notes and ,queries1 #ast series1 vol4 viii4 p4 #bbc2 ,brand's ,popular ,antiquities1 #ahdi1 vol4 iii4 pp4 #cfa1 #cfb2 ,douce's ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 #ahci1 p4 #ad4 ,butler1 too1 in his ,hudibras 7,,iii4 ii4 l4 #fee71 speaks of it2 and ,marston1 in his ,malecontent 7#afjd71 has the following3 ,like your ,scotch barnacle1 now a block1 instantly a worm1 and presently a great goose4 ,blackbird4 ,this favorite is called1 in the ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7iii4 #a7 an ousel 7old ,french1 oisel71 a term still used in the neighborhood of ,leeds3 ,the ousel cock1 so black of hue1 ,with orange-tawny bill4 ,in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7iii4 #b7 when ,justice ,shallow inquires of ,justice ,silence1 ,and how doth my cousin8 he is answered3 ,alas1 a black ousel1#aeg cousin ,shallow1 a phrase which1 no doubt1 corresponded to our modern one1 a black sheep4 ,in ,spenser's ,epithalamium 7l4 #hb71 the word occurs3 ,the ousel shrills1 the ruddock warbles soft4 #aeg ,see ,yarrell's ,history of ,british ,birds1 #b;d edition1 vol4 i4 p4 #bah2 ,dialect of ,leeds1 #ahfb1 p4 #cbi4 ,in ,hamlet 7iii4 #b71 some modern editions read ouzle2 the old editions all have weasel1 which is now adopted4 ,buzzard4 ,mr4 ,staunton suggests that in the following passage of the ,taming of the ,shrew 7ii4 #a7 a play is intended upon the words1 and that in the second line buzzard means a beetle1 from its peculiar buzzing noise3 ,pet4 ,o slow-wing'd turtle6 shall a buzzard take thee8 ,kath4 ,ay1 for a turtle1 as he takes a buzzard4 ,the beetle was formerly called a buzzard2 and in ,staffordshire1 a cockchafer is termed a hum-buz4 ,in ,northamptonshire we find a proverb1 ,i'm between a hawk and a buzzard1 which means1 ,i don't know what to do1 or how to act4#aeh #aeh ,miss ,baker's ,northamptonshire ,glossary1 #ahed1 vol4 i4 p4 #id4 ,see ,nares's ,glossary1 #ahgb1 vol4 i4 p4 #abd2 and ,richard ,,iii41 i4 #a4 ,chaffinch4 ,some think that this bird is alluded to in the song in the ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7iii4 #a71 where the expression finch is used2 the chaffinch having always been a favorite cage-bird with the lower classes4#aei ,in ,troilus and ,cressida 7v4 #a7 ,thersites calls ,patroclus a finch-egg1 which was evidently meant as a term of reproach4 ,others1 again1 consider the phrase as equivalent to coxcomb4 #aei ,harting's ,ornithology of ,shakespeare1 p4 #add2 ,halliwell-,phillipps's ,handbook ,index to ,shakespeare1 #ahff1 p4 #ahg4 ,the term finch1 also1 according to some1 may mean either the bullfinch or goldfinch4 ,chough4 ,in using this word ,shakespeare probably1 in most cases1 meant the jackdaw2#afj for in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7iii4 #b7 he says3 russet-pated choughs1 many in sort1 ,rising and cawing at the gun's report2 the term russet-pated being applicable to the jackdaw1 but not to the real chough4 ,in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7v4 #a74 ,prince ,henry calls ,falstaff chewet--,peace1 chewet1 peace--in allusion1 no doubt1 to the chough or jackdaw1 for common birds have always had a variety of names4#afa ,such an appellation would be a proper reproach to ,falstaff1 for his meddling and impertinent talk4 ,steevens and ,malone1 however1 finding that chewets were little round pies made of minced meat1 thought that the ,prince compared ,falstaff1 for his unseasonable chattering1 to a minced pie4 ,cotgrave#afb describes the ,french chouette as an owlet2 also1 a chough1 which many consider to be the simple and satisfactory explanation of chewet4 ,belon1 in his ,history of ,birds 7,paris1 #ahee71 speaks of the chouette as the smallest kind of chough or crow4 ,again1 in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7ii4 #b71 in the amusing scene where ,falstaff1 with the ,prince and ,poins1 meet to rob the travellers at ,gadshill1 ,falstaff calls the victims fat chuffs1 probably1 says ,mr4 ,harting1 who connects the word with chough1 from their strutting about with much noise4 ,nares1#afc too1 in his explanation of chuff1 says1 that some suppose it to be from chough1 which is similarly pronounced1 and means a kind of sea-bird1 generally esteemed a stupid one4 ,various other meanings are given4 ,thus1 ,mr4 ,gifford#afd affirms that chuff is always used in a bad sense1 and means a coarse1 unmannered clown1 at once sordid and wealthy2 and ,mr4 ,halliwell-,phillipps explains it as spoken in contempt for a fat person4#afe ,in ,northamptonshire1#aff we find the word chuff used to denote a person in good condition1 as in ,clare's ,village ,minstrel3 ,his chuff cheeks dimpling in a fondling smile4 #afj ,see ,yarrell's ,history of ,british ,birds1 #b;d edition1 vol4 ii4 p4 #eh4 #afa ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 i4 p4 #aef2 ,singer's ,shakespeare1 #ahge1 vol4 v4 p4 #aae2 ,dyce's ,glossary1 #ahgf1 p4 #gg4 #afb ,mr4 ,dyce says that if ,dr4 ,latham had been acquainted with the article ,chouette1 in ,cotgrave1 he would not probably have suggested that ,shakespeare meant here the lapwing or pewit4 ,some consider the magpie is meant4 ,see ,halliwell-,phillipps's ,handbook ,index to ,shakespeare1 #ahff1 p4 #hc4 ,professor ,newton would read russet-patted1 or red-legged1 thinking that ,shakespeare meant the chough4 #afc ,glossary1 vol4 i4 p4 #afb2 ,singer's ,notes to ,shakespeare1 #ahge1 vol4 v4 p4 #db4 #afd ,massinger's ,works1 #ahac1 vol4 i4 p4 #bha4 #afe ,handbook ,index to ,shakespeare1 #ahff1 p4 #hf4 #aff ,miss ,baker's ,northamptonshire ,glossary1 #ahed1 vol4 i4 p4 #aaf4 ,shakespeare alludes to the practice of teaching choughs to talk1 although from the following passages he does not appear to have esteemed their talking powers as of much value2 for in ,all's ,well ,that ,ends ,well 7iv4 #a71 he says3 ,choughs' language1 gabble enough1 and good enough4 ,and in ,the ,tempest 7ii4 #a71 he represents ,antonio as saying3 ,there be that can rule ,naples ,as well as he that sleeps2 lords that can prate ,as amply and unnecessarily ,as this ,gonzalo2 ,i myself could make ,a chough of as deep chat4 ,shakespeare always refers to the jackdaw as the daw4#afg ,the chough or jackdaw was one of the birds considered ominous by our forefathers1 an allusion to which occurs in ,macbeth 7iii4 #d73 ,augurs and understood relations have1 ,by magot-pies and choughs and rooks brought forth ,the secret'st man of blood4 #afg ,coriolanus1 iv4 #e2 ,troilus and ,cressida1 i4 #b2 ,much ,ado ,about ,nothing1 ii4 #c2 ,twelfth ,night1 iii4 #d2 ,love's ,labour's ,lost1 v4 #b1 song2 #a ,henry ,,vi4 ii4 #d4 ,at the present day this bird is not without its folk-lore1 and there is a ,norwich rhyme to the following effect3#afh ,when three daws are seen on ,st4 ,peter's vane together1 ,then we're sure to have bad weather4 ,in the north of ,england1#afi too1 the flight of jackdaws down the chimney is held to presage death4 #afh ,swainson's ,weather-,lore1 #ahgc1 p4 #bdj4 #afi ,henderson's ,folk-,lore of ,northern ,counties1 #ahgi1 p4 #dh4 ,cock4 ,the beautiful notion which represents the cock as crowing all night long on ,christmas ,eve1 and by its vigilance dispelling every kind of malignant spirit#agj and evil influence is graphically mentioned in ,hamlet 7i4 #a71 where ,marcellus1 speaking of the ghost1 says3 ,it faded on the crowing of the cock4 ,some say1 that ever 'gainst that season comes ,wherein our ,saviour's birth is celebrated1 ,the bird of dawning singeth all night long4 ,and then1 they say1 no spirit dares stir abroad2 ,the nights are wholesome2 then no planets strike1 ,no fairy takes1 nor witch hath power to charm1 ,so hallow'd and so gracious is the time4 #agj ,see ,douce's ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 p4 #dch4 ,in short1 there is a complete prostration of the powers of darkness2 and thus1 for the time being1 mankind is said to be released from the influence of all those evil forces which otherwise exert such sway4 ,the notion that spirits fly at cock-crow is very ancient1 and is mentioned by the ,christian poet ,prudentius1 who flourished in the beginning of the fourth century4 ,there is also a hymn1 said to have been composed by ,st4 ,ambrose1 and formerly used in the ,salisbury ,service1 which so much resembles the following speech of ,horatio 7i4 #a71 that one might almost suppose ,shakespeare had seen it3#aga ,the cock1 that is the trumpet to the morn1 ,doth with his lofty and shrill-sounding throat ,awake the god of day2 and1 at his warning1 ,whether in sea or fire1 in earth or air1 ,the extravagant and erring spirit hies ,to his confine4 #aga ,see ,ibid4 ,this disappearance of spirits at cock-crow is further alluded to 7i4 #b73agb the morning cock crew loud1 ,and at the sound it shrunk in haste away1 ,and vanished from our sight4 #agb ,see ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 ii4 pp4 #ea-eg2 ,hampson's ,medii ,o,evi ,kalendarium1 vol4 i4 p4 #hd4 ,blair1 too1 in his ,grave1 has these graphic words3 the tale ,of horrid apparition1 tall and ghastly1 ,that walks at dead of night1 or takes his stand ,o'er some new-open'd grave1 and1 strange to tell1 ,evanishes at crowing of the cock4 ,this superstition has not entirely died out in ,england1 and a correspondent of ,notes and ,queries#agc relates an amusing legend current in ,devonshire3 ,mr4 ,n4 was a squire who had been so unfortunate as to sell his soul to the devil1 with the condition that after his funeral the fiend should take possession of his skin4 ,he had also persuaded a neighbor to be present on the occasion of the flaying4 ,on the death of ,mr4 ,n4 this man went1 in a state of great alarm1 to the parson of the parish1 and asked his advice4 ,by him he was told to fulfil his engagement1 but he must be sure and carry a cock into the church with him4 ,on the night after the funeral the man proceeded to the church1 armed with the cock1 and1 as an additional security1 took up his position in the parson's pew4 ,at twelve o'clock the devil arrived1 opened the grave1 took the corpse from the coffin1 and flayed it4 ,when the operation was concluded1 he held the skin up before him and remarked1 ',well1 'twas not worth coming for after all1 for it is all full of holes6' ,as he said this the cock crew1 whereupon the fiend1 turning round to the man1 exclaimed1 ',if it had not been for the bird you have got there under your arm1 ,i would have your skin too6' ,but1 thanks to the cock1 the man got home safe again4 ,various origins have been assigned to this superstition1 which ,hampson#agd regards as a misunderstood tradition of some ,saban fable4 ,the cock1 he adds1 which seems by its early voice to call forth the sun1 was esteemed a sacred solar bird2 hence it was also sacred to ,mercury1 one of the personifications of the sun4 #agc #ast series1 vol4 iii4 p4 #djd4 #agd ,medii ,o,evi ,kalendarium1 vol4 i4 p4 #he4 ,a very general amusement1 up to the end of the last century1 was cock-fighting1 a diversion of which mention is occasionally made by ,shakespeare1 as in ,antony and ,cleopatra 7ii4 #c73 ,his cocks do win the battle still of mine1 ,when it is all to nought4 ,and again ,hamlet says 7v4 #b73 ,o1 ,i die1 ,horatio2 ,the potent poison quite o'er-crows my spirit-- meaning1 the poison triumphs over him1 as a cock over his beaten antagonist4 ,formerly1 cock-fighting entered into the occupations of the old and young4#age ,schools had their cock-fights4 ,travellers agreed with coachmen that they were to wait a night if there was a cock-fight in any town through which they passed4 ,when country gentlemen had sat long at table1 and the conversation had turned upon the relative merits of their several birds1 a cock-fight often resulted1 as the birds in question were brought for the purpose into the dining-room4 ,cock-fighting was practised on ,shrove ,tuesday to a great extent1 and in the time of ,henry ,,vii4 seems to have been practised within the precincts of court4 ,the earliest mention of this pastime in ,england is by ,fitzstephens1 in #aaia4 ,happily1 nowadays1 cock-fighting is1 by law1 a misdemeanor1 and punishable by penalty4 ,one of the popular terms for a cock beaten in a fight was a craven1 to which we find a reference in the ,taming of the ,shrew 7ii4 #a73 ,no cock of mine2 you crow too like a craven4 #age ,roberts's ,social ,history of ,southern ,counties of ,england1 #ahef1 p4 #dba2 see ,british ,popular ,customs1 #ahgf1 p4 #fe4 ,we may also compare the expression in ,henry ,v4 7iv4 #g73 ,he is a craven and a villain else4 ,in the old appeal or wager of battle1#agf in our common law1 we are told1 on the authority of ,lord ,coke1 that the party who confessed himself wrong1 or refused to fight1 was to pronounce the word cravent1 and judgment was at once given against him4 ,singer#agg says the term may be satisfactorily traced from crant1 creant1 the old ,french word for an act of submission4 ,it is so written in the old metrical romance of ,ywaine and ,gawaine 7,ritson1 i4 #acc73 ,or yelde the til us als creant4 #agf ,nares's ,glossary1 #ahgb1 vol4 i4 p4 #bjc4 #agg ,singer's ,shakespeare1 #ahge1 vol4 ix4 p4 #bef2 ,halliwell-,phillipps's ,handbook ,index to ,shakespeare1 p4 #aab4 ,and in ,richard ,coeur de ,lion 7,weber1 ii4 #bjh73 ,on knees he fel down1 and cryde1 craunt4 ,it then became cravant1 cravent1 and at length craven4 ,in the time of ,shakespeare the word cock was used as a vulgar corruption or purposed disguise of the name of ,god1 an instance of which occurs in ,hamlet 7iv4 #e73 ,by cock1 they are to blame4 ,this irreverent alteration of the sacred name is found at least a dozen times#agh in ,heywood's ,edward the ,fourth1 where one passage is1 ,herald4 ,sweare on this booke1 ,king ,lewis1 so help you ,god1 ,you mean no otherwise then you have said4 ,king ,lewis4 ,so helpe me ,cock as ,i dissemble not4 #agh ,dyce's ,glossary to ,shakespeare1 p4 #he4 ,we find1 too1 other allusions to the sacred name1 as in cock's passion1 cock's body2 as in ,taming of the ,shrew 7iv4 #a73 ,cock's passion1 silence6 ,a not uncommon oath1 too1 in ,shakespeare's time was ,cock and pie--cock referring to ,god1 and pie being supposed to mean the service-book of the ,romish ,church2 a meaning which1 says ,mr4 ,dyce1 seems much more probable than ,douce's#agi supposition that this oath was connected with the making of solemn vows by knights in the days of chivalry1 during entertainments at which a roasted peacock was served up4 ,it is used by ,justice ,shallow 7#b ,henry ,,iv41 v4 #a73 ,by cock and pye1 sir1 you shall not away to-night4 ,we may also compare the expression in the old play of ,soliman and ,perseda 7#aeii73 ,by cock and pye and mousefoot4 ,mr4 ,harting#ahj says the ,cock and ,pye 7i4 e41 magpie7 was an ordinary ale-house sign1 and may have thus become a subject for the vulgar to swear by4 #agi ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 #ahci1 p4 #bij4 #ahj ,ornithology of ,shakespeare1 p4 #aga4 ,the phrase1 ,cock-a-hoop#aha--which occurs in ,romeo and ,juliet 7i4 #e71 ,you'll make a mutiny among my guests6 ,you will set cock-a-hoop6 you'll be the man6 --no doubt refers to a reckless person1 who takes the cock or tap out of a cask1 and lays it on the top or hoop of the barrel1 thus letting all the contents of the cask run out4 ,formerly1 a quart pot was called a hoop1 being formed of staves bound together with hoops like barrels4 ,there were generally three hoops to such a pot2 hence1 in #b ,henry ,,vi4 7iv4 #b71 one of ,jack ,cade's popular reformations was to increase their number3 the three-hooped pot shall have ten hoops2 and ,i will make it felony to drink small beer4 ,some1 however1 consider the term ,cock-a-hoop#ahb refers to the boastful crowing of the cock4 #aha ,it is also an ale-house sign4 #ahb ,see ,dyce's ,glossary to ,shakespeare1 p4 #he4 ,in ,king ,lear 7iii4 #b7 ,shakespeare speaks of the cataracts and hurricanoes as having drenched our steeples1 drowned the cocks6 ,vanes on the tops of steeples were in days gone by made in the form of a cock--hence weathercocks--and put up1 in papal times1 to remind the clergy of watchfulness4#ahc ,apart1 too1 from symbolism1 the large tail of the cock was well adapted to turn with the wind4#ahd #ahc ,see ,book of ,days1 #ahfc1 vol4 i4 p4 #aeg4 #ahd ,in ,king ,lear 7iv4 #f71 where ,edgar says3 ,yond tall anchoring bark1 ,diminish'd to her cock2 her cock1 a buoy ,almost too small for sight4 the word cock is an abbreviation for cock-boat4 ,cormorant4 ,the proverbial voracity of this bird#ahe gave rise to a man of large appetite being likened to it1 a sense in which ,shakespeare employs the word1 as in ,coriolanus 7i4 #a73 the cormorant belly2 in ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7i4 #a73 cormorant devouring ,time2 and in ,troilus and ,cressida 7ii4 #b73 this cormorant war4 ,although1 says ,mr4 ,harting1#ahf ,shakespeare mentions the cormorant in several of his plays1 he has nowhere alluded to the sport of using these birds1 when trained1 for fishing2 a fact which is singular1 since he often speaks of the then popular pastime of hawking1 and he did not die until some years after ,james ,i4 had made fishing with cormorants a fashionable amusement4 #ahe ,for superstitions associated with this bird1 see ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 iii4 p4 #bah4 #ahf ,ornithology of ,shakespeare1 p4 #bfj4 ,crow4 ,this has from the earliest times been reckoned a bird of bad omen2 and in ,julius ,csar 7v4 #a71 ,cassius1 on the eve of battle1 predicted a defeat1 because1 to use his own words3 crows and kites ,fly o'er our heads and downward look on us1 ,as we were sickly prey3 their shadows seem ,a canopy most fatal1 under which ,our army lies1 ready to give up the ghost4 ,allusions to the same superstition occur in ,troilus and ,cressida 7i4 #b72 ,king ,john 7v4 #b71 etc4 ,vergil 7,bucolic1 i4 #ah7 mentions the croaking of the crow as a bad omen3 ,spe sinistra cava prdixit ab ilice cornix4 ,and ,butler1 in his ,hudibras 7part ii4 canto #c71 remarks3 ,is it not ominous in all countries1 ,when crows and ravens croak upon trees4 ,even children1 nowadays1 regard with no friendly feelings this bird of ill-omen2#ahg and in the north of ,england there is a rhyme to the following effect3 ,crow1 crow1 get out of my sight1 ,or else ,i'll eat thy liver and lights4 #ahg ,see ,folk-,lore ,record1 #ahgi1 vol4 i4 p4 #eb2 ,henderson's ,folk-,lore of ,northern ,counties1 #ahgi1 pp4 #be1 #abf1 #bgg4 ,among other allusions made by ,shakespeare to the crow may be noticed the crow-keeper--a person employed to drive away crows from the fields4 ,at present1#ahh in all the midland counties1 a boy set to drive away the birds is said to keep birds2 hence1 a stuffed figure1 now called a scarecrow1 was also called a crow-keeper1 as in ,king ,lear 7iv4 #f73 ,that fellow handles his bow like a crow-keeper4 #ahh ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 i4 p4 #bjh4 ,one of ,tusser's directions for ,september is3 ,no sooner a-sowing1 but out by-and-by1 ,with mother or boy that alarum can cry3 ,and let them be armed with a sling or a bow1 ,to scare away pigeon1 the rook1 or the crow4 ,in ,romeo and ,juliet 7i4 #d7 a scarecrow seems meant3 ,bearing a ,tartar's painted bow of lath1 ,scaring the ladies like a crow-keeper4 ,among further references to this practice is that in #a ,henry ,,vi4 7i4 #d71 where ,lord ,talbot relates that1 when a prisoner in ,france1 he was publicly exhibited in the market-place3 ,here1 said they1 is the terror of the ,french1 ,the scarecrow that affrights our children so4#ahi #ahi ,cf4 ,henry ,,iv41 iv4 #b4 ,and once more1 in ,measure for ,measure 7ii4 #a73 ,we must not make a scarecrow of the law1 ,setting it up to fear the birds of prey1 ,and let it keep one shape1 till custom make it ,their perch and not their terror4 ,the phrase to pluck a crow is to complain good-naturedly1 but reproachfully1 and to threaten retaliation4#aij ,it occurs in ,comedy of ,errors 7iii4 #a73 ,we'll pluck a crow together4 ,sometimes the word pull is substituted for pluck1 as in ,butler's ,hudibras 7part ii4 canto #b73 ,if not1 resolve before we go ,that you and ,i must pull a crow4 #aij ,miss ,baker's ,northamptonshire ,glossary1 vol4 ii4 p4 #afa2 ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 iii4 p4 #cic4 ,the crow has been regarded as the emblem of darkness1 which has not escaped the notice of ,shakespeare1 who1 in ,pericles 7iv4 introd471 speaking of the white dove1 says3 ,with the dove of ,paphos might the crow ,vie feathers white4#aia #aia ,cf4 ,romeo and ,juliet1 i4 #e4 ,cuckoo4 ,many superstitions have clustered round the cuckoo1 and both in this country and abroad it is looked upon as a mysterious bird1 being supposed to possess the gift of second-sight1 a notion referred to in ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7v4 #b73 ,cuckoo1 cuckoo3#aib ,o word of fear1 ,unpleasing to a married ear4 #aib ,a cuckold being called from the cuckoo1 the note of that bird was supposed to prognosticate that destiny4--,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 i4 p4 #bab4 ,and again1 in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7iii4 #a71 ,bottom sings3 ,the plain-song cuckoo gray1 ,whose note full many a man doth mark1 ,and dares not answer nay4 ,it is still a common idea that the cuckoo1 if asked1 will tell any one1 by the repetition of its cries1 how long he has to live4 ,the country lasses in ,sweden count the cuckoo's call to ascertain how many years they have to remain unmarried1 but they generally shut their ears and run away on hearing it a few times4#aic ,among the ,germans the notes of the cuckoo1 when heard in spring for the first time1 are considered a good omen4 ,csarius 7#abbb7 tells us of a convertite who was about to become a monk1 but changed his mind on hearing the cuckoo's call1 and counting twenty-two repetitions of it4 ,come1 said he1 ,i have certainly twenty-two years still to live1 and why should ,i mortify myself during all that time8 ,i will go back to the world1 enjoy its delights for twenty years1 and devote the remaining two to penitence4#aid ,in ,england the peasantry salute the cuckoo with the following invocation3 ,cuckoo1 cherry-tree1 ,good bird1 tell me1 ,how many years have ,i to live-- the allusion to the cherry-tree having probably originated in the popular fancy that before the cuckoo ceases its song it must eat three good meals of cherries4 ,pliny mentions the belief that when the cuckoo came to maturity it devoured the bird which had reared it1 a superstition several times alluded to by ,shakespeare4 ,thus1 in ,king ,lear 7i4 #d71 the ,fool remarks3 ,the hedge-sparrow fed the cuckoo so long1 ,that it had its head bit off by its young4 #aic ,engel's ,musical ,myths and ,facts1 #ahgf1 vol4 i4 p4 #i4 #aid ,see ,kelly's ,indo-,european ,folk-,lore1 #ahfc1 p4 #ii2 ,english ,folk-,lore1 #ahgi1 pp4 #ee-fb4 ,again1 in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7v4 #a71 ,worcester says3 ,and being fed by us you used us so ,as that ungentle gull1 the cuckoo's bird1 ,useth the sparrow2 did oppress our nest2 ,grew by our feeding to so great a bulk ,that even our love durst not come near your sight ,for fear of swallowing4 ,once more1 the opinion that the cuckoo made no nest of its own1 but laid its eggs in that of another bird1 is mentioned in ,antony and ,cleopatra 7ii4 #f73 ,thou dost o'er-count me of my father's house2 ,but1 since the cuckoo builds not for himself1 ,remain in't as thou may'st4 ,it has been remarked1#aie however1 in reference to the common idea that the young cuckoo ill-treats its foster-mother1 that if we watch the movements of the two birds1 when the younger is being fed1 we cannot much wonder at this piece of folk-lore4 ,when the cuckoo opens its great mouth1 the diminutive nurse places her own head so far within its precincts that it has the exact appearance of a voluntary surrender to decapitation4 #aie ,see ,mary ,howitt's ,pictorial ,calendar of the ,seasons1 p4 #aee2 ,knight's ,pictorial ,shakespeare1 vol4 i4 pp4 #bbe1 #bbf4 ,the notion#aif which couples the name of the cuckoo with the character of the man whose wife is unfaithful to him appears to have been derived from the ,romans1 and is first found in the ,middle ,ages in ,france1 and in the countries of which the modern language is derived from the ,latin4 ,but the ancients more correctly gave the name of the bird1 not to the husband of the faithless wife1 but to her paramour1 who might justly be supposed to be acting the part of the cuckoo4 ,they applied the name of the bird in whose nest the cuckoo's eggs were usually deposited--'carruca'--to the husband4 ,it is not quite clear how1 in the passage from classic to medival1 the application of the term was transferred to the husband4 ,in further allusion to this bird1 we may quote the following from ,all's ,well ,that ,ends ,well 7i4 #c73 ,for ,i the ballad will repeat1 ,which men full true shall find1 ,your marriage comes by destiny1 ,your cuckoo sings by kind4 #aif ,chambers's ,book of ,days1 vol4 i4 p4 #eca4 ,the cuckoo has generally been regarded as the harbinger of spring1 and1 according to a ,gloucester rhyme3 ,the cuckoo comes in ,april1 ,sings a song in ,may2 ,then in ,june another tune1 ,and then she flies away4 ,thus1 in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7iii4 #b71 the king1 alluding to his predecessor1 says3 ,so1 when he had occasion to be seen1 ,he was but as the cuckoo is in ,june1 ,heard1 not regarded4 ,in ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7v4 #b7 spring is maintained by the cuckoo1 in those charming sonnets descriptive of the beauties of the country at this season4 ,the word cuckoo has1 from the earliest times1 been used as a term of reproach2#aig and ,plautus#aih has introduced it on more than one occasion4 ,in this sense we find it quoted by ,shakespeare in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7ii4 #d73 ,o' horseback1 ye cuckoo4 ,the term cuckold1 too1 which so frequently occurs throughout ,shakespeare's plays1 is generally derived from cuculus1#aii from the practice already alluded to of depositing its eggs in other birds' nests4 #aig ,see ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 ii4 p4 #bja4 #aih ,asinaria1 v4 #a4 #aii ,nares1 in his ,glossary 7vol4 i4 p4 #bab71 says3 ,cuckold1 perhaps1 quasi cuckoo'd1 i4 e41 one served2 i4 e41 forced to bring up a brood that is not his own4 ,domestic ,fowl4 ,in ,the ,tempest 7v4 #a71 the word chick is used as a term of endearment3 ,my ,ariel2 chick1 etc42 and in ,macbeth 7iv4 #c7 ,macduff speaks of his children as all my pretty chickens4 ,in ,coriolanus 7v4 #c71 hen is applied to a woman3 poor hen1 fond of no second brood2 and in ,taming of the ,shrew 7ii4 #a71 ,petruchio says3 so ,kate will be my hen2 and1 once more1 #a ,henry ,,iv4 7iii4 #c71 ,falstaff says1 ,how now1 ,dame ,partlet the hen8 ,in ,othello 7i4 #c7 ,iago applies the term guinea-hen to ,desdemona1 a cant phrase in ,shakespeare's day for a fast woman4 ,dove4 ,among the many beautiful allusions to this bird we may mention one in ,hamlet 7v4 #a71 where ,shakespeare speaks of the dove only laying two eggs3#bjj as patient as the female dove ,when that her golden couplets are disclosed4 #bjj ,singer's ,shakespeare1 #ahge1 vol4 ix4 p4 #bid4 ,the young nestlings1 when first disclosed1 are only covered with a yellow down1 and the mother rarely leaves the nest1 in consequence of the tenderness of her young2 hence the dove has been made an emblem of patience4 ,in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7iv4 #a71 it is spoken of as the symbol of peace3 ,the dove and very blessed spirit of peace4 ,its love1 too1 is several times referred to1 as in ,romeo and ,juliet 7ii4 #a71 ,pronounce but--love and dove2 and in #a ,henry ,,vi4 7ii4 #b71 ,burgundy says3 ,like to a pair of loving turtle-doves1 ,that could not live asunder1 day or night4 ,this bird has also been regarded as the emblem of fidelity1 as in the following graphic passage in ,troilus and ,cressida 7iii4 #b73 ,as true as steel1 as plantage to the moon1 ,as sun to day1 as turtle to her mate1 ,as iron to adamant1 as earth to the centre2 and in ,winter's ,tale 7iv4 #d7 we read3 turtles pair1 ,that never mean to part4 ,its modesty is alluded to in the ,taming of the ,shrew 7ii4 #a73 modest as the dove2 and its innocence in #b ,henry ,,vi4 7iii4 #a7 is mentioned1 where ,king ,henry says3 ,our kinsman ,gloster is as innocent ,from meaning treason to our royal person ,as is the sucking lamb or harmless dove3 ,the duke is virtuous1 mild and too well given ,to dream on evil1 or to work my downfall4 ,the custom of giving a pair of doves or pigeons as a present or peace-offering is alluded to in ,titus ,andronicus 7iv4 #d71 where the clown says1 ,god and ,saint ,stephen give you good den3 ,i have brought you a letter and a couple of pigeons here2 and when ,gobbo tried to find favor with ,bassanio1 in ,merchant of ,venice 7ii4 #b71 he began by saying1 ,i have here a dish of doves1 that ,i would bestow upon your worship4 ,shakespeare alludes in several places to the doves of ,venus1 as in ,venus and ,adonis3 ,thus weary of the world1 away she ,venus hies1 ,and yokes her silver doves2 by whose swift aid ,their mistress1 mounted1 through the empty skies ,in her light chariot quickly is conveyed2 ,holding their course to ,paphos1 where their queen ,means to immure herself and not be seen2 and in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7i4 #a71 where ,hermia speaks of the simplicity of ,venus' doves4 ,this will also explain1 says ,mr4 ,harting1#bja the reference to the dove of ,paphos1 in ,pericles 7iv4 ,introd474 ,the towns of ,old and ,new ,paphos are situated on the southwest extremity of the coast of ,cyprus4 ,old ,paphos is the one generally referred to by the poets1 being the peculiar seat of the worship of ,venus1 who was fabled to have been wafted thither after her birth amid the waves4 ,the dove of ,paphos may therefore be considered as synonymous with the dove of ,venus4 #bja ,ornithology of ,shakespeare1 pp4 #aij1 #aia4 ,mahomet1 we are told1 had a dove1 which he used to feed with wheat out of his ear2 when hungry1 the dove lighted on his shoulder1 and thrust its bill in to find its breakfast1 ,mahomet persuading the rude and simple ,arabians that it was the ,holy ,ghost1 that gave him advice4#bjb ,hence1 in #a ,henry ,,vi4 7i4 #b71 the question is asked3 ,was ,mahomet inspired with a dove8 #bjb ,sir ,w4 ,raleigh's ,history of the ,world1 bk4 i4 pt4 i4 ch4 #f4 ,duck4 ,a barbarous pastime in ,shakespeare's time was hunting a tame duck in the water with spaniels4 ,for the performance of this amusement#bjc it was necessary to have recourse to a pond of water sufficiently extensive to give the duck plenty of room for making its escape from the dogs when closely pursued1 which it did by diving as often as any of them came near it1 hence the following allusion in ,henry ,v4 7ii4 #c73 ,and hold-fast is the only dog1 my duck4#bjd #bjc ,strutt's ,sports and ,pastimes1 #ahgf1 p4 #cbi4 #bjd ,there is an allusion to the proverbial saying1 ,brag is a good dog1 but ,hold-fast is a better4 ,to swim like a duck is a common proverb1 which occurs in ,the ,tempest 7ii4 #b71 where ,trinculo1 in reply to ,stephano's question how he escaped1 says3 ,swam ashore1 man1 like a duck2 ,i can swim like a duck1 ,i'll be sworn4 ,eagle4 ,from the earliest time this bird has been associated with numerous popular fancies and superstitions1 many of which have not escaped the notice of ,shakespeare4 ,a notion of very great antiquity attributes to it the power of gazing at the sun undazzled1 to which ,spenser1 in his ,hymn of ,heavenly ,beauty refers3 ,and like the native brood of eagle's kind1 ,on that bright sun of glory fix thine eyes4 ,in ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7iv4 #c7 ,biron says of ,rosaline3 ,what peremptory eagle-sighted eye ,dares look upon the heaven of her brow1 ,that is not blinded by her majesty8#bje #bje ,in the same scene we are told1 ,a lover's eyes will gaze an eagle blind4 ,cf4 ,romeo and ,juliet1 iii4 #e2 ,richard ,,ii41 iii4 #c4 ,and in #c ,henry ,,vi4 7ii4 #a7 ,richard says to his brother ,edward3 ,nay1 if thou be that princely eagle's bird1 ,show thy descent by gazing 'gainst the sun4 ,the ,french naturalist1 ,lacepede1#bjf has calculated that the clearness of vision in birds is nine times more extensive than that of the farthest-sighted man4 ,the eagle1 too1 has always been proverbial for its great power of flight1 and on this account has had assigned to it the sovereignty of the feathered race4 ,aristotle and ,pliny both record the legend of the wren disputing for the crown1 a tradition which is still found in ,ireland3#bjg ,the birds all met together one day1 and settled among themselves that whichever of them could fly highest was to be the king of them all4 ,well1 just as they were starting1 the little rogue of a wren perched itself on the eagle's tail4 ,so they flew and flew ever so high1 till the eagle was miles above all the rest1 and could not fly another stroke1 for he was so tired4 ,then says he1 ',i'm the king of the birds1' says he2 'hurroo6' ',you lie1' says the wren1 darting up a perch and a half above the big fellow4 ,the eagle was so angry to think how he was outwitted by the wren1 that when the latter was coming down he gave him a stroke of his wing1 and from that day the wren has never been able to fly higher than a hawthorn bush4 ,the swiftness of the eagle's flight is spoken of in ,timon of ,athens1 7i4 #a73 an eagle flight1 bold1 and forth on1 ,leaving no tract behind4#bjh #bjf ,quoted by ,harting1 in ,ornithology of ,shakespeare1 p4 #bd4 #bjg ,kelly's ,indo-,european ,folk-,lore1 pp4 #ge1 #gi4 #bjh ,cf4 ,antony and ,cleopatra1 ii4 #b3 ,this was but as a fly by an eagle4 ,the great age1 too1 of the eagle is well known2 and the words of the ,psalmist are familiar to most readers3 ,his youth shall be renewed like the eagle's4 ,apemantus1 however1 asks of ,timon 7,timon of ,athens1 iv4 #c73 will these moss'd trees1 ,that have outlived the eagle1 page thy heels1 ,and skip when thou point'st out8 ,turbervile1 in his ,booke of ,falconrie1 #aege1 says that the great age of this bird has been ascertained from the circumstance of its always building its eyrie or nest in the same place4 ,the ,romans considered the eagle a bird of good omen1 and its presence in time of battle was supposed to foretell victory4 ,thus1 in ,julius ,csar 7v4 #a7 we read3 ,coming from ,sardis1 on our former ensign ,two mighty eagles fell2 and there they perch'd1 ,gorging and feeding from our soldiers' hands4 ,it was selected for the ,roman legionary standard1#bji through being the king and most powerful of all birds4 ,as a bird of good omen it is mentioned also in ,cymbeline 7i4 #a73 ,i chose an eagle1 ,and did avoid a puttock2 and in another scene 7iv4 #b7 the ,soothsayer relates how ,last night the very gods show'd me a vision1 444 thus3-- ,i saw ,jove's bird1 the ,roman eagle1 wing'd ,from the spungy south to this part of the west1 ,there vanish'd in the sunbeams3 which portends 7,unless my sins abuse my divination71 ,success to the ,roman host4 #bji ,josephus1 ,de ,bello ,judico1 iii4 #e4 ,the conscious superiority#baj of the eagle is depicted by ,tamora in ,titus ,andronicus 7iv4 #d73 ,the eagle suffers little birds to sing1 ,and is not careful what they mean thereby1 ,knowing that with the shadow of his wing1 ,he can at pleasure stint their melody4 #baj ,harting's ,ornithology of ,shakespeare1 p4 #cc4 ,goose4 ,this bird was the subject#baa of many quaint proverbial phrases often used in the old popular writers4 ,thus1 a tailor's goose was a jocular name for his pressing-iron1 probably from its being often roasting before the fire1 an allusion to which occurs in ,macbeth 7ii4 #c73 come in1 tailor2 here you may roast your goose4 ,the wild-goose chase1 which is mentioned in ,romeo and ,juliet 7ii4 #d7--,nay1 if thy wits run the wild-goose chase1 ,i have done--was a kind of horse-race1 which resembled the flight of wild geese4 ,two horses were started together1 and whichever rider could get the lead1 the other was obliged to follow him over whatever ground the foremost jockey chose to go4 ,that horse which could distance the other won the race4 ,this reckless sport is mentioned by ,burton1 in his ,anatomy of ,melancholy1 as a recreation much in vogue in his time among gentlemen4 ,the term ,winchester goose was a cant phrase for a certain venereal disease1 because the stews in ,southwark were under the jurisdiction of the ,bishop of ,winchester1 to whom ,gloster tauntingly applies the term in the following passage 7#a ,henry ,,vi41 i4 #c73 ,winchester goose6 ,i cry--a rope6 a rope6 #baa ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 i4 p4 #cgh4 ,in ,troilus and ,cressida 7v4 #aj7 there is a further allusion3 ,some galled goose of ,winchester would hiss4 ,ben ,jonson#bab calls it3 the ,winchestrian goose1 ,bred on the banke in time of ,popery1 ,when ,venus there maintain'd the mystery4 #bab ,execration against ,vulcan1 #afdj1 p4 #cg4 ,plucking geese was formerly a barbarous sport of boys 7,merry ,wives of ,windsor1 v4 #a71 which consisted in stripping a living goose of its feathers4#bac #bac ,singer's ,notes1 #ahge1 vol4 i4 p4 #bhc4 ,in ,coriolanus 7i4 #d71 the goose is spoken of as the emblem of cowardice4 ,marcius says3 ,you souls of geese1 ,that bear the shapes of men1 how have you run ,from slaves that apes would beat6 ,goldfinch4 ,the ,warwickshire name#bad for this bird is ,proud ,tailor1 to which1 some commentators think1 the words in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7iii4 #a7 refer3 ,lady ,p4 ,i will not sing4 ,hotsp4 ',tis the next way to turn tailor1 or be red-breast teacher4 #bad ,see ,archologia1 vol4 iii4 p4 #cc4 ,it has1 therefore1 been suggested that the passage should be read thus3 ',tis the next way to turn tailor1 or red-breast teacher1 i4 e41 to turn teacher of goldfinches or redbreasts4#bae ,singer1#baf however1 explains the words thus3 ,tailors1 like weavers1 have ever been remarkable for their vocal skill4 ,percy is jocular in his mode of persuading his wife to sing2 and this is a humorous turn which he gives to his argument1 ',come1 sing4' ',i will not sing4' '',tis the next i4 e41 the readiest1 nearest way to turn tailor1 or redbreast teacher'--the meaning being1 to sing is to put yourself upon a level with tailors and teachers of birds4 #bae ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 ii4 p4 #fic4 ,some think that the bullfinch is meant4 #baf ,singer's ,notes1 #ahge1 vol4 v4 p4 #hb2 see ,dyce's ,glossary1 p4 #dcc4 ,gull4 ,shakespeare often uses this word as synonymous with fool4 ,thus in ,henry ,v4 7iii4 #f7 he says3 ,why1 'tis a gull1 a fool4 ,the same play upon the word occurs in ,othello 7v4 #b71 and in ,timon of ,athens 7ii4 #a74 ,in ,twelfth ,night 7v4 #a7 ,malvolio asks3 ,why have you suffer'd me to be imprison'd1 ,kept in a dark house1 visited by the priest1 ,and made the most notorious geck and gull ,that e'er invention played on8 tell me why4 ,it is also used to express a trick or imposition1 as in ,much ,ado ,about ,nothing 7ii4 #c73 ,i should think this a gull1 but that the white-bearded fellow speaks it4#bag ,gull-catchers1 or gull-gropers1 to which reference is made in ,twelfth ,night 7ii4 #e71 where ,fabian1 on the entry of ,maria1 exclaims3 ,here comes my noble gull-catcher1 were the names by which sharpers#bah were known in ,shakespeare's time4#bai ,the gull-catcher was generally an old usurer1 who lent money to a gallant at an ordinary1 who had been unfortunate in play4#bbj ,decker devotes a chapter to this character in his ,lanthorne and ,candle-light1 #afab4 ,according to him1 the gull-groper is commonly an old mony-monger1 who having travailed through all the follyes of the world in his youth1 knowes them well1 and shunnes them in his age1 his whole felicitie being to fill his bags with golde and silver4 ,the person so duped was termed a gull1 and the trick also4 ,in that disputed passage in ,the ,tempest 7ii4 #b71 where ,caliban1 addressing ,trinculo1 says3 sometimes ,i'll get thee ,young scamels from the rock4 some think that the sea-mew1 or sea-gull1 is intended1#bba sea-mall1 or sea-mell1 being still a provincial name for this bird4 ,mr4 ,stevenson1 in his ,birds of ,norfolk 7vol4 ii4 p4 #bfj71 tells us that the female bar-tailed godwit is called a 'scammell' by the gunners of ,blakeney4 ,but as this bird is not a rock-breeder1#bbb it cannot be the one intended in the present passage1 if we regard it as an accurate description from a naturalist's point of view4 ,holt says that scam is a limpet1 and scamell probably a diminutive4 ,mr4 ,dyce#bbc reads scamels1 i4 e41 the kestrel1 stannel1 or windhover1 which breeds in rocky situations and high cliffs on our coasts4 ,he also further observes that this accords well with the context from the rock1 and adds that staniel or stannyel occurs in ,twelfth ,night 7ii4 #e71 where all the old editions exhibit the gross misprint stallion4 #bag ,some doubt exists as to the derivation of gull4 ,nares says it is from the old ,french guiller4 ,tooke holds that gull1 guile1 wile1 and guilt are all from the ,anglo-,saxon wiglian1 gewiglian1 that by which any one is deceived4 ,harting's ,ornithology of ,shakespeare1 p4 #bfg4 #bah ,see ,d',israeli's ,curiosities of ,literature1 vol4 iii4 p4 #hd4 #bai ,see ,thornbury's ,shakespeare's ,england1 vol4 i4 pp4 #caa-cbb4 #bbj ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 i4 p4 #cid4 #bba ,harting's ,ornithology of ,shakespeare1 p4 #bfi4 #bbb ,aldis ,wright's ,notes to ',the ,tempest'1 #ahge1 pp4 #abj1 #aba4 #bbc ,see ,dyce's ,shakespeare1 vol4 i4 p4 #bde4 ,hawk4 ,the diversion of catching game with hawks was very popular in ,shakespeare's time1#bbd and hence1 as might be expected1 we find many scattered allusions to it throughout his plays4 ,the training of a hawk for the field was an essential part of the education of a young ,saxon nobleman2 and the present of a well-trained hawk was a gift to be welcomed by a king4 ,edward the ,confessor spent much of his leisure time in either hunting or hawking2 and in the reign of ,edward ,,iii4 we read how the ,bishop of ,ely attended the service of the church at ,bermondsey1 ,southwark1 leaving his hawk in the cloister1 which in the meantime was stolen--the bishop solemnly excommunicating the thieves4 ,on one occasion ,henry ,,viii4 met with a serious accident when pursuing his hawk at ,hitchin1 in ,hertfordshire4 ,in jumping over a ditch his pole broke1 and he fell headlong into the muddy water1 whence he was with some difficulty rescued by one of his followers4 ,sir ,thomas ,more1 writing in the reign of ,henry ,,viii41 describing the state of manhood1 makes a young man say3 ,man-hod ,i am1 therefore ,i me delyght ,to hunt and hawke1 to nourish up and fede ,the greyhounde to the course1 the hawke to th' flight1 ,and to bestryde a good and lusty stede4 #bbd ,see ,strutt's ,sports and ,pastimes1 #ahgf1 pp4 #fj-ig1 and ,book of ,days1 #ahfc1 vol4 ii4 pp4 #baa-bac2 ,smith's ,festivals1 ,games1 and ,amusements1 #ahca1 p4 #agd4 ,in noticing1 then1 ,shakespeare's allusions to this sport1 we have a good insight into its various features1 and also gain a knowledge of the several terms associated with it4 ,thus frequent mention is made of the word haggard--a wild1 untrained hawk--and in the following allegory 7,taming of the ,shrew1 iv4 #a71 where it occurs1 much of the knowledge of falconry is comprised3 ,my falcon now is sharp1 and passing empty2 ,and1 till she stoop1 she must not be full-gorged1#bbe ,for then she never looks upon her lure4 ,another way ,i have to man my haggard1 ,to make her come1 and know her keeper's call2 ,that is1 to watch her1 as we watch these kites ,that bate1 and beat1 and will not be obedient4 ,she eat no meat to-day1 nor none shall eat2 ,last night she slept not1 nor to-night she shall not4#bbf #bbe ,a hawk full-fed was untractable1 and refused the lure--the lure being a thing stuffed to look like the game the hawk was to pursue2 its lure was to tempt him back after he had flown4 #bbf ,in the same play 7iv4 #b7 ,hortensio describes ,bianca as this proud disdainful haggard4 ,see ,dyce's ,glossary1 p4 #aig2 ,cotgrave's ,french and ,english ,dictionary1 sub4 ,hagard2 and ,latham's ,falconry1 etc41 #afeh4 ,further allusions occur in ,twelfth ,night 7iii4 #a71 where ,viola says of the ,clown3 ,this fellow is wise enough to play the fool2 ,and to do that well craves a kind of wit3 ,he must observe their mood on whom he jests1 ,the quality of persons1 and the time2 ,and1 like the haggard1 check at every feather ,that comes before his eye4 ,in ,much ,ado ,about ,nothing 7iii4 #a71 ,hero1 speaking of ,beatrice1 says that3 her spirits are as coy and wild ,as haggards of the rock4 ,and ,othello 7iii4 #c71 mistrusting ,desdemona1 and likening her to a hawk1 exclaims3 if ,i do prove her haggard1-- ,i'd whistle her off4#bbg #bbg ,to whistle off1 or dismiss by a whistle2 a hawk seems to have been usually sent off in this way against the wind when sent in pursuit of prey4 ,the word check alluded to above was a term in falconry applied to a hawk when she forsook her proper game and followed some other of inferior kind that crossed her in her flight#bbh--;being mentioned again in ,hamlet 7iv4 #g71 where the king says3 ,if he be now return'd ,as checking at his voyage4#bbi #bbh ,dyce's ,glossary1 p4 #gg2 see ,twelfth ,night1 ii4 #e4 #bbi ,the use of the word is not quite the same here1 because the voyage was ,hamlet's proper game1 which he abandons4 ,notes to ,hamlet1 ,clark and ,wright1 #ahgf1 p4 #bje4 ,another common expression used in falconry is tower1 applied to certain hawks1 etc41 which tower aloft1 soar spirally to a height in the air1 and thence swoop upon their prey4 ,in ,macbeth 7ii4 #d7 we read of ,a falcon1 towering in her pride of place2 in #b ,henry ,,vi4 7ii4 #a7 ,suffolk says1 ,my lord protector's hawks do tower so well2 and in ,king ,john 7v4 #b7 the ,bastard says1 ,and like an eagle o'er his aery#bcj towers4 #bcj ,see ,dyce's ,glossary1 p4 #def2 ,harting's ,ornithology of ,shakespeare1 p4 #ci2 ,tuberville's ,booke of ,falconrie1 #afaa1 p4 #ec4 ,the word quarry1 which occurs several times in ,shakespeare's plays1 in some instances means the game or prey sought4 ,the etymology has1 says ,nares1 been variously attempted1 but with little success4 ,it may1 perhaps1 originally have meant the square1 or enclosure 7carre71 into which the game was driven 7as is still practised in other countries71 and hence the application of it to the game there caught would be a natural extension of the term4 ,randle ,holme1 in his ,academy of ,armory 7book ii4 c4 xi4 p4 #bdj71 defines it as the fowl which the hawk flyeth at1 whether dead or alive4 ,it was also equivalent to a heap of slaughtered game1 as in the following passages4 ,in ,coriolanus 7i4 #a71 ,caius ,marcius says3 ,i'd make a quarry ,with thousands of these quarter'd slaves4 ,in ,macbeth 7iv4 #c7bca we read the quarry of these murder'd deer2 and in ,hamlet 7v4 #b71 ,this quarry cries on havock4 #bca ,also in i4 #b we read3 ,and fortune1 on his damned quarrel smiling1 ,show'd like a rebel's whore4 ,some read quarry2 see ,notes to ,macbeth4 ,clark and ,wright1 p4 #gg4 ,it denotes the square-headed bolt of a cross-bow2 see ,douce's ,illustrations1 #ahci1 p4 #bbg2 ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 ii4 p4 #bjf4 ,another term in falconry is stoop1 or swoop1 denoting the hawk's violent descent from a height upon its prey4 ,in ,taming of the ,shrew 7iv4 #a7 the expression occurs1 till she stoop1 she must not be full-gorged4 ,in ,henry ,v4 7iv4 #a71 ,king ,henry1 speaking of the king1 says1 though his affections are higher mounted than ours1 yet1 when they stoop1 they stoop with the like wing4 ,in ,macbeth 7iv4 #c71 too1 ,macduff1 referring to the cruel murder of his children1 exclaims1 ,what6 444 at one fell swoop8#bcb ,webster1 in the ,white ,devil1#bcc says3 ,if she i4 e41 ,fortune give aught1 she deals it in small parcels1 ,that she may take away all at one swoop4 #bcb ,see ,spenser's ,fairy ,queen1 book i4 canto xi4 l4 #ah3 ,low stooping with unwieldy sway4 #bcc ,ed4 ,dyce1 #aheg1 p4 #e4 ,shakespeare gives many incidental allusions to the hawk's trappings4 ,thus1 in ,lucrece he says3 ,harmless ,lucretia1 marking what he tells ,with trembling fear1 as fowl hear falcon's bells4 ,and in ,as ,you ,like ,it 7iii4 #c71bcd ,touchstone says1 ,as the ox hath his bow1 sir1 the horse his curb1 and the falcon her bells1 so man hath his desires4 ,the object of these bells was to lead the falconer to the hawk when in a wood or out of sight4 ,in ,heywood's play entitled ,a ,woman ,killed with ,kindness1 #afag1 is a hawking scene1 containing a striking allusion to the hawk's bells4 ,the dress of the hawk consisted of a close-fitting hood of leather or velvet1 enriched with needlework1 and surmounted with a tuft of colored feathers1 for use as well as ornament1 inasmuch as they assisted the hand in removing the hood when the birds for the hawk's attack came in sight4 ,thus in ,henry ,v4 7iii4 #g71 the ,constable of ,france1 referring to the valor of the ,dauphin1 says1 ',tis a hooded valour2 and when it appears1 it will bate4#bce ,and again1 in ,romeo and ,juliet 7iii4 #b71 ,juliet says3 ,hood my unmann'd#bcf blood1 bating in my cheeks4 #bcd ,see #c ,henry ,,vi4 i4 #a4 #bce ,a quibble is perhaps intended between bate1 the term of falconry1 and abate1 i4 e41 fall off1 dwindle4 ,bate is a term in falconry1 to flutter the wings as preparing for flight1 particularly at the sight of prey4 ,in '#a ,henry ,,iv4' 7iv4 #a73 ',all plumed like estridges1 that with the wind ,bated1 like eagles having lately bathed4' --,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 i4 p4 #fj4 #bcf ,unmann'd was applied to a hawk not tamed4 ,the jesses were two short straps of leather or silk1 which were fastened to each leg of a hawk1 to which was attached a swivel1 from which depended the leash or strap which the falconer#bcg twisted round his hand4 ,othello 7iii4 #c7 says3 ,though that her jesses were my dear heart-strings4 #bcg ,see ,singer's ,notes to ,shakespeare1 #ahge1 vol4 x4 p4 #hf2 ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 i4 p4 #ddh4 ,we find several allusions to the training of hawks4#bch ,they were usually trained by being kept from sleep1 it having been customary for the falconers to sit up by turns and watch the hawk1 and keep it from sleeping1 sometimes for three successive nights4 ,desdemona1 in ,othello 7iii4 #c71 says3 my lord shall never rest2 ,i'll watch him tame and talk him out of patience2 ,his bed shall seem a school1 his board a shrift2 ,i'll intermingle everything he does ,with ,cassio's suit4 #bch ,see passage in ,taming of the ,shrew1 iv4 #a1 already referred to1 p4 #abb4 ,so1 in ,cartwright's ,lady ,errant 7ii4 #b73 ,we'll keep you as they do hawks1 ,watching until you leave your wildness4 ,in ,the ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7v4 #e71 where ,page says1 ,nay1 do not fly3 ,i think we have watch'd you now1 the allusion is1 says ,staunton1 to this method employed to tame or reclaim hawks4 ,again1 in ,othello 7iii4 #c71bci ,iago exclaims3 ,she that1 so young1 could give out such a seeming1 ,to seel her father's eyes up close as oak2 in allusion to the practice of seeling a hawk1 or sewing up her eyelids1 by running a fine thread through them1 in order to make her tractable and endure the hood of which we have already spoken4#bdj ,king ,henry 7#b ,henry ,,iv4 iii4 #a71 in his soliloquy on sleep1 says3 ,wilt thou upon the high and giddy mast ,seal up the ship-boy's eyes1 and rock his brains ,in cradle of the rude imperious surge4 #bci ,also in same play1 i4 #c4 #bdj ,turbervile1 in his ,booke of ,falconrie1 #aege1 gives some curious directions as how to seele a hawke2 we may compare similar expressions in ,antony and ,cleopatra1 iii4 #ac2 v4 #b4 ,in ,spenser's ,fairy ,queen 7,i4 vii4 #bc71 we read3 ,mine eyes no more on vanity shall feed1 ,but sealed up with death1 shall have their deadly meed4 ,it was a common notion that if a dove was let loose with its eyes so closed it would fly straight upwards1 continuing to mount till it fell down through mere exhaustion4#bda #bda ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 ii4 pp4 #ggg1 #ggh2 cf4 ,beaumont and ,fletcher1 ,philaster1 v4 #a4 ,in ,cymbeline 7iii4 #d71 ,imogen1 referring to ,posthumus1 says3 ,i grieve myself ,to think1 when thou shalt be disedged by her ,that now thou tir'st on1-- this passage containing two metaphorical expressions from falconry4 ,a bird was said to be disedged when the keenness of its appetite was taken away by tiring1 or feeding upon some tough or hard substance given to it for that purpose4 ,in #c ,henry ,,vi4 7i4 #a71 the king says3 that hateful duke1 ,whose haughty spirit1 winged with desire1 ,will cost my crown1 and like an empty eagle ,tire on the flesh of me and of my son4 ,in ,timon of ,athens 7iii4 #f71 one of the lords says3 ,upon that were my thoughts tiring1 when we encountered4 ,in ,venus and ,adonis1 too1 we find a further allusion3 ,even as an empty eagle1 sharp by fast1 ,tires with her beak on feathers1 flesh1 and bone1 etc4 ,among other allusions to the hawk may be mentioned one in ,measure for ,measure 7iii4 #a73 ,this outward-sainted deputy1 ,whose settled visage and deliberate word ,nips youth i' the head1 and follies doth emmew1 ,as falcon doth the fowl --the word emmew signifying the place where hawks were shut up during the time they moulted4 ,in ,romeo and ,juliet 7iii4 #d71 ,lady ,capulet says of ,juliet3 ,to-night she's mew'd up to her heaviness2 and in ,taming of the ,shrew 7i4 #a71 ,gremio1 speaking of ,bianca to ,signor ,baptista1 says3 ,why will you mew her8 ,when the wing or tail feathers of a hawk were dropped1 forced out1 or broken1 by any accident1 it was usual to supply or repair as many as were deficient or damaged1 an operation called to imp#bdb a hawk4 ,thus1 in ,richard ,,ii4 7ii4 #a71 ,northumberland says3 ,if1 then1 we shall shake off our slavish yoke1 ,imp out our drooping country's broken wing4 #bdb ,imp1 from ,anglo-,saxon1 impan1 to graft4 ,turbervile has a whole chapter on ,the way and manner how to ympe a hawke's feather1 howsoever it be broken or bruised4 ,so ,massinger1 in his ,renegado 7v4 #h71 makes ,asambeg say3 strive to imp ,new feathers to the broken wings of time4 ,hawking was sometimes called birding4#bdc ,in the ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7iii4 #c7 ,master ,page says3 ,i do invite you to-morrow morning to my house to breakfast2 after1 we'll a-birding together1 ,i have a fine hawk for the bush4 ,in the same play 7iii4 #e7 ,dame ,quickly1 speaking of ,mistress ,ford1 says3 ,her husband goes this morning a-birding2 and ,mistress ,ford says 7iv4 #b73 ,he's a-birding1 sweet ,sir ,john4 ,the word hawk1 says ,mr4 ,harting1 is invariably used by ,shakespeare in its generic sense2 and in only two instances does he allude to a particular species4 ,these are the kestrel and sparrow-hawk4 ,in ,twelfth ,night 7ii4 #e7 ,sir ,toby ,belch1 speaking of ,malvolio1 as he finds the letter which ,maria has purposely dropped in his path1 says3 ,and with what wing the staniel#bdd checks at it --staniel being a corruption of stangdall1 a name for the kestrel hawk4#bde ,gouts is the technical term for the spots on some parts of the plumage of a hawk1 and perhaps ,shakespeare uses the word in allusion to a phrase in heraldry4 ,macbeth 7ii4 #a71 speaking of the dagger1 says3 ,i see thee still1 ,and on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood4 #bdc ,harting's ,ornithology of ,shakspeare1 p4 #gb4 #bdd ,the reading of the folios here is stallion2 but the word wing1 and the falconer's term checks1 prove that the bird must be meant4 ,see ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 ii4 p4 #hcb4 #bde ,see kestrel and sparrow-hawk4 ,heron4 ,this bird was frequently flown at by falconers4 ,shakespeare1 in ,hamlet 7ii4 #b71 makes ,hamlet say1 ,i am but mad north-north-west2 when the wind is southerly1 ,i know a hawk from a handsaw2 handsaw being a corruption of heronshaw1 or hernsew1 which is still used1 in the provincial dialects1 for a heron4 ,in ,suffolk and ,norfolk it is pronounced harnsa1 from which to handsaw is but a single step4#bdf ,shakespeare here alludes to a proverbial saying1 ,he knows not a hawk from a handsaw4#bdg ,mr4 ,j4 ,c4 ,heath#bdh explains the passage thus3 ,the expression obviously refers to the sport of hawking4 ,most birds1 especially one of heavy flight like the heron1 when roused by the falconer or his dog1 would fly down or with the wind1 in order to escape4 ,when the wind is from the north the heron flies towards the south1 and the spectator may be dazzled by the sun1 and be unable to distinguish the hawk from the heron4 ,on the other hand1 when the wind is southerly the heron flies towards the north1 and it and the pursuing hawk are clearly seen by the sportsman1 who then has his back to the sun1 and without difficulty knows the hawk from the hernsew4 #bdf ,notes to ,hamlet1 ,clark and ,wright1 #ahgf1 p4 #aei4 #bdg ,ray's ,proverbs1 #agfh1 p4 #aif4 #bdh ,quoted in ,notes to ,hamlet1 by ,clark and ,wright1 p4 #aei2 see ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 i4 p4 #daf4 ,jay4 ,from its gay and gaudy plumage this bird has been used for a loose woman1 as ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7iii4 #c73 we'll teach him to know turtles from jays1 i4 e41 to distinguish honest women from loose ones4 ,again1 in ,cymbeline 7iii4 #d71 ,imogen says3 ,some jay of ,italy1 ,whose mother was her painting1#bdi hath betray'd him4 #bdi ,that is1 made by art3 the creature not of nature1 but of painting2 cf4 ,taming of the ,shrew1 iv4 #c2 ,the ,tempest1 ii4 #b4 ,kestrel4 ,a hawk of a base1 unserviceable breed1#bej and therefore used by ,spenser1 in his ,fairy ,queen 7,,ii4 iii4 #d71 to signify base3 ,ne thought of honour ever did assay ,his baser breast1 but in his kestrell kynd ,a pleasant veine of glory he did fynd4 #bej ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 ii4 p4 #dhb4 ,by some#bea it is derived from coystril1 a knave or peasant1 from being the hawk formerly used by persons of inferior rank4 ,thus1 in ,twelfth ,night 7i4 #c71 we find coystrill1 and in ,pericles 7iv4 #f7 coystrel4 ,the name kestrel1 says ,singer1#beb for an inferior kind of hawk1 was evidently a corruption of the ,french quercelle or quercerelle1 and originally had no connection with coystril1 though in later times they may have been confounded4 ,holinshed#bec classes coisterels with lackeys and women1 the unwarlike attendants on an army4 ,the term was also given as a nickname to the emissaries employed by the kings of ,england in their ,french wars4 ,dyce#bed also considers kestrel distinct from coistrel4 #bea ,harting's ,ornithology of ,shakespeare1 p4 #gd4 #beb ,notes1 vol4 iii4 pp4 #ceg1 #ceh4 #bec ,description of ,england1 vol4 i4 p4 #afb4 #bed ,glossary to ,shakespeare1 p4 #hh4 ,kingfisher4 ,it was a common belief in days gone by that during the days the halcyon or kingfisher was engaged in hatching her eggs1 the sea remained so calm that the sailor might venture upon it without incurring risk of storm or tempest2 hence this period was called by ,pliny and ,aristotle the halcyon days1 to which allusion is made in #a ,henry ,,vi4 7i4 #b73 ,expect ,saint ,martin's summer1 halcyon days4 ,dryden also refers to this notion3 ,amidst our arms as quiet you shall be1 ,as halcyons brooding on a winter's sea4 ,another superstition connected with this bird occurs in ,king ,lear 7ii4 #b71 where the ,earl of ,kent says3 turn their halcyon beaks ,with every gale and vary of their masters2 the prevalent idea being that a dead kingfisher1 suspended from a cord1 would always turn its beak in that direction from whence the wind blew4 ,marlowe1 in his ,jew of ,malta 7i4 #a71 says3 ,but now how stands the wind8 ,into what corner peers my halcyon's bill8 ,occasionally one may still see this bird hung up in cottages1 a remnant1 no doubt1 of this old superstition4#bee #bee ,sir ,thomas ,browne's ,vulgar ,errors1 bk4 iii4 chap4 #aj4 ,kite4 ,this bird was considered by the ancients to be unlucky4 ,in ,julius ,csar 7v4 #a7 ,cassius says3 ravens1 crows1 and kites1 ,fly o'er our heads1 and downward look on us4 ,in ,cymbeline 7i4 #b71 too1 ,imogen says1 ,i chose an eagle1 ,and did avoid a puttock1 puttock1 here1 being a synonym sometimes applied to the kite4#bef ,formerly the kite became a term of reproach from its ignoble habits4 ,thus1 in ,antony and ,cleopatra 7iii4 #ac71 ,antony exclaims1 you kite6 and ,king ,lear 7i4 #d7 says to ,goneril1 ,detested kite6 thou liest4 ,its intractable disposition is alluded to in ,taming of the ,shrew1 by ,petruchio 7iv4 #a74 ,a curious peculiarity of this bird is noticed in ,winter's ,tale 7iv4 #c71 where ,autolycus says3 ,my traffic is sheets2 when the kite builds1 look to lesser linen--meaning that his practice was to steal sheets2 leaving the smaller linen to be carried away by the kites1 who will occasionally carry it off to line their nests4#beg ,mr4 ,dyce#beh quotes the following remarks of ,mr4 ,peck on this passage3 ,autolycus here gives us to understand that he is a thief of the first class4 ,this he explains by an allusion to an odd vulgar notion4 ,the common people1 many of them1 think that if any one can find a kite's nest when she hath young1 before they are fledged1 and sew up their back doors1 so as they cannot mute1 the mother-kite1 in compassion to their distress1 will steal lesser linen1 as caps1 cravats1 ruffles1 or any other such small matters as she can best fly with1 from off the hedges where they are hanged to dry after washing1 and carry them to her nest1 and there leave them1 if possible to move the pity of the first comer1 to cut the thread and ease them of their misery4 #bef ,also to the buzzard1 which see1 p4 #ajj4 #beg ,singer's ,shakespeare1 vol4 iv4 p4 #fg4 #beh ,glossary1 p4 #bdc4 ,lapwing4 ,several interesting allusions are made by ,shakespeare to this eccentric bird4 ,it was a common notion that the young lapwings ran out of the shell with part of it sticking on their heads1 in such haste were they to be hatched4 ,horatio 7,hamlet1 v4 #b7 says of ,osric3 ,this lapwing runs away with the shell on his head4 ,it was1 therefore1 regarded as the symbol of a forward fellow4 ,webster1#bei in the ,white ,devil 7#aheg1 p4 #ac71 says3 forward lapwing6 ,he flies with the shell on's head4 #bei ,glossary1 vol4 ii4 p4 #die2 see ,yarrell's ,history of ,british ,birds1 #b;d edition1 vol4 ii4 p4 #dhb4 ,the lapwing1 like the partridge1 is also said to draw pursuers from her nest by fluttering along the ground in an opposite direction or by crying in other places4 ,thus1 in the ,comedy of ,errors 7iv4 #b71 ,shakespeare says3 ,far from her nest the lapwing cries away4 ,again1 in ,measure for ,measure 7i4 #d71 ,lucio exclaims3 though 'tis my familiar sin1 ,with maids to seem the lapwing1 and to jest1 ,tongue far from heart4 ,once more1 in ,much ,ado ,about ,nothing 7iii4 #a71 we read3 ,for look where ,beatrice1 like a lapwing1 runs1 ,close by the ground1 to hear our conference4 ,several1 too1 of our older poets refer to this peculiarity4 ,in ,ben ,jonson's ,underwoods 7lviii47 we are told3 ,where he that knows will like a lapwing fly1 ,farre from the nest1 and so himself belie4 ,through thus alluring intruders from its nest1 the lapwing became a symbol of insincerity2 and hence originated the proverb1 ,the lapwing cries tongue from heart1 or1 ,the lapwing cries most1 farthest from her nest4#bfj #bfj ,ray's ,proverbs1 #agfh1 p4 #aii4 ,lark4 ,shakespeare has bequeathed to us many exquisite passages referring to the lark1 full of the most sublime pathos and lofty conceptions4 ,most readers are doubtless acquainted with that superb song in ,cymbeline 7ii4 #c71 where this sweet songster is represented as singing at heaven's gate2 and again1 as the bird of dawn1 it is described in ,venus and ,adonis1 thus3 ,lo1 here the gentle lark1 weary of rest1 ,from his moist cabinet mounts up on high1 ,and wakes the morning1 from whose silver breast ,the sun ariseth in his majesty4#bfa #bfa ,cf4 ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7iv4 #a74 the morning lark2 ,romeo and ,juliet 7iii4 #e71 the lark1 the herald of the morn4 ,in ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7v4 #b1 song7 we have a graphic touch of pastoral life3 ,when shepherds pipe on oaten straws1 ,and merry larks are ploughmen's clocks4 ,the words of ,portia1 too1 in ,merchant of ,venice 7v4 #a71 to sing as sweetly as the lark1 have long ago passed into a proverb4 ,it was formerly a current saying that the lark and toad changed eyes1 to which ,juliet refers in ,romeo and ,juliet 7iii4 #e73 ,some say1 the lark and loathed toad change eyes2 ,warburton says this popular fancy originated in the toad having very fine eyes1 and the lark very ugly ones4 ,this tradition was formerly expressed in a rustic rhyme3 to heav'n ,i'd fly1 ,but that the toad beguil'd me of mine eye4 ,in ,henry ,,viii4 7iii4 #b7 the ,earl of ,surrey1 in denouncing ,wolsey1 alludes to a curious method of capturing larks1 which was effected by small mirrors and red cloth4 ,these1 scaring the birds1 made them crouch1 while the fowler drew his nets over them3 let his grace go forward1 ,and dare us with his cap1 like larks4 ,in this case the cap was the scarlet hat of the cardinal1 which it was intended to use as a piece of red cloth4 ,the same idea occurs in ,skelton's ,why ,come ,ye not to ,court8 a satire on ,wolsey3 ,the red hat with his lure ,bringeth all things under cure4 ,the words tirra-lirra 7,winter's ,tale1 iv4 #c7 are a fanciful combination of sounds1#bfb meant to imitate the lark's note2 borrowed1 says ,nares1 from the ,french tire-lire4 ,browne1 ,british ,pastorals 7bk4 i4 song #d71 makes it teery-leery4 ,in one of the ,coventry pageants there is the following old song sung by the shepherds at the birth of ,christ1 which contains the expression3 ,as ,i out rode this endenes night1 ,of three joli sheppards ,i sawe a syght1 ,and all aboute there fold a stare shone bright1 ,they sang terli terlow1 ,so mereli the sheppards their pipes can blow4 #bfb ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 ii4 p4 #hhf2 ,douce's ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 #ahci1 p4 #bag4 ,in ,scotland#bfc and the north of ,england the peasantry say that if one is desirous of knowing what the lark says1 he must lie down on his back in the field and listen1 and he will then hear it say3 ,up in the lift go we1 ,tehee1 tehee1 tehee1 tehee6 ,there's not a shoemaker on the earth ,can make a shoe to me1 to me6 ,why so1 why so1 why so8 ,because my heel is as long as my toe4 #bfc ,chambers's ,popular ,rhymes of ,scotland1 #ahgj1 p4 #aib4 ,magpie4 ,it was formerly known as magot-pie1 probably from the ,french magot1 a monkey1 because the bird chatters and plays droll tricks like a monkey4 ,it has generally been regarded with superstitious awe as a mysterious bird1#bfd and is thus alluded to in ,macbeth 7iii4 #d73 ,augurs and understood relations1 have ,by magot-pies1 and choughs1 and rooks1 brought forth ,the secret'st man of blood4 #bfd ,see ,english ,folk-,lore1 p4 #ha4 ,and again1 in #c ,henry ,,vi4 7v4 #f71 it is said3 chattering pies in dismal discords sung4 ,there are numerous rhymes#bfe relating to the magpie1 of which we subjoin1 as a specimen1 one prevalent in the north of ,england3 ,one is sorrow1 two mirth1 ,three a wedding1 four a birth1 ,five heaven1 six hell1 ,seven the de'il's ain sell4 #bfe ,henderson's ,folk-,lore of ,northern ,counties1 p4 #abg4 ,in ,devonshire1 in order to avert the ill-luck from seeing a magpie1 the peasant spits over his right shoulder three times1 and in ,yorkshire various charms are in use4 ,one is to raise the hat as a salutation1 and then to sign the cross on the breast2 and another consists in making the same sign by crossing the thumbs4 ,it is a common notion in ,scotland that magpies flying near the windows of a house portend a speedy death to one of its inmates4 ,the superstitions associated with the magpie are not confined to this country1 for in ,sweden#bff it is considered the witch's bird1 belonging to the evil one and the other powers of night4 ,in ,denmark1 when a magpie perches on a house it is regarded as a sign that strangers are coming4 #bff ,thorpe's ,northern ,mythology1 vol4 ii4 p4 #cd2 ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 pp4 #bae1 #baf2 see also ,harland and ,wilkinson's ,lancashire ,folk-,lore1 #ahfg1 pp4 #adc1 #ade4 ,martin4 ,the martin1 or martlet1 which is called in ,macbeth 7i4 #f7 the guest of summer1 as being a migratory bird1 has been from the earliest times treated with superstitious respect--it being considered unlucky to molest or in any way injure its nest4 ,thus1 in the ,merchant of ,venice 7ii4 #i71 the ,prince of ,arragon says3 the martlet ,builds in the weather1 on the outward wall1 ,even in the force and road of casualty4 ,forster#bfg says that the circumstance of this bird's nest being built so close to the habitations of man indicates that it has long enjoyed freedom from molestation4 ,there is a popular rhyme still current in the north of ,england3 ,the martin and the swallow ,are ,god ,almighty's bow and arrow4 #bfg ,atmospherical ,researches1 #ahbc1 p4 #bfb4 ,nightingale4 ,the popular error that the nightingale sings with its breast impaled upon a thorn is noticed by ,shakespeare1 who makes ,lucrece say3 ,and whiles against a thorn thou bear'st thy part ,to keep thy sharp woes waking4 ,in the ,passionate ,pilgrim 7xxi47 there is an allusion3 ,everything did banish moan1 ,save the nightingale alone4 ,she1 poor bird1 as all forlorn1 ,lean'd her breast up-till a thorn1 ,and there sung the dolefull'st ditty1 ,that to hear it was great pity4 ,beaumont and ,fletcher1 in ,the ,faithful ,shepherdess 7v4 #c71 speak of ,the nightingale among the thick-leaved spring1 ,that sits alone in sorrow1 and doth sing ,whole nights away in mourning4 ,sir ,thomas ,browne#bfh asks ,whether the nightingale's sitting with her breast against a thorn be any more than that she placeth some prickles on the outside of her nest1 or roosteth in thorny1 prickly places1 where serpents may least approach her8#bfi ,in the ,zoologist for #ahfb the ,rev4 ,a4 ,c4 ,smith mentions the discovery1 on two occasions1 of a strong thorn projecting upwards in the centre of the nightingale's nest4 ,another notion is that the nightingale never sings by day2 and thus ,portia1 in ,merchant of ,venice 7v4 #a71 says3 ,i think1 ,the nightingale1 if she should sing by day1 ,when every goose is cackling1 would be thought ,no better a musician than the wren4 #bfh ,sir ,thomas ,browne's ,works1 #aheb1 vol4 i4 p4 #cgh4 #bfi ,see ,book of ,days1 vol4 i4 p4 #eae4 ,such1 however1 is not the case1 for this bird often sings as sweetly in the day as at night-time4 ,there is an old superstition#bgj that the nightingale sings all night1 to keep itself awake1 lest the glow-worm should devour her4 ,the classical fable#bga of the unhappy ,philomela turned into a nightingale1 when her sister ,progne was changed to a swallow1 has doubtless given rise to this bird being spoken of as she2 thus ,juliet tells ,romeo 7iii4 #e73 ,it was the nightingale1 and not the lark1 ,that pierc'd the fearful hollow of thine ear2 ,nightly she sings on yon pomegranate tree2 ,believe me1 love1 it was the nightingale4 #bgj ,southey's ,commonplace ,book4 #eth series4 #ahea1 p4 #cje4 #bga ,ovid's ,metamorphoses1 bk4 vi4 ll4 #dee-fgf2 ,titus ,andronicus1 iv4 #a4 ,sometimes the nightingale is termed ,philomel1 as in ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7ii4 #b1 song73#bgb ,philomel1 with melody1 ,sing in our sweet lullaby4 #bgb ,cf4 ,lucrece1 ll4 #ajgi1 #aabg4 ,osprey4 ,this bird1#bgc also called the sea-eagle1 besides having a destructive power of devouring fish1 was supposed formerly to have a fascinating influence1 both which qualities are alluded to in the following passage in ,coriolanus 7iv4 #g73 ,i think he'll be to ,rome1 ,as is the osprey to the fish1 who takes it ,by sovereignty of nature4 #bgc ,see ,yarrell's ,history of ,british ,birds1 #ahef1 vol4 i4 p4 #cj2 ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 ii4 p4 #fbj2 also ,pennant's ,british ,zoology2 see ,peele's ,play of the ,battle of ,alcazar 7ii4 #c71 #ahfa1 p4 #bh4 ,drayton1 in his ,polyolbion 7song xxv471 mentions the same fascinating power of the osprey3 ,the osprey1 oft here seen1 though seldom here it breeds1 ,which over them the fish no sooner do espy1 ,but1 betwixt him and them by an antipathy1 ,turning their bellies up1 as though their death they saw1 ,they at his pleasure lie1 to stuff his gluttonous maw4 ,ostrich4 ,the extraordinary digestion of this bird#bgd is said to be shown by its swallowing iron and other hard substances4#bge ,in #b ,henry ,,vi4 7iv4 #aj71 the rebel ,cade says to ,alexander ,iden3 ,ah1 villain1 thou wilt betray me1 and get a thousand crowns of the king by carrying my head to him2 but ,i'll make thee eat iron like an ostrich1 and swallow my sword like a great pin1 ere thou and ,i part4 ,cuvier1#bgf speaking of this bird1 says1 ,it is yet so voracious1 and its senses of taste and smell are so obtuse1 that it devours animal and mineral substances indiscriminately1 until its enormous stomach is completely full4 ,it swallows without any choice1 and merely as it were to serve for ballast1 wood1 stones1 grass1 iron1 copper1 gold1 lime1 or1 in fact1 any other substance equally hard1 indigestible1 and deleterious4 ,sir ,thomas ,browne1#bgg writing on this subject1 says1 ,the ground of this conceit in its swallowing down fragments of iron1 which men observing1 by a forward illation1 have therefore conceived it digesteth them1 which is an inference not to be admitted1 as being a fallacy of the consequent4 ,in ,loudon's ,magazine of ,natural ,history 7,no4 #f1 p4 #cb7 we are told of an ostrich having been killed by swallowing glass4 #bgd ,called estridge in #a ,henry ,,iv4 iv4 #a4 #bge ,see ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 iii4 p4 #cfe4 #bgf ,animal ,kingdom1 #ahbi1 vol4 viii4 p4 #dbg4 #bgg ,see ,sir ,thomas ,browne's ,works1 #aheb1 vol4 i4 pp4 #ccd-ccg4 ,owl4 ,the dread attached to this unfortunate bird is frequently spoken of by ,shakespeare1 who has alluded to several of the superstitions associated with it4 ,at the outset1 many of the epithets ascribed to it show the prejudice with which it was regarded--being in various places stigmatized as the vile owl1 in ,troilus and ,cressida 7ii4 ,i72 and the obscure bird1 in ,macbeth 7ii4 #c71 etc4 ,from the earliest period it has been considered a bird of ill-omen1 and ,pliny tells us how1 on one occasion1 even ,rome itself underwent a lustration1 because one of them strayed into the ,capitol4 ,he represents it also as a funereal bird1 a monster of the night1 the very abomination of human kind4 ,vergil#bgh describes its death-howl from the top of the temple by night1 a circumstance introduced as a precursor of ,dido's death4 ,ovid1#bgi too1 constantly speaks of this bird's presence as an evil omen2 and indeed the same notions respecting it may be found among the writings of most of the ancient poets4 ,this superstitious awe in which the owl is held may be owing to its peculiar look1 its occasional and uncertain appearance1 its loud and dismal cry1#bhj as well as to its being the bird of night4#bha ,it has generally been associated with calamities and deeds of darkness4#bhb ,thus1 its weird shriek pierces the ear of ,lady ,macbeth 7ii4 #b71 while the murder is being committed3 ,hark6--,peace6 ,it was the owl that shriek'd1 the fatal bellman1 ,which gives the stern'st good night4 #bgh neid1 bk4 iv4 l4 #dfb4 #bgi ,metamorphoses1 bk4 v4 l4 #eej2 bk4 vi4 l4 #dcb2 bk4 x4 l4 #dec2 bk4 xv4 l4 #gia4 #bhj #b ,henry ,,vi4 iii4 #b2 iv4 #a4 #bha ,titus ,andronicus1 ii4 #c4 #bhb ,cf4 ,lucrece1 l4 #afe2 see ,yarrell's ,history of ,british ,birds1 vol4 i4 p4 #abb4 ,and when the murderer rushes in1 exclaiming1 ,i have done the deed4 ,didst thou not hear a noise8 she answers3 ,i heard the owl scream4 ,its appearance at a birth has been said to foretell ill-luck to the infant1 a superstition to which ,king ,henry1 in #c ,henry ,,vi4 7v4 #f71 addressing ,gloster1 refers3 ,the owl shriek'd at thy birth1 an evil sign4 ,its cries#bhc have been supposed to presage death1 and1 to quote the words of the ,spectator1 a screech-owl at midnight has alarmed a family more than a band of robbers4 ,thus1 in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7v4 #a71 we are told how the screech-owl1 screeching loud1 ,puts the wretch that lies in woe ,in remembrance of a shroud2 and in #a ,henry ,,vi4 7iv4 #b71 it is called the ominous and fearful owl of death4 ,again1 in ,richard ,,iii4 7iv4 #d71 where ,richard is exasperated by the bad news1 he interrupts the third messenger by saying3 ,out on ye1 owls6 nothing but songs of death8 #bhc ,see ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 iii4 p4 #bji4 ,the owl by day is considered by some equally ominous1 as in #c ,henry ,,vi4 7v4 #d73 the owl by day1 ,if he arise1 is mock'd and wonder'd at4 ,and in ,julius ,csar 7i4 #c71 ,casca says3 ,and yesterday the bird of night did sit1 ,even at noon-day1 upon the market-place1 ,hooting and shrieking4 ,when these prodigies ,do so conjointly meet1 let not men say1 ',these are their reasons1--they are natural2' ,for1 ,i believe1 they are portentous things ,unto the climate that they point upon4 ,considering1 however1 the abhorrence with which the owl is generally regarded1 it is not surprising that the owlet's wing#bhd should form an ingredient of the caldron in which the witches in ,macbeth 7iv4 #a7 prepared their charm of powerful trouble4 ,the owl is1 too1 in all probability1 represented by ,shakespeare as a witch1#bhe a companion of the fairies in their moonlight gambols4 ,in ,comedy of ,errors 7ii4 #b71 ,dromio of ,syracuse says3 ,this is the fairy land3 ,o1 spite of spites6 ,we talk with goblins1 owls1 and elvish sprites4 ,if we obey them not1 this will ensue1 ,they'll suck our breath1 or pinch us black and blue6 #bhd ,the spelling of the folios is howlets4 ,in ,holland's translation of ,pliny 7chap4 xvii4 book x471 we read of owlls or howlets4 ,cotgrave gives ,hulotte4 #bhe ,halliwell-,phillipps's1 ,handbook ,index1 #ahff1 p4 #ced4 ,singer1 in his ,notes on this passage 7vol4 ii4 p4 #bh7 says3 ,it has been asked1 how should ,shakespeare know that screech-owls were considered by the ,romans as witches8 ,do these cavillers think that ,shakespeare never looked into a book8 ,take an extract from the ,cambridge ,latin ,dictionary 7#aeid1 #hvo71 probably the very book he used3 ,strix1 a scritche owle2 an unluckie kind of bird 7as they of olde time said7 which sucked out the blood of infants lying in their cradles2 a witch1 that changeth the favour of children2 an hagge or fairie4 ,so in the ,london ,prodigal1 a comedy1 #afje3 ,soul1 ,i think ,i am sure crossed or witch'd with an owl4#bhf ,in ,the ,tempest 7v4 #a7 ,shakespeare introduces ,ariel as saying3 ,where the bee sucks1 there suck ,i1 ,in a cowslip's bell ,i lie1 ,there ,i couch when owls do cry4 #bhf ,see ,dyce's ,glossary1 p4 #cjb4 ,ariel1#bhg who sucks honey for luxury in the cowslip's bell1 retreats thither for quiet when owls are abroad and screeching4 ,according to an old legend1 the owl was originally a baker's daughter1 to which allusion is made in ,hamlet 7iv4 #e71 where ,ophelia exclaims3 ,they say the owl was a baker's daughter4 ,lord6 we know what we are1 but know not what we may be4 ,douce#bhh says the following story was current among the ,gloucestershire peasantry3 ,our ,saviour went into a baker's shop where they were baking1 and asked for some bread to eat2 the mistress of the shop immediately put a piece of dough into the oven to bake for him2 but was reprimanded by her daughter1 who1 insisting that the piece of dough was too large1 reduced it to a very small size2 the dough1 however1 immediately began to swell1 and presently became a most enormous size1 whereupon the baker's daughter cried out1 ',heugh1 heugh1 heugh6' which owl-like noise probably induced our ,saviour to transform her into that bird for her wickedness4 ,another version of the same story1 as formerly known in ,herefordshire1 substitutes a fairy in the place of our ,saviour4 ,similar legends are found on the ,continent4#bhi #bhg ,see ,singer's ,notes to ,the ,tempest1 #ahge1 vol4 i4 p4 #hb4 #bhh ,see ,gentleman's ,magazine1 ,november1 #ahjd1 pp4 #ajhc1 #ajhd4 ,grimm's ,deutsche ,mythologie4 #bhi ,see ,dasent's ,tales of the ,norse1 #ahei1 p4 #bcj4 ,parrot4 ,the popinjay1 in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7i4 #c71 is another name for the parrot--from the ,spanish papagayo--a term which occurs in ,browne's ,pastorals 7ii4 #fe73 ,or like the mixture nature dothe display ,upon the quaint wings of the popinjay4 ,its supposed restlessness before rain is referred to in ,as ,you ,like ,it 7iv4 #a73 ,more clamorous than a parrot against rain4 ,it was formerly customary to teach the parrot unlucky words1 with which1 when any one was offended1 it was the standing joke of the wise owner to say1 ,take heed1 sir1 my parrot prophesies--an allusion to which custom we find in ,comedy of ,errors 7iv4 #d71 where ,dromio of ,ephesus says3 prophesy like the parrot1 beware the rope's end4 ,to this ,butler hints1 where1 speaking of ,ralpho's skill in augury1 he says3#bij ,could tell what subtlest parrots mean1 ,that speak and think contrary clean2 ,what member 'tis of whom they talk1 ,when they cry rope1 and walk1 knave1 walk4 #bij ,hudibras1 pt4 i4 ch4 i4 ,the rewards given to parrots to encourage them to speak are mentioned in ,troilus and ,cressida 7v4 #b73bia the parrot will not do more for an almond4 ,hence1 a proverb for the greatest temptation that could be put before a man seems to have been ,an almond for a parrot4 ,to talk like a parrot is a common proverb1 a sense in which it occurs in ,othello 7ii4 #c74 #bia ,in ,much ,ado ,about ,nothing 7i4 #a71 ,benedick likens ,beatrice to a parrot-teacher1 from her talkative powers4 ,peacock4 ,this bird was as proverbially used for a proud1 vain fool as the lapwing for a silly one4 ,in this sense some would understand it in the much-disputed passage in ,hamlet 7iii4 #b73 ,for thou dost know1 ,o ,damon dear1 ,this realm dismantled was ,of ,jove himself2 and now reigns here ,a very1 very--peacock4#bib #bib ,this is the reading adopted by ,singer4 ,the third and fourth folios read pajock1#bic the other editions have paiock1 paiocke1 or pajocke1 and in the later quartos the word was changed to paicock and pecock1 whence ,pope printed peacock4 #bic ,notes to ,hamlet1 ,clark and ,wright1 #ahgf1 pp4 #agi1 #ahj4 ,dyce says that in ,scotland the peacock is called the peajock4 ,some have proposed to read paddock1 and in the last scene ,hamlet bestows this opprobrious name upon the king4 ,it has been also suggested to read puttock1 a kite4#bid ,the peacock has also been regarded as the emblem of pride and arrogance1 as in #a ,henry ,,vi4 7iii4 #c73bie ,let frantic ,talbot triumph for a while1 ,and1 like a peacock1 sweep along his tail2 ,we'll pull his plumes1 and take away his train4 #bid ,see ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 ii4 p4 #fde2 ,singer's ,notes1 vol4 ix4 p4 #bbh4 #bie ,cf4 ,troilus and ,cressida1 iii4 #c4 ,pelican4 ,there are several allusions by ,shakespeare to the pelican's piercing her own breast to feed her young4 ,thus1 in ,hamlet 7iv4 #e71 ,laertes says3 ,to his good friends thus wide ,i'll ope my arms2 ,and like the kind life-rendering pelican1 ,repast them with my blood4 ,and in ,king ,lear1 where the young pelicans are represented as piercing their mother's breast to drink her blood1 an illustration of filial impiety 7iii4 #d71 the king says3 ,is it the fashion1 that discarded fathers ,should have thus little mercy on their flesh8 ,judicious punishment6 ',twas this flesh begot ,those pelican daughters4#bif #bif ,cf4 ,richard ,,ii4 i4 #a4 ,it is a common notion that the fable here alluded to is a classical one1 but this is an error4 ,shakespeare1 says ,mr4 ,harting1 was content to accept the story as he found it1 and to apply it metaphorically as the occasion required4 ,mr4 ,houghton1 in an interesting letter to ,land and ,water#big on this subject1 remarks that the ,egyptians believed in a bird feeding its young with its blood1 and this bird is none other than the vulture4 ,he goes on to say that the fable of the pelican doubtless originated in the ,patristic annotations on the ,scriptures4 ,the ecclesiastical ,fathers transferred the ,egyptian story from the vulture to the pelican1 but magnified the story a hundredfold1 for the blood of the parent was not only supposed to serve as food for the young1 but was also able to reanimate the dead offspring4 ,augustine1 commenting on ,psalm cii4 #f--;,i am like a pelican of the wilderness--remarks3 ,these birds male pelicans are said to kill their offspring by blows of their beaks1 and then to bewail their death for the space of three days4 ,at length1 however1 it is said that the mother inflicts a severe wound on herself1 pouring the flowing blood over the dead young ones1 which instantly brings them to life4 ,to the same effect write ,eustathius1 ,isidorus1 ,epiphanius1 and a host of other writers4#bih #big ,mr4 ,harting1 in his ,ornithology of ,shakespeare1 quotes an interesting correspondence from ,land and ,water 7#ahfi71 on the subject4 #bih ,see ,sir ,thomas ,browne's ,works1 #aheb1 vol4 ii4 pp4 #a-d4 ,according to another idea#bii pelicans are hatched dead1 but the cock pelican then wounds his breast1 and lets one drop of blood fall upon each1 and this quickens them4 #bii ,see ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 iii4 pp4 #cff1 #cfg4 ,pheasant4 ,this bird is only once alluded to1 in ,winter's ,tale 7iv4 #d71 where the ,clown jokingly says to the ,shepherd1 ,advocate's the court-word for a pheasant2 say1 you have none4 ,phoenix4 ,many allusions are made to this fabulous bird1 which is said to rise again from its own ashes4 ,thus1 in ,henry ,,viii4 7v4 #d71 ,cranmer tells how when ,the bird of wonder dies1 the maiden phoenix1 ,her ashes new create another heir1 ,as great in admiration as herself4 ,again1 in #c ,henry ,,vi4 7i4 #d71 the ,duke of ,york exclaims3 ,my ashes1 as the phoenix1 may bring forth ,a bird that will revenge upon you all4 ,once more1 in #a ,henry ,,vi4 7iv4 #g71 ,sir ,william ,lucy1 speaking of ,talbot and those slain with him1 predicts that from their ashes shall be rear'd ,a phoenix that shall make all ,france afeard4#cjj #cjj ,cf4 ,the ,tempest1 iii4 #c2 ,all's ,well that ,ends ,well1 i4 #a2 ,antony and ,cleopatra1 iii4 #b2 ,cymbeline1 i4 #f4 ,sir ,thomas ,browne#cja tells us that there is but one phoenix in the world1 which after many hundred years burns herself1 and from the ashes thereof ariseth up another4 ,from the very earliest times there have been countless traditions respecting this wonderful bird4 ,thus1 its longevity has been estimated from three hundred to fifteen hundred years2 and among the various localities assigned as its home are ,ethiopia1 ,arabia1 ,egypt1 and ,india4 ,in ,the ,phoenix and ,turtle1 it is said1 ,let the bird of loudest lay ,on the sole ,arabian tree1 ,herald sad and trumpet be4 #cja ,works1 #aheb1 vol4 i4 pp4 #bgg-bhd4 ,pliny says of this bird1 ,howbeit1 ,i cannot tell what to make of him2 and first of all1 whether it be a tale or no1 that there is never but one of them in the whole world1 and the same not commonly seen4 ,malone#cjb quotes from ,lyly's ,euphues and his ,england 7p4 #cab1 ed4 ,arber73 ,for as there is but one phoenix in the world1 so is there but one tree in ,arabia wherein she buyldeth2 and ,florio's ,new ,worlde of ,wordes 7#aeih71 ,rasin1 a tree in ,arabia1 whereof there is but one found1 and upon it the phoenix sits4 #cjb ,see ,aldis ,wright's ,notes to ,the ,tempest1 #ahge1 p4 #abi4 ,pigeon4 ,as carriers1 these birds have been used from a very early date1 and the ,castle of the ,birds1 at ,bagdad1 takes its name from the pigeon-post which the old monks of the convent established4 ,the building has crumbled into ruins long ago by the lapse of time1 but the bird messengers of ,bagdad became celebrated as far westward as ,greece1 and were a regular commercial institution between the distant parts of ,asia ,minor1 ,arabia1 and the ,east4#cjc ,in ancient ,egypt1 also1 the carrier breed was brought to great perfection1 and1 between the cities of the ,nile and the ,red ,sea1 the old traders used to send word of their caravans to each other by letters written on silk1 and tied under the wings of trained doves4 ,in ,titus ,andronicus 7iv4 #c7 ,titus1 on seeing a clown enter with two pigeons1 says3 ,news1 news from heaven6 ,marcus1 the post is come4 ,sirrah1 what tidings8 have you any letters8 #cjc ,daily ,telegraph1 ,january #ca1 #ahhj2 see ,southey's ,commonplace ,book1 #ahdi1 #b;d series1 p4 #ddg4 ,from the same play we also learn that it was customary to give a pair of pigeons as a present4 ,the ,clown says to ,saturninus 7iv4 #d71 ,i have brought you a letter and a couple of pigeons here4#cjd #cjd ,see ,dove1 pp4 #aad1 #aae4 ,in ,romeo and ,juliet 7i4 #c7 the dove is used synonymously for pigeon1 where the nurse is represented as ,sitting in the sun under the dove-house wall4 ,mr4 ,darwin1 in his ,variation of ,animals and ,plants under ,domestication 7vol4 i4 pp4 #bjd1 #bje71 has shown that from the very earliest times pigeons have been kept in a domesticated state4 ,he says3 ,the earliest record of pigeons in a domesticated condition occurs in the fifth ,egyptian dynasty1 about #cjjj ,b4,c42 but ,mr4 ,birch1 of the ,british ,museum1 informs me that the pigeon appears in a bill of fare in the previous dynasty4 ,domestic pigeons are mentioned in ,genesis1 ,leviticus1 and ,isaiah4 ,pliny informs us that the ,romans gave immense prices for pigeons2 'nay1 they are come to this pass that they can reckon up their pedigree and race4' ,in ,india1 about the year #afjj1 pigeons were much valued by ,akbar ,khan2 #bj1jjj birds were carried about with the court4 ,in most countries1 too1 the breeding and taming of pigeons has been a favorite recreation4 ,the constancy of the pigeon has been proverbial from time immemorial1 allusions to which occur in ,winter's ,tale 7iv4 #c71 and in ,as ,you ,like ,it 7iii4 #c74 ,quail4 ,the quail was thought to be an amorous bird1 and hence was metaphorically used to denote people of a loose character4#cje ,in this sense it is generally understood in ,troilus and ,cressida 7v4 #a73 ,here's ,agamemnon1 an honest fellow enough1 and one that loves quails4 ,mr4 ,harting1#cjf however1 thinks that the passage just quoted refers to the practice formerly prevalent of keeping quails1 and making them fight like game-cocks4 ,the context of the passage would seem to sanction the former meaning4 ,quail fighting#cjg is spoken of in ,antony and ,cleopatra 7ii4 #c71 where ,antony1 speaking of the superiority of ,csar's fortunes to his own1 says3 if we draw lots1 he speeds2 ,his cocks do win the battle still of mine1 ,when it is all to nought2 and his quails ever ,beat mine1 inhoop'd1 at odds4 #cje ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 ii4 p4 #gjd2 ,halliwell-,phillipps's ,handbook ,index to ,shakespeare1 #ahff1 p4 #cih2 ,dyce's ,glossary1 p4 #cde2 ,singer's ,shakespeare1 vol4 vii4 p4 #bfd4 #cjf ,ornithology of ,shakespeare1 p4 #bah4 #cjg ,strutt's ,sports and ,pastimes1 #ahgf1 pp4 #ai1 #ig1 #fgg2 ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 ii4 pp4 #ei1 #fj4 ,it appears that cocks as well as quails were sometimes made to fight within a broad hoop--hence the term inhoop'd--to keep them from quitting each other4 ,quail-fights were well known among the ancients1 and especially at ,athens4#cjh ,julius ,pollux relates that a circle was made1 in which the birds were placed1 and he whose quail was driven out of this circle lost the stake1 which was sometimes money1 and occasionally the quails themselves4 ,another practice was to produce one of these birds1 which being first smitten with the middle finger1 a feather was then plucked from its head4 ,if the quail bore this operation without flinching1 his master gained the stake1 but lost it if he ran away4 ,some doubt exists as to whether quail-fighting prevailed in the time of ,shakespeare4 ,at the present day#cji the ,sumatrans practise these quail combats1 and this pastime is common in some parts of ,italy1 and also in ,china4 ,mr4 ,douce has given a curious print1 from an elegant ,chinese miniature painting1 which represents some ladies engaged at this amusement1 where the quails are actually inhooped4 #cjh ,douce's ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 #ahci1 p4 #cfg4 #cji ,marsden's ,history of ,sumatra1 #ahaa1 p4 #bgf4 ,raven4 ,perhaps no bird is so universally unpopular as the raven1 its hoarse croak1 in most countries1 being regarded as ominous4 ,hence1 as might be expected1 ,shakespeare often refers to it1 in order to make the scene he depicts all the more vivid and graphic4 ,in ,titus ,andronicus 7ii4 #c71 ,tamora1 describing a barren detested vale1 says3 ,the trees1 though summer1 yet forlorn and lean1 ,o'ercome with moss and baleful mistletoe3 ,here never shines the sun2 here nothing breeds1 ,unless the nightly owl or fatal raven4 ,and in ,julius ,csar 7v4 #a71 ,cassius tells us how ravens ,fly o'er our heads1 and downward look on us1 ,as we were sickly prey4#caj #caj ,cf4 #b ,henry ,,vi4 iii4 #b2 ,troilus and ,cressida1 v4 #b4 ,it seems that the superstitious dread#caa attaching to this bird has chiefly arisen from its supposed longevity1#cab and its frequent mention and agency in ,holy ,writ4 ,by the ,romans it was consecrated to ,apollo1 and was believed to have a prophetic knowledge--a notion still very prevalent4 ,thus1 its supposed faculty#cac of smelling death still renders its presence1 or even its voice1 ominous4 ,othello 7iv4 #a7 exclaims1 ,o1 it comes o'er my memory1 ,as doth the raven o'er the infected house1 ,boding to all4 #caa ,see ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 iii4 pp4 #baa1 #bab4 #cab ,english ,folk-lore1 #ahgh1 p4 #gh4 #cac ,see ,hunt's ,popular ,romances of ,west of ,england1 #ahha1 p4 #chj4 ,there is no doubt a reference here to the fanciful notion that it was a constant attendant on a house infected with the plague4 ,most readers1 too1 are familiar with that famous passage in ,macbeth 7i4 #e7 where ,lady ,macbeth1 having heard of the king's intention to stay at the castle1 exclaims1 the raven himself is hoarse ,that croaks the fatal entrance of ,duncan ,under my battlements4 ,come1 you spirits ,that tend on mortal thoughts1 unsex me here1 ,and fill me1 from the crown to the toe1 top-full ,of direst cruelty6 ,we may compare ,spenser's language in the ,fairy ,queen 7bk4 ii4 c4 vii4 l4 #bc73 ,after him owles and night ravens flew1 ,the hateful messengers of heavy things1 ,of death and dolor telling sad tidings4 ,and once more the following passage from ,drayton's ,barons' ,wars 7bk4 v4 stanza #db7 illustrates the same idea3 ,the ominous raven often he doth hear1 ,whose croaking him of following horror tells4 ,in ,much ,ado ,about ,nothing 7ii4 #c71 the night-raven is mentioned4 ,benedick observes to himself3 ,i had as lief have heard the night-raven1 come what plague could have come after it4 ,this inauspicious bird1 according to ,steevens1 is the owl2 but this conjecture is evidently wrong1 being at variance with sundry passages in our early writers1 who make a distinction between it and the night-raven4#cad #cad ,dyce's ,glossary1 #ahgf1 p4 #bhh4 ,thus ,johnson1 in his ,seven ,champions of ,christendom 7part i471 speaks of the dismal cry of night-ravens1 444 and the fearefull sound of schriek owles4 ,cotgrave regarded the night-crow and the night-raven as synonymous2 and ,mr4 ,yarrell considered them only different names for the night-heron4#cae ,in #c ,henry ,,vi4 7v4 #f7 ,king ,henry says3 ,the night-crow cried1 aboding luckless time4 #cae ,see ,harting's ,ornithology of ,shakespeare1 pp4 #aja1 #ajb2 ,yarrell's ,history of ,british ,birds1 vol4 ii4 p4 #eha4 ,goldsmith1 in his ,animated ,nature1 calls the bittern the night-raven1 and says3 ,i remember1 in the place where ,i was a boy1 with what terror the bird's note affected the whole village2 they consider it as the presage of some sad event1 and generally found or made one to succeed it4 ,if any person in the neighborhood died1 they supposed it could not be otherwise1 for the night-raven had foretold it2 but if nobody happened to die1 the death of a cow or a sheep gave completion to the prophecy4 ,according to an old belief the raven deserts its own young1 to which ,shakespeare alludes in ,titus ,andronicus 7ii4 #c73 ,some say that ravens foster forlorn children1 ,the whilst their own birds famish in their nests4 ,it was supposed that when the raven1 says ,mr4 ,harting1#caf saw its young ones newly hatched and covered with down1 it conceived such an aversion that it forsook them1 and did not return to the nest until a darker plumage had shown itself4 ,to this belief the commentators consider the ,psalmist refers1 when he says1 ,he giveth to the beast his food1 and to the young ravens which cry 7,psalm cxlvii4 #i74 ,we are told1 too1 in ,job1 ,who provideth for the raven his food8 when his young ones cry unto ,god1 they wander for lack of meat 7xxxviii4 #da74 ,shakespeare1 in ,as ,you ,like ,it 7ii4 #c71 probably had the words of the ,psalmist in his mind3 ,he that doth the ravens feed1 ,yea1 providently caters for the sparrow4 #caf ,ornithology of ,shakespeare1 p4 #ajg4 ,the raven has from earliest times been symbolical of blackness1 both in connection with color and character4 ,in ,romeo and ,juliet 7iii4 #b71 ,juliet exclaims3 ,o serpent heart1 hid with a flowering face6 ,did ever dragon keep so fair a cave8 ,beautiful tyrant6 fiend angelical6 ,dove-feather'd raven6#cag #cag ,cf4 ,midsummer-,night's ,dream1 ii4 #b2 ,twelfth ,night1 v4 #a4 ,once more1 ravens' feathers were formerly used by witches1 from an old superstition that the wings of this bird carried with them contagion wherever they went4 ,hence1 in ,the ,tempest 7i4 #b71 ,caliban says3 ,as wicked dew as e'er my mother brush'd ,with raven's feather from unwholesome fen ,drop on you both6 ,robin ,redbreast4 ,according to a pretty notion1#cah this little bird is said to cover with leaves any dead body it may chance to find unburied2 a belief which probably1 in a great measure1 originated in the well-known ballad of the ,children in the ,wood1 although it seems to have been known previously4 ,thus ,singer quotes as follows from ,cornucopia1 or ,divers ,secrets1 etc4 7by ,thomas ,johnson1 #aeif73 ,the robin redbreast1 if he finds a man or woman dead1 will cover all his face with moss2 and some think that if the body should remain unburied that he would cover the whole body also4 ,in ,dekker's ,villaines ,discovered by ,lanthorn and ,candlelight 7#afaf71 quoted by ,douce1 it is said1 ,they that cheere up a prisoner but with their sight1 are robin redbreasts that bring strawes in their bills to cover a dead man in extremitie4 ,shakespeare1 in a beautiful passage in ,cymbeline 7iv4 #b71 thus touchingly alludes to it1 making ,arviragus1 when addressing the supposed dead body of ,imogen1 say3 ,with fairest flowers1 ,whilst summer lasts1 and ,i live here1 ,fidele1 ,i'll sweeten thy sad grave3 thou shalt not lack ,the flower that's like thy face1 pale primrose1 nor ,the azured harebell1 like thy veins2 no1 nor ,the leaf of eglantine1 whom not to slander ,out-sweeten'd not thy breath3 the ruddock would1 ,with charitable bill1--,o bill1 sore-shaming ,those rich-left heirs1 that let their fathers lie ,without a monument6--bring thee all this2 ,yea1 and furr'd moss besides1 when flowers are none ,to winter-ground thy corse-- the ruddock#cai being one of the old names for the redbreast1 which is nowadays found in some localities4 ,john ,webster1 also1 refers to the same idea in ,the ,white ,devil 7#aheg1 ed4 ,dyce1 p4 #de73 ,call for the robin redbreast and the wren ,since o'er shady groves they hover1 ,and with leaves and flowers do cover ,the friendless bodies of unburied men4 #cah ,english ,folk-,lore1 pp4 #fb-fd2 ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 iii4 p4 #aia2 ,singer's ,shakespeare1 vol4 x4 p4 #dbd2 ,douce's ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 #ahci1 p4 #chj4 #cai ,cf4 ,spenser's ,epithalamium1 v4 #h3 ,the thrush replies1 the mavis descant plays1 ,the ouzell shrills1 the ruddock warbles soft4 ,drayton1 too1 in ,the ,owl1 has the following lines3 ,cov'ring with moss the dead's unclosed eye1 ,the little redbreast teaching charitie4 ,rook4 ,as an ominous bird this is mentioned in ,macbeth 7iii4 #d74 ,formerly the nobles of ,england prided themselves in having a rookery#cbj in the neighborhood of their castles1 because rooks were regarded as fowls of good omen4 ,on this account no one was permitted to kill them1 under severe penalties4 ,when rooks desert a rookery#cba it is said to foretell the downfall of the family on whose property it is4 ,a ,northumbrian saying informs us that the rooks left the rookery of ,chipchase before the family of ,reed left that place4 ,there is also a notion that when rooks haunt a town or village mortality is supposed to await its inhabitants1 and if they feed in the street it shows that a storm is at hand4#cbb #cbj ,standard1 ,january #bf1 #ahgg4 #cba ,english ,folk-,lore1 p4 #gf4 #cbb ,henderson's ,folk-,lore of ,northern ,counties1 #ahgi1 p4 #abb4 ,the expression bully-rook1 in ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7i4 #c71 in ,shakespeare's time1 says ,mr4 ,harting1#cbc had the same meaning as jolly dog nowadays2 but subsequently it became a term of reproach1 meaning a cheating sharper4 ,it has been suggested that the term derives its origin from the rook in the game of chess2 but ,douce#cbd considers it very improbable that this noble game1 never the amusement of gamblers1 should have been ransacked on this occasion4 #cbc ,ornithology of ,shakespeare1 p4 #aba4 #cbd ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 #ahci1 p4 #cf2 the term bully-rook occurs several times in ,shadwell's ,sullen ,lovers2 see ,dyce's ,glossary1 p4 #eh4 ,snipe4 ,this bird was in ,shakespeare's time proverbial for a foolish man4#cbe ,in ,othello 7i4 #c71 ,iago1 speaking of ,roderigo1 says3 ,for ,i mine own gain'd knowledge should profane1 ,if ,i would time expend with such a snipe1 ,but for my sport and profit4 #cbe ,in ,northamptonshire the word denotes an icicle1 from its resemblance to the long bill of the bird so-called4--,baker's ,northamptonshire ,glossary1 #ahed1 vol4 ii4 p4 #bfj4 ,sparrow4 ,a popular name for the common sparrow was1 and still is1 ,philip1 perhaps from its note1 ,phip1 phip4 ,hence the allusion to a person named ,philip1 in ,king ,john 7i4 #a73 ,gurney4 ,good leave1 good ,philip4 ,bastard4 ,philip8--sparrow6 ,staunton says perhaps ,catullus alludes to this expression in the following lines3 ,sed circumsiliens1 modo huc1 modo illuc1 ,ad solam dominam usque pipilabat4 ,skelton1 in an elegy upon a sparrow1 calls it ,phyllyp ,sparowe2 and ,gascoigne also writes ,the praise of ,philip ,sparrow4 ,in ,measure for ,measure 7iii4 #b71 ,lucio1 speaking of ,angelo1 the deputy-duke of ,vienna1 says3 ,sparrows must not build in his house-eaves1 because they are lecherous4#cbf #cbf ,see ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 ii4 p4 #fec2 ,dyce's ,glossary1 p4 #cbj4 ,sparrow-hawk4 ,a name formerly given to a young sparrow-hawk was eyas-musket1#cbg a term we find in ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7iii4 #c73 ,how now1 my eyas-musket6 what news with you8 ,it was thus metaphorically used as a jocular phrase for a small child4 ,as the invention1 too1 of fire-arms took place#cbh at a time when hawking was in high fashion1 some of the new weapons were named after those birds1 probably from the idea of their fetching their prey from on high4 ,musket has thus become the established name for one sort of gun4 ,some1 however1 assert that the musket was invented in the fifteenth century1 and owes its name to its inventors4 #cbg ,derived from the ,french mouschet1 of the same meaning4 #cbh ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 ii4 p4 #eic3 ,douce's ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 #ahci1 p4 #df4 ,turbervile tells us the first name and terme that they bestowe on a falcon is an eyesse1 and this name doth laste as long as she is an eyrie and for that she is taken from the eyrie4 ,starling4 ,this was one of the birds that was in days gone by trained to speak4 ,in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7i4 #c71 ,hotspur says3 ,i'll have a starling shall be taught to speak ,nothing but ',mortimer1' and give it him1 ,to keep his anger still in motion4 ,pliny tells us how starlings were taught to utter both ,latin and ,greek words for the amusement of the young ,csars2 and there are numerous instances on record of the clever sentences uttered by this amusing bird4 ,swallow4 ,this bird has generally been honored as the harbinger of spring1 and ,athenus relates that the ,rhodians had a solemn song to welcome it4 ,anacreon has a well-known ode4 ,shakespeare1 in the ,winter's ,tale 7iv4 #c71 alludes to the time of the swallow's appearance in the following passage3 daffodils1 ,that come before the swallow dares1 and take ,the winds of ,march with beauty4 ,and its departure is mentioned in ,timon of ,athens 7iii4 #f73 ,the swallow follows not summer more willing than we your lordship4 ,we may compare ,tennyson's notice of the bird's approach and migration in ,the ,may ,queen3 ,and the swallow 'll come back again with summer o'er the wave4 ,it has been long considered lucky for the swallow to build its nest on the roof of a house1 but just as unlucky for it to forsake a place which it has once tenanted4 ,shakespeare probably had this superstition in his mind when he represents ,scarus as saying1 in ,antony and ,cleopatra 7iv4 #ab73 ,swallows have built ,in ,cleopatra's sails their nests3 the augurers ,say1 they know not1--they cannot tell2--look grimly1 ,and dare not speak their knowledge4 ,swan4 ,according to a romantic notion1 dating from antiquity1 the swan is said to sing sweetly just before its death1 many pretty allusions to which we find scattered here and there throughout ,shakespeare's plays4 ,in ,merchant of ,venice 7iii4 #b71 ,portia says3 he makes a swan-like end1 ,fading in music4 ,emilia1 too1 in ,othello 7v4 #b71 just before she dies1 exclaims3 ,i will play the swan1 ,and die in music4 ,in ,king ,john 7v4 #g71 ,prince ,henry1 at his father's death-bed1 thus pathetically speaks3 ',tis strange that death should sing4 ,i am the cygnet to this pale faint swan1 ,who chants a doleful hymn to his own death1 ,and from the organ-pipe of frailty sings ,his soul and body to their lasting rest4 ,again1 in ,lucrece 7#afaa71 we have these touching lines3 ,and now this pale swan in her watery nest1 ,begins the sad dirge of her certain ending4 ,and once more1 in ,the ,phoenix and ,turtle3 ,let the priest in surplice white1 ,that defunctive music can1 ,be the death-divining swan1 ,lest the requiem lack his right4 ,this superstition1 says ,douce1#cbi was credited by ,plato1 ,chrysippus1 ,aristotle1 ,euripides1 ,philostratus1 ,cicero1 ,seneca1 and ,martial4 ,pliny1 lian1 and ,athenus1 among the ancients1 and ,sir ,thomas ,more1 among the moderns1 treat this opinion as a vulgar error4 ,luther believed in it4 ,this notion probably originated in the swan being identified with ,orpheus4 ,sir ,thomas ,browne#ccj says1 we read that1 after his death1 ,orpheus1 the musician1 became a swan4 ,thus was it the bird of ,apollo1 the bird of music by the ,greeks4 ,alluding to this piece of folk-lore1 ,carl ,engel#cca remarks3 ,although our common swan does not produce sounds which might account for this tradition1 it is a well-known fact that the wild swan 7,cygnus ferus71 also called the 'whistling swan1' when on the wing emits a shrill tone1 which1 however harsh it may sound if heard near1 produces a pleasant effect when1 emanating from a large flock high in the air1 it is heard in a variety of pitches of sound1 increasing or diminishing in loudness according to the movement of the birds and to the current of the air4 ,colonel ,hawker#ccb says1 ,the only note which ,i ever heard the wild swan make1 in winter1 is his well-known 'whoop4'#ccc #cbi ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 #ahci1 p4 #afa4 #ccj ,works1 #aheb1 vol4 i4 p4 #ceg4 #cca ,musical ,myths and ,facts1 #ahgf1 vol4 i4 p4 #hi4 #ccb ,instructions to ,young ,sportsmen1 #aath ed41 p4 #bfi4 #ccc ,see ,baring-,gould's ,curious ,myths of the ,middle ,ages1 #ahgg1 p4 #efa2 ,thorpe's ,northern ,mythology1 #aheb1 vol4 iii4 pp4 #cjb-cbh4 ,tassel-,gentle4#ccd ,the male of the goshawk was so called on account of its tractable disposition1 and the facility with which it was tamed4 ,the word occurs in ,romeo and ,juliet 7ii4 #b73 ,o1 for a falconer's voice ,to lure this tassel-gentle back again6 #ccd ,properly tiercel gentle1 ,french1 tiercelet2 cf4 ,troilus and ,cressida1 iii4 #b1 the falcon as the tercel4 ,spenser1 in his ,fairy ,queen 7bk4 iii4 c4 iv4 l4 #di71 says3 ,having far off espied a tassel-gent ,which after her his nimble wings doth straine4 ,this species of hawk was also commonly called a falcon-gentle1 on account of her familiar1 courteous disposition4#cce #cce ,gentleman's ,recreation1 p4 #ai1 quoted in ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 ii4 p4 #hfg4 ,turkey4 ,this bird1 so popular with us at ,christmas-tide1 is mentioned in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7ii4 #a71 where the ,first ,carrier says3 ,god's body6 the turkeys in my pannier are quite starved4 ,this1 however1 is an anachronism on the part of ,shakespeare1 as the turkey was unknown in this country until the reign of ,henry ,,viii4 ,according to a rhyme written in #aebe1 commemorating the introduction of this bird1 we are told how3 ,turkies1 carps1 hoppes1 piccarell1 and beere1 ,came into ,england all in one yeare4 ,the turkey is again mentioned by ,shakespeare in ,twelfth ,night 7ii4 #e71 where ,fabian says of ,malvolio3 ,contemplation makes a rare turkey-cock of him3 how he jets under his advanced plumes6 ,vulture4 ,in several passages ,shakespeare has most forcibly introduced this bird to deepen the beauty of some of his exquisite passages4 ,thus1 in ,king ,lear 7ii4 #d71 when he is complaining of the unkindness of a daughter1 he bitterly exclaims3 ,o ,regan1 she hath tied ,sharp-tooth'd unkindness1 like a vulture1 here4 ,what1 too1 can be more graphic than the expression of ,tamora in ,titus ,andronicus 7v4 #b73 ,i am ,revenge1 sent from the infernal kingdom1 ,to ease the gnawing vulture of thy mind4 ,equally forcible1 too1 are ,pistol's words in ,the ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7i4 #c73 ,let vultures gripe thy guts4 ,johnson considers that the vulture of sedition in #b ,henry ,,vi4 7iv4 #c7 is in allusion to the tale of ,prometheus1 but of this there is a decided uncertainty4 ,wagtail4 ,in ,king ,lear 7ii4 #b71 ,kent says1 ,spare my grey beard1 you wagtail8 the word being used in an opprobrious sense1 to signify an officious person4 ,woodcock4 ,in several passages this bird is used to denote a fool or silly person2 as in ,taming of the ,shrew 7i4 #b73 ,o this woodcock6 what an ass it is6 ,and again1 in ,much ,ado ,about ,nothing 7v4 #a71 where ,claudio1 alluding to the plot against ,benedick1 says3 ,shall ,i not find a woodcock too8 ,in ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7iv4 #c7 ,biron says3 ,o heavens1 ,i have my wish6 ,dumain transformed3 four woodcocks in a dish4 ,the woodcock has generally been proverbial as a foolish bird--perhaps because it is easily caught in springes or nets4#ccf ,thus the popular phrase ,springes to catch woodcocks meant arts to entrap simplicity1#ccg as in ,hamlet 7i4 #c73 ,aye1 springes to catch woodcocks4 #ccf ,dyce's ,glossary1 p4 #ejh4 #ccg ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 ii4 p4 #iga4 ,a similar expression occurs in ,beaumont and ,fletcher's ,loyal ,subject 7iv4 #d73 ,go like a woodcock1 ,and thrust your neck i' th' noose4 ,it seems1 says ,nares1 that woodcocks are now grown wiser by time1 for we do not now hear of their being so easily caught4 ,if they were sometimes said to be without brains1 it was only founded on their character1 certainly not on any examination of the fact4#cch ,formerly1 one of the terms for twilight#cci was cock-shut time1 because the net in which cocks1 i4 e41 woodcocks1 were shut in during the twilight1 was called a cock-shut4 ,it appears that a large net was stretched across a glade1 and so suspended upon poles as to be easily drawn together4 ,thus1 in ,richard ,,iii4 7v4 #c71 ,ratcliff says3 ,thomas the ,earl of ,surrey1 and himself1 ,much about cock-shut time1 from troop to troop1 ,went through the army1 cheering up the soldiers4 #cch ,see ,willughby's ,ornithology1 iii4 section #a4 #cci ,minsheu's ,guide into ,tongues1 ed4 #afag4 ,in ,ben ,jonson's ,masque of ,gypsies we read3 ,mistress1 this is only spite2 ,for you would not yesternight ,kiss him in the cock-shut light4 ,sometimes it was erroneously written cock-shoot4 ,come1 come away then1 a fine cock-shoot evening4 ,in the ,two ,noble ,kinsmen 7iv4 #a7 we find the term cock-light4 ,wren4 ,the diminutive character of this bird is noticed in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7iii4 #a1 song73 ,the wren with little quill4 ,in ,macbeth 7iv4 #b71 ,lady ,macbeth says3 the poor wren1 ,the most diminutive of birds1 will fight1 ,her young ones in her nest1 against the owl4 ,considering1 too1 that as many as sixteen young ones have been found in this little bird's nest1 we can say with ,grahame1 in his poem on the birds of ,scotland3 ,but now behold the greatest of this train ,of miracles1 stupendously minute2 ,the numerous progeny1 claimant for food ,supplied by two small bills1 and feeble wings ,of narrow range1 supplied--ay1 duly fed-- ,fed in the dark1 and yet not one forgot4 ,the epithet poor1 applied to the wren by ,lady ,macbeth1 was certainly appropriate in days gone by1 when we recollect how it was cruelly hunted in ,ireland on ,st4 ,stephen's day--a practice which prevailed also in the ,isle of ,man4#cdj #cdj ,see ,yarrell's ,history of ,british ,birds1 vol4 ii4 p4 #agh4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,animals4 ,as in the case of the birds considered in the previous chapter1 ,shakespeare has also interwoven throughout his plays an immense deal of curious folk-lore connected with animals4 ,not only does he allude with the accuracy of a naturalist to the peculiarities and habits of certain animals1 but so true to nature is he in his graphic descriptions of them that it is evident his knowledge was in a great measure acquired from his own observation4 ,it is interesting1 also1 to note how carefully he has1 here and there1 worked into his narrative some old proverb or superstition1 thereby adding a freshness to the picture which has1 if possible1 imbued it with an additional lustre4 ,in speaking of the dog1 he has introduced many an old hunting custom1 and his references to the tears of the deer are full of sweet pathos1 as1 for instance1 where ,hamlet says 7iii4 #b71 ,let the stricken deer go weep4 ,it is not necessary1 however1 to add further illustrations1 as these will be found in the following pages4 ,ape4 ,in addition to ,shakespeare's mention of this animal as a common term of contempt1 there are several other allusions to it4 ,there is the well-known phrase1 to lead apes in hell1 applied to old maids1 mentioned in the ,taming of the ,shrew 7ii4 #a7--the meaning of this term not having been yet satisfactorily explained4#cda 7,it is further discussed in the chapter on ,marriage47 #cda ,see page #afe4 ,in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7ii4 #d71 the word is used as a term of endearment1 ,alas1 poor ape1 how thou sweat'st4 ,ass4 ,beyond the proverbial use of this much ill-treated animal to denote a silly1 foolish person1 ,shakespeare has said little about it4 ,in ,troilus and ,cressida 7ii4 #a71 ,thersites uses the word assinego1 a ,portuguese expression for a young ass1 ,thou hast no more brain than ,i have in mine elbows2 an assinego may tutor thee4 ,it is used by ,beaumont and ,fletcher in the ,scornful ,lady 7v4 #d73 ,all this would be forsworn1 and ,i again an assinego1 as your sister left me4#cdb ,dyce#cdc would spell the word asinico1 because it is so spelled in the old editions of ,shakespeare1 and is more in accordance with the ,spanish word4#cdd ,in ,king ,lear 7i4 #d71 the ,fool alludes to sop's celebrated fable of the old man and his ass3 thou borest thine ass on thy back o'er the dirt4 #cdb ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 i4 p4 #ch4 #cdc ,glossary to ,shakespeare1 #ahgf1 p4 #bj4 #cdd ,asinico1 a little ass1 ,connelly's ,spanish and ,english ,dictionary1 ,madrid1 #dto4 ,bat4 ,the bat1 immortalized by ,shakespeare 7,the ,tempest1 v4 #a7 as the delicate ,ariel's steed-- ,on the bat's back ,i do fly1 --has generally been an object of superstitious dread1 and proved to the poet and painter a fertile source of images of gloom and terror4#cde ,in ,scotland#cdf it is still connected with witchcraft1 and if1 while flying1 it rise and then descend again earthwards1 it is a sign that the witches' hour is come--the hour in which they are supposed to have power over every human being who is not specially shielded from their influence4 ,thus1 in ,macbeth 7iv4 #a7 the wool of bat forms an ingredient in the witches' caldron4 ,one of its popular names is rere-mouse1 which occurs in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7ii4 #b71 where ,titania says3 ,some1 war with rere-mice for their leathern wings1 ,to make my small elves coats4 #cde ,english ,folk-,lore1 p4 #aae2 cf4 ,macbeth1 iii4 #b4 #cdf ,henderson's ,folk-,lore of ,northern ,counties1 #ahgi1 pp4 #abe1 #abf4 ,this term is equivalent to the ,anglo-,saxon1 hrre-ms1 from hreran1 to stir1 agitate1 and so the same as the old name flitter-mouse4#cdg ,the early copies spell the word reremise4#cdh ,it occurs in the ,wicliffite version of ,leviticus xi4 #ai1 and the plural in the form reremees or rere-myis is found in ,isaiah ii4 #bj4 ,at ,polperro1 ,cornwall1#cdi the village boys call it airy-mouse1 and address it in the following rhyme3 ,airy mouse1 airy mouse6 fly over my head1 ,and you shall have a crust of bread2 ,and when ,i brew1 and when ,i bake1 ,you shall have a piece of my wedding-cake4 #cdg ,it has been speciously derived from the ,english word rear1 in the sense of being able to raise itself in the air1 but this is erroneous4 ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 ii4 p4 #gbf4 #cdh ,aldis ,wright's ,notes to ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream1 #ahgg1 p4 #aja4 #cdi ,folk-,lore ,record1 #ahgi1 p4 #bja4 ,in ,scotland#cej it is known as the ,backe or ,bakie bird4 ,an immense deal of folk-lore has clustered round this curious little animal4#cea #cej ,jamieson's ,scottish ,dictionary1 #ahgi1 vol4 i p4 #ajf4 #cea ,see ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 iii4 p4 #ahi2 ,harting's ,ornithology of ,shakespeare1 #ahga1 pp4 #ac1 #ad4 ,bear4 ,according to an old idea1 the bear brings forth unformed lumps of animated flesh1 and then licks them into shape--a vulgar error1 referred to in #c ,henry ,,vi4 7iii4 #b71 where ,gloster1 bemoaning his deformity1 says of his mother3 ,she did corrupt frail nature with some bribe1 99 99 99 99 99 ,to disproportion me in every part1 ,like to a chaos1 or an unlick'd bear-whelp1 ,that carries no impression like the dam4 ,this erroneous notion1 however1 was long ago confuted by ,sir ,thomas ,browne4#ceb ,alexander ,ross1 in his ,arcana ,microcosmi1 nevertheless affirms that bears bring forth their young deformed and misshapen1 by reason of the thick membrane in which they are wrapped1 that is covered over with a mucous matter4 ,this1 he says1 the dam contracts in the winter-time1 by lying in hollow caves without motion1 so that to the eye the cub appears like an unformed lump4 ,the above mucilage is afterwards licked away by the dam1 and the membrane broken1 whereby that which before seemed to be unformed appears now in its right shape4 ,this1 he contends1 is all that the ancients meant4#cec ,ovid 7,metamorphoses1 bk4 xv4 l4 #cgi7 thus describes this once popular fancy3 ,nec catulus1 partu quem reddidit ursa recenti1 ,sed male viva caro est3 lambendo mater in artus ,fingit1 et in formam1 quantam capit ipsa1 reducit4 #ceb ,vulgar ,errors1 #aheb1 vol4 i4 p4 #bdg4 #cec ,see ,bartholomus1 ,de ,proprietate ,rerum1 lib4 xviii4 c4 #aab2 ,aristotle1 ,history of ,animals1 lib4 vi4 c4 #ca2 ,pliny's ,natural ,history1 lib4 viii4 c4 #ed4 ,bears1 in days gone by1 are reported to have been surprised by means of a mirror1 which they would gaze on1 affording their pursuers an opportunity of taking the surer aim4 ,in ,julius ,csar 7ii4 ,i71 this practice is mentioned by ,decius3 unicorns may be betray'd with trees1 ,and bears with glasses4#ced #ced ,steevens on this passage4 ,batman1 ,on ,bartholomus 7#aehb71 speaking of the bear1 says1 ,and when he is taken he is made blinde with a bright basin1 and bound with chaynes1 and compelled to playe4 ,this1 however1 says ,mr4 ,aldis ,wright1#cee probably refers to the actual blinding of the bear4 #cee ,notes on ,julius ,csar1 #ahgh1 p4 #acd4 ,a favorite amusement with our ancestors was bear-baiting4 ,as early as the reign of ,henry ,,ii4 the baiting of bears by dogs was a popular game in ,london1#cef while at a later period a royal bear-ward was an officer regularly attached to the royal household4 ,in #b ,henry ,,vi4 7v4 #a71 this personage is alluded to by ,clifford1 who says3 ,are these thy bears8 ,we'll bait thy bears to death1 ,and manacle the bear-ward in their chains1 ,if thou dar'st bring them to the baiting place4 #cef ,notices ,illustrative of the ,drama and other ,popular ,amusements1 incidentally illustrating ,shakespeare and his contemporaries1 extracted from the ,,mss4 of ,leicester1 by ,w4 ,kelly1 #ahfe1 p4 #aeb4 ,and again1 in ,much ,ado ,about ,nothing 7ii4 #a71 ,beatrice says1 ,i will even take sixpence in earnest of the bear-ward1 and lead his apes into hell4 ,the synonymous term1 bear-herd1 occurs in ,taming of the ,shrew 7,ind4 scene #b71 where ,sly speaks of himself as by transmutation a bear-herd2 and in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7i4 #b71 ,sir ,john ,falstaff remarks how true valor is turned bear-herd4 ,among the ,harleian ,,mss4#ceg is preserved the original warrant of ,richard ,,iii4 appointing ,john ,brown to this office1 and which recites the diligent service he had done the king as the ground for granting him the privilege of wandering about the country with his bears and apes1 and receiving the loving benevolence and favors of the people4#ceh ,in the time of ,queen ,elizabeth bear-baiting was still a favorite pastime1 being considered a fashionable entertainment for ladies of the highest rank4#cei ,james ,i4 encouraged this sport4 ,nichols#cfj informs us that on one occasion the king1 accompanied by his court1 took the queen1 the ,princess ,elizabeth1 and the two young princes to the ,tower to witness a fight between a lion and a bear1 and by the king's command the bear 7which had killed a child that had been negligently left in the bear-house7 was afterwards baited to death upon a stage in the presence of many spectators4 ,popular1 says ,mr4 ,kelly1 as bear-baiting was in the metropolis and at court1 it was equally so among all classes of the people4#cfa ,it is on record that at ,congleton1 in ,cheshire1 the town-bear having died1 the corporation in #afja gave orders to sell their ,bible1 in order to purchase another1 which was done1 and the town no longer without a bear4 ,this event is kept up in a popular rhyme3 ,congleton rare1 ,congleton rare1 ,sold the ,bible to pay for a bear4 #ceg ,no4 #dcc4 ,the document is given at length in ,collier's ,annals of the ,stage1 vol4 i4 p4 #ce1 note4 #ceh ,kelly's ,notices of ,leicester1 p4 #aeb4 #cei ,wright's ,domestic ,manners1 p4 #cjd4 #cfj ,progresses and ,processions1 vol4 ii4 p4 #bei4 #cfa ,about #agfj it was customary to have a bear baited at the election of the mayor4 ,corry1 ,history of ,liverpool1 #ahaj1 p4 #ic4 ,the same legend attaches to ,clifton1 a village near ,rugby3 ,clifton-upon-,dunsmore1 in ,warwickshire1 ,sold the ,church ,bible to buy a bear4 ,in ,pulleyn's ,etymological ,compendium1#cfb we are told that this cruel amusement is of ,african origin1 and was introduced into ,europe by the ,romans4 ,it is further alluded to by ,shakespeare in ,twelfth ,night 7i4 #c71 dancing and bear-baiting2 and further on in the same play 7ii4 #e7 ,fabian says1 he brought me out o' favor with my lady about a bear-baiting here2 and ,macbeth 7v4 #g7 relates3 ,they have tied me to a stake2 ,i cannot fly1 ,but1 bear-like1 ,i must fight the course4#cfc #cfb ,edited by ,m4 ,a4 ,thorns1 #ahec1 p4 #agj4 #cfc ,for further information on this subject consult ,strutt's ,sports and ,pastimes1 #ahgf2 ,kelly's ,notices of ,leicester1 pp4 #aeb-aei4 ,and in ,julius ,csar 7iv4 #a71 ,octavius says3 we are at the stake1 ,and bay'd about with many enemies4 ,boar4 ,it appears that in former times boar-hunting was a favorite recreation2 many allusions to which we find in old writers4 ,indeed1 in the ,middle ,ages1 the destruction of a wild boar ranked among the deeds of chivalry1#cfd and won for a warrior almost as much renown as the slaying an enemy in the open field4 ,so dangerous1 too1 was boar-hunting considered1 that ,shakespeare represents ,venus as dissuading ,adonis from the perilous practice3 ',o be advised6 thou know'st not what it is1 ,with javelin's point a churlish swine to gore1 ,whose tushes never sheathed he whetteth still1 ,like to a mortal butcher1 bent to kill4 99 99 99 99 99 ,his brawny sides1 with hairy bristles arm'd1 ,are better proof than thy spear's point can enter2 ,his short thick neck cannot be easily harm'd2 ,being ireful1 on the lion he will venture4' #cfd ,chambers's ,book of ,days1 #ahfd1 vol4 ii4 pp4 #eah1 #eai4 ,such hunting expeditions were generally fatal to some of the dogs1 and occasionally to one or more of the hunters4 ,an old tradition of ,grimsby1 in ,lincolnshire1#cfe asserts that every burgess1 at his admission to the freedom of the borough1 anciently presented to the mayor a boar's head1 or an equivalent in money1 when the animal could not be procured4 ,the old seal of the mayor of ,grimsby represents a boar hunt4 ,the lord1 too1 of the adjacent manor of ,bradley1 was obliged by his tenure to keep a supply of these animals in his wood1 for the entertainment of the mayor and burgesses4#cff ,a curious triennial custom called the ,rhyne ,toll1 is observed at ,chetwode1 a small village about five miles from ,buckingham4#cfg ,according to tradition1 it originated in the destruction of an enormous wild boar--the terror of the surrounding county--by one of the lords of ,chetwode2 who1 after fighting with it for four hours on a hot summer's day1 eventually killed it3 ,then ,sir ,ryalas he drawed his broad sword with might1 ,wind well thy horn1 good hunter2 ,and he fairly cut the boar's head off quite1 ,for he was a jovial hunter4 #cfe ,hampson's ,o,evi ,medii ,kalendarium1 vol4 i4 p4 #if4 #cff ,see ,gentleman's ,magazine1 vol4 xcviii4 pp4 #dja1 #djb4 #cfg ,see ,book of ,days1 vol4 ii4 pp4 #eag-eai4 ,as a reward1 it is said1 the king granted to him and to his heirs forever1 among other immunities and privileges1 the full right to levy every year the ,rhyne ,toll4 ,this is still kept up1 and consists of a yearly tax on all cattle found within the manor of ,chetwode between the #cjth of ,october and the #gth of ,november1 inclusive4 ,in ,antony and ,cleopatra 7iv4 #ac7 ,cleopatra alludes to the famous boar killed by ,meleager1 the boar of ,thessaly ,was never so emboss'd4#cfh #cfh ,embossed is a hunting term1 properly applied to a deer when foaming at the mouth from fatigue1 see p4 #agi2 also ,dyce's ,glossary to ,shakespeare1 p4 #adb2 see ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 i4 p4 #bge4 ,bull4 ,once upon a time there was scarcely a town or village of any magnitude which had not its bull-ring4#cfi ,indeed1 it was not until the year #ahce that baiting was finally put down by an act of ,parliament1 forbidding the keeping of any house1 pit1 or other place for baiting or fighting any bull1 bear1 dog1 or other animal2 and1 after an existence of at least seven centuries1 this ceased to rank among the amusements of the ,english people4#cgj ,this sport is alluded to in ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7v4 #e71 ,remember1 ,jove1 thou wast a bull for thy ,europa4 ,we may1 too1 compare the expressions in ,troilus and ,cressida 7v4 #g71 ,now1 bull1 now1 dog6444 ,the bull has the game4#cga #cfi ,wright's ,domestic ,manners1 p4 #cjd2 see ,strutt's ,sports and ,pastimes2 ,smith's ,festivals1 ,games1 and ,amusements1 #ahca1 pp4 #aib-bbi4 #cgj ,book of ,days1 vol4 ii4 p4 #ei4 #cga ,cf4 #b ,henry ,,iv4 ii4 #b1 the town-bull4 ,cat4 ,few animals1 in times past1 have been more esteemed than the cat1 or been honored with a wider folk-lore4 ,indeed1 among the ,egyptians this favored animal was held sacred to ,isis1 or the moon1 and worshipped with great ceremony4 ,in the mythology of all the ,indo-,european nations the cat holds a prominent place2 and its connection with witches is well known4 ,the picture of a witch1 says ,mr4 ,henderson1#cgb is incomplete without her cat1 by rights a black one4 ,in ,macbeth 7iv4 #a7 the first witch says3 ,thrice the brinded cat hath mew'd-- it being a common superstition that the form most generally assumed by the familiar spirits of witches was the cat4 ,thus1 in another passage of the same play 7i4 #a71 the first witch says3 ,i come1 ,graymalkin--the word otherwise spelled ,grimalkin1#cgc meaning a gray cat4 ,numerous stories are on record of witches having disguised themselves as cats1 in order to carry out their fiendish designs4 ,a woodman out working in the forest has his dinner every day stolen by a cat4 ,exasperated at the continued repetition of the theft1 he lies in wait for the aggressor1 and succeeds in cutting off her paw1 when lo6 on his return home he finds his wife minus a hand4#cgd ,an honest ,yorkshireman1#cge who bred pigs1 often lost the young ones4 ,on applying to a certain wise man of ,stokesley1 he was informed that they were bewitched by an old woman who lived near4 ,the owner of the pigs1 calling to mind that he had often seen a cat prowling about his yard1 decided that this was the old woman in disguise4 ,he watched for her1 and1 as soon as she made her appearance1 flung at her a poker with all his might4 ,the cat disappeared1 and1 curiously enough1 the poor old woman in question that night fell and broke her leg4 ,this was considered as conclusive that she was the witch that had simulated the form of a cat4 ,this notion is very prevalent on the ,continent4 ,it is said that witch-cats have a great hankering after beer4#cgf ,witches are adepts in the art of brewing1 and therefore fond of tasting what their neighbors brew4 ,on these occasions they always masquerade as cats1 and what they steal they consume on the spot4 ,there was a countryman whose beer was all drunk up by night whenever he brewed1 so that at last he resolved for once to sit up all night and watch4 ,as he was standing by his brewing pan1 a number of cats made their appearance1 and calling to them1 he said2 ,come1 puss1 puss1 come1 warm you a bit4 ,so in a ring they all sat round the fire as if to warm themselves4 ,after a time1 he asked them if the water was hot4 ,just on the boil1 said they2 and as he spoke he dipped his long-handled pail in the wort1 and soused the whole company with it4 ,they all vanished at once1 but on the following day his wife had a terribly scalded face1 and then he knew who it was that had always drunk his beer4 ,this story is widely prevalent1 and is current among the ,flemish-speaking natives of ,belgium4 ,again1 a ,north ,german tradition#cgg tells us of a peasant who had three beautiful large cats4 ,a neighbor begged to have one of them1 and obtained it4 ,to accustom it to the place1 he shut it up in the loft4 ,at night1 the cat1 popping its head through the window1 said1 ,what shall ,i bring to-night8 ,thou shalt bring mice1 answered the man4 ,the cat then set to work1 and cast all it caught on the floor4 ,next morning the place was so full of dead mice that it was hardly possible to open the door1 and the man was employed the whole day in throwing them away by bushels4 ,at night the cat again asked1 ,what shall ,i bring to-night8 ,thou shalt bring rye1 answered the peasant4 ,the cat was now busily employed in shooting down rye1 so that in the morning the door could not be opened4 ,the man then discovered that the cat was a witch1 and carried it back to his neighbor4 ,a similar tradition occurs in ,scandinavian mythology4#cgh ,spranger#cgi relates that a laborer1 on one occasion1 was attacked by three young ladies in the form of cats1 and that they were wounded by him4 ,on the following day they were found bleeding in their beds4 ,in ,vernon1#chj about the year #aeff1 the witches and warlocks gathered in great multitudes under the shape of cats4 ,four or five men were attacked in a lone place by a number of these beasts4 ,the men stood their ground1 and succeeded in slaying one cat and wounding many others4 ,next day a number of wounded women were found in the town1 and they gave the judge an accurate account of all the circumstances connected with their wounding4 ,it is only natural1 then1 that ,shakespeare1 in his description of the witches in ,macbeth1 should have associated them with the popular superstition which represents the cat as their agent--a notion that no doubt originated in the classic story of ,galanthis being turned into a cat1 and becoming1 through the compassion of ,hecate1 her priestess4 ,from their supposed connection with witchcraft1 cats were formerly often tormented by the ignorant vulgar4 ,thus it appears#cha that1 in days gone by1 they 7occasionally fictitious ones7 were hung up in baskets and shot at with arrows4 ,in some counties1 too1 they were enclosed1 with a quantity of soot1 in wooden bottles suspended on a line1 and he who could beat out the bottom of the bottle as he ran under it1 and yet escape its contents1 was the hero of the sport4#chb ,shakespeare alludes to this practice in ,much ,ado ,about ,nothing 7i4 #a71 where ,benedick says3 ,hang me in a bottle like a cat1 and shoot at me4 #cgb ,folk-,lore of ,northern ,counties1 p4 #bfg2 ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 iii4 p4 #g4 #cgc ,malkin is a diminutive of ,mary2 ,maukin1 the same word1 is still used in ,scotland for a hare4 ,notes to ,macbeth1 by ,clark and ,wright1 #ahgg1 p4 #ge4 #cgd ,sternberg's ,dialect and ,folk-,lore of ,northamptonshire1 #ahea1 p4 #adh4 #cge ,henderson's ,folk-,lore of ,northern ,counties #ahgi1 p4 #bjf4 #cgf ,kelly's ,indo-,european ,folk-,lore1 #ahfc1 p4 #bch4 #cgg ,thorpe's ,northern ,mythology1 #ahea1 vol4 iii4 p4 #cb4 #cgh ,ibid41 vol4 ii4 p4 #cb2 vol4 iii4 pp4 #bf-bcf4 #cgi ,see ,baring-,gould's ,book of ,werewolves1 #ahfi1 p4 #fe4 #chj ,ibid41 p4 #ff4 #cha ,dyce's ,glossary to ,shakespeare1 p4 #gj4 #chb ,see ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 iii4 p4 #ci2 also ,wright's ,essays on the ,superstitions of the ,middle ,ages1 #ahdf4 ,percy1 in his ,reliques of ,ancient ,english ,poetry 7#agid1 vol4 i4 p4 #aee71 says3 ,it is still a diversion in ,scotland to hang up a cat in a small cask or firkin1 half filled with soot2 and then a parcel of clowns on horseback try to beat out the ends of it1 in order to show their dexterity in escaping before the contents fall upon them4 ,this practice was once kept up at ,kelso1 in ,scotland1 according to ,ebenezer ,lazarus1 who1 in his ,description of ,kelso 7#aghi1 p4 #add71 has given a graphic description of the whole ceremony4 ,he says1 ,this is a sport which was common in the last century at ,kelso on the ,tweed4 ,a large concourse of men1 women1 and children assembled in a field about half a mile from the town1 and a cat having been put into a barrel stuffed full of soot1 was suspended on a crossbeam between two high poles4 ,a certain number of the whipmen1 or husbandmen1 who took part in this savage and unmanly amusement1 then kept striking1 as they rode to and fro on horseback1 the barrel in which the unfortunate animal was confined1 until at last1 under the heavy blows of their clubs and mallets1 it broke1 and allowed the cat to drop4 ,the victim was then seized and tortured to death4 ,he justly stigmatizes it1 saying3 ,the cat in the barrel exhibits such a farce1 ,that he who can relish it is worse than an ass4 ,cats1 from their great powers of resistance1 are said to have nine lives2#chc hence ,mercutio1 in ,romeo and ,juliet 7iii4 #a71 says3 ,good king of cats1 nothing but one of your nine lives4 ,ben ,jonson1 in ,every ,man in ,his ,humour 7iii4 #b71 makes ,edward ,knowell say to ,bobadil1 ',twas pity you had not ten2 a cat's and your own4 ,and in ,gay's fable of the ,old ,woman and her ,cats1 one of these animals is introduced1 upbraiding the witch3 ',tis infamy to serve a hag1 ,cats are thought imps1 her broom a nag2 ,and boys against our lives combine1 ,because 'tis said1 your cats have nine4 #chc ,see ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 vol4 iii4 p4 #db4 ,in ,marston's ,dutch ,courtezan we read3 ,why then1 thou hast nine lives like a cat4 ,and in ,dekker's ,strange ,horse-,race 7#afac73 ,when the grand ,helcat had gotten these two furies with nine lives4 ,this notion1 it may be noted1 is quite the reverse of the well-known saying1 ,care will kill a cat1 mentioned in ,much ,ado ,about ,nothing 7v4 #a71 where ,claudio says3 ,what though care killed a cat4 ,for some undiscovered reason a cat was formerly called ,tybert or ,tybalt2#chd hence some of the insulting remarks of ,mercutio1 in ,romeo and ,juliet 7iii4 #a71 who calls ,tybalt rat-catcher and king of cats4 ,in the old romance of ,hystorye of ,reynard the ,foxe 7chap4 vi471 we are told how the king called for ,sir ,tibert1 the cat1 and said to him1 ,sir ,tibert1 you shall go to ,reynard1 and summon him the second time4#che ,a popular term for a wild cat was cat-o'-mountain1 an expression#chf borrowed from the ,spaniards1 who call the wild cat gato-montes4 ,in the ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7ii4 #b71 ,falstaff says of ,pistol1 ,your cat-a-mountain looks4 #chd ,dyce's ,glossary to ,shakespeare1 p4 #dff4 #che ,from ,tibert1 ,tib was also a common name for a cat4 #chf ,douce's ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 #ahci1 p4 #da4 ,the word cat was used as a term of contempt1 as in ,the ,tempest 7ii4 #a7 and ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7iii4 #b71 where ,lysander says1 ,hang off1 thou cat4 ,once more1 too1 in ,coriolanus 7iv4 #b71 we find it in the same sense3 ',twas you incensed the rabble2 ,cats1 that can judge as fitly of his worth1 ,as ,i can of those mysteries which heaven ,will not have earth to know4 ,a gib1 or a gib cat1 is an old male cat#chg--;gib being the contraction of ,gilbert1#chh and is1 says ,nares1 an expression exactly analogous to that of jackass4#chi ,tom-cat is now the usual term4 ,the word was certainly not bestowed upon a cat early in life1 as is evident from the melancholy character ascribed to it in ,shakespeare's allusion in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7i4 #b73 ,i am as melancholy as a gib cat4 ,ray gives as melancholy as a gib'd a corruption of gib cat4 ,the term occurs again in ,hamlet 7iii4 #d74 ,it is improperly applied to a female by ,beaumont and ,fletcher1 in the ,scornful ,lady 7v4 #a73 ,bring out the cat-hounds6 ,i'll make you take a tree1 whore2 then with my tiller bring down your gib-ship1 and then have you cased and hung up in the warren4 #chg ,dyce's ,glossary1 p4 #ahc4 #chh ,a gibbe 7an old male cat71 ,macou1 ,cotgrave's ,french and ,english ,dictionary4 #chi ,glossary1 vol4 i4 p4 #cfj4 ,chameleon4 ,this animal was popularly believed to feed on air1 a notion which ,sir ,thomas ,browne#cij has carefully discussed4 ,he has assigned1 among other grounds for this vulgar opinion1 its power of abstinence1 and its faculty of self-inflation4 ,it lives on insects1 which it catches by its long1 gluey tongue1 and crushes between its jaws4 ,it has been ascertained by careful experiment that the chameleon can live without eating for four months4 ,it can inflate not only its lungs1 but its whole body1 including even the feet and tail4 ,in allusion to this supposed characteristic1 ,shakespeare makes ,hamlet say 7iii4 #b71 ,of the chameleon's dish3 ,i eat the air1 promise-crammed2 you cannot feed capons so2 and in the ,two ,gentlemen of ,verona 7ii4 #a7 ,speed says3 ,though the chameleon1 ,love1 can feed on the air1 ,i am one that am nourished by my victuals1 and would fain have meat4 ,there is1 too1 a popular notion that this animal undergoes frequent changes of color1 according to that of the bodies near it4 ,this1 however1 depends on the volition of the animal1 or the state of its feelings1 on its good or bad health1 and is subordinate to climate1 age1 and sex4#cia ,in #c ,henry ,,vi4 7iii4 #b7 ,gloster boasts3 ,i can add colours to the chameleon1 ,change shapes1 with ,proteus1 for advantages4 #cij ,vulgar ,errors1 bk4 iii4 p4 #ba1 #aheb2 bk4 i4 p4 #cba1 note4 #cia ,ovid 7,metamorphoses1 bk4 xv4 l4 #daa7 speaks of its changes of color4 ,cockatrice4 ,this imaginary creature1 also called a basilisk1 has been the subject of extraordinary prejudice4 ,it was absurdly said to proceed from the eggs of old cocks4 ,it has been represented as having eight feet1 a crown on the head1 and a hooked and recurved beak4#cib ,pliny asserts that the basilisk had a voice so terrible that it struck terror into all other species4 ,sir ,thomas ,browne1#cic however1 distinguishes the cockatrice from the ancient basilisk4 ,he says1 ,this of ours is generally described with legs1 wings1 a serpentine and winding tail1 and a crest or comb somewhat like a cock4 ,but the basilisk of elder times was a proper kind of serpent1 not above three palms long1 as some account2 and different from other serpents by advancing his head and some white marks1 or coronary spots upon the crown1 as all authentic writers have delivered4 ,no other animal1 perhaps1 has given rise to so many fabulous notions4 ,thus1 it was supposed to have so deadly an eye as to kill by its very look1 to which ,shakespeare often alludes4 ,in ,romeo and ,juliet 7iii4 #b71 ,juliet says3 say thou but ',i1' ,and that bare vowel1 ',i1' shall poison more ,than the death-darting eye of cockatrice4 #cib ,cuvier's ,animal ,kingdom1 #ahca1 vol4 ix4 p4 #bbf4 #cic ,vulgar ,errors1 bk4 iii4 p4 #g4 ,in ,richard ,,iii4 7iv4 #a7 the ,duchess exclaims3 ,o my accursed womb1 the bed of death6 ,a cockatrice hast thou hatch'd to the world1 ,whose unavoided eye is murderous6 ,in ,lucrece 7l4 #edj7 we read3 ,here with a cockatrice' dead-killing eye ,he rouseth up himself1 and makes a pause4 ,once more1#cid in ,twelfth ,night 7iii4 #d71 ,sir ,toby ,belch affirms3 ,this will so fright them both that they will kill one another by the look1 like cockatrices4 ,it has also been affirmed that this animal could not exercise this faculty unless it first perceived the object of its vengeance2 if first seen1 it died4 ,dryden has alluded to this superstition3 ,mischiefs are like the cockatrice's eye1 ,if they see first they kill1 if seen1 they die4 #cid ,see ,cymbeline1 ii4 #d2 ,winter's ,tale1 i4 #b4 ,cockatrice was a popular phrase for a loose woman1 probably from the fascination of the eye4#cie ,it appears1 too1 that basilisk#cif was the name of a huge piece of ordnance carrying a ball of very great weight4 ,in the following passage in ,henry ,v4 7v4 #b71 there is no doubt a double allusion--to pieces of ordnance1 and to the fabulous creature already described3 ,the fatal balls of murdering basilisks4 #cie ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 i4 p #agc4 #cif ,dyce's ,glossary1 p4 #bi2 see #a ,henry ,,iv41 ii4 #c1 of basilisks1 of cannon1 culverin4 ,colt4 ,from its wild tricks the colt was formerly used to designate1 according to ,johnson1 a witless1 heady1 gay youngster4 ,portia mentions it with a quibble in ,the ,merchant of ,venice 7i4 #b71 referring to the ,neapolitan prince4 ,ay1 that's a colt1 indeed4 ,the term to colt meant to trick1 or befool2 as in the phrase in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7ii4 #b73 ,what a plague mean ye to colt me thus8 ,mr4 ,halliwell-,phillipps#cig explains the expression in ,henry ,,viii4 7i4 #c71 ,your colt's tooth is not cast yet1 to denote a love of youthful pleasure4 ,in ,cymbeline 7ii4 #d7 it is used in a coarser sense3 ,she hath been colted by him4 #cig ,handbook ,index to ,shakespeare4 ,crocodile4 ,according to fabulous accounts the crocodile was the most deceitful of animals2 its tears being proverbially fallacious4 ,thus ,othello 7iv4 #a7 says3 ,o devil1 devil6 ,if that the earth could teem with woman's tears1 ,each drop she falls would prove a crocodile4-- ,out of my sight6 ,we may also compare the words of the queen in #b ,henry ,,vi4 7iii4 #a73 ,henry my lord is cold in great affairs1 ,too full of foolish pity2 and ,gloster's show ,beguiles him1 as the mournful crocodile ,with sorrow snares relenting passengers4 ,it is said that this treacherous animal weeps over a man's head when it has devoured the body1 and will then eat up the head too4 ,in ,bullokar's ,expositor1 #afaf1 we read3 ,crocodile lachrym1 crocodiles teares1 do signify such teares as are feigned1 and spent only with intent to deceive or do harm4 ,in ,quarles's ,emblems there is the following allusion3 ,o what a crocodilian world is this1 ,compos'd of treachries and ensnaring wiles6 ,she cloaths destruction in a formal kiss1 ,and lodges death in her deceitful smiles4 ,in the above passage from ,othello1 ,singer says there is1 no doubt1 a reference to the doctrine of equivocal generation1 by which new animals were supposed to be producible by new combinations of matter4#cih #cih ,singer's ,shakespeare1 #ahge1 vol4 x4 p4 #aah4 ,deer4 ,in ,king ,lear 7iii4 #d7 ,edgar uses deer for wild animals in general3 ,but mice1 and rats1 and such small deer1 ,have been ,tom's food for seven long year4 ,shakespeare frequently refers to the popular sport of hunting the deer2#cii and by his apt allusions shows how thoroughly familiar he was with the various amusements of his day4#djj ,in ,winter's ,tale 7i4 #b7 ,leontes speaks of the mort o' the deer3 certain notes played on the horn at the death of the deer1 and requiring a deep-drawn breath4#dja ,it was anciently1 too1 one of the customs of the chase for all to stain their hands in the blood of the deer as a trophy4 ,thus1 in ,king ,john 7ii4 #a71 the ,english herald declares to the men of ,angiers how like a jolly troop of huntsmen1 come ,our lusty ,english1 all with purpled hands1 ,dyed in the dying slaughter of their foes4 #cii ,see ,strutt's ,sports and ,pastimes1 #ahgf1 pp4 #ff1 #ge1 #gi1 #hj1 #aac1 #aag4 #djj ,see ,as ,you ,like ,it1 iv4 #b2 ,all's ,well ,that ,ends ,well1 v4 #b2 ,macbeth1 iv4 #c2 #a ,henry ,,iv41 v4 #d2 #a ,henry ,,vi41 iv4 #b2 #b ,henry ,,vi41 v4 #b2 ,titus ,andronicus1 iii4 #a1 etc4 #dja ,singer's ,shakespeare1 vol4 viii4 p4 #dba ,the practice is again alluded to in ,julius ,csar 7iii4 #a73 here thy hunters stand1 ,sign'd in thy spoil1 and crimson'd in thy lethe4 ,old ,turbervile gives us the details of this custom3 ,our order is1 that the prince1 or chief1 if so please them1 do alight1 and take assay of the deer1 with a sharp knife1 the which is done in this manner--the deer being laid upon his back1 the prince1 chief1 or such as they do appoint1 comes to it1 and the chief huntsman1 kneeling if it be a prince1 doth hold the deer by the forefoot1 whilst the prince1 or chief1 do cut a slit drawn along the brisket of the deer4 ,in ,antony and ,cleopatra 7v4 #b71 where ,csar1 speaking of ,cleopatra's death1 says3 bravest at the last1 ,she levell'd at our purposes1 and1 being royal1 ,took her own way-- there is possibly an allusion to the hart royal1 which had the privilege of roaming unmolested1 and of taking its own way to its lair4 ,shooting with the cross-bow at deer was an amusement of great ladies4 ,buildings with flat roofs1 called stands1 partly concealed by bushes1 were erected in the parks for the purpose4 ,hence the following dialogue in ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7iv4 #a73 ,princess4 ,then forester1 my friend1 where is the bush ,that we must stand and play the murderer in8 ,forester4 ,hereby1 upon the edge of yonder coppice2 ,a stand where you may make the fairest shoot4 ,among the hunting terms to which ,shakespeare refers may be mentioned the following3 ,to draw meant to trace the steps of the game1 as in ,comedy of ,errors 7iv4 #b73 ,a hound that runs counter1 and yet draws dry-foot well4 ,the term to run counter was to mistake the course of the game1 or to turn and pursue the backward trail4 ,the recheat denoted certain notes sounded on the horn1 properly and more usually employed to recall the dogs from a wrong scent4 ,it is used in ,much ,ado ,about ,nothing 7i4 #a73 ,i will have a recheat winded in my forehead4 ,we may compare ,drayton's ,polyolbion 7xiii473 ,recheating with his horn1 which then the hunter cheers4 ,the phrase to recover the wind of me1 used by ,hamlet 7iii4 #b71 is borrowed from hunting1 and means to get the animal pursued to run with the wind1 that it may not scent the toil or its pursuers4 ,again1 when ,falstaff1 in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7ii4 #d71 speaks of fat rascals1 he alludes to the phrase of the forest--rascall1 says ,puttenham1 being properly the hunting term given to a young deer leane and out of season4 ,the phrase a hunts-up implied any song intended to arouse in the morning--even a love song--the name having been derived from a tune or song employed by early hunters4#djb ,the term occurs in ,romeo and ,juliet 7iii4 #e71 where ,juliet says to ,romeo1 speaking of the lark3 ,since arm from arm that voice doth us affray1 ,hunting thee hence with hunts-up to the day4 #djb ,chappell's ,popular ,music of the ,olden ,time1 #b;d ed4 vol4 i4 p4 #fa2 see ,douce's ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 p4 #dcb2 see1 too1 ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 i4 p4 #ddj4 ,in ,drayton's ,polyolbion 7xiii47 it is used3 ,no sooner doth the earth her flowery bosom brave1 ,at such time as the year brings on the pleasant spring1 ,but hunts-up to the morn the feather'd sylvans sing4 ,in ,shakespeare's day it was customary to hunt as well after dinner as before1 hence1 in ,timon of ,athens 7ii4 #b71 ,timon says3 ,so soon as dinner's done1 we'll forth again4 ,the word embossed was applied to a deer when foaming at the mouth from fatigue4 ,in ,taming of the ,shrew 7,ind4 scene #a7 we read3 the poor cur is embossed1 and in ,antony and ,cleopatra 7iv4 #ac73 the boar of ,thessaly ,was never so emboss'd4 ,it was usual to call a pack of hounds a cry1 from the ,french meute de chiens4 ,the term is humorously applied to any troop or company of players1 as by ,hamlet 7iii4 #b71 who speaks of a fellowship in a cry of players4 ,in ,coriolanus 7iv4 #f7 ,menenius says1 ,you have made ,good work1 you and your cry4 ,antony1 in ,julius ,csar 7iii4 #a71 alludes to the technical phrase to let slip a dog1 employed in hunting the hart4 ,this consisted in releasing the hounds from the leash or slip of leather by which they were held in hand until it was judged proper to let them pursue the animal chased4#djc ,in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7i4 #c7 ,northumberland tells ,hotspur3 ,before the game's afoot1 thou still let'st slip4 #djc ,see ,dyce's ,glossary1 p4 #dja4 ,in ,taming of the ,shrew 7v4 #b7 ,tranio says3 ,o1 sir1 ,lucentio slipp'd me like his greyhound1 ,which runs himself1 and catches for his master4 ,a sportsman's saying1 applied to hounds1 occurs in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7v4 #c73 a' will not out2 he is true bred1 serving to expound ,gadshill's expression1 such as can hold in1 #a ,henry ,,iv4 7ii4 #a74 ,the severity of the game laws under our early monarchs was very stringent2 and a clause in the ,forest ,charter#djd grants to an archbishop1 bishop1 earl1 or baron1 when travelling through the royal forests1 at the king's command1 the privilege to kill one deer or two in the sight of the forester1 if he was at hand2 if not1 they were commanded to cause a horn to be sounded1 that it might not appear as if they had intended to steal the game4 ,in ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7v4 #e71 ,falstaff1 using the terms of the forest1 alludes to the perquisites of the keeper4 ,thus he speaks of the shoulders for the fellow of this walk1 i4 e41 the keeper4 #djd ,see ,strutt's ,sports and ,pastimes1 #ahgf1 p4 #fe4 ,shakespeare has several pretty allusions to the tears of the deer1 this animal being said to possess a very large secretion of tears4 ,thus ,hamlet 7iii4 #b7 says3 let the strucken deer go weep2 and in ,as ,you ,like ,it 7ii4 #a7 we read of the sobbing deer1 and in the same scene the first lord narrates how1 at a certain spot1 a poor sequester'd stag ,that from the hunter's aim had ta'en a hurt ,did come to languish2 444 444 and the big round tears ,coursed one another down his innocent nose ,in piteous chase4 ,bartholomus#dje says1 that when the hart is arered1 he fleethe to a ryver or ponde1 and roreth cryeth and wepeth when he is take4#djf ,it appears that there were various superstitions connected with the tears of the deer4 ,batman#djg tells us that when the hart is sick1 and hath eaten many serpents for his recoverie1 he is brought unto so great a heate that he hasteth to the water1 and there covereth his body unto the very eares and eyes1 at which time distilleth many tears from which the ,bezoar stone is gendered4#djh ,douce#dji quotes the following passage from the ,noble ,art of ,venerie1 in which the hart thus addresses the hunter3 ,o cruell1 be content1 to take in worth my tears1 ,which growe to gumme1 and fall from me3 content thee with my heares1 ,content thee with my hornes1 which every year ,i new1 ,since all these three make medicines1 some sickness to eschew4 ,my tears congeal'd to gumme1 by peeces from me fall1 ,and thee preserve from pestilence1 in pomander or ball4 ,such wholesome tears shedde ,i1 when thou pursewest me so4 #dje ,de ,proprietate ,rerum1 lib4 xviii4 c4 #cj4 #djf ,cf4 ,vergil's description of the wounded stag in neid1 bk4 vii4 #djg ,commentary on ,bartholomus's ,de ,proprietate ,rerum4 #djh ,the drops which fall from their eyes are not tears from the lachrymal glands1 but an oily secretion from the inner angle of the eye close to the nose4--,brewer's ,dictionary of ,phrase and ,fable1 p4 #bag4 #dji ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 p4 #ahc4 ,dog4 ,as the favorite of our domestic animals1 the dog not unnaturally possesses an extensive history1 besides entering largely into those superstitions which1 more or less1 are associated with every stage of human life4 ,it is not surprising1 therefore1 that ,shakespeare frequently speaks of the dog1 making it the subject of many of his illustrations4 ,thus he has not omitted to mention the fatal significance of its howl1 which is supposed either to foretell death or misfortune4 ,in #b ,henry ,,vi4 7i4 #d7 he makes ,bolingbroke say3 ,the time when screech-owls cry1 and ban-dogs howl1#daj ,and spirits walk1 and ghosts break up their graves4 #daj ,these dogs were kept for baiting bears1 when that amusement was in vogue1 and from their terrific howling they are occasionally introduced to heighten the horror of the picture4 ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 i4 p4 #ej4 ,and1 again1 in #c ,henry ,,vi4 7v4 #f71 ,king ,henry1 speaking of ,gloster1 says3 ,the owl shriek'd at thy birth1--an evil sign2 ,the night-crow cried1 aboding luckless time2 ,dogs howl'd1 and hideous tempests shook down trees4 ,the same superstition prevails in ,france and ,germany1#daa and various charms are resorted to for averting the ill-consequences supposed to attach to this sign of ill-omen4 ,several of these1 too1 are practised in our own country4 ,thus1 in ,staffordshire1 when a dog howls1 the following advice is given3 ,take off your shoe from the left foot1 and spit upon the sole1 place it on the ground bottom upwards1 and your foot upon the place you sat upon1 which will not only preserve you from harm1 but stop the howling of the dog4#dab ,a similar remedy is recommended in ,norfolk3#dac ,pull off your left shoe1 and turn it1 and it will quiet him4 ,a dog won't howl three times after4 ,we are indebted to antiquity for this superstition1 some of the earliest writers referring to it4 ,thus1 ,pausanias relates how1 previous to the destruction of the ,messenians1 the dogs pierced the air by raising a louder barking than usual2 and it is on record how1 before the sedition in ,rome1 about the dictatorship of ,pompey1 there was an extraordinary howling of dogs4 ,vergil#dad 7,georgics1 lib4 i4 l4 #dgj71 speaking of the ,roman misfortunes1 says3 ,obscenque canes1 importunque volucres ,signa dabant4 #daa ,see ,kelly's ,indo-,european ,folk-,lore1 p4 #aji4 #dab ,henderson's ,folk-,lore of the ,northern ,counties1 p4 #dh4 #dac ,see ,english ,folk-,lore1 p4 #aja4 #dad ,see ,hardwick's ,traditions1 ,superstitions1 and ,folk-,lore1 p4 #aga4 ,capitolinus narrates1 too1 how the dogs1 by their howling1 presaged the death of ,maximinus4 ,the idea which associates the dog's howl with the approach of death is probably derived from a conception in ,aryan mythology1 which represents a dog as summoning the departing soul4 ,indeed1 as ,mr4 ,fiske#dae remarks1 ,throughout all ,aryan mythology1 the souls of the dead are supposed to ride on the night-wind1 with their howling dogs1 gathering into their throng the souls of those just dying as they pass by their houses4 #dae ,myths and ,mythmakers1 #ahgc1 p4 #cf4 ,another popular superstition--in all probability derived from the ,egyptians--refers to the setting and rising of ,sirius1 or the dog-star1 as infusing madness into the canine race4 ,hence the name of the dog-days was given by the ,romans to the period between the #c;d of ,july and the #aath of ,august1 to which ,shakespeare alludes in ,henry ,,viii4 7v4 #c73 the dog-days now reign4 ,we may1 too1 compare the words of ,benvolio1 in ,romeo and ,juliet 7iii4 #a73 ,for now1 these hot days1 is the mad blood stirring4 ,it is obvious1 however1 that this superstition is utterly groundless1 for not only does the star vary in its rising1 but is later and later every year4 ,the term dog-day is still a common phrase1 and it is difficult to say whether it is from superstitious adherence to old custom1 or from a belief in the injurious effect of heat upon dogs1 that the magistrates1 often unwisely1 at this season of the year order them to be muzzled or tied up4 ,it was the practice to put them to death2 and ,ben ,jonson1 in his ,bartholomew ,fair1 speaks of the dog-killer in this month of ,august4 ,lord ,bacon1 too1 in his ,sylva ,sylvarum1 tells us that it is a common experience that dogs know the dog-killer1 when1 as in times of infection1 some petty fellow is sent out to kill them4 ,although they have never seen him before1 yet they will all come forth and bark and fly at him4 ,a curtal dog1 to which allusion is made in ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7ii4 #a71 by ,pistol-- ,hope is a curtal dog in some affairs1 denoted originally the dog of an unqualified person1 which1 by the forest laws1 must have its tail cut short1 partly as a mark1 and partly from a notion that the tail of a dog is necessary to him in running4 ,in later usage1 curtail dog means either a common dog1 not meant for sport1 or a dog that missed the game1 which latter sense it has in the passage above4#daf #daf ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 i4 p4 #bah4 ,dragon4 ,as the type and embodiment of the spirit of evil1 the dragon has been made the subject of an extensive legendary lore4 ,the well-known myth of ,st4 ,george and the ,dragon1 which may be regarded as a grand allegory representing the hideous and powerful monster against whom the ,christian soldier is called to fight1 has exercised a remarkable influence for good in times past1 over half-instructed people4 ,it has been truly remarked that the dullest mind and hardest heart could not fail to learn from it something of the hatefulness of evil1 the beauty of self-sacrifice1 and the all-conquering might of truth4 ,this graceful conception is alluded to by ,shakespeare1 in his ,king ,john 7ii4 #a71 where1 according to a long-established custom1 it is made a subject for sign-painting3#dag ,st4 ,george1 that swinged the dragon1 and e'er since1 ,sits on his horseback at mine hostess' door1 ,teach us some fence6 #dag ,for the various versions of this myth consult ,baring-,gould's ,curious ,myths of the ,middle ,ages1 #ahgg1 pp4 #bff-caf4 ,in ancient mythology the task of drawing the chariot of night was assigned to dragons1 on account of their supposed watchfulness4 ,in ,cymbeline 7ii4 #b7 ,iachimo1 addressing them1 says3 ,swift1 swift1 you dragons of the night1 that dawning ,may bare the raven's eye6#dah #dah ,cf4 ,troilus and ,cressida1 v4 #h2 ,midsummer-,night's ,dream1 iii4 #b4 ,milton1 in his ,il ,penseroso1 mentions the dragon yoke of night1 and in his ,comus 7l4 #acj73 the dragon womb ,of ,stygian darkness4 ,it may be noticed that the whole tribe of serpents sleep with their eyes open1 and so appear to exert a constant watchfulness4#dai #dai ,singer's ,shakespeare1 vol4 x4 p4 #cfc4 ,in devising loathsome ingredients for the witches' mess1 ,shakespeare 7,macbeth1 iv4 #a7 speaks of the scale of dragon1 alluding to the horror in which this mythical being was held4 ,referring1 also1 to the numerous legends associated with its dread form1 he mentions the spleen of fiery dragons 7,richard ,,iii41 v4 #c71 dragon's wings 7#a ,henry ,,vi41 i4 #a71 and 7,pericles1 i4 #a71 death-like dragons4 ,mr4 ,conway#dbj has admirably summed up the general views respecting this imaginary source of terror3 ,nearly all the dragon forms1 whatever their original types and their region1 are represented in the conventional monster of the ,european stage1 which meets the popular conception4 ,the dragon is a masterpiece of the popular imagination1 and it required many generations to give it artistic shape4 ,every ,christmas he appears in some ,london pantomime1 with aspect similar to that which he has worn for many ages4 ,his body is partly green1 with the memories of the sea and of slime1 and partly brown or dark1 with lingering shadow of storm clouds4 ,the lightning flames still in his red eyes1 and flashes from his fire-breathing mouth4 ,the thunder-bolt of ,jove1 the spear of ,wodan1 are in the barbed point of his tail4 ,his huge wings--bat-like1 spiked--sum up all the mythical life of extinct harpies and vampires4 ,spine of crocodile is on his neck1 tail of the serpent1 and all the jagged ridges of rocks and sharp thorns of jungles bristle around him1 while the ice of glaciers and brassy glitter of sunstrokes are in his scales4 ,he is ideal of all that is hard1 obstructive1 perilous1 loathsome1 horrible in nature2 every detail of him has been seen through and vanquished by man1 here or there1 but in selection and combination they rise again as principles1 and conspire to form one great generalization of the forms of pain--the sum of every creature's worst4#dba #dbj ,demonology and ,devil-,lore1 #ahhj1 vol4 i4 p4 #chc4 #dba ,the dragon formerly constituted a part of the morris-dance4 ,elephant4 ,according to a vulgar error1 current in bygone times1 the elephant was supposed to have no joints--a notion which is said to have been first recorded from tradition by ,ctesias the ,cnidian4#dbb ,sir ,thomas ,browne has entered largely into this superstition1 arguing1 from reason1 anatomy1 and general analogy with other animals1 the absurdity of the error4 ,in ,troilus and ,cressida 7ii4 #c71 ,ulysses says3 ,the elephant hath joints1 but none for courtesy3 his legs are legs for necessity1 not for flexure4 ,steevens quotes from ,the ,dialogues of ,creatures ,moralized--a curious specimen of our early natural history--the following3 the olefawnte that bowyth not the kneys4 ,in the play of ,all ,fools1 #afje1 we read3 ,i hope you are no elephant--you have joints4 ,in a note to ,sir ,thomas ,browne's ,works1#dbc we are told1 it has long been the custom for the exhibitors of itinerant collections of wild animals1 when showing the elephant1 to mention the story of its having no joints1 and its consequent inability to kneel2 and they never fail to think it necessary to demonstrate its untruth by causing the animal to bend one of its fore-legs1 and to kneel also4 #dbb ,sir ,thomas ,browne's ,works1 #aheb1 vol4 i4 pp4 #bbj-bcb4 #dbc ,edited by ,simon ,wilkin1 #aheb1 vol4 i4 p4 #bbf4 ,in ,julius ,csar 7ii4 #a7 the custom of seducing elephants into pitfalls1 lightly covered with hurdles and turf1 on which a proper bait to tempt them was exposed1 is alluded to4#dbd ,decius speaks of elephants being betrayed with holes4 #dbd ,see ,pliny's ,natural ,history1 bk4 viii4 ,fox4 ,it appears that the term fox was a common expression for the old ,english weapon1 the broadsword of ,jonson's days1 as distinguished from the small 7foreign7 sword4 ,the name was given from the circumstance that ,andrea ,ferrara adopted a fox as the blade-mark of his weapons--a practice1 since his time1 adopted by other foreign sword-cutlers4 ,swords with a running fox rudely engraved on the blades are still occasionally to be met with in the old curiosity shops of ,london4#dbe ,thus1 in ,henry ,v4 7iv4 #d71 ,pistol says3 ,o ,signieur ,dew1 thou diest on point of fox1 ,except1 ,o signieur1 thou do give to me ,egregious ransom4 #dbe ,staunton's ,shakespeare1 #ahfd1 vol4 ii4 p4 #cfg2 ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 i4 p4 #cca4 ,in ,ben ,jonson's ,bartholomew ,fair 7ii4 #f7 the expression occurs3 ,what would you have1 sister1 of a fellow that knows nothing but a basket-hilt1 and an old fox in it8 ,the tricks and artifices of a hunted fox were supposed to be very extraordinary2 hence ,falstaff makes use of this expression in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7iii4 #c73 ,no more truth in thee than in a drawn fox4 ,goat4 ,it is curious that the harmless goat should have had an evil name1 and been associated with devil-lore4 ,thus1 there is a common superstition in ,england and ,scotland that it is never seen for twenty-four hours together2 and that once in this space it pays a visit to the devil1 in order to have its beard combed4 ,it was1 formerly1 too1 a popular notion that the devil appeared frequently in the shape of a goat1 which accounted for his horns and tail4 ,sir ,thomas ,browne observes that the goat was the emblem of the sin-offering1 and is the emblem of sinful men at the day of judgment4 ,this may1 perhaps1 account for ,shakespeare's enumerating the gall of goat 7,macbeth1 iv4 #a7 among the ingredients of the witches' caldron4 ,his object seems to have been to include the most distasteful and ill-omened things imaginable--a practice shared1 indeed1 by other poets contemporary with him4 ,hare4 ,this was formerly esteemed a melancholy animal1 and its flesh was supposed to engender melancholy in those who ate it4 ,this idea was not confined to our own country1 but is mentioned by ,la ,fontaine in one of his ,fables 7liv4 ii4 fab4 #ad73 ,dans un profond ennui ce lievre se plongeoit1 ,cet animal est triste1 et la crainte le rounge2 and later on he says3 ,le melancolique animal4 ,hence1 in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7i4 #b71 ,falstaff is told by ,prince ,henry that he is as melancholy as a hare4 ,this notion was not quite forgotten in ,swift's time2 for in his ,polite ,conversation1 ,lady ,answerall1 being asked to eat hare1 replies3 ,no1 madam2 they say 'tis melancholy meat4 ,mr4 ,staunton quotes the following extract from ,turbervile's book on ,hunting and ,falconry3 ,the hare first taught us the use of the hearbe called wyld succory1 which is very excellent for those which are disposed to be melancholicke4 ,she herself is one of the most melancholicke beasts that is1 and to heale her own infirmitie1 she goeth commonly to sit under that hearbe4 ,the old ,greek epigram relating to the hare-- ,strike ye my body1 now that life is fled2 ,so hares insult the lion when he's dead1 --is alluded to by the ,bastard in ,king ,john 7ii4 #a73 ,you are the hare of whom the proverb goes1 ,whose valour plucks dead lions by the beard4 ,a familiar expression among sportsmen for a hare is ,wat1 so called1 perhaps1 from its long ears or wattles4 ,in ,venus and ,adonis the term occurs3 ,by this1 poor ,wat1 far off upon a hill1 ,stands on his hinder legs1 with listening ear4 ,in ,drayton's ,polyolbion 7xxiii47 we read3 ,the man whose vacant mind prepares him to the sport1 ,the finder sendeth out1 to seek out nimble ,wat1 ,which crosseth in the field1 each furlong1 every flat1 ,till he this pretty beast upon the form hath found4 ,hedgehog4 ,the urchin or hedgehog1 like the toad1 for its solitariness1 the ugliness of its appearance1 and from a popular belief that it sucked or poisoned the udders of cows1 was adopted into the demonologic system2 and its shape was sometimes supposed to be assumed by mischievous elves4#dbf ,hence1 in ,the ,tempest 7i4 #b71 ,prospero says3 ,urchins ,shall1 for that vast of night that they may work1 ,all exercise on thee2 and later on in the same play 7ii4 #b7 ,caliban speaks of being frighted with urchin shows4 ,in the witch scene in ,macbeth 7iv4 #a7 the hedge-pig is represented as one of the witches' familiars2 and in the ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7ii4 #b71 in the incantation of the fairies1 thorny hedgehogs are exorcised4 ,for the use of urchins in similar associations we may quote ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7iv4 #d71 like urchins1 ouphes1 and fairies2 and ,titus ,andronicus 7ii4 #c71 ten thousand swelling toads1 as many urchins4#dbg ,in the phrase still current1 of little urchin for a child1 the idea of the fairy also remains4 ,in various legends we find this animal holding a prominent place4 ,thus1 for example1 it was in the form of a hedgehog#dbh that the devil is said to have made his attempt to let the sea in through the ,brighton ,downs1 which was prevented by a light being brought1 though the seriousness of the scheme is still attested in the ,devil's ,dyke4 ,there is an ancient tradition that when the devil had smuggled himself into ,noah's ,ark he tried to sink it by boring a hole2 but this scheme was defeated1 and the human race saved1 by the hedgehog stuffing himself into the hole4 ,in the ,brighton story1 as ,mr4 ,conway points out1 the devil would appear to have remembered his former failure in drowning people1 and to have appropriated the form which defeated him4 ,in ,richard ,,iii4 7i4 #b71 the hedgehog is used as a term of reproach by ,lady ,anne1 when addressing ,gloster4 #dbf ,singer's ,shakespeare1 vol4 ix4 p4 #ge4 #dbg ,see ,wright's ,notes to ,the ,tempest1 #ahge1 p4 #id4 #dbh ,conway's ,demonology and ,devil-,lore1 #ahhj1 vol4 i4 p4 #abb4 ,horse4 ,although ,shakespeare's allusions to the horse are most extensive1 yet he has said little of the many widespread superstitions1 legends1 and traditional tales that have been associated from the earliest times with this brave and intellectual animal4 ,indeed1 even nowadays1 both in our own country and abroad1 many a fairy tale is told and credited by the peasantry in which the horse occupies a prominent place4 ,it seems to have been a common notion that1 at night-time1 fairies in their nocturnal revels played various pranks with horses1 often entangling in a thousand knots their hair--a superstition to which we referred in our chapter on ,fairies1 where ,mercutio1 in ,romeo and ,juliet 7i4 #d71 says3 ,this is that very ,mab ,that plats the manes of horses in the night1 ,and bakes the elf-locks in foul sluttish hairs1 ,which1 once untangled1 much misfortune bodes4 ,in ,king ,lear 7ii4 #c71 ,edgar says3 ,i'll 444 elf all my hair in knots4 ,mr4 ,hunt1 in his ,popular ,romances of the ,west of ,england 7#ahga1 p4 #hg71 tells us that1 when a boy1 he was on a visit at a farmhouse near ,fowey ,river1 and well remembers the farmer1 with much sorrow1 telling the party one morning at breakfast1 how the piskie people had been riding ,tom again4 ,the mane was said to be knotted into fairy stirrups1 and the farmer said he had no doubt that at least twenty small people had sat upon the horse's neck4 ,warburton#dbi considers that this superstition may have originated from the disease called ,plica ,polonica4 ,witches1 too1 have generally been supposed to harass the horse1 using it in various ways for their fiendish purposes4 ,thus1 there are numerous local traditions in which the horse at night-time has been ridden by the witches1 and found in the morning in an almost prostrate condition1 bathed in sweat4 #dbi ,warburton on ,romeo and ,juliet1 i4 #d4 ,it was a current notion that a horse-hair dropped into corrupted water would soon become an animal4 ,the fact1 however1 is that the hair moves like a living thing because a number of animalcul cling to it4#dcj ,this ancient vulgar error is mentioned in ,antony and ,cleopatra 7i4 #b73 much is breeding1 ,which1 like the courser's hair1 hath yet but life1 ,and not a serpent's poison4 #dcj ,dyce's ,glossary1 p4 #ajd4 ,steevens quotes from ,churchyard's ,discourse of ,rebellion1 #aegj3 ,hit is of kinde much worse than horses heare1 ,that lyes in donge1 where on vyle serpents brede4 ,dr4 ,lister1 in the ,philosophical ,transactions1 says that these animated horse-hairs are real thread-worms4 ,it was asserted that these worms moved like serpents1 and were poisonous to swallow4 ,coleridge tells us it was a common experiment with boys in ,cumberland and ,westmoreland to lay a horse-hair in water1 which1 when removed after a time1 would twirl round the finger and sensibly compress it--having become the supporter of an immense number of small1 slimy water-lice4 ,a horse is said to have a cloud in his face when he has a dark-colored spot in his forehead between his eyes4 ,this gives him a sour look1 and1 being supposed to indicate an ill-temper1 is generally considered a great blemish4 ,this notion is alluded to in ,antony and ,cleopatra 7iii4 #b71 where ,agrippa1 speaking of ,csar1 says3 ,he has a cloud in's face1 whereupon ,enobarbus adds3 ,he were the worse for that1 were he a horse2 ,so is he1 being a man4 ,burton1 in his ,anatomy of ,melancholy1 uses the phrase for the look of a woman3 ,every lover admires his mistress1 though she be very deformed of herselfe--thin1 leane1 chitty face1 have clouds in her face1 etc4 ,to mose in the chine1 a phrase we find in ,taming of the ,shrew 7iii4 #b7--,possessed with the glanders1 and like to mose in the chine--refers to a disorder in horses1 also known as mourning in the chine4 ,alluding to the custom associated with horses1 we may note that a stalking-horse1 or stale1 was either a real or artificial one1 under cover of which the fowler approached towards and shot at his game4 ,it is alluded to in ,as ,you ,like ,it 7v4 #d7 by the ,duke1 who says of ,touchstone3 ,he uses his folly like a stalking-horse1 and under the presentation of that he shoots his wit4 ,in ,much ,ado ,about ,nothing 7ii4 #c71 ,claudio says3 ,stalk on1 stalk on2 the fowl sits4#dca ,in ,comedy of ,errors 7ii4 #a71 ,adriana says3 ,i am but his stale1 upon which ,malone remarks3 ,adriana undoubtedly means to compare herself to a stalking-horse1 behind whom ,antipholus shoots at such game as he selects4 ,in ,taming of the ,shrew1 ,katharina says to her father 7i4 #a73 is it your will ,to make a stale of me amongst these mates8 which1 says ,singer1 means make an object of mockery4 ,so in #c ,henry ,,vi4 7iii4 #c71 ,warwick says3 ,had he none else to make a stale but me8 #dca ,see ,douce's ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 p4 #ajf2 ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 ii4 p4 #hcj4 ,that it was also a hunting term might be shown1 adds ,dyce1#dcb by quotations from various old writers4 ,in the inventories of the wardrobe belonging to ,king ,henry ,,viii4 we frequently find the allowance of certain quantities of stuff for the purpose of making stalking-coats and stalking-hose for the use of his majesty4#dcc #dcb ,glossary1 p4 #dab4 #dcc ,see ,strutt's ,sports and ,pastimes1 p4 #dh4 ,again1 the forehorse of a team was generally gayly ornamented with tufts and ribbons and bells4 ,hence1 in ,all's ,well ,that ,ends ,well 7ii4 #a71 ,bertram complains that1 bedizened like one of these animals1 he will have to squire ladies at the court1 instead of achieving honor in the wars-- ,i shall stay here the forehorse to a smock1 ,creaking my shoes on the plain masonry1 ,till honour be bought up1 and no sword worn ,but one to dance with4 ,a familiar name for a common horse was ,cut--either from its being docked or gelded--a name occasionally applied to a man as a term of contempt4 ,in ,twelfth ,night 7ii4 #c71 ,sir ,toby ,belch says3 ,send for money1 knight2 if thou hast her not i' the end1 call me cut4 ,in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7ii4 #a71 the first carrier says3 ,i prithee1 ,tom1 beat ,cut's saddle4 ,we may compare1 too1 what ,falstaff says further on in the same play 7ii4 #d73 ,i tell thee what1 ,hal1 if ,i tell thee a lie1 spit in my face1 call me horse4 ,hence1 call me cut is the same as call me horse--both expressions having been used4 ,in ,shakespeare's day a race of horses was the term for what is now called a stud4 ,so in ,macbeth 7ii4 #d71 ,rosse says3 ,and ,duncan's horses--a thing most strange and certain-- ,beauteous and swift1 the minions of their race1 ,turn'd wild in nature4 ,the words minions of their race1 according to ,steevens1 mean the favorite horses on the race-ground4 ,lion4 ,the traditions and stories of the darker ages abounded with examples of the lion's generosity4 ,upon the supposition that these acts of clemency were true1 ,troilus1 in the passage below1 reasons not improperly 7',troilus and ,cressida1' v4 #c7 that to spare against reason1 by mere instinct and pity1 became rather a generous beast than a wise man3#dcd ,brother1 you have a vice of mercy in you1 ,which better fits a lion than a man4 #dcd ,singer's ,shakespeare1 #ahge1 vol4 vii4 p4 #bgg4 ,it is recorded by ,pliny#dce that the lion alone of all wild animals is gentle to those that humble themselves before him1 and will not touch any such upon their submission1 but spareth what creature soever lieth prostrate before him4 ,hence ,spenser's ,una1 attended by a lion2 and ,perceval's lion1 in ,morte d',arthur 7bk4 xiv4 c4 #f74 ,bartholomus says the lion's mercie is known by many and oft ensamples3 for they spare them that lie on the ground4 ,shakespeare again alludes to this notion in ,as ,you ,like ,it 7iv4 #c73 for 'tis ,the royal disposition of that beast ,to prey on nothing that doth seem as dead4 #dce ,natural ,history1 bk4 viii4 c4 #ai4 ,it was also supposed that the lion would not injure a royal prince4 ,hence1 in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7ii4 #d7 the ,prince says3 ,you are lions too1 you ran away upon instinct1 you will not touch the true prince2 no1 fie6 ,the same notion is alluded to by ,beaumont and ,fletcher in ,the ,mad ,lover 7iv4 #e73 ,fetch the ,numidian lion ,i brought over2 ,if she be sprung from royal blood1 the lion ,he'll do you reverence1 else-- 99 99 99 99 99 ,he'll tear her all to pieces4 ,according to some commentators there is an allusion in #c ,henry ,,vi4 7i4 #c7 to the practice of confining lions and keeping them without food that they may devour criminals exposed to them3 ,so looks the pent-up lion o'er the wretch ,that trembles under his devouring paws4 ,mole4 ,the eyes of the mole are so extremely minute1 and so perfectly hid in its hair1 that our ancestors considered it blind--a vulgar error1 to which reference is made by ,caliban in ,the ,tempest 7iv4 #a73 ,pray you1 tread softly1 that the blind mole may not ,hear a foot fall4 ,and again by ,pericles 7i4 #a73 ,the blind mole casts ,copp'd hills towards heaven4 ,hence the expression blind as a mole4 ,alexander ,ross#dcf absurdly speaks of the mole's eyes as only the forms of eyes1 given by nature rather for ornament than for use2 as wings are given to the ostrich1 which never flies1 and a long tail to the rat1 which serves for no other purpose but to be catched sometimes by it4 ,sir ,thomas ,browne1 however1 in his ,vulgar ,errors 7bk4 iii4 c4 xviii471#dcg has1 with his usual minuteness1 disproved this idea1 remarking that they have eyes in their head is manifested unto any that wants them not in his own4 ,a popular term for the mole was the moldwarp or mouldiwarp1#dch so called from the ,anglo-,saxon1 denoting turning the mould4 ,thus1 in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7iii4 #a7 ,hotspur says3 sometime he angers me ,with telling me of the moldwarp and the ant4 #dcf ,arcana ,microcosmi1 p4 #aea4 #dcg #aheb1 vol4 i4 pp4 #cab-cae4 #dch ,see ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 ii4 p4 #egg2 ,singer's ,shakespeare1 vol4 v4 p4 #gg4 ,mouse4 ,this word was formerly used as a term of endearment1 from either sex to the other4 ,in this sense it is used by ,rosaline in ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7v4 #b73 ,what's your dark meaning1 mouse1 of this light word8 and again in ,hamlet 7iii4 #d74 ,some doubt exists as to the exact meaning of ,mouse-hunt1 by ,lady ,capulet1 in ,romeo and ,juliet 7iv4 #d73 ,ay1 you have been a mouse-hunt in your time1 ,but ,i will watch you from such watching now4 ,according to some1 the expression implies a hunter of gay women1 mouse having been used in this signification4#dci ,others are of opinion that the stoat#ddj is meant1 the smallest of the weasel tribe1 and others again the polecat4 ,mr4 ,staunton#dda tells us that the mouse-hunt is the marten1 an animal of the weasel tribe which prowls about for its prey at night1 and is applied to any one of rakish propensities4 #dci ,halliwell-,phillipps's ,handbook ,index to ,shakespeare1 #ahff1 p4 #cca4 #ddj ,forby's ,vocabulary of ,east ,anglia1 vol4 ii4 p4 #bbb4 #dda ,see ,staunton's ,shakespeare1 vol4 i4 p4 #bgh4 ,holinshed1 in his ,history of ,scotland 7#aegg1 p4 #aha71 quotes from the laws of ,kenneth ,,ii41 ,king of ,scotland3 ,if a sowe eate her pigges1 let hyr be stoned to death and buried1 that no man eate of hyr fleshe4 ,this offence is probably alluded to by ,shakespeare in ,macbeth 7iv4 #a71 where the witch says3 ,pour in sow's blood1 that hath eaten ,her nine farrow4 ,polecat1 or ,fitchew4 ,this animal is supposed to be very amorous2 and hence its name1 ,mr4 ,steevens says1 was often applied to ladies of easy or no virtue4 ,in ,othello 7iv4 #a7 ,cassio calls ,bianca a fitchew1 and in ,troilus and ,cressida 7v4 #a7 ,thersites alludes to it4#ddb #ddb ,cf4 ,king ,lear1 iv4 #f4 ,porcupine4 ,another name for this animal was the porpentine1 which spelling occurs in ,hamlet 7i4 #e73 ,like quills upon the fretful porpentine4 ,and again1 in #b ,henry ,,vi4 7iii4 #a7 ,york speaks of a sharp-quill'd porpentine4 ,ajax1 too1 in ,troilus and ,cressida 7ii4 #a71 applies the term to ,thersites3 do not1 porpentine4 ,in the above passages1 however1 and elsewhere1 the word has been altered by editors to porcupine4 ,according to a popular error1 the porcupine could dart his quills4 ,they are easily detached1 very sharp1 and slightly barbed1 and may easily stick to a person's legs1 when he is not aware that he is near enough to touch them4#ddc #ddc ,see ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 ii4 p4 #fgc4 ,rabbit4 ,in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7ii4 #b7 this animal is used as a term of reproach1 a sense in which it was known in ,shakespeare's day4 ,the phrase cony-catch1 which occurs in ,taming of the ,shrew 7v4 #a7--,take heed1 ,signior ,baptista1 lest you be cony-catched in this business--implied the act of deceiving or cheating a simple person--the cony or rabbit being considered a foolish animal4#ddd ,it has been shown1 from ,dekker's ,english ,villanies1 that the system of cheating was carried to a great length in the early part of the seventeenth century1 that a collective society of sharpers was called a warren1 and their dupes rabbit-suckers1 i4 e41 young rabbit or conies4#dde ,shakespeare has once used the term to express harmless roguery1 in the ,taming of the ,shrew 7iv4 #a74 ,when ,grumio will not answer his fellow-servants1 except in a jesting way1 ,curtis says to him3 ,come1 you are so full of cony-catching4 #ddd ,ibid41 vol4 ii4 p4 #ahi4 #dde ,see ,d',israeli's ,curiosities of ,literature1 vol4 iii4 p4 #gh4 ,rat4 ,the fanciful idea that rats were commonly rhymed to death1 in ,ireland1 is said to have arisen from some metrical charm or incantation1 used there for that purpose1 to which there are constant allusions in old writers4 ,in the ,merchant of ,venice 7iv4 #a7 ,shylock says3 ,what if my house be troubled with a rat1 ,and ,i be pleased to give ten thousand ducats ,to have it baned8 ,and in ,as ,you ,like ,it 7iii4 #b71 ,rosalind says3 ,i was never so be-rhymed since ,pythagoras' time1 that ,i was an ,irish rat1 which ,i can hardly remember4 ,we find it mentioned by ,ben ,jonson in the ,poetaster 7v4 #a73 ,rhime them to death1 as they do ,irish rats1 ,in drumming tunes4 ,the reference1 however1 is generally referred1 in ,ireland1 says ,mr4 ,mackay1 to the supposed potency of the verses pronounced by the professional rhymers of ,ireland1 which1 according to popular superstition1 could not only drive rats to destruction1 but could absolutely turn a man's face to the back of his head4#ddf #ddf ,the strange phrase and the superstition that arose out of it seem to have been produced by a mistranslation1 by the ,english-speaking population of a considerable portion of ,ireland1 of two ,celtic or ,gaelic words1 ran1 to roar1 to shriek1 to bellow1 to make a great noise on a wind instrument2 and rann1 to versify1 to rhyme4 ,it is well known that rats are scared by any great and persistent noise in the house which they infest4 ,the ,saxon ,english1 as well as ,saxon ,irish1 of ,shakespeare's time1 confounding rann1 a rhyme1 with ran1 a roar1 fell into the error which led to the ,english phrase as used by ,shakespeare4--,antiquarian ,magazine and ,bibliographer1 #ahhb1 vol4 ii4 p4 #i4 ,on ,some ,obscure ,words and ,celtic ,phrases in ,shakespeare1 by ,charles ,mackay4 ,sir ,w4 ,temple1 in his ,essay on ,poetry1 seems to derive the idea from the ,runic incantations1 for1 after speaking of them in various ways1 he adds1 and the proverb of rhyming rats to death1 came1 ,i suppose1 from the same root4 ,according to a superstitious notion of considerable antiquity1 rats leaving a ship are considered indicative of misfortune to a vessel1 probably from the same idea that crows will not build upon trees that are likely to fall4 ,this idea is noticed by ,shakespeare in ,the ,tempest 7i4 #b71 where ,prospero1 describing the vessel in which himself and daughter had been placed1 with the view to their certain destruction at sea1 says3 they hurried us aboard a bark1 ,bore us some leagues to sea2 where they prepared ,a rotten carcass of a boat1 not rigg'd1 ,nor tackle1 sail1 nor mast2 the very rats ,instinctively have quit it4 ,the ,shipping ,gazette of ,april1 #ahfi1 contained a communication entitled1 ,a ,sailor's ,notion about ,rats1 in which the following passage occurs3 ,it is a well-authenticated fact that rats have often been known to leave ships in the harbor previous to their being lost at sea4 ,some of those wiseacres who want to convince us against the evidence of our senses will call this superstition4 ,as neither ,i have time1 nor you space1 to cavil with such at present1 ,i shall leave them alone in their glory4 ,the fact1 however1 as ,mr4 ,hardwick has pointed out in his ,traditions1 ,superstitions1 and ,folk-lore 7#ahgb1 p4 #bea71 that rats do sometimes migrate from one ship to another1 or from one barn or corn-stack to another1 from various causes1 ought to be quite sufficient to explain such a superstition4 ,indeed1 a story is told of a cunning ,welsh captain who wanted to get rid of rats that infested his ship1 then lying in the ,mersey1 at ,liverpool4 ,having found out that there was a vessel laden with cheese in the basin1 and getting alongside of her about dusk1 he left all his hatches open1 and waited till all the rats were in his neighbor's ship1 and then moved off4 ,snail4 ,a common amusement among children consists in charming snails1 in order to induce them to put out their horns--a couplet1 such as the following1 being repeated on the occasion3 ,peer out1 peer out1 peer out of your hole1 ,or else ,i'll beat you as black as a coal4 ,in ,scotland1 it is regarded as a token of fine weather if the snail obey the command and put out its horn3#ddg ,snailie1 snailie1 shoot out your horn1 ,and tell us if it will be a bonnie day the morn4 #ddg ,see ,english ,folk-,lore1 #ahgh1 p4 #abj4 ,shakespeare alludes to snail-charming in the ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7iv4 #b71 where ,mrs4 ,page says of ,mrs4 ,ford's husband1 he so buffets himself on the forehead1 crying1 ,peer out6 peer out6 that any madness ,i ever yet beheld seemed but tameness1 civility1 and patience1 to this his distemper he is in now4 ,in ,comedy of ,errors 7ii4 #b71 the snail is used to denote a lazy person4 ,tiger4 ,it was an ancient belief that this animal roared and raged most furiously in stormy and high winds--a piece of folk-lore alluded to in ,troilus and ,cressida 7i4 #c71 by ,nestor1 who says3 ,the herd hath more annoyance by the breese ,than by the tiger2 but when the splitting wind ,makes flexible the knees of knotted oaks1 ,and flies fled under shade1 why then1 the thing of courage1 ,as roused with rage1 with rage doth sympathize4 ,unicorn4 ,in ,julius ,csar 7ii4 #a7 ,decius tells how unicorns may be betray'd with trees1 alluding to their traditionary mode of capture4 ,they are reported to have been taken by one who1 running behind a tree1 eluded the violent push the animal was making at him1 so that his horn spent its force on the trunk1 and stuck fast1 detaining the animal till he was despatched by the hunter4#ddh ,in ,topsell's ,history of ,beasts 7#afeh1 p4 #eeg71 we read of the unicorn3 ,he is an enemy to the lions1 wherefore1 as soon as ever a lion seeth a unicorn1 he runneth to a tree for succour1 that so when the unicorn maketh force at him1 he may not only avoid his horn1 but also destroy him2 for the unicorn1 in the swiftness of his course1 runneth against the tree1 wherein his sharp horn sticketh fast1 that when the lion seeth the unicorn fastened by the horn1 without all danger he falleth upon him and killeth him4 ,with this passage we may compare the following from ,spenser's ,fairy ,queen 7bk4 ii4 canto #e73 ,like as a lyon1 whose imperiall power ,a prowd rebellious unicorn defyes1 ,t' avoide the rash assault and wrathful stowre ,of his fiers foe1 him to a tree applyes1 ,and when him ronning in full course he spyes1 ,he slips aside3 the whiles that furious beast ,his precious horne1 sought of his enimyes ,strikes in the stocke1 ne thence can be releast1 ,but to the mighty victor yields a bounteous feast4 #ddh ,see ,brewer's ,dictionary of ,phrase and ,fable1 p4 #ibb4 ,weasel4 ,to meet a weasel was formerly considered a bad omen4#ddi ,that may be a tacit allusion to this superstition in ,lucrece 7l4 #cjg73 ,night-wandering weasels shriek to see him there2 ,they fright him1 yet he still pursues his fear4 #ddi ,see ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 iii4 p4 #bhc4 ,it appears that weasels were kept in houses1 instead of cats1 for the purpose of killing vermin4 ,phdrus notices this their feline office in the first and fourth fables of his fourth book4 ,the supposed quarrelsomeness of this animal is spoken of by ,pisanio in ,cymbeline 7iii4 #d71 who tells ,imogen that she must be as quarrelous as the weasel2 and in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7ii4 #c71 ,lady ,percy says to ,hotspur3 ,a weasel hath not such a deal of spleen ,as you are toss'd with4 ,this character of the weasel is not1 however1 generally mentioned by naturalists4 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,plants4 ,that ,shakespeare possessed an extensive knowledge of the history and superstitions associated with flowers is evident1 from even only a slight perusal of his plays4 ,apart from the extensive use which he has made of these lovely objects of nature for the purpose of embellishing1 or adding pathos to1 passages here and there1 he has also1 with a master hand1 interwoven many a little legend or superstition1 thereby infusing an additional force into his writings4 ,thus we know with what effect he has made use of the willow in ,othello1 in that touching passage where ,desdemona 7iv4 #c71 anticipating her death1 relates how her mother had a maid called ,barbara3 ,she was in love2 and he she lov'd prov'd mad1 ,and did forsake her2 she had a song of willow1 ,an old thing 'twas1 but it expressed her fortune1 ,and she died singing it3 that song1 to-night1 ,will not go from my mind4 ,in a similar manner ,shakespeare has frequently introduced flowers with a wonderful aptness1 as in the case of poor ,ophelia4 ,those1 however1 desirous of gaining a good insight into ,shakespeare's knowledge of flowers1 as illustrated by his plays1 would do well to consult ,mr4 ,ellacombe's exhaustive work on the ,plant-,lore of ,shakespeare1 a book to which we are much indebted in the following pages1 as also to ,mr4 ,beisly's ,shakespeare's ,garden4 ,aconite4#dej ,this plant1 from the deadly virulence of its juice1 which1 ,mr4 ,turner says1 is of all poysones the most hastie poysone1 is compared by ,shakespeare to gunpowder1 as in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7iv4 #d73 the united vessel of their blood1 ,mingled with venom of suggestion1 ,as1 force perforce1 the age will pour it in1 ,shall never leak1 though it do work as strong ,as aconitum1 or rash gunpowder4 #dej ,aconitum napellus1 ,wolf's-bane or ,monk's-hood4 ,it is1 too1 probably alluded to in the following passage in ,romeo and ,juliet 7v4 #a71 where ,romeo says3 let me have ,a dram of poison2 such soon-speeding gear ,as will disperse itself through all the veins1 ,that the life-weary taker may fall dead2 ,and that the trunk may be discharg'd of breath ,as violently1 as hasty powder fir'd ,doth hurry from the fatal cannon's womb4 ,according to ,ovid1 it derived its name from growing upon rock 7,metamorphoses1 bk4 vii4 l4 #dah73 ,qu1 quia nascuntur1 dura vivacia caute1 ,agrestes aconita vocant4 ,it is probably derived from the ,greek ,greek3 akonitos1 without a struggle1 in allusion to the intensity of its poisonous qualities4 ,vergil#dea speaks of it1 and tells us how the aconite deceives the wretched gatherers1 because often mistaken for some harmless plant4#deb ,the ancients fabled it as the invention of ,hecate1#dec who caused the plant to spring from the foam of ,cerberus1 when ,hercules dragged him from the gloomy regions of ,pluto4 ,ovid pictures the stepdame as preparing a deadly potion of aconite 7,metamorphoses1 bk4 i4 l4 #adg73 ,lurida terribiles miscent aconita noverc4 #dea ,miseros fallunt aconita legentis 7,georgics1 bk4 ii4 l4 #aeb74 #deb ,see ,ellacombe's ,plant-,lore of ,shakespeare1 #ahgh1 pp4 #g1 #h4 #dec ,dr4 ,prior's ,popular ,names of ,british ,plants1 #ahgj1 pp4 #a1 #b4 ,in hunting1 the ancients poisoned their arrows with this venomous plant1 as also when following their mortal brutal trade of slaughtering their fellow-creatures4#ded ,numerous instances are on record of fatal results through persons eating this plant4 ,in the ,philosophical ,transactions 7#agcb1 vol4 xxxvii47 we read of a man who was poisoned in that year1 by eating some of it in a salad1 instead of celery4 ,dr4 ,turner mentions the case of some ,frenchmen at ,antwerp1 who1 eating the shoots of this plant for masterwort1 all died1 with the exception of two1 in forty-eight hours4 ,the aconitum is equally pernicious to animals4 #ded ,phillips1 ,flora ,historica1 #ahbi1 vol4 ii4 pp4 #abb1 #abh4 ,anemone4 ,this favorite flower of early spring is probably alluded to in the following passage of ,venus and ,adonis3 ,by this1 the boy that by her side lay kill'd ,was melted like a vapour from her sight2 ,and in his blood1 that on the ground lay spill'd1 ,a purple flower sprung up1 chequer'd with white1 ,resembling well his pale cheeks1 and the blood ,which in round drops upon their whiteness stood4 ,according to ,bion1 it is said to have sprung from the tears that ,venus wept over the body of ,adonis3 ,alas1 the ,paphian6 fair ,adonis slain6 ,tears plenteous as his blood she pours amain1 ,but gentle flowers are born1 and bloom around2 ,from every drop that falls upon the ground ,where streams his blood1 there blushing springs the rose1 ,and where a tear has dropp'd a wind-flower blows4 ,other classical writers make the anemone to be the flower of ,adonis4 ,mr4 ,ellacombe#dee says that although ,shakespeare does not actually name the anemone1 yet the evidence is in favor of this plant4 ,the purple color1 he adds1 is no objection1 for purple in ,shakespeare's time had a very wide signification1 meaning almost any bright color1 just as purpureus had in ,latin4#def #dee ,plant-,lore of ,shakespeare1 pp4 #aj1 #aa4 #def ,phillips1 ,flora ,historica1 #ahbi1 vol4 i4 p4 #ajd4 ,apple4 ,although ,shakespeare has so frequently introduced the apple into his plays1 yet he has abstained from alluding to the extensive folk-lore associated with this favorite fruit4 ,indeed1 beyond mentioning some of the popular nicknames by which the apple was known in his day1 little is said about it4 ,the term apple was not originally confined to the fruit now so called1 but was a generic name applied to any fruit1 as we still speak of the love-apple1 pine-apple1 etc4#deg ,so when ,shakespeare 7,sonnet xciii47 makes mention of ,eve's apple1 he simply means that it was some fruit that grew in ,eden3 ,how like ,eve's apple doth thy beauty grow1 ,if thy sweet virtue answer not thy show4 #deg ,ellacombe's ,plant-,lore of ,shakespeare1 p4 #ac4 7a7 ,the apple-,john1 called in ,france deux-annes or deux-ans1 because it will keep two years1 and considered to be in perfection when shrivelled and withered1#deh is evidently spoken of in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7iii4 #c71 where ,falstaff says3 ,my skin hangs about me like an old lady's loose gown2 ,i am withered like an old apple-,john4 ,in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7ii4 #d7 there is a further allusion3 #ast ,drawer4 ,what the devil hast thou brought there8 apple-,johns8 thou know'st ,sir ,john cannot endure an apple-,john4 #b;d ,drawer4 ,mass1 thou sayest true4 ,the prince once set a dish of apple-,johns before him1 and told him there were five more ,sir ,johns1 and1 putting off his hat1 said1 ',i will now take my leave of these six dry1 round1 old1 withered knights4' #deh ,dyce's ,glossary to ,shakespeare1 p4 #ae4 ,this apple1 too1 is well described by ,phillips 7,cider1 bk4 i473 ,nor ,john ,apple1 whose wither'd rind1 entrench'd ,by many a furrow1 aptly represents ,decrepit age4 ,in ,ben ,jonson's ,bartholomew ,fair 7i4 #a71 where ,littlewit encourages ,quarlus to kiss his wife1 he says3 she may call you an apple-,john if you use this4 ,here apple-,john#dei evidently means a procuring ,john1 besides the allusion to the fruit so called4#dfj #dei ,see ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 ii4 p4 #bi2 probably synonymous with the term apple-,squire1 which formerly signified a pimp4 #dfj ,forby1 in his ,vocabulary of ,east ,anglia1 says of this apple1 we retain the name1 but whether we mean the same variety of fruit which was so called in ,shakespeare's time1 it is not possible to ascertain4 7b7 ,the bitter-sweet1 or sweeting1 to which ,mercutio alludes in ,romeo and ,juliet 7ii4 #d73 ,thy wit is a very bitter sweeting2 it is a most sharp sauce2 was apparently a favorite apple1 which furnished many allusions to poets4 ,gower1 in his ,confessio ,amantis 7#aeed1 fol4 #agd71 speaks of it3 ,for all such time of love is lore ,and like unto the bitter swete1 ,for though it thinke a man first sweete1 ,he shall well felen atte laste ,that it is sower1 and maie not laste4 ,the name is now given to an apple of no great value as a table fruit1 but good as a cider apple1 and for use in silk dyeing4#dfa #dfa ,ellacombe's ,plant-,lore of ,shakespeare1 p4 #af2 ,dyce's ,glossary1 p4 #dcj2 ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 i4 p4 #ha2 ,coles's ,latin and ,english ,dictionary4 ,a bitter-suete apple--,amari-mellum4 7c7 ,the crab1 roasted before the fire and put into ale1 was a very favorite indulgence1 especially at ,christmas1 in days gone by1 and is referred to in the song of winter in ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7v4 #b73 ,when roasted crabs hiss in the bowl ,then nightly sings the staring owl4 ,the beverage thus formed was called ,lambs-wool1 and generally consisted of ale1 nutmeg1 sugar1 toast1 and roasted crabs1 or apples4 ,it formed the ingredient of the wassail-bowl2#dfb and also of the gossip's bowl#dfc alluded to in ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7ii4 #a71 where ,puck says3 ,and sometime lurk ,i in a gossip's bowl1 ,in very likeness of a roasted crab1 ,and when she drinks1 against her lips ,i bob1 ,and on her wither'd dewlap pour the ale4 #dfb ,see chapter xi41 ,customs connected with the ,calendar4 #dfc ,see chapter on ,customs connected with ,birth and ,baptism4 ,in ,peele's ,old ,wives' ,tale1 it is said3 ,lay a crab in the fire to roast for lamb's wool4#dfd #dfd ,edited by ,dyce1 #ahfa1 p4 #ddf4 ,many fanciful derivations for this word have been thought of1 but it was no doubt named from its smoothness and softness1 resembling the wool of lambs4 ,and in ,herrick's ,poems3 ,now crowne the bowle ,with gentle lamb's wooll1 ,add sugar1 and nutmegs1 and ginger4 7d7 ,the codling1 spoken of by ,malvolio in ,twelfth ,night 7i4 #e7--,not yet old enough for a man1 nor young enough for a boy2 as a squash is before 'tis a peascod1 or a codling when 'tis almost an apple--is not the variety now so called1 but was the popular term for an immature apple1 such as would require cooking to be eaten1 being derived from coddle1 to stew or boil lightly--hence it denoted a boiling apple1 an apple for coddling or boiling4#dfe ,mr4 ,gifford#dff says that codling was used by our old writers for that early state of vegetation when the fruit1 after shaking off the blossom1 began to assume a globular and determinate form4 #dfe ,dr4 ,prior's ,popular ,names of ,british ,plants1 #ahgj1 p4 #ej4 #dff ,note on ,jonson's ,works1 vol4 iv4 p4 #bd4 7e7 ,the leather-coat was the apple generally known as the golden russeting4#dfg ,davy1 in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7v4 #c71 says3 ,there is a dish of leather-coats for you4 #dfg ,dyce's ,glossary1 p4 #bdb4 7f7 ,the pippin was formerly a common term for an apple1 to which reference is made in ,hudibras ,redivivus 7#agje73 ,a goldsmith telling o'er his cash1 ,a pipping-monger selling trash4 ,in ,taylor's ,workes#dfh 7#afcj7 we read3 ,lord1 who would take him for a pippin squire1 ,that's so bedaub'd with lace and rich attire8 #dfh ,quoted by ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 ii4 p4 #ffb4 ,mr4 ,ellacombe#dfi says the word pippin denoted an apple raised from pips and not from grafts1 and is now1 and probably was in ,shakespeare's time1 confined to the bright-colored long-keeping apples of which the golden pippin is the type4 ,justice ,shallow1 in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7v4 #c71 says3 ,nay1 you shall see my orchard1 where1 in an arbour1 we will eat a last year's pippin of my own graffing4 #dfi ,plant-,lore of ,shakespeare1 p4 #af4 7g7 ,the pomewater was a species of apple evidently of a juicy nature1 and hence of high esteem in ,shakespeare's time2 for in ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7iv4 #b7 ,holofernes says3 ,the deer was1 as you know1 sanguis--in blood2 ripe as the pomewater1 who now hangeth like a jewel in the ear of coelo--the sky1 the welkin1 the heaven2 and anon falleth like a crab on the face of terra--the soil1 the land1 the earth4 ,parkinson#dgj tells us the pomewater is an excellent1 good1 and great whitish apple1 full of sap or moisture1 somewhat pleasant1 sharp1 but a little bitter withal2 it will not last long1 the winter's frost soon causing it to rot and perish4 #dgj ,theatrum ,botanicum1 #afdj4 ,it appears that apples and caraways were formerly always eaten together2 and it is said that they are still served up on particular days at ,trinity ,college1 ,cambridge4 ,this practice is probably alluded to by ,justice ,shallow1 in the much-disputed passage in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7v4 #c71 when he speaks of eating a last year's pippin1 444 with a dish of carraways4 ,the phrase1 too1 seems further explained by the following quotations from ,cogan's ,haven of ,health 7#aeii74 ,after stating the virtues of the seed1 and some of its uses1 he says3 ,for the same purpose careway seeds are used to be made in comfits1 and to be eaten with apples1 and surely very good for that purpose1 for all such things as breed wind would be eaten with other things that break wind4 ,again1 in his chapter on ,apples1 he says3 ,howbeit wee are wont to eat carrawaies or biskets1 or some other kind of comfits1 or seeds together with apples1 thereby to breake winde ingendred by them1 and surely this is a verie good way for students4 ,mr4 ,ellacombe1#dga however1 considers that in the dish of carraways1 mentioned by ,justice ,shallow1 neither caraway seeds1 nor cakes made of caraways1 are meant1 but the caraway or caraway-russet apple4 ,most of the commentators are in favor of one of the former explanations4 ,mr4 ,dyce#dgb reads caraways in the sense of comfits or confections made with caraway-seeds1 and quotes from ,shadwell's ,woman-,captain the following3 ,the fruit1 crab-apples1 sweetings1 and horse-plumbs2 and for confections1 a few carraways in a small sawcer1 as if his worship's house had been a lousie inn4 #dga ,plant-,lore of ,shakespeare1 pp4 #ag1 #cg4 #dgb ,glossary1 pp4 #fe1 #ff4 ,apricot4 ,this word1 which is spelled by ,shakespeare apricock1 occurs in ,richard ,,ii4 7iii4 #d71 where the gardener says3 ,go1 bind thou up yond dangling apricocks1 ,which1 like unruly children1 make their sire ,stoop with oppression of their prodigal weight4 ,and in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7iii4 #a7 ,titania gives directions3 ,be kind and courteous to this gentleman1 99 99 99 99 99 ,feed him with apricocks1 and dewberries4 ,the spelling apricock#dgc is derived from the ,latin prcox1 or prcoquus2 and it was called the precocious tree1 because it flowered and fruited earlier than the peach4 ,the term apricock is still in use in ,northamptonshire4 #dgc ,see ,notes and ,queries1 #b;d series1 bk4 i4 p4 #dbj4 ,aspen4 ,according to a medival legend1 the perpetual motion of this tree dates from its having supplied the wood of the ,cross1 and that its leaves have trembled ever since at the recollection of their guilt4 ,de ,quincey1 in his essay on ,modern ,superstition1 says that this belief is coextensive with ,christendom4 ,the following verses1#dgd after telling how other trees were passed by in the choice of wood for the ,cross1 describe the hewing down of the aspen1 and the dragging of it from the forest to ,calvary3 ,on the morrow stood she1 trembling ,at the awful weight she bore1 ,when the sun in midnight blackness ,darkened on ,judea's shore4 ,still1 when not a breeze is stirring1 ,when the mist sleeps on the hill1 ,and all other trees are moveless1 ,stands the aspen1 trembling still4 #dgd ,see ,henderson's ,folk-,lore of ,northern ,counties1 #ahgi1 pp4 #aea1 #aeb4 ,the ,germans1 says ,mr4 ,henderson1 have a theory of their own1 embodied in a little poem1 which may be thus translated3 ,once1 as our ,saviour walked with men below1 ,his path of mercy through a forest lay2 ,and mark how all the drooping branches show1 ,what homage best a silent tree may pay4 ,only the aspen stands erect and free1 ,scorning to join that voiceless worship pure2 ,but see6 ,he casts one look upon the tree1 ,struck to the heart she trembles evermore6 ,another legend tells us#dge that the aspen was said to have been the tree on which ,judas hanged himself after the betrayal of his ,master1 and ever since its leaves have trembled with shame4 ,shakespeare twice alludes to the trembling of the aspen4 ,in ,titus ,andronicus 7ii4 #d7 ,marcus exclaims3 ,o1 had the monster seen those lily hands ,tremble1 like aspen leaves1 upon a lute2 and in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7ii4 #d7 the hostess says3 ,feel1 masters1 how ,i shake4 ,yea1 in very truth1 do ,i1 an 'twere an aspen leaf4 #dge ,napier's ,folk-,lore of ,west of ,scotland1 #ahgi1 p4 #abd4 ,bachelor's ,buttons4 ,this was a name given to several flowers1 and perhaps in ,shakespeare's time was more loosely applied to any flower in bud4 ,it is now usually understood to be a double variety of ranunculus2 according to others1 the ,lychnis sylvestris2 and in some counties it is applied to the ,scabiosa succisa4#dgf ,according to ,gerarde1 this plant was so called from the similitude of its flowers to the jagged cloathe buttons1 anciently worne in this kingdome4 ,it was formerly supposed1 by country people1 to have some magical effect upon the fortunes of lovers4 ,hence it was customary for young people to carry its flowers in their pockets1 judging of their good or bad success in proportion as these retained or lost their freshness4 ,it is to this sort of divination that ,shakespeare probably refers in ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7iii4 #b71 where he makes the hostess say1 ,what say you to young ,master ,fenton8 he capers1 he dances1 he has eyes of youth1 he writes verses1 he speaks holiday1 he smells ,april and ,may2 he will carry 't1 he will carry 't2 'tis in his buttons2 he will carry 't4 ,mr4 ,warter1 in one of his notes in ,southey's ,commonplace ,book 7#ahea1 #dth series1 p4 #bdd71 says that this practice was common in his time1 in ,shropshire and ,staffordshire4 ,the term to wear bachelor's buttons seems to have grown into a phrase for being unmarried4#dgg #dgf ,dr4 ,prior's ,popular ,names of ,british ,plants1 p4 #ac4 #dgg ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 i4 p4 #de4 ,balm4 ,from very early times the balm1 or balsam1 has been valued for its curative properties1 and1 as such1 is alluded to in ,troilus and ,cressida 7i4 #a73 ,but1 saying thus1 instead of oil and balm1 ,thou lay'st in every gash that love hath given me ,the knife that made it4 ,in #c ,henry ,,vi4 7iv4 #h7 ,king ,henry says3#dgh ,my pity hath been balm to heal their wounds4 #dgh ,see ,richard ,,iii41 i4 #b2 ,timon of ,athens1 iii4 #e4 ,alcibiades1 in ,timon of ,athens 7iii4 #e71 says3 ,is this the balsam1 that the usuring senate ,pours into captains' wounds8 ,banishment6 ,macbeth1 too1 in the well-known passage ii4 #b1 introduces it3 ,sleep that knits up the ravell'd sleave of care1 ,the death of each day's life1 sore labour's bath1 ,balm of hurt minds1 great nature's second course1 ,chief nourisher in life's feast4 ,as the oil of consecration#dgi it is spoken of by ,king ,richard 7,richard ,,ii41 iii4 #b73 ,not all the water in the rough rude sea ,can wash the balm from an anointed king4 #dgi ,see #b ,henry ,,iv41 iv4 #e4 ,and again1 in #c ,henry ,,vi4 7iii4 #a71 ,king ,henry1 when in disguise1 speaks thus3 ,thy place is fill'd1 thy sceptre wrung from thee1 ,thy balm wash'd off wherewith thou wast anointed3 ,no bending knee will call thee ,csar now4 ,the origin of balsam1 says ,mr4 ,ellacombe1#dhj was for a long time a secret1 but it is now known to have been the produce of several gum-bearing trees1 especially the ,pistacia lentiscus and the ,balsamodendron ,gileadense1 and now1 as then1 the name is not strictly confined to the produce of any one plant4 #dhj ,plant-,lore of ,shakespeare1 p4 #bb4 ,barley4 ,the barley broth1 of which the ,constable1 in ,henry ,v4 7iii4 #e71 spoke so contemptuously as the food of ,english soldiers1 was probably beer1#dha which long before the time of ,henry was so celebrated that it gave its name to the plant 7barley being simply the beer-plant73 ,can sodden water1 ,a drench for sur-rein'd jades1 their barley broth1 ,decoct their cold blood to such valiant heat8 #dha ,ellacombe's ,plant-,lore of ,shakespeare1 p4 #bc4 ,bay-tree4 ,the withering and death of this tree were reckoned a prognostic of evil1 both in ancient and modern times1 a notion#dhb to which ,shakespeare refers in ,richard ,,ii4 7ii4 #d73 ',tis thought1 the king is dead2 we will not stay4 ,the bay-trees in our country are all wither'd --having obtained it probably from ,holinshed1 who says3 ,in this yeare1 in a manner throughout all the realme of ,englande1 old baie trees withered4 ,lupton1 in his ,syxt ,booke of ,notable ,things1 mentions this as a bad omen3 ,neyther falling-sickness1 neyther devyll1 wyll infest or hurt one in that place whereas a bay-tree is4 ,the ,romaynes call it the plant of the good angel4#dhc #dhb ,see ,dyce's ,glossary1 p4 #cb4 #dhc ,see also ,evelyn's ,sylva1 #aggf1 p4 #cif4 ,camomile4 ,it was formerly imagined that this plant grew the more luxuriantly for being frequently trodden or pressed down2 a notion alluded to in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7ii4 #d7 by ,falstaff3 ,for though the camomile1 the more it is trodden on the faster it grows1 yet youth1 the more it is wasted1 the sooner it wears4 ,nares#dhd considers that the above was evidently written in ridicule of the following passage1 in a book very fashionable in ,shakespeare's day1 ,lyly's ,euphues1 of which it is a parody3 ,though the camomile1 the more it is trodden and pressed down1 the more it spreadeth2 yet the violet1 the oftener it is handled and touched1 the sooner it withereth and decayeth1 etc4 #dhd ,glossary1 vol4 i4 p4 #aej2 see ,dyce's ,glossary1 p4 #fc4 ,clover4 ,according to ,johnson1 the honey-stalks in the following passage 7,titus ,andronicus1 iv4 #d7 are clover-flowers1 which contain a sweet juice4 ,it is not uncommon for cattle to overcharge themselves with clover1 and die1 hence the allusion by ,tamora3 ,i will enchant the old ,andronicus ,with words more sweet1 and yet more dangerous1 ,than baits to fish1 or honey-stalks to sheep4 ,columbine4 ,this was anciently termed a thankless flower1 and was also emblematical of forsaken lovers4 ,it is somewhat doubtful to what ,ophelia alludes in ,hamlet 7iv4 #e71 where she seems to address the king3 ,there's fennel for you1 and columbines4 ,perhaps she regarded it as symbolical of ingratitude4 ,crow-flowers4 ,this name1 which in ,shakespeare's time was applied to the ragged robin1 is now used for the buttercup4 ,it was one of the flowers that poor ,ophelia wove into her garland 7,hamlet1 iv4 #g73 ,there with fantastic garlands did she come ,of crow-flowers1 nettles1 daisies1 and long purples4 ,cuckoo-buds4 ,commentators are uncertain to what flower ,shakespeare refers in ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7v4 #b73 ,when daisies pied and violets blue1 ,and lady-smocks all silver-white1 ,and cuckoo-buds of yellow hue ,do paint the meadows with delight4 ,mr4 ,miller1 in his ,gardener's ,dictionary1 says that the flower here alluded to is the ,ranunculus bulbosus2 but ,mr4 ,beisly1 in his ,shakespeare's ,garden1 considers it to be the ,ranunculus ficaria 7lesser celandine71 or pile-wort1 as this flower appears earlier in spring1 and is in bloom at the same time as the other flowers named in the song4 ,mr4 ,swinfen ,jervis1 however1 in his ,dictionary of the ,language of ,shakespeare 7#ahfh71 decides in favor of cowslips3#dhe and ,dr4 ,prior suggests the buds of the crowfoot4 ,at the present day the nickname cuckoo-bud is assigned to the meadow cress 7,cardamine pratensis74 #dhe ,see ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 i4 p4 #bab4 ,cuckoo-flowers4 ,by this flower1 ,mr4 ,beisly#dhf says1 the ragged robin is meant1 a well-known meadow and marsh plant1 with rose-colored flowers and deeply-cut1 narrow segments4 ,it blossoms at the time the cuckoo comes1 hence one of its names4 ,in ,king ,lear 7iv4 #d7 ,cordelia narrates how he was met even now ,as mad as the vex'd sea2 singing aloud2 ,crown'd with rank fumiter1 and furrow weeds1 ,with burdocks1 hemlock1 nettles1 cuckoo-flowers1 ,darnel1 and all the idle weeds that grow ,in our sustaining corn4 #dhf ,shakespeare's ,garden1 p4 #adc4 ,cypress4 ,from the earliest times the cypress has had a mournful history1 being associated with funerals and churchyards1 and as such is styled by ,spenser cypress funereal4 ,in ,quarles's ,argalus and ,parthenia 7#agbf1 bk4 iii47 a knight is introduced1 whose horse was black as jet1 ,his furniture was round about beset ,with branches slipt from the sad cypress tree4 ,formerly coffins were frequently made of cypress wood1 a practice to which ,shakespeare probably alludes in ,twelfth ,night 7ii4 #d71 where the ,clown says3 ,in sad cypress let me be laid4 ,some1 however1 prefer#dhg understanding cypress to mean a shroud of cyprus or cypress--a fine1 transparent stuff1 similar to crape1 either white or black1 but more commonly the latter4#dhh ,douce#dhi thinks that the expression laid seems more applicable to a coffin than to a shroud1 and also adds that the shroud is afterwards expressly mentioned by itself4 #dhg ,see ,winter's ,tale1 iv4 #d3 ,lawn as white as driven snow2 ,cyprus black as e'er was crow4 ,its transparency is alluded to in ,twelfth ,night1 iii4 #a3 a cyprus1 not a bosom1 ,hides my heart4 #dhh ,see ,dyce's ,glossary1 #ahgb1 p4 #aac4 #dhi ,douce's ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 #ahci1 p4 #ef4 ,see ,mr4 ,gough's ,introduction to ,sepulchral ,monuments1 p4 lxvi42 also ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 i4 p4 #bba4 ,daffodil4 ,the daffodil of ,shakespeare is the wild daffodil which grows so abundantly in many parts of ,england4 ,perdita1 in ,winter's ,tale 7iv4 #d71 mentions a little piece of weather-lore1 and tells us how daffodils1 ,that come before the swallow dares1 and take ,the winds of ,march with beauty4 ,and ,autolycus1 in the same play 7iv4 #c71 sings thus3 ,when daffodils begin to peer1-- ,with1 heigh6 the doxy over the dale1 ,why1 then comes in the sweet o' the year4 ,darnel4 ,this plant1 like the cockle1 was used in ,shakespeare's day to denote any hurtful weed4 ,newton1#dij in his ,herbal to the ,bible1 says that under the name of cockle and darnel is comprehended all vicious1 noisome1 and unprofitable graine1 encombring and hindering good corne4 ,thus ,cordelia1 in ,king ,lear 7iv4 #d71 says3 ,darnel1 and all the idle weeds that grow ,in our sustaining corn4 #dij ,see ,dr4 ,prior's ,popular ,names of ,british ,plants1 #ahgj1 p4 #fc4 ,according to ,gerarde1 darnel hurteth the eyes1 and maketh them dim1 if it happen either in corne for breade or drinke4 ,hence1 it is said1 originated the old proverb1 lolio victitare--applied to such as were dim-sighted4 ,steevens considers that ,pucelle1 in the following passage from #a ,henry ,,vi4 7iii4 #b71 alludes to this property of the darnel--meaning to intimate that the corn she carried with her had produced the same effect on the guards of ,rouen1 otherwise they would have seen through her disguise and defeated her stratagem3 ,good morrow1 gallants6 want ye corn for bread8 ,i think the ,duke of ,burgundy will fast1 ,before he'll buy again at such a rate3 ',twas full of darnel3 do you like the taste8 ,date4 ,this fruit of the palm-tree was once a common ingredient in all kinds of pastry1 and some other dishes1 and often supplied a pun for comedy1 as1 for example1 in ,all's ,well ,that ,ends ,well 7i4 #a71 where ,parolles says3 ,your date is better in your pie and your porridge1 than in your cheek4 ,and in ,troilus and ,cressida 7i4 #b73 ,ay1 a minced man2 and then to be baked with no date in the pie2 for then the man's date's out4 ,ebony4 ,the wood of this tree was regarded as the typical emblem of darkness2 the tree itself1 however1 was unknown in this country in ,shakespeare's time4 ,it is mentioned in ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7iv4 #c73 ,king4 ,by heaven1 thy love is black as ebony4 ,biron4 ,is ebony like her8 ,o wood divine6 ,a wife of such wood were felicity4 ,in the same play we read of the ebon-coloured ink 7i4 #a71 and in ,venus and ,adonis 7#idh7 of ,death's ebon dart4 ,elder4 ,this plant1 while surrounded by an extensive folk-lore1 has from time immemorial possessed an evil reputation1 and been regarded as one of bad omen4 ,according to a popular tradition ,judas was hanged on an elder1 a superstition mentioned by ,biron in ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7v4 #b72 and also by ,ben ,jonson in ,every ,man ,out of ,his ,humour 7iv4 #d73 ,he shall be your ,judas1 and you shall be his elder-tree to hang on4 ,in ,piers ,plowman's ,vision 7ll4 #eic-eif7 we are told how ,judas1 he japed ,with jewen silver1 ,and sithen on an eller ,hanged hymselve4 ,so firmly rooted was this belief in days gone by that ,sir ,john ,mandeville tells us in his ,travels1 which he wrote in #acfd1 that he was actually shown the identical tree at ,jerusalem1 ,and faste by is zit1 the tree of ,elder that ,judas henge himself upon1 for despeyr that he hadde when he solde and betrayed oure ,lord4 ,this tradition no doubt1 in a great measure1 helped to give it its bad fame1 causing it to be spoken of as the stinking elder4 ,shakespeare makes it an emblem of grief4 ,in ,cymbeline 7iv4 #b7 ,arviragus says3 ,grow1 patience6 ,and let the stinking elder1 grief1 untwine ,his perishing root with the increasing vine6 ,the dwarf elder#dia 7,sambucus ebulus7 is said only to grow where blood has been shed either in battle or in murder4 ,the ,welsh call it ,llysan gward gwyr1 or plant of the blood of man4 ,shakespeare1 perhaps1 had this piece of folk-lore in mind when he represents ,bassianus1 in ,titus ,andronicus 7ii4 #d71 as killed at a pit beneath an elder-tree3 ,this is the pit and this the elder tree4 #dia ,flower-,lore1 p4 #ce4 ,eringoes4 ,these were formerly said to be strong provocatives1 and as such are mentioned by ,falstaff in ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7v4 #e73 ,let the sky rain potatoes2 let it thunder to the tune of ,green ,sleeves1 hail kissing comfits1 and snow eringoes4 ,mr4 ,ellacombe#dib thinks that in this passage the globe artichoke is meant1 which is a near ally of the eryngium1 and was a favorite dish in ,shakespeare's time4 #dib ,plant-,lore of ,shakespeare1 p4 #ff4 ,fennel4 ,this was generally considered as an inflammatory herb2 and to eat conger and fennel was to eat two high and hot things together1 which was an act of libertinism4#dic ,thus in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7ii4 #d7 ,falstaff says of ,poins1 he eats conger and fennel4 ,mr4 ,beisly states#did that fennel was used as a sauce with fish hard of digestion1 being aromatic1 and as the old writers term it1 hot in the third degree4 ,one of the herbs distributed by poor ,ophelia1 in her distraction1 is fennel1 which she offers either as a cordial or as an emblem of flattery3 ,there's fennel for you1 and columbines4 #dic ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 i4 p4 #cjb2 ,dyce's ,glossary1 p4 #aei4 #did ,shakspere's ,garden1 p4 #aeh4 ,mr4 ,staunton1 however1 considers that fennel here signifies lust1 while ,mr4 ,beisly thinks its reputed property of clearing the sight is alluded to4 ,it is more probable that it denotes flattery2 especially as1 in ,shakespeare's time1 it was regarded as emblematical of flattery4 ,in this sense it is often quoted by old writers4 ,in ,greene's ,quip for an ,upstart ,courtier1 we read1 ,fennell ,i meane for flatterers4 ,in ,phyala ,lachrymarum#die we find3 ,nor fennel-finkle bring for flattery1 ,begot of his1 and fained courtesie4 #die ,quoted in ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 i4 p4 #cjc4 ,fern4 ,according to a curious notion fern-seed was supposed to possess the power of rendering persons invisible4 ,hence it was a most important object of superstition1 being gathered mystically1 especially on ,midsummer ,eve4 ,it was believed at one time to have neither flower nor seed2 the seed1 which lay on the back of the leaf1 being so small as to escape the detection of the hasty observer4 ,on this account1 probably1 proceeding on the fantastic doctrine of signatures1 our ancestors derived the notion that those who could obtain and wear this invisible seed would be themselves invisible3 a belief which is referred to in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7ii4 #a73 ,gadshill4 ,we have the receipt of fern-seed1 we walk invisible4 ,chamberlain4 ,nay1 by my faith1 ,i think you are more beholding to the night1 than to fern-seed1 for your walking invisible4 ,this superstition is mentioned by many old writers2 a proof of its popularity in times past4 ,it is alluded to in ,beaumont and ,fletcher's ,fair ,maid of the ,inn 7i4 #a73 ,did you think that you had ,gyges' ring8 ,or the herb that gives invisibility8 ,again1 in ,ben ,jonson's ,new ,inn 7i4 #a73 ,i had ,no medicine1 sir1 to go invisible1 ,no fern-seed in my pocket4 ,as recently as ,addison's day1 we are told in the ,tatler 7,no4 #bdj7 that it was impossible to walk the streets without having an advertisement thrust into your hand of a doctor who had arrived at the knowledge of the green and red dragon1 and had discovered the female fern-seed4#dif #dif ,see ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 i4 pp4 #cad-caf4 ,fig4 ,formerly the term fig served as a common expression of contempt1 and was used to denote a thing of the least importance4 ,hence the popular phrase1 not to care a fig for one2 a sense in which it is sometimes used by ,shakespeare1 who makes ,pistol say1 in ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7i4 #c71 a fico for the phrase6 and in ,henry ,v4 7iii4 #f7 ,pistol exclaims1 figo for thy friendship6 ,in ,othello 7i4 #c7 ,iago says1 ,virtue6 a fig6 ,the term to give or make the fig1 as an expression of insult1 has for many ages been very prevalent among the nations of ,europe1 and1 according to ,douce1#dig was known to the ,romans4 ,it consists in thrusting the thumb between two of the closed fingers1 or into the mouth1 a practice1 as some say1#dih in allusion to a contemptuous punishment inflicted on the ,milanese1 by the ,emperor ,frederic ,barbarossa1 in #aafb1 when he took their city4 ,this1 however1 is altogether improbable1 the real origin1 no doubt1 being a coarse representation of a disease1 to which the name of ficus or fig has always been given4#dii #dig ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 pp4 #cjb-cjh4 #dih ,see ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 i4 p4 #cje4 #dii ,see ,gifford's note on ,jonson's ,works1 vol4 i4 p4 #eb2 ,dyce's ,glossary1 p4 #afa2 ,du ,cange's ,glossary2 ,connelly's ,spanish and ,english ,dictionary1 #dto4 ,the fig of ,spain1 spoken of in ,henry ,v4 7iii4 #f71 may either allude to the poisoned fig employed in ,spain as a secret way of destroying an obnoxious person1 as in ,webster's ,white ,devil3#ejj ,i do look now for a ,spanish fig1 or an ,italian salad1 daily2 and in ,shirley's ,brothers3#eja ,i must poison him2 ,one fig sends him to ,erebus2 or it may1 as ,mr4 ,dyce remarks1#ejb simply denote contempt or insult in the sense already mentioned4 #ejj ,edited by ,dyce1 #aheg1 p4 #cj4 #eja ,edited by ,gifford and ,dyce1 vol4 i4 p4 #bca4 #ejb ,glossary1 p4 #afa4 ,flower-de-luce4 ,the common purple iris which adorns our gardens is now generally agreed upon as the fleur-de-luce1 a corruption of fleur de ,louis--being spelled either fleur-de-lys or fleur-de-lis4 ,it derives its name from ,louis ,,vii41 ,king of ,france1 who chose this flower as his heraldic emblem when setting forth on his crusade to the ,holy ,land4 ,it had already been used by the other ,french kings1 and by the emperors of ,constantinople2 but it is still a matter of dispute among antiquarians as to what it was originally intended to represent4 ,some say a flower1 some a toad1 some a halbert-head4 ,it is uncertain what plant is referred to by ,shakespeare when he alludes to the flower-de-luce in the following passage#ejc in #b ,henry ,,vi4 7v4 #a71 where the ,duke of ,york says3 ,a sceptre shall it have1--have ,i a soul1-- ,on which ,i'll toss the flower-de-luce of ,france4 #ejc ,see ,winter's ,tale1 iv4 #c2 ,henry ,v41 v4 #b2 #a ,henry ,,vi41 i4 #a4 ,in #a ,henry ,,vi4 7i4 #b7 ,pucelle declares3 ,i am prepared2 here is my keen-edged sword1 ,deck'd with five flower-de-luces on each side4 ,some think the lily is meant1 others the iris4 ,for the lily theory1 says ,mr4 ,ellacombe1#ejd there are the facts that ,shakespeare calls it one of the lilies1 and that the other way of spelling is fleur-de-lys4 #ejd ,plant-,lore of ,shakespeare1 p4 #gc4 ,chaucer seems to connect it with the lily 7,canterbury ,tales1 ,prol4 #bch73 ,her nekke was white as the flour-de-lis4 ,on the other hand1 ,spenser separates the lilies from the flower-de-luces in his ,shepherd's ,calendar2 and ,ben ,jonson mentions rich carnations1 flower-de-luces1 lilies4 ,the fleur-de-lis was not always confined to royalty as a badge4 ,thus1 in the square of ,la ,pucelle1 in ,rouen1 there is a statue of ,jeanne ,d',arc with fleurs-de-lis sculptured upon it1 and an inscription as follows3 ,the maiden's sword protects the royal crown2 ,beneath the maiden's sword the lilies safely blow4 ,st4 ,louis conferred upon the ,chateaubriands the device of a fleur-de-lis1 and the motto1 ,mon sang teint les bannirs de ,france4 ,when ,edward ,,iii4 claimed the crown of ,france1 in the year #acdj1 he quartered the ancient shield of ,france with the lions of ,england4 ,it disappeared1 however1 from the ,english shield in the first year of the present century4 ,gillyflower4 ,this was the old name for the whole class of carnations1 pinks1 and sweet-williams1 from the ,french girofle1 which is itself corrupted from the ,latin caryophyllum4#eje ,the streaked gillyflowers1 says ,mr4 ,beisly1#ejf noticed by ,perdita in ,winter's ,tale 7iv4 #d7-- the fairest flowers o' the season ,are our carnations and streak'd gillyvors1 ,which some call nature's bastards-- are produced by the flowers of one kind being impregnated by the pollen of another kind1 and this art 7or law7 in nature ,shakespeare alludes to in the delicate language used by ,perdita1 as well as to the practice of increasing the plants by slips4 ,tusser1 in his ,five ,hundred ,points of ,good ,husbandry1 says3 ,the gilloflower also the skilful doe know1 ,doth look to be covered in frost and in snow4 #eje ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 i4 p4 #cfc4 #ejf ,shakespeare's ,garden1 p4 #hb2 see ,dyce's ,glossary1 p4 #ahd4 ,harebell4 ,this flower1 mentioned in ,cymbeline 7iv4 #b71 is no doubt another name for the wild hyacinth4 ,arviragus says of ,imogen3 thou shalt not lack ,the flower that's like thy face1 pale primrose2 nor ,the azured harebell1 like thy veins4 ,hemlock4 ,in consequence of its bad and poisonous character1 this plant was considered an appropriate ingredient for witches' broth4 ,in ,macbeth 7iv4 #a7 we read of ,root of hemlock1 digged i' the dark4 ,its scientific name1 conium1 is from the ,greek word meaning cone or top1 whose whirling motion resembles the giddiness produced on the constitution by its poisonous juice4 ,it is by most persons supposed to be the death-drink of the ,greeks1 and the one by which ,socrates was put to death4 ,herb of ,grace or ,herb ,grace4 ,a popular name in days gone by for rue4 ,the origin of the term is uncertain4 ,most probably it arose from the extreme bitterness of the plant1 which1 as it had always borne the name rue 7to be sorry for anything71 was not unnaturally associated with repentance4 ,it was1 therefore1 the herb of repentance1#ejg and this was soon changed into 'herb of grace1' repentance being the chief sign of grace4 ,the expression is several times used by ,shakespeare4 ,in ,richard ,,ii4 7iii4 #d7 the gardener narrates3 ,here did she fall a tear2 here1 in this place ,i'll set a bank of rue1 sour herb of grace3 ,rue1 even for ruth1 here shortly shall be seen1 ,in the remembrance of a weeping queen4 #ejg ,ellacombe's ,plant-,lore of ,shakespeare1 p4 #bjd2 ,prior's ,popular ,names of ,british ,plants1 #ahgj1 p4 #aaa4 ,in ,hamlet 7iv4 #e71 ,ophelia1 when addressing the queen1 says1 ,there's rue for you2 and here's some for me3 we may call it herb-grace o' ,sundays3 ,o1 you must wear your rue with a difference4#ejh #ejh ,cf4 ,all's ,well that ,ends ,well1 iv4 #e2 ,antony and ,cleopatra1 iv4 #b2 ,romeo and ,juliet1 ii4 #c1 where ,friar ,laurence says3 ,in man as well as herbs1 grace and rude will4 ,malone observes that there is no ground for supposing that rue was called herb of grace from its being used in exorcisms in churches on ,sunday1 a notion entertained by ,jeremy ,taylor1 who says1 referring to the ,flagellum ,dmonum1 ,first1 they 7the ,romish exorcisers7 are to try the devil by holy water1 incense1 sulphur1 rue1 which from thence1 as we suppose1 came to be called 'herb of grace4'#eji ,rue was also a common subject of puns1 from being the same word which signified sorrow or pity 7see ,richard ,,ii41 iii4 #d1 cited above74 #eji ,a ,dissuasive from ,popery1 pt4 i4 chap4 ii4 sec4 #i2 see ,dyce's ,glossary1 p4 #cga4 ,holy ,thistle4 ,the ,carduus ,benedictus1 called also blessed thistle1 was so named1 like other plants which bear the specific name of blessed1 from its supposed power of counteracting the effect of poison4#eaj ,cogan1 in his ,haven of ,health1 #aeie1 says1 ,this herbe may worthily be called ,benedictus1 or ,omnimorbia1 that is1 a salve for every sore1 not known to physitians of old time1 but lately revealed by the special providence of ,almighty ,god4 ,it is alluded to in ,much ,ado ,about ,nothing 7iii4 #d73 ,margaret4 ,get you some of this distilled ,carduus ,benedictus1 and lay it to your heart2 it is the only thing for a qualm4 ,hero4 ,there thou prickest her with a thistle4 ,beatrice4 ,benedictus6 why ,benedictus8 you have some moral in this ,benedictus4 ,margaret4 ,moral8 no1 by my troth1 ,i have no moral meaning4 ,i meant1 plain holy-thistle4 #eaj ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 i4 p4 #dfd4 ,insane ,root4 ,there is much doubt as to what plant is meant by ,banquo in ,macbeth 7i4 #c73 have we eaten on the insane root ,that takes the reason prisoner8 ,the origin of this passage is probably to be found in ,north's ,plutarch1 #aegi 7,life of ,antony1 p4 #iij71 where mention is made of a plant which made them out of their wits4 ,several plants have been suggested--the hemlock1 belladonna1 mandrake1 henbane1 etc4 ,douce supports the last1 and cites the following passage3#eaa ,henbane 444 is called insana1 mad1 for the use thereof is perillous2 for if it be eate or dronke1 it breedeth madness1 or slow lykenesse of sleepe4 ,nares#eab quotes from ,ben ,jonson 7,sejanus1 iii4 #b71 in support of hemlock3 well1 read my charms1 ,and may they lay that hold upon thy senses ,as thou hadst snufft up hemlock4 #eaa ,batman's ,upon ,bartholomus de ,proprietate ,rerum1 lib4 xvii4 chap4 #hg4 #eab ,glossary1 vol4 i4 p4 #dfe4 ,ivy4 ,it was formerly the general custom in ,england1 as it is still in ,france and the ,netherlands1 to hang a bush of ivy at the door of a vintner4#eac ,hence the allusion in ,as ,you ,like ,it 7v4 #d1 ,epilogue71 where ,rosalind wittily remarks3 ,if it be true that good wine needs no bush1 'tis true that a good play needs no epilogue4 ,this custom is often referred to by our old writers1 as1 for instance1 in ,nash's ,summer's ,last ,will and ,testament1 #afjj3 ,green ivy bushes at the vintner's doors4 ,and in the ,rival ,friends1 #afcb3 ',tis like the ivy bush unto a tavern4 #eac ,see ,hotten's ,history of ,sign ,boards4 ,this plant was no doubt chosen from its being sacred to ,bacchus4 ,the practice was observed at statute hirings1 wakes1 etc41 by people who sold ale at no other time4 ,the manner1 says ,mr4 ,singer1#ead in which they were decorated appears from a passage in ,florio's ,italian ,dictionary1 in voce tremola1 ,gold foile1 or thin leaves of gold or silver1 namely1 thinne plate1 as our vintners adorn their bushes with4 ,we may compare the old sign of ,an owl in an ivy bush1 which perhaps denoted the union of wisdom or prudence with conviviality1 with the phrase be merry and wise4 #ead ,shakespeare1 vol4 iii4 p4 #aab4 ,kecksies4 ,these are the dry1 hollow stalks of hemlock4 ,in ,henry ,v4 7v4 #b7 ,burgundy makes use of the word3 and nothing teems1 ,but hateful docks1 rough thistles1 kecksies1 burs1 ,losing both beauty and utility4 ,it has been suggested#eae that kecksies may be a mistaken form of the plural kex2 and that kex may have been formed from keck1 something so dry that the eater would keck at it1 or be unable to swallow it4 ,the word is probably derived from the ,welsh cecys1 which is applied to several plants of the umbelliferous kind4 ,dr4 ,prior1#eaf however1 says that kecksies is from an old ,english word keek1 or kike1 retained in the northern counties in the sense of peep or spy4 #eae ,see ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 ii4 p4 #dhb4 #eaf ,popular ,names of ,british ,plants1 #ahgi1 p4 #abh4 ,knotgrass4#eag ,the allusion to this plant in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7iii4 #b7-- ,get you gone1 you dwarf6 ,you minimus1 of hindering knot-grass made2 ,you bead1 you acorn6-- refers to its supposed power of hindering the growth of any child or animal1 when taken in an infusion1 a notion alluded to by ,beaumont and ,fletcher 7,coxcombe1 ii4 #b73 ,we want a boy extremely for this function1 ,kept under for a year with milk and knot-grass4 #eag ,polygonum aviculare4 ,in ,the ,knight of the ,burning ,pestle 7ii4 #b7 we read3 ,the child's a fatherless child1 and say they should put him into a strait pair of gaskins1 'twere worse than knot-grass2 he would never grow after it4 ,lady-smocks4 ,this plant is so called from the resemblance of its white flowers to little smocks hung out to dry 7,love's ,labour's ,lost1 v4 #b71 as they used to be at that season of the year especially ,when daisies pied1 and violets blue1 ,and lady-smocks all silver white1 ,and cuckoo-buds of yellow hue1 ,do paint the meadows with delight4 99 99 99 99 99 ,when shepherds pipe on oaten straws1 99 99 99 99 99 ,and maidens bleach their summer smocks4 ,according to another explanation1 the lady-smock is a corruption of ,our ,lady's ,smock1 so called from its first flowering about ,lady-tide4 ,this plant has also been called cuckoo-flower1 because1 as ,gerarde says1 it flowers in ,april and ,may1 when the cuckoo doth begin to sing her pleasant notes without stammering4 ,laurel4 ,from the very earliest times this classical plant has been regarded as symbolical of victory1 and used for crowns4 ,in ,titus ,andronicus 7i4 #a7 ,titus says3 ,cometh ,andronicus1 bound with laurel boughs4 ,and in ,antony and ,cleopatra 7i4 #c7 the latter exclaims3 upon your sword ,sit laurelled victory4#eah #eah ,see #c ,henry ,,vi41 iv4 #f2 ,troilus and ,cressida1 i4 #c4 ,leek4 ,the first of ,march is observed by the ,welsh in honor of ,st4 ,david1 their patron saint1 when1 as a sign of their patriotism1 they wear a leek4 ,much doubt exists as to the origin of this custom4 ,according to the ,welsh1 it is because ,st4 ,david ordered his ,britons to place leeks in their caps1 that they might be distinguished in fight from their ,saxon foes4 ,shakespeare1 in ,henry ,v4 7iv4 #g71 alludes to the custom when referring to the battle of ,cressy4 ,fluellen says1 ,if your majesties is remembered of it1 the ,welshmen did good service in a garden where leeks did grow1 wearing leeks in their ,monmouth caps1 which your majesty know to this hour is an honourable badge of the service2 and ,i do believe your majesty takes no scorn to wear the leek upon ,saint ,tavy's day4#eai ,dr4 ,owen ,pughe#ebj supposes the custom arose from the practice of every farmer contributing his leek to the common repast when they met at the ,cymmortha1 an association by which they reciprocated assistance in ploughing the land4 ,anyhow1 the subject is one involved in complete uncertainty1 and the various explanations given are purely conjectural 7see p4 #cjc74 #eai ,see ,henry ,v41 iv4 #a4 #ebj ,cambrian ,biography1 #ahjc1 p4 #hf2 see ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 i4 pp4 #ajb-ajh4 ,lily4 ,although so many pretty legends and romantic superstitions have clustered round this sweet and favorite flower1 yet they have escaped the notice of ,shakespeare1 who1 while attaching to it the choicest epithets1 has simply made it the type of elegance and beauty1 and the symbol of purity and whiteness4 ,long ,purples4 ,this plant1 mentioned by ,shakespeare in ,hamlet 7iv4 #g7 as forming part of the nosegay of poor ,ophelia1 is generally considered to be the early purple orchis 7,orchis mascula71 which blossoms in ,april or ,may4 ,it grows in meadows and pastures1 and is about ten inches high4 ,tennyson 7,a ,dirge7 uses the name3 ,round thee blow1 self-pleached deep1 ,bramble roses1 faint and pale1 ,and long purples of the dale4 ,another term applied by ,shakespeare to this flower was ,dead ,men's ,fingers1 from the pale color and hand-like shape of the palmate tubers3 ,our cold maids do dead men's fingers call them4 ,in ,flowers from ,stratford-on-,avon1 it is said1 there can be no doubt that the wild arum is the plant alluded to by ,shakespeare1 but there seems no authority for this statement4 ,love-in-,idleness1 or1 with more accuracy1 ,love-in-,idle1#eba is one of the many nicknames of the pansy or heart's-ease--a term said to be still in use in ,warwickshire4 ,it occurs in ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7ii4 #a71ebb where ,oberon says3 ,yet mark'd ,i where the bolt of ,cupid fell3 ,it fell upon a little western flower1 ,before milk-white1 now purple with love's wound1 ,and maidens call it love-in-idleness4 #eba ,see ,dr4 ,prior's ,popular ,names of ,british ,plants1 #ahgj1 p4 #aci4 #ebb ,cf4 ,taming of the ,shrew1 i4 #a4 ,the phrase literally signifies love in vain1 or to no purpose1 as ,taylor alludes to it in the following couplet3 ,when passions are let loose without a bridle1 ,then precious time is turned to love and idle4 ,that flowers1 and pansies especially1 were used as love-philters1#ebc or for the object of casting a spell over people1 in ,shakespeare's day1 is shown in the passage already quoted4 where ,puck and ,oberon amuse themselves at ,titania's expense4 ,again1 a further reference occurs 7iv4 #a71 where the fairy king removes the spell3 ,but first ,i will release the fairy queen4 ,be as thou wast wont to be3 ,see as thou wast wont to see3 ,dian's bud#ebd o'er ,cupid's flower#ebe ,hath such force and blessed power4 ,now1 my ,titania2 wake you1 my sweet queen4 #ebc ,cf4 what ,egeus says 7i4 #a7 when speaking of ,lysander3 ,this man hath bewitch'd the bosom of my child2 ,thou1 thou ,lysander1 thou hast given her rhymes ,and interchanged love-tokens with my child4 #ebd ,dian's bud is the bud of the ,agnus castus1 or chaste tree4 ,the virtue this herbe is1 that he will kepe man and woman chaste4 ,macer's ,herbal1 #aebg4 #ebe ,cupid's flower1 another name for the pansy4 ,it has been suggested1 says ,mr4 ,aldis ,wright1#ebf that the device employed by ,oberon to enchant ,titania by anointing her eyelids with the juice of a flower1 may have been borrowed by ,shakespeare from the ,spanish romance of ',diana' by ,george of ,montemayor4 ,but apart from the difficulty which arises from the fact that no ,english translation of this romance is known before that published by ,young in #aeih1 there is no necessity to suppose that ,shakespeare was indebted to any one for what must have been a familiar element in all incantations at a time when a belief in witchcraft was common4 ,percy 7,reliques1 vol4 iii4 bk4 #b7 quotes a receipt by the celebrated astrologer1 ,dr4 ,dee1 for an ungent to anoynt under the eyelids1 and upon the eyelids eveninge and morninge1 but especially when you call1 that is1 upon the fairies4 ,it consisted of a decoction of various flowers4 #ebf ,notes to ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream1 #ahgg4 ,preface1 p4 xx4 ,mandragora or ,mandrake4 ,no plant1 perhaps1 has had1 at different times1 a greater share of folk-lore attributed to it than the mandrake2 partly owing1 probably1 to the fancied resemblance of its root to the human figure1 and the accidental circumstance of man being the first syllable of the word4 ,an inferior degree of animal life was assigned to it2 and it was commonly supposed that1 when torn from the ground1 it uttered groans of so pernicious a character1 that the person who committed the violence either went mad or died4 ,in #b ,henry ,,vi4 7iii4 #b7 ,suffolk says3 ,would curses kill1 as doth the mandrake's groan1 ,i would invent1 etc4 ,and ,juliet 7,romeo and ,juliet1 iv4 #c7 speaks of shrieks like mandrakes' torn out of the earth1 ,that living mortals1 hearing them1 run mad4 ,to escape this danger1 it was recommended to tie one end of a string to the plant and the other to a dog1 upon whom the fatal groan would discharge its whole malignity4 ,the ancients1 it appears1 were equally superstitious with regard to this mysterious plant1 and ,columella1 in his directions for the site of gardens1 says they may be formed where the mandrake's flowers ,produce1 whose root shows half a man1 whose juice ,with madness strikes4 ,pliny#ebg informs us that those who dug up this plant paid particular attention to stand so that the wind was at their back2 and1 before they began to dig1 they made three circles round the plant with the point of the sword1 and then1 proceeding to the west1 commenced digging it up4 ,it seems to have been well known as an opiate in the time of ,shakespeare1 who makes ,iago say in ,othello 7iii4 #c73 ,not poppy1 nor mandragora1 ,nor all the drowsy syrups of the world1 ,shall ever medicine thee to that sweet sleep ,which thou ow'dst yesterday4 #ebg ,natural ,history1 bk4 xxv4 chap4 #id4 ,in ,antony and ,cleopatra 7i4 #e71 the queen pathetically says3 ,give me to drink mandragora4 ,char4 ,why1 madam8 ,cleo4 ,that ,i might sleep out this great gap of time1 ,my ,antony is away4 ,lyte1 in his translation of ,dodoens 7#aegh71 p4 #dch1 tells us that the leaves and fruit be also dangerous1 for they cause deadly sleepe1 and peevish drowsiness1 like opium4 ,it was sometimes regarded as an emblem of incontinence1 as in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7iii4 #b73 yet lecherous as a monkey1 and the whores called him--mandrake4 ,a very diminutive figure was1 too1 often compared to a mandrake4 ,in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7i4 #b71 ,falstaff says3 ,thou whoreson mandrake1 thou art fitter to be worn in my cap1 than to wait at my heels4 ,tracing back the history of this plant into far-distant times1 it is generally believed that it is the same as that which the ancient ,hebrews called ,dudain4#ebh ,that these people held it in the highest esteem in the days of ,jacob is evident from its having been found by ,reuben1 who carried the plant to his mother2 and the inducement which tempted ,leah to part with it proves the value then set upon this celebrated plant4 ,according to a curious superstition1 this plant was thought to possess the properties of making childless wives become mothers1 and hence1 some suppose1 ,rachel became so desirous of possessing the mandrakes which ,reuben had found4 ,among the many other items of folk-lore associated with the mandrake1 there is one which informs us that it is perpetually watched over by ,satan1 and if it be pulled up at certain holy times1 and with certain invocations1 the evil spirit will appear to do the bidding of the practitioner4#ebi ,in comparatively recent times1 quacks and impostors counterfeited with the root briony figures resembling parts of the human body1 which were sold to the credulous as endued with specific virtues4#ecj ,the ,germans1 too1 equally superstitious1 formed little idols of the roots of the mandrake1 which were regularly dressed every day1 and consulted as oracles--their repute being such that they were manufactured in great numbers1 and sold in cases4 ,they were1 also1 imported into this country during the time of ,henry ,,viii41 it being pretended that they would1 with the assistance of some mystic words1 increase whatever money was placed near them4 ,in order1 too1 to enhance the value of these so-called miracle-workers1 it was said that the roots of this plant were produced from the flesh of criminals which fell from the gibbet1 and that it only grew in such a situation4#eca #ebh ,phillips's ,flora ,historica1 #ahbi1 vol4 i4 pp4 #cbd1 #cbe2 see ,smith's ,dictionary of the ,bible1 #ahfi1 vol4 ii4 p4 #aggg4 #ebi ,mystic ,trees and ,flowers1 by ,m4 ,d4 ,conway2 ,fraser's ,magazine1 #ahgj1 vol4 ii4 p4 #gje4 #ecj ,singer's ,shakespeare1 #ahge1 vol4 v4 p4 #aec4 #eca ,see ,sir ,thomas ,browne's ,vulgar ,errors1 #aheb1 vol4 ii4 p4 #f4 ,marigold4 ,this flower was a great favorite with our old writers1 from a curious notion that it always opened or shut its flowers at the sun's bidding2 in allusion to which ,perdita remarks1 in ,winter's ,tale 7iv4 #c73 ,the marigold1 that goes to bed wi' the sun1 ,and with him rises weeping4 ,it was also said1 but erroneously1 to turn its flowers to the sun1 a quality attributed to the sunflower 7,helianthus annuus71 and thus described by ,moore3 ,the sunflower turns on her god when he sets ,the same look which she turn'd when he rose4 ,a popular name for the marigold was mary-bud1 mention of which we find in ,cymbeline 7ii4 #c73 winking ,mary-buds begin ,to ope their golden eyes4 ,medlar4 ,this fruit1 which ,shakespeare describes as only fit to be eaten when rotten1 is applied by ,lucio to a woman of loose character1 as in ,measure for ,measure 7iv4 #c73 they would else have married me to the rotten medlar4 ,chaucer1 in the ,reeve's ,prologue1 applies the same name to it3 ,that ilke fruit is ever lenger the wers1 ,till it be roten in mullok1 or in stre4 ,we olde men1 ,i drede1 so faren we1 ,till we be roten can we not be ripe4 ,mistletoe4 ,this plant1 which1 from the earliest times1 has been an object of interest to naturalists1 on account of its curious growth1 deriving its subsistence entirely from the branch to which it annexes itself1 has been the subject of widespread superstition4 ,in ,titus ,andronicus 7ii4 #c71 ,tamora describes it in the graphic passage below as the baleful mistletoe1 an epithet which1 as ,mr4 ,douce observes1 is extremely appropriate1 either conformably to an ancient1 but erroneous1 opinion1 that the berries of the mistletoe were poisonous1 or on account of the use made of this plant by the ,druids during their detestable human sacrifices4#ecb ,demetrius4 ,how now1 dear sovereign1 and our gracious mother1 ,why doth your highness look so pale and wan8 ,tamora4 ,have ,i not reason1 think you1 to look pale8 ,these two have 'tic'd me hither to this place3-- ,a barren detested vale1 you see1 it is2 ,the trees1 though summer1 yet forlorn and lean1 ,o'ercome with moss and baleful mistletoe3 ,here never shines the sun2 here nothing breeds1 ,unless the nightly owl1 or fatal raven4 #ecb ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 p4 #chf4 ,mushroom4 ,besides his notice of the mushroom in the following passages1 ,shakespeare alludes to the fairy rings#ecc which are formed by fungi1 though1 as ,mr4 ,ellacombe#ecd points out1 he probably knew little of this4 ,in ,the ,tempest 7v4 #a71 ,prospero says of the fairies3 you demi-puppets1 that ,by moonshine do the green-sour ringlets make1 ,whereof the ewe not bites2 and you1 whose pastime ,is to make midnight mushrooms2 the allusion in this passage being to the superstition that sheep will not eat the grass that grows on fairy rings4 #ecc ,see page #ae4 #ecd ,plant-,lore of ,shakespeare1 p4 #aca4 ,mustard4 ,tewksbury mustard1 to which reference is made in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7ii4 #d71 where ,falstaff speaks of wit as thick as ,tewksbury mustard1 was formerly very famous4 ,shakespeare speaks only of its thickness1 but others have celebrated its pungency4 ,coles1 writing in #afeg1 says3 ,in ,gloucestershire1 about ,teuxbury1 they grind mustard and make it into balls1 which are brought to ,london1 and other remote places1 as being the best that the world affords4 ,narcissus4 ,the old legend attached to this flower is mentioned by ,emilia in ,the ,two ,noble ,kinsmen 7ii4 #a73 ,that was a fair boy certain1 but a fool1 ,to love himself2 were there not maids enough8 ,nutmeg4 ,a gilt nutmeg was formerly a common gift at ,christmas and on other festive occasions1 a notice of which occurs in ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7v4 #b71 in the following dialogue3#ece ,armado4 ',the armipotent ,mars1 of lances the almighty1 ,gave ,hector a gift1--' ,dumain4 ,a gilt nutmeg4 #ece ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 ii4 p4 #fab4 ,oak4 ,a crown of oak was considered by the ,romans worthy of the highest emulation of statesmen and warriors4 ,to him who had saved the life of a ,roman soldier was given a crown of oak-leaves2 one1 indeed1 which was accounted more honorable than any other4 ,in ,coriolanus 7ii4 #a71 ,volumnia says3 he comes the third time home with the oaken garland4 ,and again 7i4 #c73 ,to a cruel war ,i sent him2 from whence he returned1 his brows bound with oak4 ,montesquieu1 indeed1 said that it was with two or three hundred crowns of oak that ,rome conquered the world4 ,although so much historical and legendary lore have clustered round the oak1 yet scarcely any mention is made of this by ,shakespeare4 ,the legend of ,herne the ,hunter1 which seems to have been current at ,windsor1 is several times alluded to1 as1 for instance1 in ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7iv4 #d73 ,mrs4 ,page4 ,there is an old tale goes1 that ,herne the hunter1 ,sometime a keeper here in ,windsor forest1 ,doth all the winter time1 at still midnight1 ,walk round about an oak1 with great ragg'd horns4 99 99 99 99 99 ,page4 444 there want not many1 that do fear ,in deep of night to walk by this ,herne's oak4 ,herne's ,oak1 so long an object of much curiosity and enthusiasm1 is now no more4 ,according to one theory1 the old tree was blown down ,august #ca1 #ahfc2 and a young oak was planted by her ,majesty1 ,september #ab1 #ahfc1 to mark the spot where ,herne's ,oak stood4#ecf ,mr4 ,halliwell-,phillipps1 however1 tells us1 the general opinion is that it was accidentally destroyed in the year #agif1 through an order of ,george ,,iii4 to the bailiff ,robinson1 that all the unsightly trees in the vicinity of the castle should be removed2 an opinion confirmed by a well-established fact1 that a person named ,grantham1 who contracted with the bailiff for the removal of the trees1 fell into disgrace with the king for having included the oak in his gatherings4#ecg #ecf ,see ,windsor ,guide1 p4 #e4 #ecg ,see ,notes and ,queries1 #c;d series1 vol4 xii4 p4 #afj4 ,olive4 ,this plant1 ever famous from its association with the return of the dove to the ark1 has been considered typical of peace4 ,it was as an emblem of peace that a garland of olive was given to ,judith when she restored peace to the ,israelites by the death of ,holofernes 7,judith1 xv4 #ac74 ,it was equally honored by ,greeks and ,romans4 ,it is1 too1 in this sense that ,shakespeare speaks of it when he makes ,viola1 in ,twelfth ,night 7i4 #e71 say3 ,i bring no overture of war1 no taxation of homage2 ,i hold the olive in my hand1 my words are as full of peace as matter4 ,in ,sonnet ,,cvii4 occurs the well-known line3#ech ,and peace proclaims olives of endless age4 #ech ,see also #c ,henry ,,vi41 iv4 #f2 ,timon of ,athens1 v4 #d2 ,antony and ,cleopatra1 iv4 #f2 #b ,henry ,,iv41 iv4 #d4 ,palm4 ,as the symbol of victory1 this was carried before the conqueror in triumphal processions4 ,its classical use is noticed by ,shakespeare in ,coriolanus 7v4 #c74 ,volumnia says3#eci ,and bear the palm1 for having bravely shed ,thy wife and children's blood4 #eci ,see ,as ,you ,like ,it1 iii4 #b2 ,timon of ,athens1 v4 #a2 cf4 ,henry ,,viii41 iv4 #b4 ,in ,julius ,csar 7i4 #b71 ,cassius exclaims3 ,ye gods1 it doth amaze me1 ,a man of such a feeble temper should ,so get the start of the majestic world1 ,and bear the palm alone4 ,pilgrims were formerly called palmers1 from the staff or bough of palm they were wont to carry4 ,so1 in ,all's ,well ,that ,ends ,well 7iii4 #e71 ,helena asks3 ,where do the palmers lodge1 ,i do beseech you8 ,pear4 ,in his few notices of the pear ,shakespeare only mentions two by name1 the warden and the poperin3 the former was chiefly used for roasting or baking1 and is mentioned by the clown in the ,winter's ,tale 7iv4 #c73 ,i must have saffron1 to colour the warden pies4 ,hence ,ben ,jonson makes a pun upon ,church-warden pies4 ,according to some antiquarians1 the name warden is from the ,anglo-,saxon wearden1 to preserve1 as it keeps for a long time2 but it is more probable that the word had its origin from the horticultural skill of the ,cistercian monks of ,wardon ,abbey1 in ,bedfordshire1 founded in the #abth century4 ,three warden pears appeared on the armorial bearings of the abbey4#edj ,it is noticeable that the warden pies of ,shakespeare's day1 colored with saffron1 have been replaced by stewed pears colored with cochineal4 #edj ,see ,archological ,journal1 vol4 v4 p4 #cja4 ,the poperin pear was probably introduced from ,flanders by the antiquary ,leland1 who was made rector of ,popering by ,henry ,,viii4 ,it is alluded to by ,mercutio in ,romeo and ,juliet 7ii4 #a71 where he wishes that ,romeo were a poperin pear4 ,in the old dramas there is much attempt at wit on this pear4 ,peas4 ,a practice called peascod wooing was formerly a common mode of divination in love affairs4 ,the cook1 when shelling green peas1 would1 if she chanced to find a pod having nine1 lay it on the lintel of the kitchen-door1 and the first man who entered was supposed to be her future husband4 ,another way of divination by peascod consisted in the lover selecting one growing on the stem1 snatching it away quickly1 and if the good omen of the peas remaining in the husk were preserved1 in then presenting it to the lady of his choice4 ,touchstone1 in ,as ,you ,like ,it 7ii4 #d71 alludes to this piece of popular suggestion3 ,i remember the wooing of a peascod#eda instead of her4 ,gay1 who has carefully chronicled many a custom of his time1 says1 in his ,fourth ,pastoral3 ,as peascods once ,i pluck'd1 ,i chanc'd to see1 ,one that was closely fill'd with three times three1 ,which when ,i cropp'd ,i safely home convey'd1 ,and o'er my door the spell in secret laid4 #eda ,the cod was what we now call the pod4 ,we may quote1 as a further illustration1 the following stanza from ,browne's ,pastorals 7bk4 ii4 song #c73 ,the peascod greene1 oft with no little toyle1 ,he'd seek for in the fattest1 fertil'st soile1 ,and rende it from the stalke to bring it to her1 ,and in her bosom for acceptance wooe her4#edb #edb ,see ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 ii4 p4 #ii4 ,plantain4 ,the leaves of this plant were carefully valued by our forefathers for their supposed efficacy in healing wounds1 etc4 ,it was also considered as a preventive of poison2 and to this supposed virtue we find an allusion in ,romeo and ,juliet 7i4 #b73 ,benvolio4 ,take thou some new infection to thy eye1 ,and the rank poison of the old will die4 ,romeo4 ,your plantain leaf is excellent for that4 ,benvolio4 ,for what1 ,i pray thee8 ,romeo4 ,for your broken shin4#edc #edc ,see ,love's ,labour's ,lost1 iii4 #a4 ,in the ,two ,noble ,kinsmen 7i4 #b7 ,palamon says3 ,these poor slight sores ,need not a plantain4 ,poppy4 ,the plant referred to by ,shakespeare in ,othello 7iii4 #c7 is the opium poppy1 well known in his day for its deadly qualities4 ,it is described by ,spenser in the ,fairy ,queen 7ii4 #g1 #eb7 as the dead-sleeping poppy1 and ,drayton 7,nymphidia1 v47 enumerates it among the flowers that procure deadly sleeping4 ,potato4 ,it is curious enough1 says ,nares1#edd to find that excellent root1 which now forms a regular portion of the daily nutriment of every individual1 and is the chief or entire support of multitudes in ,ireland1 spoken of continually as having some powerful effect upon the human frame1 in exciting the desires and passions2 yet this is the case in all the writings contemporary with ,shakespeare4 ,thus ,falstaff1 in ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7v4 #e71 says3 ,let the sky rain potatoes2 let it thunder to the tune of ',green ,sleeves1' hail kissing comfits1 etc4 ,in ,troilus and ,cressida 7v4 #b71 ,thersites adds3 ,how the devil luxury1 with his fat rump and potato finger1 tickles these together4#ede ,it appears1 too1 that the medical writers of the times countenanced this fancy4 ,mr4 ,ellacombe#edf observes that the above passages are of peculiar interest1 inasmuch as they contain almost the earliest notice of potatoes after their introduction into ,england4 #edd ,glossary1 vol4 ii4 p4 #fgg4 #ede ,see ,beaumont and ,fletcher1 ,elder ,brother1 iv4 #d2 ,massinger1 ,new ,way to ,pay ,old ,debts1 ii4 #b2 ,ben ,jonson1 ,cynthia's ,revels1 ii4 #a1 etc4 #edf ,plant-,lore of ,shakespeare1 p4 #agc4 ,primrose4 ,although the early primrose has always been such a popular and favorite flower1 yet it seems to have been associated with sadness1#edg or even worse than sadness2 for1 in the following passages1 the primrose paths and primrose way are meant to be suggestive of sinful pleasures4 ,thus1 in ,hamlet 7i4 #c71 ,ophelia says3 like a puff'd and reckless libertine1 ,himself the primrose path of dalliance treads1 ,and recks not his own rede4 #edg ,ibid41 p4 #agi4 ,and in ,macbeth 7ii4 #c71 the ,porter declares3 ,i had thought to have let in some of all professions1 that go the primrose way to the everlasting bonfire4 ,curious to say1 too1 ,shakespeare's only epithets for this fair flower are1 pale1 faint1 that die unmarried4 ,nearly all the poets of that time spoke of it in the same strain1 with the exception of ,ben ,jonson and the two ,fletchers4 ,reed4 ,among the uses to which the reed was formerly applied were the thatching of houses and the making of shepherds' pipes4 ,the former is alluded to in the ,tempest 7v4 #a73 ,his tears run down his beard1 like winter's drops ,from eaves of reeds2 and the latter in ,merchant of ,venice 7iii4 #d71 where ,portia speaks of a reed voice4 ,it has generally been regarded as the emblem of weakness1 as in ,antony and ,cleopatra 7ii4 #g73 a reed that will do me no service4 ,rose4 ,as might be expected1 the rose is the flower most frequently mentioned by ,shakespeare1 a symbol1 in many cases1 of all that is fair and lovely4 ,thus1 for instance1 in ,hamlet 7iii4 #d71 ,hamlet says3 ,such an act 444 takes off the rose ,from the fair forehead of an innocent love1 ,and sets a blister there4 ,and ,ophelia 7iii4 #a7 describes ,hamlet as1 ,the expectancy and rose of the fair state4 ,in days gone by the rose entered largely into the customs and superstitions of most nations1 and even nowadays there is an extensive folk-lore associated with it4 ,it appears that1 in ,shakespeare's time1 one of the fashions of the day was the wearing of enormous roses on the shoes1 of which full-length portraits afford striking examples4#edh ,hamlet 7iii4 #b7 speaks of two ,provincial roses on my razed shoes2 meaning1 no doubt1 rosettes of ribbon in the shape of roses of ,provins or ,provence4 ,douce favors the former1 ,warton the latter locality4 ,in either case1 it was a large rose4 ,the ,provence1 or damask rose1 was probably the better known4 ,gerarde1 in his ,herbal1 says that the damask rose is called by some ,rosa ,provincialis4#edi ,mr4 ,fairholt#eej quotes1 from ,friar ,bacon's ,prophecy 7#afjd71 the following1 in allusion to this fashion3 ,when roses in the gardens grew1 ,and not in ribbons on a shoe3 ,now ribbon roses take such place ,that garden roses want their grace4 #edh ,singer's ,shakespeare1 #ahge1 vol4 ix4 p4 #bbg4 #edi ,notes to ,hamlet1 ,clark and ,wright1 #ahgf1 p4 #agi4 #eej ,costume in ,england1 p4 #bch4 ,at p4 #egi the author gives several instances of the extravagances to which this fashion led4 ,again1 in ,king ,john 7i4 #a71 where the ,bastard alludes to the three-farthing silver pieces of ,queen ,elizabeth1 which were extremely thin1 and had the profile of the sovereign1 with a rose on the back of her head1 there doubtless is a fuller reference to the court fashion of sticking roses in the ear3#eea my face so thin1 ,that in mine ear ,i durst not stick a rose1 ,lest men should say1 ',look1 where three-farthings goes4' #eea ,some gallants had their ears bored1 and wore their mistresses' silken shoe-strings in them4 ,see ,singer's ,notes1 vol4 iv4 p4 #beg4 ,shakespeare also mentions the use of the rose in rose-cakes and rose-water1 the former in ,romeo and ,juliet 7v4 #a71 where ,romeo speaks of old cakes of roses1 the latter in ,taming of the ,shrew 7,induction1 #a73 ,let one attend him with a silver basin ,full of rose-water and bestrew'd with flowers4 ,referring to its historical lore1 we may mention its famous connection with the ,wars of the ,roses4 ,in the fatal dispute in the ,temple ,gardens1 ,somerset1 on the part of ,lancaster1 says 7#a ,henry ,,vi4 ii4 #d73 ,let him that is no coward1 nor no flatterer1 ,but dare maintain the party of the truth1 ,pluck a red rose from off this thorn with me4 ,warwick1 on the part of ,york1 replies3 ,i love no colours1 and1 without all colour ,of base insinuating flattery1 ,i pluck this white rose with ,plantagenet4 ,the trailing white dog-rose is commonly considered to have been the one chosen by the ,house of ,york4 ,a writer1 however1 in the ,quarterly ,review 7vol4 cxiv47 has shown that the white rose has a very ancient interest for ,englishmen1 as1 long before the brawl in the ,temple ,gardens1 the flower had been connected with one of the most ancient names of our island4 ,the elder ,pliny1 in discussing the etymology of the word ,albion1 suggests that the land may have been so named from the white roses which abounded in it4 ,the ,york and ,lancaster rose1 with its pale striped flowers1 is a variety of the ,french rose known as ,rosa ,gallica4 ,it became famous when the two emblematical roses1 in the persons of ,henry ,,vii4 and ,elizabeth of ,york1 at last brought peace and happiness to the country which had been so long divided by internal warfare4 ,the canker-rose referred to by ,shakespeare is the wild dog-rose1 a name occasionally applied to the common red poppy4 ,rosemary4 ,this plant was formerly in very high esteem1 and was devoted to various uses4 ,it was supposed to strengthen the memory2 hence it was regarded as a symbol of remembrance1 and on this account was often given to friends4 ,thus1 in ,hamlet 7iv4 #e71 where ,ophelia seems to be addressing ,laertes1 she says3 ,there's rosemary1 that's for remembrance4 ,in the ,winter's ,tale 7iv4 #d7 rosemary and rue are beautifully put together3 ,for you there's rosemary and rue2 these keep ,seeming and savour all the winter long3 ,grace and remembrance be to you both1 ,and welcome to our shearing6 ,besides being used at weddings1 it was also in request at funerals1 probably for its odor1 and as a token of remembrance of the deceased4 ,thus the ,friar1 in ,romeo and ,juliet 7iv4 #e71 says3 ,dry up your tears1 and stick your rosemary ,on this fair corse4 ,this practice is thus touchingly alluded to by ,gay1 in his ,pastorals3 ,to shew their love1 the neighbours far and near ,followed1 with wistful look1 the damsel's bier3 ,sprigg'd rosemary the lads and lasses bore1 ,while dismally the parson walk'd before4 ,rosemary1 too1 was one of the evergreens with which dishes were anciently garnished during the season of ,christmas1 an allusion to which occurs in ,pericles 7iv4 #f73 ,marry1 come up1 my dish of chastity with rosemary and bays4 ,rush4 ,before the introduction of carpets1 the floors of churches and houses were strewed with rushes1 a custom to which ,shakespeare makes several allusions4 ,in ,taming of the ,shrew 7iv4 #a71 ,grumio asks3 ,is supper ready1 the house trimmed1 rushes strewed1 cobwebs swept8 and ,glendower1 in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7iii4 #a71 says3 ,she bids you on the wanton rushes lay you down1 ,and rest your gentle head upon her lap4 ,at the coronation of ,henry ,v4 7#b ,henry ,,iv41 v4 #e71 when the procession is coming1 the grooms cry1 ,more rushes6 more rushes6 which seems to have been the usual cry for rushes to be scattered on a pavement or a platform when a procession was approaching4#eeb ,again1 in ,richard ,,ii4 7i4 #c71 the custom is further alluded to by ,john of ,gaunt1 who speaks of the presence strew'd1 referring to the presence-chamber4 ,so1 too1 in ,cymbeline 7ii4 #b71 ,iachimo soliloquizes3 ,tarquin thus ,did softly press the rushes1 ere he waken'd ,the chastity he wounded4 #eeb ,dyce's ,glossary1 p4 #cgc4 ,and in ,romeo and ,juliet 7i4 #d71 ,romeo says3 ,let wantons1 light of heart1 ,tickle the senseless rushes with their heels2 an expression which ,middleton has borrowed in his ,blunt ,master ,constable1 #afjb3 ,bid him1 whose heart no sorrow feels1 ,tickle the rushes with his wanton heels1 ,i have too much lead at mine4 ,in the ,two ,noble ,kinsmen 7ii4 #a7 the ,gaoler's ,daughter is represented carrying strewings for the two prisoners' chamber4 ,rush-bearings were a sort of rural festival1 when the parishioners brought rushes to strew the church4#eec #eec ,see ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 ii4 pp4 #ac1 #ad4 ,the rush-ring appears to have been a kind of token for plighting of troth among rustic lovers4 ,it was afterwards vilely used1 however1 for mock-marriages1 as appears from one of the ,constitutions of ,salisbury4 ,in ,all's ,well that ,ends ,well 7ii4 #b7 there seems a covert allusion to the rush-ring3 ,as ,tib's rush for ,tom's fore-finger4 ,spenser1 in the ,shepherd's ,kalendar1 speaks of ,the knotted rush-rings and gilt ,rosemarie4 ,du ,breul1 in his ,antiquities of ,paris1#eed mentions the rush-ring as a kind of espousal used in ,france by such persons as meant to live together in a state of concubinage2 but in ,england it was scarcely ever practised except by designing men1 for the purpose of corrupting those young women to whom they pretended love4 #eed ,douce's ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 #ahci1 p4 #aid4 ,the rush candle1 which1 in times past1 was found in nearly every house1 and served as a night-light for the rich and candle for the poor1 is mentioned in ,taming of the ,shrew 7iv4 #e73 be it moon1 or sun1 or what you please3 ,an if you please to call it a rush candle1 ,henceforth1 ,i vow1 it shall be so for me4 ,saffron4 ,in the following passage 7,all's ,well that ,ends ,well1 iv4 #e7 there seems to be an allusion#eee by ,lafeu to the fashionable and fantastic custom of wearing yellow1 and to that of coloring paste with saffron3 ,no1 no1 no1 your son was misled with a snipt-taffeta fellow there1 whose villanous saffron would have made all the unbaked and doughy youth of a nation in his colour4 #eee ,dyce's ,glossary1 p4 #cha4 ,spear-grass4 ,this plant--perhaps the common reed--is noticed in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7ii4 #d7 as used for tickling the nose and making it bleed4 ,in ,lupton's ,notable ,things it is mentioned as part of a medical recipe3 ,whoever is tormented with sciatica or the hip-gout1 let them take an herb called spear-grass1 and stamp it1 and lay a little thereof upon the grief4 ,mr4 ,ellacombe#eef thinks that the plant alluded to is the common couch-grass 7,triticum repens71 which is still known in the eastern counties as spear-grass4 #eef ,plant-,lore of ,shakespeare1 p4 #cai4 ,stover4 ,this word1 which is often found in the writings of ,shakespeare's day1 denotes fodder and provision of all sorts for cattle4 ,in ,cambridgeshire stover signifies hay made of coarse1 rank grass1 such as even cows will not eat while it is green4 ,in ,the ,tempest 7iv4 #a71 ,iris says3 ,thy turfy mountains1 where live nibbling sheep1 ,and flat meads thatch'd with stover1 them to keep4 ,according to ,steevens1 stover was used as a thatch for cart-lodges and other buildings that required but cheap coverings4 ,strawberry4 ,shakespeare's mention of the strawberry in connection with the nettle1 in ,henry ,v4 7i4 #a71 ,the strawberry grows underneath the nettle1 ,and wholesome berries thrive and ripen best ,neighbour'd by fruit of baser quality1 deserves1 says ,mr4 ,ellacombe1 a passing note4 ,it was the common opinion in his day that plants were affected by the neighborhood of other plants to such an extent that they imbibed each others virtues and faults4 ,thus sweet flowers were planted near fruit-trees with the idea of improving the flavor of the fruit1 and evil-smelling trees1 like the elder1 were carefully cleared away from fruit-trees1 lest they should be tainted4 ,but the strawberry was supposed to be an exception to the rule1 and was said to thrive in the midst of 'evil communications1 without being corrupted4' ,thorns4 ,the popular tradition1 which represents the marks on the moon#eeg to be that of a man carrying a thorn-bush on his head1 is alluded to in ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7v4 #a71 in the ,prologue3 ,this man1 with lanthorn1 dog1 and bush of thorn1 ,presenteth ,moonshine4 #eeg ,see p4 #fh4 ,little else is mentioned by ,shakespeare with regard to thorns1 save that they are generally used by him as the emblems of desolation and trouble4 ,violets4 ,an old superstition is alluded to by ,shakespeare when he makes ,laertes wish that violets may spring from the grave of ,ophelia 7,hamlet1 v4 #a73 ,lay her i' the earth3 ,and from her fair and unpolluted flesh ,may violets spring6 an idea which occurs in ,persius's ,satires 7i4 #ci73 ,e tumulo fortunataque favilla ,nascentur viol4 ,the violet has generally been associated with early death4 ,this1 ,mr4 ,ellacombe considers1#eeh may have arisen from a sort of pity for flowers that were only allowed to see the opening year1 and were cut off before the first beauty of summer had come1 and so were looked upon as apt emblems of those who enjoyed the bright springtide of life1 and no more4 ,thus1 the violet is one of the flowers which ,marina carries to hang as a carpet on the grave in ,pericles 7iv4 #a73 the yellows1 blues1 ,the purple violets1 and marigolds1 ,shall1 as a carpet1 hang upon thy grave1 ,while summer days do last4 #eeh ,plant-,lore of ,shakespeare1 p4 #bdh4 ,again1 in that exquisite passage in the ,winter's ,tale 7iv4 #d71 where ,perdita enumerates the flowers of spring1 she speaks of1 violets1 dim1 ,but sweeter than the lids of ,juno's eyes1 ,or ,cytherea's breath2 upon which ,mr4 ,singer#eei thus comments3 ,the eyes of ,juno were as remarkable as those of ,pallas1 and ',of a beauty never yet ,equalled in height of tincture4' #eei ,shakespeare1 vol4 iv4 p4 #gf4 ,the beauties of ,greece and other ,asiatic nations tinged their eyes of an obscure violet color1 by means of some unguent1 which was doubtless perfumed1 like those for the hair1 etc41 mentioned by ,athenus4 ,willow4 ,from time immemorial the willow has been regarded as the symbol of sadness4 ,hence it was customary for those who were forsaken in love to wear willow garlands1 a practice to which ,shakespeare makes several allusions4 ,in ,othello 7iv4 #c71 ,desdemona1 anticipating her death1 says3 ,my mother had a maid call'd ,barbara2 ,she was in love2 and he she lov'd prov'd mad1 ,and did forsake her3 she had a song of--,willow2 ,an old thing 'twas1 but it express'd her fortune1 ,and she died singing it3 that song1 to-night1 ,will not go from my mind4 ,the following is the song3#efj ,the poor soul sat sighing by a sycamore tree1 ,sing all a green willow3 ,her hand on her bosom1 her head on her knee1 ,sing willow1 willow1 willow3 ,the fresh streams ran by her1 and murmur'd her moans1 ,sing willow1 willow1 willow3 ,her salt tears fell from her1 and soften'd the stones1 ,sing willow1 willow1 willow3 ,sing all a green willow must be my garland4 #efj ,the old ballad on which ,shakespeare formed this song is given in ,percy's ',reliques of ,ancient ,poetry' 7#agid1 vol4 i4 p4 #bjh71 from a copy in the ,pepysian collection4 ,a different version of it may be seen in ,chappell's ',popular ,music of the ,olden ,time' 7#b;d edition1 vol4 i4 p4 #bjg74 ,the original ditty is the lamentation of a lover for the inconstancy of his mistress4--,dyce's ,shakespeare1 vol4 vii4 p4 #dej4 ,and further on ,emilia says 7v4 #b73 ,i will play the swan1 ,and die in music4--,singing ',willow1 willow1 willow4' ,and1 again1 ,lorenzo1 in ,merchant of ,venice 7v4 #a71 narrates3 ,in such a night ,stood ,dido1 with a willow in her hand1 ,upon the wild sea-banks4 ,it was1 too1 in reference to this custom that ,shakespeare1 in ,hamlet 7iv4 #g71 represented poor ,ophelia hanging her flowers on the willow aslant a brook4 ,this tree1 says ,douce1#efa might have been chosen as the symbol of sadness from the cxxxvii4 ,psalm 7verse #b73 ',we hanged our harps upon the willows2' or else from a coincidence between the weeping-willow and falling tears4 ,another reason has been assigned4 ,the ,agnus castus was supposed to promote chastity1 and the willow being of a much like nature1 says ,swan1 in his ,speculum ,mundi 7#afce71 it is yet a custom that he which is deprived of his love must wear a willow garland4 ,bona1 the sister of the ,king of ,france1 on receiving news of ,edward the ,fourth's marriage with ,elizabeth ,grey1 exclaimed1 in hope he'll prove a widower shortly1 ,i'll wear the willow garland for his sake4 #efa ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 p4 #aje4 ,wormwood4 ,the use of this plant in weaning infants is alluded to in ,romeo and ,juliet 7i4 #c71 by ,juliet's nurse1 in the following passage3 ,for ,i had then laid wormwood to my dug1 99 99 99 99 99 ,when it did taste the wormwood on the nipple ,of my dug1 and felt it bitter1 pretty fool4 ,yew4 ,this tree1 styled by ,shakespeare the dismal yew 7,titus ,andronicus1 ii4 #c71 apart from the many superstitions associated with it1 has been very frequently planted in churchyards1 besides being used at funerals4 ,paris1 in ,romeo and ,juliet 7v4 #c71 says3 ,under yond yew-trees lay thee all along1 ,holding thine ear close to the hollow ground2 ,so shall no foot upon the churchyard tread1 ,being loose1 unfirm1 with digging up of graves1 ,but thou shalt hear it4 ,although various reasons have been assigned for planting the yew-tree in churchyards1 it seems probable that the practice had a superstitious origin4 ,as witches were supposed to exercise a powerful influence over the winds1 they were believed occasionally to exert their formidable power against religious edifices4 ,thus ,macbeth says 7iv4 #a73 ,though you untie the winds1 and let them fight ,against the churches4 ,to counteract1 therefore1 this imaginary danger1 our ancestors may have planted the yew-tree in their churchyards1 not only on account of its vitality as an evergreen1 but as connected in some way1 in heathen times1 with the influence of evil powers4#efb ,in a statute made in the latter part of ,edward ,i4's reign1 to prevent rectors from cutting down trees in churchyards1 we find the following3 ,verum arbores ips1 propter ventorum impetus ne ecclesiis noceant1 spe plantantur4#efc #efb ,douce's ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 p4 #bdd4 #efc ,see ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 ii4 pp4 #bee-bff4 ,the custom of sticking yew in the shroud is alluded to in the following song in ,twelfth ,night 7ii4 #d73 ,my shroud of white1 stuck all with yew1 ,o1 prepare it6 ,my part of death1 no one so true ,did share it4 ,through being reckoned poisonous1 it is introduced in ,macbeth 7iv4 #a7 in connection with the witches3 ,gall of goat1 and slips of yew1 ,sliver'd in the moon's eclipse4 ,how much the splitting or tearing off of the slip had to do with magic we learn from a piece of ,slavonic folk-lore4 ,it is unlucky to use for a beam a branch or a tree broken by the wind4 ,the devil1 or storm-spirit1 claims it as his own1 and1 were it used1 the evil spirit would haunt the house4 ,it is a broken branch the witches choose2 a sliver'd slip the woodman will have none of4#efd #efd ,notes and ,queries1 #eth series1 vol4 xii4 p4 #dfh4 ,its epithet1 double-fatal 7,richard ,,ii41 iii4 #b71 no doubt refers to the poisonous quality of the leaves1 and on account of its wood being employed for instruments of death4 ,sir ,stephen ,scroop1 when telling ,richard of ,bolingbroke's revolt1 declares that ,thy very beadsmen learn to bend their bows ,of double-fatal yew against thy state4 ,it has been suggested that the poison intended by the ,ghost in ,hamlet 7i4 #e71 when he speaks of the juice of cursed hebenon1 is that of the yew1 and is the same as ,marlowe's juice of hebon 7,jew of ,malta1 iii4 #d74 ,the yew is called hebon by ,spenser and by other writers of ,shakespeare's age2 and1 in its various forms of eben1 eiben1 hiben1 etc41 this tree is so named in no less than five different ,european languages4 ,from medical authorities1 both of ancient and modern times1 it would seem that the juice of the yew is a rapidly fatal poison2 next1 that the symptoms attendant upon yew-poisoning correspond1 in a very remarkable manner1 with those which follow the bites of poisonous snakes2 and1 lastly1 that no other poison but the yew produces the lazar-like ulcerations on the body upon which ,shakespeare1 in this passage1 lays so much stress4#efe #efe ,extract of a paper read by ,rev4 ,w4 ,a4 ,harrison1 ,new ,shakespeare ,society1 #abth ,may4 #ahhb4 ,among the other explanations of this passage is the well-known one which identifies hebenon with henbane4 ,mr4 ,beisly suggests that nightshade may be meant1 while ,nares considers that ebony is meant4#eff #eff ,see ,douce's ,illustrations of ,shakespeare2 ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 i4 p4 #dab2 ,beisly's ,shakespeare's ,garden1 p4 #d4 ,from certain ancient statutes it appears that every ,englishman1 while archery was practised1 was obliged to keep in his house either a bow of yew or some other wood4#efg #efg ,singer's ,shakespeare1 vol4 iv4 p4 #dbg4 ,see a paper in the ,antiquary 7#ahhb1 vol4 vi4 p4 #ac71 by ,mr4 ,george ,black1 on the yew in ,shakespearian folk-lore4 ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,insects ,,and ,,reptiles4 ,as ,dr4 ,johnson has truly remarked1 ,shakespeare is the poet of nature1 for his attention was not confined to the actions of men2 he was an exact surveyor of the inanimate world2 his descriptions have always some peculiarity1 gathered by contemplating things as they really exist4 ,whether life or nature be his subject1 ,shakespeare shows plainly that he has seen with his own eyes4 ,so1 too1 he was in the habit of taking minute observation of the popular notions relating to natural history1 so many of which he has introduced into his plays1 using them to no small advantage4 ,in numerous cases1 also1 the peculiarities of certain natural objects have furnished the poet with many excellent metaphors4 ,thus1 in ,richard ,,ii4 7ii4 #c71 ,bolingbroke speaks of the caterpillars of the commonwealth2 and in #b ,henry ,,vi4 7iii4 #a7 the ,duke of ,york's reflection on the destruction of his hopes is1 ,thus are my blossoms blasted in the bud1 ,and caterpillars eat my leaves away1 their destructive powers being familiar4 ,ant4 ,an ancient name for the ant is pismire1 probably a ,danish word1 from paid and myre1 signifying such ants as live in hillocks4 ,in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7i4 #c7 ,hotspur says3 ,why1 look you1 ,i am whipp'd and scourg'd with rods1 ,nettled1 and stung with pismires1 when ,i hear ,of this vile politician1 ,bolingbroke4 ,blue-bottle4 ,this well-known insect has often been used as a term of reproach4 ,thus1 in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7v4 #d71 it furnishes an epithet applied by the abusive tongue of ,doll ,tearsheet to the beadle who had her in custody4 ,she reviles him as a blue-bottle rogue1 a term1 says ,mr4 ,patterson1#efh evidently suggested by the similarity of the colors of his costume to that of the insect4 #efh ,insects ,mentioned by ,shakespeare1 #ahda1 p4 #aha4 ,bots4 ,our ancestors imagined that poverty or improper food engendered these worms1 or that they were the offspring of putrefaction4 ,in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7ii4 #a71 one of the carriers says3 ,peas and beans are as dank here as a dog1 and that is the next way to give poor jades the bots4 ,and one of the misfortunes of the miserable nag of ,petruchio 7,taming of the ,shrew1 iii4 #b71 is that he is so begnawn with the bots4 ,cricket4 ,the presence of crickets in a house has generally been regarded as a good omen1 and said to prognosticate cheerfulness and plenty4 ,thus1 ,poins1 in answer to the ,prince's question in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7ii4 #d71 ,shall we be merry8 replies1 ,as merry as crickets4 ,by many of our poets the cricket has been connected with cheerfulness and mirth4 ,thus1 in ,milton1 ,il ,penseroso desires to be ,far from all resort of mirth1 ,save the cricket on the hearth4 ,it has not always1 however1 been regarded in the same light1 for ,gay1 in his ,pastoral ,dirge1 among the rural prognostications of death1 gives the following3 ,and shrilling crickets in the chimney cry'd4 ,and in ,dryden's ,o,edipus occurs the subjoined3 ,owls1 ravens1 crickets1 seem the watch of death4 ,lady ,macbeth1 also 7,macbeth1 ii4 #b71 in replying to the question of her husband after the murder of ,duncan1 says3 ,i heard the owl scream1 and the crickets cry4 ,in ,cymbeline 7ii4 #b71 also1 when ,iachimo1 at midnight1 commences his survey of the chamber where ,imogen lies sleeping1 his first words refer to the chirping of crickets1 rendered all the more audible by the repose which at that moment prevailed throughout the palace3 ,the crickets sing1 and man's o'er-labour'd sense ,repairs itself by rest4 ,gilbert ,white1 in his ,history of ,selborne 7#ahec1 p4 #agd71 remarks that it is the housewife's barometer1 foretelling her when it will rain2 and is prognostic1 sometimes1 she thinks1 of ill or good luck1 of the death of a near relation1 or the approach of an absent lover4 ,by being the constant companion of her solitary home1 it naturally becomes the object of her superstition4#efi #efi ,see ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 iii4 pp4 #aij1 #aia4 ,its supposed keen sense of hearing is referred to in the ,winter's ,tale 7ii4 #a7 by ,mamillius1 who1 on being asked by ,hermione to tell a tale1 replies3 ,i will tell it softly2 ,yond crickets shall not hear it4 ,frog4 ,in the ,two ,noble ,kinsmen 7iii4 #d71 the ,gaoler's ,daughter says3 ,would ,i could find a fine frog6 he would tell me ,news from all parts o' the world2 then would ,i make ,a carack of a cockle-shell1 and sail ,by east and north-east to the ,king of ,pigmies1 ,for he tells fortunes rarely4 ,in days gone by frogs were extensively used for the purpose of divination4 ,gad-fly4 ,a common name for this fly is the brize or breese1#egj an allusion to which occurs in ,troilus and ,cressida 7i4 #c71 where ,nestor1 speaking of the sufferings which cattle endure from this insect1 says3 ,the herd hath more annoyance by the breese ,than by the tiger4 #egj ,see ,patterson's ,insects ,mentioned by ,shakespeare1 #ahda1 pp4 #ajd1 #aje4 ,and in ,antony and ,cleopatra 7iii4 #aj7 ,shakespeare makes the excited ,scarus draw a comparison between the effect which this insect produces on a herd of cattle and the abruptness and sudden frenzy of ,cleopatra's retreat from the naval conflict3 ,yon ribaudred nag of ,egypt1 ,whom leprosy o'ertake6 i' the midst o' the fight1 ,when vantage like a pair of twins appear'd1 ,both as the same1 or rather ours the elder1-- ,the breese upon her1 like a cow in ,june1-- ,hoists sails1 and flies4 ,it is said that the terror this insect causes in cattle proceeds solely from the alarm occasioned by a peculiar sound it emits while hovering for the purpose of oviposition4#ega #ega ,linnan ,transactions1 vol4 xv4 p4 #djg2 cf4 ,virgil's ,georgics1 iii4 l4 #adh4 ,lady-bird4 ,this is used in ,romeo and ,juliet 7i4 #c7 as a term of endearment4 ,lady ,capulet having inquired after her daughter ,juliet1 the ,nurse replies3 ,i bade her come4 ,what1 lamb6 ,what1 lady-bird6 ,god forbid6 ,where's this girl8 ,what1 ,juliet6 ,mr4 ,staunton regards this passage as an exquisite touch of nature4 ,the old nurse1 he says1 in her fond garrulity1 uses 'lady-bird' as a term of endearment2 but1 recollecting its application to a female of loose manners1 checks herself--',god forbid6' her darling should prove such a one4 ,mr4 ,dyce1#egb however1 considers this explanation incorrect1 and gives the subjoined note3 ,the nurse says that she has already bid ,juliet come2 she then calls out1 ',what1 lamb6 ,what1 lady-bird6' and ,juliet not yet making her appearance1 she exclaims1 ',god forbid6 ,where's this girl8' ,the words ',god forbid' being properly an ellipsis of ',god forbid that any accident should keep her away1' but used here merely as an expression of impatience4 #egb ,glossary1 #ahgf1 p4 #bch4 ,lizard4 ,it was a common superstition in the time of ,shakespeare that lizards were venomous1 a notion which probably originated in their singular form4 ,hence the lizard's leg was thought a suitable ingredient for the witches' caldron in ,macbeth 7iv4 #a74 ,suffolk1 in #b ,henry ,,vi4 7iii4 #b71 refers to this idea3 ,their chiefest prospect murdering basilisks6 ,their softest touch as smart as lizards' stings4 ,again1 in #c ,henry ,,vi4 7ii4 #b71 ,queen ,margaret speaks of venom toads1 or lizards' dreadful stings4 ,in ,troilus and ,cressida 7v4 #a7 it is classed with the toad and owl4 ,moth4 ,this term1 as ,mr4 ,patterson remarks in his ,insects ,mentioned by ,shakespeare 7#ahda1 p4 #afd71 does not awaken many pleasing associations4 ,in the minds of most people it stands for an insect either contemptible from its size and inertness1 or positively obnoxious from its attacks on many articles of clothing4 ,thus ,shakespeare1 he says1 employs the expression moth to denote something trifling or extremely minute4 ,and in ,king ,john 7iv4 #a7 we have the touching appeal of ,prince ,arthur to ,hubert1 in which1 for mote1 he would substitute moth3 ,arthur4 ,is there no remedy8 ,hubert4 ,none1 but to lose your eyes4 ,arthur4 ,o heaven6--that there were but a mote in yours1 ,a grain1 a dust1 a gnat1 a wandering hair1 ,any annoyance in that precious sense6 ,then1 feeling what small things are boisterous there1 ,your vile intent must needs seem horrible4 ,see also ,henry ,v4 7iv4 #a74 ,in these two passages1 however1 the correct reading is probably mote4#egc #egc ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 ii4 p4 #igc4 ,serpent4 ,a term used by our old writers to signify a serpent was a worm1 which is still found in the north of ,england in the same sense4 ,it is used several times by ,shakespeare2 as1 for instance1 in ,measure for ,measure 7iii4 #a71 where the ,duke1 addressing ,claudio1 says3 ,thou'rt by no means valiant2 ,for thou dost fear the soft and tender fork ,of a poor worm4 ,this passage also illustrates an error very prevalent in days gone by1 that the forked tongue of the serpent tribe was their instrument of offence1 without any thought of the teeth or fangs1 which are its real weapons4#egd ,again1 the blind-worm or slow-worm--a little snake with very small eyes1 falsely supposed to be venomous--is spoken of in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7ii4 #b71 in that charming passage where the fairies are represented as singing to their queen1 ,titania3 ,you spotted snakes1 with double tongue1 ,thorny hedgehogs1 be not seen2 ,newts1 and blind-worms1 do no wrong1 ,come not near our fairy queen4 #egd ,cf4 ,macbeth 7iii4 #d73 ,there the grown serpent lies3 the worm1 that's fled1 ,hath nature that in time will venom breed4 ,in ,macbeth 7iv4 #a71 among the ingredients of the witches' caldron are ,adder's fork1 and blind-worm's sting4 ,to quote a further allusion1 ,shakespeare1 in ,timon of ,athens 7iv4 #c71 speaks of ,the gilded newt and eyeless venom'd worm4 ,massinger employs the same term in his ,parliament of ,love 7iv4 #b73 ,the sad father ,that sees his son stung by a snake to death1 ,may1 with more justice1 stay his vengeful hand1 ,and let the worm escape1 than you vouchsafe him ,a minute to repent4#ege #ege ,worm is used for serpent or viper1 in the ,geneva version of the ,new ,testament1 in ,acts xxvii4 #d1 #e4 ,there was an old notion that the serpent caused death without pain1 a popular fancy which ,shakespeare has introduced in his ,antony and ,cleopatra 7v4 #b73 ,hast thou the pretty worm of ,nilus there1 ,that kills and pains not8 ,the term worm was also occasionally used to signify a poor creature1 as also was the word snake4 ,thus1 in the ,taming of the ,shrew 7v4 #b71 ,katharina says3 ,come1 come1 you froward and unable worms6 ,my mind hath been as big as one of yours1 ,my heart as great1 my reason1 haply1 more4 ,so1 in ,as ,you ,like ,it 7iv4 #c71 ,rosalind uses snake in the sense of reproach3 ,well1 go your way to her1 for ,i see love hath made thee a tame snake4 ,the serpent1 as the emblem of ingratitude1 is alluded to by ,king ,lear 7ii4 #d71 who1 referring to his daughter1 says how she struck me with her tongue1 ,most serpent-like1 upon the very heart3-- ,all the stor'd vengeances of heaven fall ,on her ingrateful top6 ,according to a popular belief1 still credited1 a poisonous bite could be cured by the blood of the viper which darted the poison4 ,thus1 in ,richard ,,ii4 7i4 #a71 ,mowbray says3 ,i am disgrac'd1 impeach'd1 and baffled here1 ,pierc'd to the soul with slander's venom'd spear1 ,the which no balm can cure1 but his heart-blood ,which breath'd this poison4 ,in ,cornwall it is still believed that the dead body of a serpent1 bruised on the wound it has occasioned1 is an infallible remedy for its bite4#egf ,hence has originated the following rhyme3 ,the beauteous adder hath a sting1 ,yet bears a balsam too4 #egf ,see ,hunt's ,popular ,romances of the ,west of ,england1 #ahga1 p4 #dae2 and ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 iii4 p4 #bgj4 ,the old notion that the snake1 in casting off its slough1 or skin1 annually1 is supposed to regain new vigor and fresh youth1 is alluded to by ,king ,henry 7,henry ,v41 iv4 #a71 who speaks of casted slough and fresh legerity--legerity meaning lightness1 nimbleness4 ,in ,twelfth ,night 7ii4 #e71 in the letter which ,malvolio finds1 there is this passage3 to inure thyself to what thou art like to be1 cast thy humble slough and appear fresh4 ,one of the most useful miracles which ,st4 ,patrick is reported to have performed was his driving the venomous reptiles out of ,ireland1 and forbidding them to return4 ,this tradition is probably alluded to by ,king ,richard 7,richard ,,ii41 ii4 #a73 ,now for our ,irish wars3 ,we must supplant those rough rug-headed kerns1 ,which live like venom1 where no venom else1 ,but only they1 hath privilege to live4 ,the way1 we are told1 by which the saint performed this astounding feat of his supernatural power was by means of a drum4 ,even spiders1 too1 runs the legend1 were included in this summary process of excommunicating the serpent race4 ,one of the customs1 therefore1 observed on ,st4 ,patrick's day1 is visiting ,croagh ,patrick4 ,this sacred hill is situated in the county of ,mayo1 and is said to have been the spot chosen by ,st4 ,patrick for banishing the serpents and other noxious animals into the sea4 ,in ,julius ,csar 7ii4 #a71 where ,brutus says1 ,it is the bright day that brings forth the adder2 ,and that craves wary walking4 we may compare the popular adage1 ,march wind ,wakes the ether 7i4 e41 adder7 and blooms the whin4#egg #egg ,denham's ,weather ,proverbs1 #ahdb4 ,spider4 ,this little creature1 which1 in daily life1 is seldom noticed except for its cobweb1 the presence of which in a house generally betokens neglect1 has1 however1 an interesting history1 being the subject of many a curious legend and quaint superstition4 ,thus1 it has not escaped the all-pervading eye of ,shakespeare1 who has given us many curious scraps of folk-lore concerning it4 ,in days gone by the web of the common house-spider was much in request for stopping the effusion of blood2 and hence ,bottom1 in addressing one of his fairy attendants in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7iii4 #a71 says3 ,i shall desire you of more acquaintance1 good ,master ,cobweb3 if ,i cut my finger1 ,i shall make bold with you4 ,its medicinal virtues1 however1 do not end here1 for1 in ,sussex#egh it is used in cases of jaundice1 many an old doctress prescribing a live spider rolled up in butter4 ,it is stated1 too1 that the web is narcotic1 and has been administered internally in certain cases of fever1 with success4#egi ,as a remedy for ague it has been considered most efficacious4 ,some years ago a lady in the south of ,ireland was celebrated far and near for her cure of this disorder4 ,her remedy was a large house-spider taken alive1 enveloped in treacle or preserve4 ,of course1 the parties were carefully kept in ignorance of what the wonderful remedy was4#ehj #egh ,folk-,lore ,record1 #ahgh1 vol4 i4 p4 #de4 #egi ,see ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 vol4 iii4 pp4 #bbc1 #bhg1 #cha4 #ehj ,see article on ,spider-,lore1 in ,graphic1 ,november #ac1 #ahhj4 ,according to a universal belief1 spiders were formerly considered highly venomous1 in allusion to which notion ,king ,richard ,,ii4 7iii4 #b71 in saluting the dear earth on which he stands1 after late tossing on the breaking seas1 accosts it thus3 ,feed not thy sovereign's foe1 my gentle earth1 ,nor with thy sweets comfort his ravenous sense2 ,but let thy spiders1 that suck up thy venom1 ,and heavy-gaited toads1 lie in their way1 ,doing annoyance to the treacherous feet1 ,which with usurping steps do trample thee4 ,again1 ,leontes1 in the ,winter's ,tale 7ii4 #a71 remarks3 ,there may be in the cup ,a spider steep'd4 ,in ,cymbeline 7iv4 #b7 and ,richard ,,iii4 7i4 #b7 ,shakespeare classes it with adders and toads2 and in the latter play 7i4 #c71 when ,queen ,margaret is hurling imprecations on her enemies1 she is turned from her encounter with ,gloster by a remark made by ,queen ,elizabeth2 and while a pitying spirit seems for a minute to supplant her rage1 she addresses her successor in these words3 ,poor painted queen1 vain flourish of my fortune6 ,why strew'st thou sugar on that bottled spider1 ,whose deadly web ensnareth thee about8 ,in another part of the same play 7iv4 #d7 the epithet bottled is again applied in a similar manner by ,queen ,elizabeth3 ,that bottled spider1 that foul bunch-back'd toad6 ,ritson1 on these two passages1 has the following remarks on the term1 bottled spider3 ,a large1 bloated1 glossy spider1 supposed to contain venom proportionate to its size4 ,the origin of the silvery threads of gossamer which are so frequently seen extending from bush to bush was formerly unknown4 ,spenser1 for instance1 speaks of them as scorched dew2 and ,thomson1 in his ,autumn1 mentions the filmy threads of dew evaporate2 which probably1 says ,mr4 ,patterson1#eha refers to the same object4 ,the gossamer is now1 however1 known to be the production of a minute spider4 ,it is twice mentioned by ,shakespeare1 but not in connection with the little being from which it originates4 ,one of the passages is in ,romeo and ,juliet 7ii4 #f73 ,a lover may bestride the gossamer ,that idles in the wanton summer air1 ,and yet not fall2 so light is vanity4 #eha ,insects ,mentioned by ,shakespeare1 #ahda1 p4 #bbj4 ,the other occurs in ,king ,lear 7iv4 #f71 where ,edgar accosts his father1 after his supposed leap from that cliff1 whose high and bending head ,looks fearfully in the confined deep4 ,he says3 ,hadst thou been aught but gossamer1 feathers1 air1 ,so many fathom down precipitating1 ,thou'dst shiver'd like an egg4 ,in each case it is expressive of extreme lightness4 ,nares1 in his ,glossary 7vol4 i4 p4 #cgh71 considers that the term gossamer originally came from the ,french gossampine1 the cotton-tree1 and is equivalent to cotton-wool4 ,he says that it also means any light1 downy matter1 such as the flying seeds of thistles and other plants1 and1 in poetry1 is not unfrequently used to denote the long1 floating cobwebs seen in fine weather4 ,in the above passage from ,king ,lear he thinks it has the original sense1 and in the one from ,romeo and ,juliet probably the last4 ,some are of opinion that the word is derived from goss1 the gorse or furze4#ehb ,in ,germany the popular belief attributes the manufacture of the gossamer to the dwarfs and elves4 ,of ,king ,oberon1 it may be remembered1 we are told1 ,a rich mantle he did wear1 ,made of tinsel gossamer1 ,bestarred over with a few ,diamond drops of morning dew4 #ehb ,see ,croker's ,fairy ,legends and ,traditions of the ,south of ,ireland1 edited by ,t4 ,wright1 #ahfb1 p4 #bae4 ,hogg1 too1 introduces it as a vehicle fit for the fairy bands1 which he describes as sailing 'mid the golden air ,in skiffs of yielding gossamer4 ,toad4 ,among the vulgar errors of ,shakespeare's day was the belief that the head of the toad contained a stone possessing great medicinal virtues4 ,in ,as ,you ,like ,it1 7ii4 #a71 the ,duke says3 ,sweet are the uses of adversity2 ,which1 like the toad1 ugly and venomous1 ,wears yet a precious jewel in his head4 ,lupton1 in his ,one ,thousand ,notable ,things1 says that a toad-stone1 called ,crepaudina1 touching any part envenomed by the bite of a rat1 wasp1 spider1 or other venomous beast1 ceases the pain and swelling thereof4 ,in the ,londesborough ,collection is a silver ring of the fifteenth century1 in which one of these stones is set4#ehc #ehc ,see ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 vol4 ii4 pp4 #ej-ee2 ,douce's ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 pp4 #aha-ahc4 ,it was also generally believed that the toad was highly venomous--a notion to which there are constant allusions in ,shakespeare's plays2 as1 for example1 in the above passage1 where it is spoken of as ugly and venomous4 ,in ,richard ,,iii4 7i4 #b71 ,lady ,anne says to ,gloster3 ,never hung poison on a fouler toad4 ,and1 in another scene 7i4 #c71 ,queen ,margaret speaks of this pois'nous bunch-back'd toad4 ,once more1 in ,titus ,andronicus 7iv4 #b71 the ,nurse describes ,queen ,tamora's babe as being as loathsome as a toad4 ,there is doubtless some truth in this belief1 as the following quotation from ,mr4 ,frank ,buckland's ,curiosities of ,natural ,history seems to show3 ,toads are generally reported to be poisonous2 and this is perfectly true to a certain extent4 ,like the lizards1 they have glands in their skin which secrete a white1 highly acid fluid1 and just behind the head are seen two eminences like split beans2 if these be pressed1 this acid fluid will come out--only let the operator mind that it does not get into his eyes1 for it generally comes out with a jet4 ,there are also other glands dispersed through the skin4 ,a dog will never take a toad in his mouth1 and the reason is that this glandular secretion burns his tongue and lips4 ,it is also poisonous to the human subject4 ,mr4 ,blick1 surgeon1 of ,islip1 ,oxfordshire1#ehd tells me that a man once made a wager1 when half drunk1 in a village public-house1 that he would bite a toad's head off2 he did so1 but in a few hours his lips1 tongue1 and throat began to swell in a most alarming way1 and he was dangerously ill for some time4 #ehd ,see ,notes and ,queries1 #fth series1 vol4 v4 pp4 #cb1 #agc3 also1 ,gilbert ,white's ,natural ,history of ,selborne1 letter xvii4 ,owing to the supposed highly venomous character of the toad1 superstition1 says ,pennant1#ehe gave it preternatural powers1 and made it a principal ingredient in the incantations of nocturnal hags4 ,thus1 in ,macbeth 7iv4 #a71 the witch says3 ,toad that under cold stone1 ,days and nights has thirty-one ,swelter'd venom sleeping got1 ,boil thou first i' the charmed pot4 #ehe ,zoology1 #agff1 vol4 iii4 p4 #ae4 ,pennant adds that this was intended for a design of the first consideration1 that of raising and bringing before the eyes of ,macbeth a hateful second-sight of the prosperity of ,banquo's line4 ,this shows the mighty power attributed to this animal by the dealers in the magic art4 ,the evil spirit1 too1 has been likened by one of our master bards to the toad1 as a semblance of all that is devilish and disgusting 7,paradise ,lost1 iv4 #hjj73 ,him they found1 ,squat like a toad1 close at the ear of ,eve1 ,assaying with all his devilish art to reach ,the organs of her fancy4 ,in ,macbeth 7i4 #a71 the paddock or toad is made the name of a familiar spirit3 ,paddock#ehf calls4--,anon6 #ehf ,cf4 ,hamlet1 iii4 #d2 here paddock is used for a toad4 ,wasp4 ,so easily1 we are told1#ehg is the wrathful temperament of this insect aroused1 that extreme irascibility can scarcely be better expressed than by the term waspish4 ,it is in this sense that ,shakespeare has applied the epithet1 her waspish-headed son1 in the ,tempest 7iv4 #a71 where we are told that ,cupid is resolved to be a boy outright4 ,again1 in ,as ,you ,like ,it 7iv4 #c71 ,silvius says3 ,i know not the contents2 but1 as ,i guess ,by the stern brow and waspish action ,which she did use as she was writing of it1 ,it bears an angry tenor4 #ehg ,patterson's ,insects ,mentioned by ,shakespeare1 #ahda1 p4 #acg4 ,again1 in the ,taming of the ,shrew 7ii4 #a71 ,petruchio addresses his intended spouse in language not highly complimentary3 ,pet4 ,come1 come1 you wasp2 i' faith1 you are too angry4 ,kath4 ,if ,i be waspish1 best beware my sting4 ,pet4 ,my remedy is1 then1 to pluck it out4 ,in the celebrated scene in ,julius ,csar 7iv4 #c71 in which the reconciliation between ,brutus and ,cassius is effected1 the word is used in a similar sense3 ,i'll use you for my mirth1 yea1 for my laughter1 ,when you are waspish4#ehh #ehh ,cf4 ,titus ,andronicus1 ii4 #c2 ,henry ,,viii41 iii4 #c4 ,water-,fly4 ,this little insect1 which1 on a sunny day1 may be seen almost on every pool1 dimpling the glassy surface of the water1 is used as a term of reproach by ,shakespeare4 ,thus1 ,hamlet 7v4 #b71 speaking of ,osric1 asks ,horatio1 ,dost know this water-fly8 ,in ,troilus and ,cressida 7v4 #a71 ,thersites exclaims3 ,ah1 how the poor world is pestered with such water-flies1 diminutives of nature4 ,johnson says it is the proper emblem of a busy trifler1 because it skips up and down upon the surface of the water without any apparent purpose4 ,,chapter ,x4 ,,folk-,,medicine4 ,without discussing the extent of ,shakespeare's technical medical knowledge1 the following pages will suffice to show that he was fully acquainted with many of the popular notions prevalent in his day respecting certain diseases and their cures4 ,these1 no doubt1 he collected partly from the literature of the period1 with which he was so fully conversant1 besides gathering a good deal of information on the subject from daily observation4 ,anyhow1 he has bequeathed to us some interesting particulars relating to the folk-medicine of bygone times1 which is of value1 in so far as it helps to illustrate the history of medicine in past years4 ,in ,shakespeare's day the condition of medical science was very unlike that at the present day4 ,as ,mr4 ,goadby1 in his ,england of ,shakespeare 7#ahha1 p4 #ajd71 remarks1 the man of science was always more or less of an alchemist1 and the students of medicine were usually extensive dealers in charms and philtres4 ,if a man wanted bleeding he went to a barber-surgeon1 and when he required medicine he consulted an apothecary2 the shop of the latter being well described by ,romeo 7v4 #a73 ,and in his needy shop a tortoise hung1 ,an alligator stuff'd1 and other skins ,of ill-shap'd fishes2 and about his shelves ,a beggarly account of empty boxes1 ,green earthen pots1 bladders and musty seeds1 ,remnants of pack-thread and old cakes of roses1 ,were thinly scattered1 to make up a show4 ,such a man was as ready to sell love-philtres to a maiden as narcotics to a friar4 ,bleeding4 ,various remedies were in use in ,shakespeare's day to stop bleeding4 ,thus1 a key1 on account of the coldness of the metal of which it is composed1 was often employed2 hence the term key-cold became proverbial1 and is referred to by many old writers4 ,in ,richard ,,iii4 7i4 #b71 ,lady ,anne1 speaking of the corpse of ,king ,henry the ,sixth1 says ,poor key-cold figure of a holy king4 ,in the ,rape of ,lucrece 7l4 #aggd7 the same expression is used3 ,and then in key-cold ,lucrece' bleeding stream ,he falls1 and bathes the pale fear in his face4 ,in ,beaumont and ,fletcher's ,wild ,goose ,chase 7iv4 #c7 we read3 ,for till they be key-cold dead1 there's no trusting of 'em4#ehi #ehi ,see ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 ii4 p4 #dhb2 also1 ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 iii4 p4 #caa2 ,henderson's ,folk-,lore of ,northern ,counties1 #ahgi1 pp4 #afh1 #afi4 ,another common remedy was the one alluded to in ,king ,lear 7iii4 #g71 where one of the servants says3 ,i'll fetch some flax1 and whites of eggs1 ,to apply to his bleeding face4 ,this passage has been thought to be parodied in ,ben ,jonson's play1 ,the ,case is ,altered 7ii4 #d73 ,go1 get a white of an egg and a little flax1 and close the breach of the head2 it is the most conducible thing that can be4 ,mr4 ,gifford1 however1 has shown the incorrectness of this assertion1 pointing out that ,jonson's play was written in #aeii1 some years before ,king ,lear appeared1 while the allusion is to a method of cure common in ,jonson's time to every barber-surgeon and old woman in the kingdom4#eij #eij ,aldis ,wright's ,notes to ,king ,lear1 #ahgg1 p4 #agi4 ,cobwebs are still used to stanch the bleeding from small wounds1 and ,bottom's words seem to refer to this remedy of domestic surgery3 ,i shall desire you of more acquaintance1 good ,master ,cobweb2 if ,i cut my finger1 ,i shall make bold with you4 ,anciently1 says ,mr4 ,singer1 a superstitious belief was annexed to the accident of bleeding at the nose2 hence1 in the ,merchant of ,venice 7ii4 #e71 ,launcelot says3 ,it was not for nothing that my nose fell a-bleeding on ,black ,monday last4 ,in days gone by1 it was customary with our forefathers to be bled periodically1 in spring and in autumn1 in allusion to which custom ,king ,richard refers 7,richard ,,ii41 i4 #a71 when he says to his uncle3 ,our doctors say this is no month to bleed4 ,hence the almanacs of the time generally gave particular seasons as the most beneficial for bleeding4 ,the forty-seventh aphorism of ,hippocrates 7sect4 #f7 is1 that persons who are benefited by venesection or purging should be bled or purged in the spring4 ,blindness4 ,the exact meaning of the term sand-blind1 which occurs in the ,merchant of ,venice 7ii4 #b71 is somewhat obscure3 ,launcelot4 ,o heavens1 this is my true-begotten father6 who1 being more than sand-blind1 high gravel blind1 knows me not4 99 99 99 99 99 ,gobbo4 ,alack1 sir1 ,i am sand-blind1 ,i know you not4 ,it probably means very dim-sighted1#eia and in ,nares's ,glossary#eib it is thus explained3 ,having an imperfect sight1 as if there was sand in the eye4 ,the expression is used by ,beaumont and ,fletcher in ,love's ,cure 7ii4 #a73 ,why1 signors1 and my honest neighbours1 will you impute that as a neglect of my friends1 which is an imperfection in me8 ,i have been sand-blind from my infancy4 ,the term was probably one in vulgar use4#eic #eia ,dyce's ,glossary1 p4 #cha2 cf4 the word ,berlu1 pur-blinded1 made sand-blind1 ,cotgrave's ,fr4 and ,eng4 ,dict4 #eib ,vol4 ii4 p4 #gfe4 #eic ,bucknill's ,medical ,knowledge of ,shakespeare1 p4 #ic4 ,blister4 ,in the following passage of ,timon of ,athens 7v4 #a71 ,timon appears to refer to the old superstition that a lie produces a blister on the tongue1 though1 in the malice of his rage1 he imprecates the minor punishment on truth1 and the old surgery of cauterization on falsehood3#eid ,thou sun1 that comfort'st1 burn6--,speak1 and be hang'd2 ,for each true word1 a blister6 and each false ,be as a caut'rizing to the root o' the tongue1 ,consuming it with speaking6 #eid ,bucknill's ,medical ,knowledge of ,shakespeare1 p4 #beh4 ,we may also compare the passage in ,winter's ,tale 7ii4 #b71 where ,paulina declares3 ,if ,i prove honey-mouth'd1 let my tongue blister1 ,and never to my red-look'd anger be ,the trumpet any more4#eie #eie ,cf41 too1 ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7v4 #b73 ,a blister on his sweet tongue1 with my heart1 ,that put ,armado's page out of his part4 ,bone-ache4 ,this was a nickname1 in bygone years1 for the ,lues venerea1 an allusion to which we find in ,troilus and ,cressida 7ii4 #c71 where ,thersites speaks of the bone-ache as the curse dependent on those that war for a placket4 ,another name for this disease was the brenning or burning1 a notice of which we find in ,king ,lear 7iv4 #f74 ,bruise4 ,a favorite remedy in days past for bruises was parmaceti1 a corruption of spermaceti1 in allusion to which ,hotspur1 in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7i4 #c71 speaks of it as the sovereign'st thing on earth for an inward bruise4 ,so1 too1 in ,sir ,t4 ,overbury's ,characters1 #afaf ,an ,ordinarie ,fencer3 ,his wounds are seldom skin-deepe2 for an inward bruise1 lambstones and sweetbreads are his only spermaceti4 ,a well-known plant called the ,shepherd's ,purse has been popularly nicknamed the ,poor ,man's ,parmacetti1 being a joke on the ,latin word bursa1 a purse1 which1 to a poor man1 is always the best remedy for his bruises4#eif ,in ,romeo and ,juliet 7i4 #b71 a plantain-leaf is pronounced to be an excellent cure for your broken shin4 ,plantain-water was a remedy in common use with the old surgeons4#eig #eif ,dr4 ,prior's ,popular ,names of ,british ,plants1 #ahgj1 p4 #ahe4 #eig ,the ,medical ,knowledge of ,shakespeare1 #ahfj1 p4 #gh4 ,bubukle4 ,according to ,johnson1 this denoted a red pimple4 ,nares says it is a corrupt word for a carbuncle1 or something like2 and ,mr4 ,halliwell-,phillipps1 in his ,dictionary of ,archaic and ,provincial ,words1 defines it as a botch or imposthume4 ,it occurs in ,henry ,v4 7iii4 #f71 where ,fluellen describes ,bardolph's face as all bubukles4 ,burn4 ,the notion of one heat driving out another gave rise to the old-fashioned custom of placing a burned part near the fire to drive out the fire--a practice1 says ,dr4 ,bucknill1#eih certainly not without benefit1 acting on the same principle as the application of turpentine and other stimulants to recent burns4 ,this was one of the many instances of the ancient homoeopathic doctrine1 that what hurts will also cure4#eii ,thus1 in ,king ,john 7iii4 #a71 ,pandulph speaks of it3 ,and falsehood falsehood cures2 as fire cools fire ,within the scorched veins of one new burn'd4 #eih ,the ,medical ,knowledge of ,shakespeare1 #ahfj1 p4 #fe4 #eii ,see ,tylor's ,primitive ,culture1 vol4 i4 p4 #gfa4 ,again1 in the ,two ,gentlemen of ,verona 7ii4 #d71 ,proteus tells how3 ,even as one heat another heat expels1 ,or as one nail by strength drives out another1 ,so the remembrance of my former love ,is by a newer object quite forgotten4 ,we may also compare the words of ,mowbray in ,richard ,,ii4 7i4 #a71 where a similar idea is contained3 ,i am disgrac'd1 impeach'd1 and baffled here2 ,pierc'd to the soul with slander's venom'd spear1 ,the which no balm can cure1 but his heart-blood ,which breath'd this poison4 ,once more1 in ,romeo and ,juliet 7i4 #b71 ,benvolio relates how one fire burns out another's burning1 ,one pain is lessen'd by another's anguish2 ,turn giddy1 and be holp by backward turning2 ,one desperate grief cures with another's languish4 ,cataract4 ,one of the popular names for this disease of the eye was the web and the pin4 ,markham1 in his ,cheap and ,good ,husbandry 7bk4 i4 chap4 #cg71 thus describes it in horses3 ,but for the wart1 pearle1 pin1 or web1 which are evils grown in or upon the eye1 to take them off1 take the juyce of the herb betin and wash the eye therewith1 it will weare the spots away4 ,florio 7,ital4 ,dict47 gives the following3 ,cataratta is a dimnesse of sight occasioned by humores hardened in the eies1 called a cataract or a pin and a web4 ,shakespeare uses the term in the ,winter's ,tale 7i4 #b71 where ,leontes speaks of all eyes blind ,with the pin and web1 but theirs2 and in ,king ,lear 7iii4 #d71 alluding to the foul fiend ,flibbertigibbet1 says1 he gives the web and the pin4#fjj ,acerbi1 in his ,travels 7vol4 ii4 p4 #bij71 has given the ,lapland method of cure for this disease4 ,in a fragment of an old medical treatise it is thus described3 ,another sykenes ther byth of yezen2 on a webbe1 a nother a wem1 that hydyth the myddel of the yezen2 and this hes to maners1 other whilys he is white and thynne1 and other whilys he is thykke1 as whenne the obtalmye ne is noght clene yhelyd up1 bote the rote abydyth stylle4 ,other whilys the webbe is noght white but rede1 other blake4#fja ,in the ,statute of the #cd and #ce of ,henry ,,viii4 a pin and web in the eye is recited among the customable diseases1 which honest persons1 not being surgeons1 might treat with herbs1 roots1 and waters1 with the knowledge of whose nature ,god had endowed them4 #fjj ,see ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 ii4 pp4 #ffj1 #ffa2 ,dyce's ,glossary1 p4 #cbb4 #fja ,quoted in ,singer's ,shakespeare4 ,chilblains4 ,these are probably alluded to by the ,fool in ,king ,lear 7i4 #e73 ,if a man's brains were in's heels1 were't not in danger of kibes8 ,hamlet1 too1 says 7v4 #a73 the age is grown so picked1 that the toe of the peasant comes so near the heel of the courtier1 he galls his kibe4 ,deformity4 ,it was an old prejudice1 which is not quite extinct1 that those who are defective or deformed are marked by nature as prone to mischief4 ,thus1 in ,richard ,,iii4 7i4 #c71 ,margaret says of ,richard1 ,duke of ,gloster3 ,thou elvish-mark'd1 abortive1 rooting hog6 ,thou that was seal'd in thy nativity ,the slave of nature1 and the son of hell4 ,she calls him hog1 in allusion to his cognizance1 which was a boar4 ,a popular expression in ,shakespeare's day for a deformed person was a stigmatic4 ,it denoted any one who had been stigmatized1 or burned with an iron1 as an ignominious punishment1 and hence was employed to represent a person on whom nature has set a mark of deformity4 ,thus1 in #c ,henry ,,vi4 7ii4 #b71 ,queen ,margaret says3 ,but thou art neither like thy sire1 nor dam2 ,but like a foul misshapen stigmatic ,mark'd by the destinies to be avoided1 ,as venom toads1 or lizards' dreadful stings4 ,again1 in #b ,henry ,,vi4 7v4 #a71 young ,clifford says to ,richard3 ,foul stigmatic1 that's more than thou canst tell4 ,we may note1 too1 how1 in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7v4 #a71 mothers' marks and congenital forms are deprecated by ,oberon from the issue of the happy lovers3 ,and the blots of ,nature's hand ,shall not in their issue stand2 ,never mole1 hare-lip1 nor scar1 ,nor mark prodigious1 such as are ,despised in nativity1 ,shall upon their children be4#fjb #fjb ,cf4 ,king ,john 7iii4 #a71 where ,constance gives a catalogue of congenital defects4 ,indeed1 constant allusions are to be met with in our old writers relating to this subject1 showing how strong were the feelings of our forefathers on the point4 ,but1 to give one further instance of this superstition given by ,shakespeare1 we may quote the words of ,king ,john 7iv4 #b71 with reference to ,hubert and his supposed murder of ,prince ,arthur3 ,a fellow by the hand of ,nature mark'd1 ,quoted1 and sign'd1 to do a deed of shame1 ,this murder had not come into my mind4 ,this adaptation of the mind to the deformity of the body concurs1 too1 with ,bacon's theory3 ,deformed persons are commonly even with nature2 for1 as nature hath done ill by them1 so do they by nature1 being void of natural affection1 and so they have their revenge on nature4 ,drowning4 ,the old superstition#fjc of its being dangerous to save a person from drowning is supposed1 says ,mr4 ,halliwell-,phillipps1 to be alluded to in ,twelfth ,night4 ,it was owing to the belief that the person saved would1 sooner or later1 injure the man who saved him4 ,thus1 in ,sir ,walter ,scott's ,pirate1 ,bryce1 the pedler1 warns the hero not to attempt to resuscitate an inanimate form which the waves had washed ashore on the mainland of ,shetland4 ',are you mad1' exclaimed the pedler1 'you that have lived sae lang in ,zetland1 to risk the saving of a drowning man8 ,wot ye not if ye bring him to life again he will do you some capital injury8' #fjc ,handbook ,index to ,shakespeare1 p4 #aej4 ,see ,notes and ,queries for superstitions connected with drowning1 #eth series1 vol4 ix4 pp4 #aaa1 #bah1 #dgh1 #eaf2 vol4 x4 pp4 #ch1 #bgf2 vol4 xi4 pp4 #aai1 #bgh4 ,epilepsy4 ,a popular name for this terrible malady was the falling-sickness1 because1 when attacked with one of these fits1 the patient falls suddenly to the ground4 ,in ,julius ,csar 7i4 #b7 it is thus mentioned in the following dialogue3 ,cassius4 ,but1 soft1 ,i pray you3 what1 did ,csar swoon8 ,casca4 ,he fell down in the market-place1 and foamed at mouth1 and was speechless4 ,brutus4 ',tis very like2 he hath the falling-sickness4 ,cassius4 ,no1 ,csar hath it not2 but you1 and ,i1 ,and honest ,casca1 we have the falling-sickness4 ,fistula4 ,at the present day a fistula means an abscess external to the rectum1 but in ,shakespeare's day it was used in a more general signification for a burrowing abscess in any situation4#fjd ,the play of ,all's ,well that ,ends ,well has a special interest1 because1 as ,dr4 ,bucknill says1 its very plot may be said to be medical4 ,the orphan daughter of a physician cures the king of a fistula by means of a secret remedy left to her as a great treasure by her father4 ,the royal reward is the choice of a husband among the nobles of the court1 and 'thereby hangs the tale4' ,the story is taken from the tale of ,gilletta of ,narbonne1 in the ,decameron of ,boccaccio4 ,it came to ,shakespeare through the medium of ,painter's ,palace of ,pleasure1 and is to be found in the first volume1 which was printed as early as #aeff4fje ,the story is thus introduced by ,shakespeare in the following dialogue 7i4 #a71 where the ,countess of ,rousillon is represented as inquiring3 ,what hope is there of his majesty's amendment8 ,laf4 ,he hath abandoned his physicians1 madam2 under whose practices he hath persecuted time with hope2 and finds no other advantage in the process but only the losing of hope by time4 ,count4 ,this young gentlewoman had a father--,o1 that 'had6' how sad a passage 'tis6--whose skill was almost as great as his honesty2 had it stretched so far1 would have made nature immortal1 and death should have play for lack of work4 ,would1 for the king's sake1 he were living6 ,i think it would be the death of the king's disease4 ,laf4 ,how called you the man you speak of1 madam8 ,count4 ,he was famous1 sir1 in his profession1 and it was his great right to be so2 ,gerard de ,narbon4 ,laf4 ,he was excellent1 indeed1 madam2 the king very lately spoke of him admiringly and mourningly2 he was skilful enough to have lived still1 if knowledge could be set up against mortality4 ,ber4 ,what is it1 my good lord1 the king languishes of8 ,laf4 ,a fistula1 my lord4 #fjd ,dr4 ,bucknill's ,medical ,knowledge of ,shakespeare1 p4 #ie4 #fje ,singer's ,shakespeare1 vol4 iii4 p4 #bbe4 ,the account given of ,helena's secret remedy and the king's reason for rejecting it give1 says ,dr4 ,bucknill1 an excellent idea of the state of opinion with regard to the practice of physic in ,shakespeare's time4 ,fit4 ,formerly the term rapture was synonymous with a fit or trance4 ,the word is used by ,brutus in ,coriolanus 7ii4 #a73 your prattling nurse ,into a rapture lets her baby cry ,while she chats him4 ,steevens quotes from the ,hospital for ,london's ,follies 7#afjb71 where ,gossip ,luce says3 ,your darling will weep itself into a rapture1 if you take not good heed4#fjf #fjf ,see ,singer's ,shakespeare1 vol4 vii4 p4 #cdg4 ,gold4 ,it was a long-prevailing opinion that a solution of gold had great medicinal virtues1 and that the incorruptibility of the metal might be communicated to a body impregnated with it4 ,thus1 in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7iv4 #d71 ,prince ,henry1 in the course of his address to his father1 says3 ,coming to look on you1 thinking you dead1 ,and dead almost1 my liege1 to think you were1 ,i spake unto this crown1 as having sense1 ,and thus upbraided it3 ',the care on thee depending ,hath fed upon the body of my father2 ,therefore1 thou1 best of gold1 art worst of gold2 ,other1 less fine in carat1 is more precious1 ,preserving life in medicine potable4' ,potable gold was one of the panaceas of ancient quacks4 ,in ,john ,wight's translation of the ,secretes of ,alexis is a receipt to dissolve and reducte golde into a potable licour1 which conserveth the youth and healthe of a man1 and will heale every disease that is thought incurable1 in the space of seven daies at the furthest4 ,the receipt1 however1 is a highly complicated one1 the gold being acted upon by juice of lemons1 honey1 common salt1 and aqua vit1 and distillation frequently repeated from a urinall of glass--as the oftener it is distilled the better it is4 ,thus doyng1 it is said1 ye shall have a right naturall1 and perfecte potable golde1 whereof somewhat taken alone every monthe once or twice1 or at least with the said licour1 whereof we have spoken in the second chapter of this boke1 is very excellent to preserve a man's youthe and healthe1 and to heale in a fewe daies any disease rooted in a man1 and thought incurable4 ,the said golde will also be good and profitable for diverse other operations and effectes3 as good wittes and diligent searchers of the secretes of nature may easily judge4 ,a further allusion to gold as a medicine is probably made in ,all's ,well that ,ends ,well 7v4 #c71 where the ,king says to ,bertram3 ,plutus himself1 ,that knows the tinct and multiplying medicine1 ,hath not in nature's mystery more science1 ,than ,i have in this ring4 ,chaucer1 too1 in his sarcastic excuse for the doctor's avarice1 refers to this old belief3 ,and yet he was but esy of despence3 ,he kept that he wan in the pestilence4 ,for gold in physic is a cordial2 ,therefore he loved it in special4 ,once more1 in ,sir ,kenelm ,digby's ,receipts 7#afgd71 we are told that the gold is to be calcined with three salts1 ground with sulphur1 burned in a reverberatory furnace with sulphur twelve times1 then digested with spirit of wine which will be tincted very yellow1 of which1 few drops for a dose in a fit vehicle hath wrought great effects4 ,the term grand liquor is also used by ,shakespeare for the aurum potabile of the alchemist1 as in ,tempest 7v4 #a73 ,where should they ,find this grand liquor that hath gilded them8 ,good ,year4 ,this is evidently a corruption of goujre1 a disease derived from the ,french gouge1 a common camp-follower1 and probably alludes to the ,morbus ,gallicus4 ,thus1 in ,king ,lear 7v4 #c71 we read3 ,the good-years shall devour them1 flesh and fell1 ,ere they shall make us weep4 ,with the corruption1 however1 of the spelling1 the word lost in time its real meaning1 and it is1 consequently1 found in passages where a sense opposite to the true one is intended4#fjg ,it was often used in exclamations1 as in ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7i4 #d73 ,we must give folks leave to prate3 what1 the good-jear6 ,in ,troilus and ,cressida 7v4 #a71 ,thersites1 by the rotten diseases of the south1 probably meant the ,morbus ,gallicus4 #fjg ,wright's ,notes to ,king ,lear 7#ahgg71 p4 #aif4 ,handkerchief4 ,it was formerly a common practice in ,england for those who were sick to wear a kerchief on their heads1 and still continues at the present day among the common people in many places4 ,thus1 in ,julius ,csar 7ii4 #a71 we find the following allusion3 ,o1 what a time have you chose out1 brave ,caius1 ,to wear a kerchief6 ,would you were not sick6 ,if1 says ,fuller1 this county ,cheshire hath bred no writers in that faculty physic1 the wonder is the less1 if it be true what ,i read1 that if any here be sick1 they make him a posset and tye a kerchief on his head1 and if that will not mend him1 then ,god be merciful to him4#fjh #fjh ,worthies of ,england 7#affb71 p4 #ahj4 ,hysteria4 ,this disorder1 which1 in ,shakespeare's day1 we are told1 was known as the mother1 or ,hysterica passio1 was not considered peculiar to women only4 ,it is probable that1 when the poet wrote the following lines in ,king ,lear 7ii4 #d71 where he makes the king say1 ,o1 how this mother swells up toward my heart6 ,hysterica passio6 down1 thou climbing sorrow1 ,thy element's below6--,where is this daughter8 he had in view the subjoined passages from ,harsnet's ,declaration of ,popish ,impostures 7#afjc71 a work which1 it has been suggested1#fji he may have consulted in order to furnish out his character of ,tom of ,bedlam with demoniacal gibberish4 ,the first occurs at p4 #be3 ,ma4 ,maynie had a spice of the hysterica passio1 as it seems1 from his youth2 hee himselfe termes it the moother 7as you may see in his confessione74 ,master ,richard ,mainy1 who was persuaded by the priests that he was possessed of the devil1 deposes as follows 7p4 #bfc73 ,the disease ,i speake of was a spice of the mother1 wherewith ,i had been troubled 7as is before mentioned7 before my going into ,fraunce4 ,whether ,i doe rightly terme it the mother or no ,i know not4 ,dr4 ,jordan1 in #afjc1 published ,a ,briefe ,discourse of a ,disease called the ,suffocation of the ,mother4 #fji ,singer's ,shakespeare1 pp4 #chd1 #che2 ,wright's ,notes to ,king ,lear1 pp4 #aed1 #aee4 ,infection4 ,according to an old but erroneous belief1 infection communicated to another left the infector free2 in allusion to which ,timon 7,timon of ,athens1 iv4 #c7 says3 ,i will not kiss thee2 then the rot returns ,to thine own lips again4 ,among other notions prevalent in days gone by was the general contagiousness of disease1 to which an allusion seems to be made in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7i4 #a71 where ,helena says3 ,sickness is catching3 ,o1 were favour so1 ,yours would ,i catch1 fair ,hermia1 ere ,i go4 ,malone considers that ,shakespeare1 in the following passage in ,venus and ,adonis1 alludes to a practice of his day1 when it was customary1 in time of the plague1 to strew the rooms of every house with rue and other strong-smelling herbs1 to prevent infection3 ,long may they kiss each other1 for this cure6 ,o1 never let their crimson liveries wear6 ,and as they last1 their verdure still endure1 ,to drive infection from the dangerous year6 ,again1 the contagiousness of pestilence is thus alluded to by ,beatrice in ,much ,ado ,about ,nothing 7i4 #a73 ,o ,lord1 he will hang upon him like a disease3 he is sooner caught than the pestilence1 and the taker runs presently mad4 ,the belief1 too1 that the poison of pestilence dwells in the air1 is spoken of in ,timon of ,athens 7iv4 #c73 ,when ,jove ,will o'er some high-viced city hang his poison ,in the sick air4 ,and1 again1 in ,richard ,,ii4 7i4 #c73 ,devouring pestilence hangs in our air4 ,it is alluded to1 also1 in ,twelfth ,night 7i4 #a71 where the ,duke says3 ,o1 when mine eyes did see ,olivia first1 ,methought she purged the air of pestilence4 ,while on this subject1 we may quote the following dialogue from the same play 7ii4 #c71 which1 as ,dr4 ,bucknill#faj remarks1 involves the idea that contagion is bound up with something appealing to the sense of smell1 a mellifluous voice being miscalled contagious2 unless one could apply one organ to the functions of another1 and thus admit contagion1 not through its usual portal1 the nose3 ,sir ,andrew4 ,a mellifluous voice1 as ,i am true knight4 ,sir ,toby4 ,a contagious breath4 ,sir ,andrew4 ,very sweet and contagious1 i' faith4 ,sir ,toby4 ,to hear by the nose1 it is dulcet in contagion4 #faj ,medical ,knowledge of ,shakespeare1 p4 #aba4 ,insanity4 ,that is a common idea that the symptoms of madness are increased by the full moon4 ,shakespeare mentions this popular fallacy in ,othello 7v4 #b71 where he tells us that the moon makes men insane when she comes nearer the earth than she was wont4#faa #faa ,see p4 #gc4 ,music as a cure for madness is1 perhaps1 referred to in ,king ,lear 7iv4 #g71 where the physician of the king says3 ,louder the music there4#fab ,mr4 ,singer1 however1 has this note3 ,shakespeare considered soft music favorable to sleep4 ,lear1 we may suppose1 had been thus composed to rest2 and now the physician desires louder music to be played1 for the purpose of waking him4 #fab ,halliwell-,phillipps's ,handbook ,index to ,shakespeare 7#ahff71 p4 #ccc4 ,so1 in ,richard ,,ii4 7v4 #e71 the king says3 ,this music mads me3 let it sound no more2 ,for though it have holp madmen to their wits1 ,in me1 it seems1 it will make wise men mad4 ,the power of music as a medical agency has been recognized from the earliest times1 and in mental cases has often been highly efficacious4#fac ,referring to music as inducing sleep1 we may quote the touching passage in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7iv4 #e71 where the king says3 ,let there be no noise made1 my gentle friends2 ,unless some dull and favourable hand ,will whisper music to my weary spirit4 ,warwick4 ,call for the music in the other room4 #fac ,a ,book of ,musical ,anecdote1 by ,f4 ,crowest 7#ahgh71 vol4 ii4 pp4 #bea1 #beb4 ,ariel1 in ,the ,tempest 7ii4 #a71 enters playing solemn music to produce this effect4 ,a mad-house seems formerly to have been designated a dark house4 ,hence1 in ,twelfth ,night 7iii4 #d71 the reason for putting ,malvolio into a dark room was1 to make him believe that he was mad4 ,in the following act 7iv4 #b7 he says3 ,good ,sir ,topas1 do not think ,i am mad2 they have laid me here in hideous darkness2 and further on 7v4 #a7 he asks1 ,why have you suffer'd me to be imprison'd1 ,kept in a dark house8 ,in ,as ,you ,like ,it 7iii4 #b71 ,rosalind says that ,love is merely a madness1 and 444 deserves as well a dark-house and a whip as madmen do4 ,the expression horn-mad1 i4 e41 quite mad1 occurs in the ,comedy of ,errors 7ii4 #a73 ,why1 mistress1 sure my master is horn-mad4 ,and1 again1 in ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7i4 #d71 ,mistress ,quickly says1 ,if he had found the young man1 he would have been horn-mad4 ,madness in cattle was supposed to arise from a distemper in the internal substance of their horns1 and furious or mad cattle had their horns bound with straw4 ,king's ,evil4 ,this was a common name in years gone by for scrofula1 because the sovereigns of ,england were supposed to possess the power of curing it1 without other medicine1 save only by handling and prayer4 ,this custom of touching for the king's evil is alluded to in ,macbeth 7iv4 #c71 where the following dialogue is introduced3 ,malcolm4 ,comes the king forth1 ,i pray you8 ,doctor4 ,ay1 sir2 there are a crew of wretched souls ,that stay his cure2 their malady convinces ,the great assay of art2 but1 at his touch-- ,such sanctity hath heaven given his hand---- ,they presently amend4 ,malcolm4 ,i thank you1 doctor4 ,macduff4 ,what's the disease he means8 ,malcolm4 ',tis call'd the evil3 ,a most miraculous work in this good king2 ,which often1 since my here-remain in ,england1 ,i have seen him do4 ,how he solicits heaven1 ,himself best knows3 but strangely-visited people1 ,all swoln and ulcerous1 pitiful to the eye1 ,the mere despair of surgery1 he cures2 ,hanging a golden stamp about their necks1 ,put on with holy prayers3 and 'tis spoken1 ,to the succeeding royalty he leaves ,the healing benediction4 ,with this strange virtue ,he hath a heavenly gift of prophecy2 ,and sundry blessings hang about his throne1 ,that speak him full of grace4 ,this reference1 which has nothing to do with the progress of the drama1 is introduced1 obviously1 in compliment to ,king ,james1 who fancied himself endowed with the ,confessor's powers4#fad ,the poet found authority for the passage in ,holinshed 7vol4 i4 p4 #bgi73 ,as hath bin thought1 he was enspired with the gift of prophecie1 and also to haue hadde the gift of healing infirmities and diseases4 ,namely1 he vsed to help those that were vexed with the disease1 commonly called the kyngs euill1 and left that vertue as it were a portion of inheritance vnto his successors the kyngs of this realme4 ,edward's miraculous powers were believed in1 we are told1 by his contemporaries1 or at least soon after his death1 and were expressly recognized by ,pope ,alexander ,,iii41 who canonized him4 ,in ,plot's ,oxfordshire 7chap4 x4 sec4 #abe7 there is an account1 accompanied with a drawing1 of the touch-piece supposed to have been given by this monarch4 ,james ,i4's practice of touching for the evil is frequently mentioned in ,nichols's ,progresses4 ,charles ,i41 when at ,york1 touched seventy persons in one day4 ,indeed1 few are aware to what an extent this superstition once prevailed4 ,in the course of twenty years1 between #affj and #afhb1 no less than #ib1ajg persons were touched for this disease4 ,the first ,english monarch who refused to touch for the king's evil was ,william ,,iii41 but the practice was resumed by ,queen ,anne1 who officially announced1 in the ,london ,gazette1 ,march #ab1 #agab1 her royal intention to receive patients afflicted with the malady in question4 ,it was probably about that time that ,johnson was touched by her majesty1 upon the recommendation of the celebrated physician ,sir ,john ,floyer1 of ,lichfield4 ,king ,george ,i4 put an end to this practice1 which is said to have originated with ,edward the ,confessor1 in #ajeh4fae ,the custom was also observed by ,french kings2 and on ,easter ,sunday1 #afhf1 ,louis ,,xiv4 is said to have touched #afjj persons4 #fad ,see ,beckett's ,free and ,impartial ,enquiry into the ,antiquity and ,efficacy of ,touching for the ,king's ,evil1 #agbb4 #fae ,see ,notes and ,queries1 #ahfa1 #b;d series1 vol4 xi4 p4 #ga2 ,burns's ,history of ,parish ,registers1 #ahfb1 pp4 #agi1 #ahj2 ,pettigrew's ,superstitions ,connected with ,medicine and ,surgery1 #ahdd1 pp4 #aag-aed4 ,lethargy4 ,this is frequently confounded by medical men of former times1 and by ,shakespeare himself1 with apoplexy4 ,the term occurs in the list of diseases quoted by ,thersites in ,troilus and ,cressida 7v4 #a74faf #faf ,bucknill's ,medical ,knowledge of ,shakespeare1 p4 #bce4 ,leprosy4 ,this was1 in years gone by1 used to denote the lues venerea1 as in ,antony and ,cleopatra 7iii4 #h73 ,yon ribaudred nag of ,egypt1-- ,whom leprosy o'ertake6 99 99 99 99 99 ,hoists sails and flies4 ,leech4 ,the old medical term for a leech is a blood-sucker1 and a knot would be an appropriate term for a number of clustering leeches4 ,so1 in ,richard ,,iii4 7iii4 #c71 ,grey1 being led to the block1 says of ,richard's minions3 ,a knot you are of damned blood-suckers4 ,in #b ,henry ,,vi4 7iii4 #b7 mention is made by ,warwick of the blood-sucker of sleeping men1 which1 says ,dr4 ,bucknill1 appears to mean the vampire-bat4 ,measles4 ,this word originally signified leprosy1 although in modern times used for a very different disorder4 ,its derivation is the old ,french word meseau1 or mesel1 a leper4 ,thus1 ,cotgrave has ,meseau1 a meselled1 scurvy1 leaporous1 lazarous person4 ,distempered or scurvied hogs are still said to be measled4 ,it is in this sense that it is used in ,coriolanus 7iii4 #a73 ,as for my country ,i have shed my blood1 ,not fearing outward force1 so shall my lungs ,coin words till their decay1 against those measles1 ,which we disdain should tetter us1 yet sought ,the very way to catch them4 ,pleurisy4 ,this denotes a plethora1 or redundancy of blood1 and was so used1 probably1 from an erroneous idea that the word was derived from plus pluris4 ,it is employed by ,shakespeare in ,hamlet 7iv4 #g73 ,for goodness1 growing to a plurisy1 ,dies in his own too-much4 ,in the ,two ,noble ,kinsmen 7v4 #a7 there is a similar phrase3 that heal'st with blood ,the earth when it is sick1 and cur'st the world ,o' the plurisy of people4 ,the word is frequently used by writers contemporary with ,shakespeare4 ,thus1 for instance1 ,massinger1 in ,the ,picture 7iv4 #b71 says3 ,a plurisy of ill blood you must let out ,by labour4 ,mummy4 ,this was a preparation for magical purposes1 made from dead bodies1 and was used as a medicine both long before and long after ,shakespeare's day4 ,its virtues seem to have been chiefly imaginary1 and even the traffic in it fraudulent4#fag ,the preparation of mummy is said to have been first brought into use in medicine by a ,jewish physician1 who wrote that flesh thus embalmed was good for the cure of divers diseases1 and particularly bruises1 to prevent the blood's gathering and coagulating4 ,it has1 however1 long been known that no use whatever can be derived from it in medicine1 and that all which is sold in the shops1 whether brought from ,venice or ,lyons1 or even directly from the ,levant by ,alexandria1 is factitious1 the work of certain ,jews1 who counterfeit it by drying carcasses in ovens1 after having prepared them with powder of myrrh1 caballine aloes1 ,jewish pitch1 and other coarse or unwholesome drugs4#fah ,shakespeare speaks of this preparation4 ,thus ,othello 7iii4 #d71 referring to the handkerchief which he had given to ,desdemona1 relates how3 it was dyed in mummy which the skilful ,conserv'd of maidens' hearts4 #fag ,see ,pettigrew's ,history of ,mummies1 #ahcd2 also ,gannal1 ,trait d',embaumement1 #ahch4 #fah ,rees's ,encyclopdia1 #ahbi1 vol4 xxiv4 ,and1 in ,macbeth 7iv4 #a71 the witches' mummy forms one of the ingredients of the boiling caldron4 ,webster1 in ,the ,white ,devil 7#aheg1 p4 #e71 speaks of it3 ,your followers ,have swallow'd you like mummia1 and1 being sick1 ,with such unnatural and horrid physic1 ,vomit you up i' the kennel4 ,sir ,thomas ,browne1 in his interesting ,fragment on ,mummies1 tells us that ,francis ,i4 always carried mummy#fai with him as a panacea against all disorders4 ,some used it for epilepsy1 some for gout1 some used it as a styptic4 ,he further adds3 ,the common opinion of the virtues of mummy bred great consumption thereof1 and princes and great men contended for this strange panacea1 wherein ,jews dealt largely1 manufacturing mummies from dead carcasses1 and giving them the names of kings1 while specifics were compounded from crosses and gibbets leavings4 #fai ,mr4 ,halliwell-,phillipps1 in his ,handbook ,index to ,shakespeare1 #ahff1 p4 #ccb1 calls it a balsamic liquid4 ,nightmare4 ,there are various charms practised1 in this and other countries1 for the prevention of nightmare1 many of which are exceedingly quaint4 ,in days gone by it appears that ,st4 ,vitalis1 whose name has been corrupted into ,st4 ,withold1 was invoked2 and1 by way of illustration1 ,theobald quotes from the old play of ,king ,john#fbj the following3 ,sweet ,s4 ,withold1 of thy lenitie1 defend us from extremitie4 #fbj ,six ,old ,plays1 ed4 ,nichols1 p4 #bef1 quoted by ,mr4 ,aldis ,wright1 in his ,notes to ,king ,lear1 #ahgg1 p4 #agj4 ,shakespeare1 alluding to the nightmare1 in his ,king ,lear 7iii4 #d71 refers to the same saint1 and gives us a curious old charm3 ,saint ,withold footed thrice the old wold2 ,he met the night-mare1 and her nine-fold2 ,bid her alight ,and her troth plight1 ,and1 aroint thee1 witch1 aroint thee6 ,for what purpose1 as ,mr4 ,singer#fba has pointed out1 the incubus is enjoined to plight her troth1 will appear from a charm against the nightmare1 in ,reginald ,scot's ,discovery of ,witchcraft1 which occurs1 with slight variation1 in ,fletcher's ,monsieur ,thomas 7iv4 #f73 ,st4 ,george1 ,st4 ,george1 our lady's knight1 ,he walks by day1 so does he by night1 ,and when he had her found1 ,he her beat and her bound1 ,until to him her troth she plight1 ,she would not stir from him that night4 #fba ,shakespeare1 vol4 ix4 p4 #dac4 ,paralysis4 ,an old term for chronic paralysis was cold palsies1 which is used by ,thersites in ,troilus and ,cressida 7v4 #a74fbb #fbb ,bucknill's ,medical ,knowledge of ,shakespeare1 p4 #bce4 ,philosopher's ,stone4 ,this was supposed1 by its touch1 to convert base metal into gold4 ,it is noticed by ,shakespeare in ,antony and ,cleopatra 7i4 #e73 ,alexas4 ,sovereign of ,egypt1 hail6 ,cleopatra4 ,how much unlike art thou ,mark ,antony6 ,yet1 coming from him1 that great medicine hath ,with his tinct gilded thee4 ,the alchemists call the matter1 whatever it may be1 says ,johnson1 by which they perform transmutation1 a medicine4 ,thus1 ,chapman1 in his ,shadow of ,night 7#aeid73 ,o1 then1 thou great elixir of all treasures2 on which passage he has the following note3 ,the philosopher's stone1 or philosophica medicina1 is called the great elixir4 ,another reference occurs in ,timon of ,athens 7ii4 #b71 where the ,fool1 in reply to the question of ,varro's ,servant1 ,what is a whoremaster1 fool8 answers1 ,a fool in good clothes1 and something like thee4 ',tis a spirit3 sometime 't appears like a lord2 sometime like a lawyer2 sometime like a philosopher1 with two stones moe than's artificial one1 etc42 a passage which ,johnson explains as meaning more than the philosopher's stone1 or twice the value of a philosopher's stone2 though1 as ,farmer observes1 ,gower has a chapter1 in his ',confessio ,amantis1' of the three stones that philosophers made4 ,singer1#fbc in his note on the philosopher's stone1 says that ,sir ,thomas ,smith was one of those who lost considerable sums in seeking of it4 ,sir ,richard ,steele was one of the last eminent men who entertained hopes of being successful in this pursuit4 ,his laboratory was at ,poplar4#fbd #fbc ,shakespeare1 #ahge1 vol4 iii4 p4 #bhd4 #fbd ,see ,pettigrew's ,medical ,superstitions1 pp4 #ac1 #ad4 ,pimple4 ,in the ,midland ,counties1 a common name for a pimple1 which1 by rubbing1 is made to smart1 or rubbed to sense1 is a quat4 ,the word occurs in ,othello 7v4 #a71 where ,roderigo is so called by ,iago3 ,i have rubb'd this young quat almost to the sense1 ,and he grows angry4 --,roderigo being called a quat by the same mode of speech as a low fellow is now called a scab4 ,it occurs in ,langham's ,garden of ,health1 p4 #aec3 ,the leaves of coleworts laid to by themselves1 or bruised with barley meale1 are good for the inflammations1 and soft swellings1 burnings1 impostumes1 and cholerick sores or quats1 etc4 ,plague4 ,tokens1 or ,god's tokens1 were the terms for those spots on the body which denoted the infection of the plague4 ,in ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7v4 #b71 ,biron says3 ,for the ,lord's tokens on you do ,i see2 and in ,antony and ,cleopatra 7iii4 #aj7 there is another allusion3 ,enobarbus4 ,how appears the fight8 ,scarus4 ,on our side like the token'd pestilence1 ,where death is sure4 ,in ,troilus and ,cressida 7ii4 #c71 ,ulysses says of ,achilles3 ,he is so plaguy proud that the death tokens of it ,cry--',no recovery4' ,king ,lear1 too1 it would seem1 compares ,goneril 7ii4 #d7 to these fatal signs1 when he calls her a plague sore4 ,when the tokens had appeared on any of the inhabitants1 the house was shut up1 and ,lord have mercy upon us written or printed upon the door4 ,hence ,biron1 in ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7v4 #b71 says3 ,write1 ',lord have mercy on us1' on those three2 ,they are infected1 in their hearts it lies2 ,they have the plague1 and caught it of your eyes4 ,the red pestilence1 referred to by ,volumnia in ,coriolanus 7iv4 #a71 probably alludes to the cutaneous eruptions common in the plague3 ,now the red pestilence strike all trades in ,rome1 ,and occupations perish6 ,in ,the ,tempest 7i4 #b71 ,caliban says to ,prospero1 ,the red plague rid you4 ,poison4 ,according to a vulgar error prevalent in days gone by1 poison was supposed to swell the body1 an allusion to which occurs in ,julius ,csar 7iv4 #c71 where1 in the quarrel between ,brutus and ,cassius1 the former declares3 ,you shall digest the venom of your spleen1 ,though it do split you4 ,we may also compare the following passage in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7iv4 #d71 where the king says3 ,learn this1 ,thomas1 ,and thou shalt prove a shelter to thy friends2 ,a hoop of gold to bind thy brothers in1 ,that the united vessel of their blood1 ,mingled with venom of suggestion-- ,as1 force perforce1 the age will pour it in-- ,shall never leak1 though it do work as strong ,as aconitum1 or rash gunpowder4 ,in ,king ,john1 ,hubert1 when describing the effect of the poison upon the monk 7v4 #f71 narrates how his bowels suddenly burst out4 ,this passage also contains a reference to the popular custom prevalent in the olden days1 of great persons having their food tasted by those who were supposed to have made themselves acquainted with its wholesomeness4 ,this practice1 however1 could not always afford security when the taster was ready to sacrifice his own life1 as in the present case3#fbe ,hubert4 ,the king1 ,i fear1 is poison'd by a monk3 ,i left him almost speechless4444 ,bastard4 ,how did he take it8 who did taste to him8 ,hubert4 ,a monk1 ,i tell you2 a resolved villain4 #fbe ,bucknill's ,medical ,knowledge of ,shakespeare1 p4 #acf4 ,the natives of ,africa have been supposed to be possessed of the secret how to temper poisons with such art as not to operate till several years after they were administered4 ,their drugs were then as certain in their effect as subtle in their preparation4#fbf ,thus1 in ,the ,tempest 7iii4 #c71 ,gonzalo says3 ,all three of them are desperate3 their great guilt1 ,like poison given to work a great time after1 ,now 'gins to bite the spirits4 #fbf ,singer's ,shakespeare1 vol4 i4 p4 #fe4 ,the belief in slow poisoning was general in bygone times1 although no better founded on fact1 remarks ,dr4 ,bucknill1#fbg than the notion that persons burst with poison1 or that narcotics could1 like an alarum clock1 be set for a certain number of hours4 ,so1 in ,cymbeline 7v4 #e71 ,cornelius relates to the king the queen's confession3 ,she did confess1 she had ,for you a mortal mineral2 which1 being took1 ,should by the minute feed on life1 and1 lingering1 ,by inches waste you4 #fbg ,medical ,knowledge of ,shakespeare1 p4 #bbf4 ,pomander4 ,this was either a composition of various perfumes wrought in the shape of a ball or other form1 and worn in the pocket or hung about the neck1 and even sometimes suspended to the wrist2 or a case for containing such a mixture of perfumes4 ,it was used as an amulet against the plague or other infections1 as well as for an article of luxury4 ,there is an allusion to its use in the ,winter's ,tale 7iv4 #c71 by ,autolycus1 who enumerates it among all his trumpery that he had sold4 ,the following recipe for making a pomander we find in an old play3#fbh ,your only way to make a pomander is this3 take an ounce of the purest garden mould1 cleans'd and steep'd seven days in change of motherless rose-water4 ,then take the best labdanum1 benjoin1 with storaxes1 ambergris1 civet1 and musk4 ,incorporate them together1 and work them into what form you please4 ,this1 if your breath be not too valiant1 will make you smell as sweet as any lady's dog4 #fbh ,quoted in ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 ii4 p4 #fga4 ,rheumatism4 ,in ,shakespeare's day this was used in a far wider sense than nowadays1 including1 in addition to what is now understood by the term1 distillations from the head1 catarrhs1 etc4 ,malone quotes from the ,sidney ,memorials 7vol4 i4 p4 #id71 where the health of ,sir ,henry ,sidney is described3 ,he hath verie much distempored divers parts of his bodie2 as namelie1 his heade1 his stomack1 c41 and thereby is always subject to distillacions1 coughes1 and other rumatick diseases4 ,among the many superstitions relating to the moon1#fbi one is mentioned in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7ii4 #a71 where ,titania tells how the moon1 ,pale in her anger1 washes all the air1 ,that rheumatic diseases do abound4 #fbi ,see p4 #gd4 ,the word rheumatic was also formerly used in the sense of choleric or peevish1 as in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7ii4 #d71 where the ,hostess says3 ,you two never meet but you fall to some discord3 you are both1 in good troth1 as rheumatic as two dry toasts4 ,again1 in ,henry ,v4 7ii4 #c71 the ,hostess says of ,falstaff3 ,a' did in some sort1 indeed1 handle women2 but then he was rheumatic1#fcj and talked of the whore of ,babylon4 #fcj ,malone suggests that the hostess may mean then he was lunatic4 ,serpigo4 ,this appears to have been a term extensively used by old medical authors for any creeping skin disease1 being especially applied to that known as the herpes circinatus4 ,the expression occurs in ,measure for ,measure 7iii4 #a71 being coupled by the ,duke with the gout and the rheum4 ,in ,troilus and ,cressida 7ii4 #c71 ,thersites says3 ,now1 the dry serpigo on the subject4 ,sickness4 ,sickness of stomach1 which the slightest disgust is apt to provoke1 is still expressed by the term queasy2 hence the word denoted delicate1 unsettled2 as in ,king ,lear 7ii4 #a71 where it is used by ,edmund3 ,i have one thing1 of a queasy question1 ,which ,i must act4 ,so ,ben ,jonson employs it in ,sejanus 7i4 #a73 ,these times are rather queasy to be touched4 ,sigh4 ,it was a prevalent notion that sighs impair the strength and wear out the animal powers4 ,thus1 in #b ,henry ,,vi4 7iii4 #b71 ,queen ,margaret speaks of blood-drinking sighs4 ,we may1 too1 compare the words of ,oberon in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7iii4 #b71 who refers to sighs of love1 that cost the fresh blood dear4 ,in #c ,henry ,,vi4 7iv4 #d71 ,queen ,elizabeth says3 for this ,i draw in many a tear1 ,and stop the rising of blood-sucking sighs4 ,once more1 in ,hamlet 7iv4 #g71 the ,king mentions the spendthrift sigh1 that hurts by easing4 ,fenton1 in his ,tragical ,discourses 7#aegi71 alludes to this notion in the following words3 ,your scorching sighes that have already drayned your body of his wholesome humoures4 ,it was also an ancient belief that sorrow consumed the blood and shortened life4 ,hence ,romeo tells ,juliet 7iii4 #e73 ,and trust me1 love1 in my eye so do you3 ,dry sorrow drinks our blood4 ,small-pox4 ,such a terrible plague was this disease in the days of our ancestors1 that its name was used as an imprecation4 ,thus1 in ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7v4 #b71 the ,princess says3 ,a pox of that jest4 ,saliva4 ,the color of the spittle was1 with the medical men of olden times1 an important point of diagnosis4 ,thus1 in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7i4 #b71 ,falstaff exclaims against fighting on a hot day1 and wishes he may never spit white again1 should it so happen4#fca #fca ,bucknill's ,medical ,knowledge of ,shakespeare1 p4 #aej4 ,sterility4 ,the charm against sterility referred to by ,csar in ,julius ,csar 7i4 #b7 is copied from ,plutarch1 who1 in his description of the festival ,lupercalia1 tells us how noble young men run naked through the city1 striking in sport whom they meet in the way with leather thongs1 which blows were commonly believed to have the wonderful effect attributed to them by ,csar3 ,the barren1 touched in this holy chase1 ,shake off their sterile curse4 ,suicide4 ,cominius1 in ,coriolanus 7i4 #i71 arguing against ,marcius's overstrained modesty1 refers to the manner in which suicide was thought preventable in olden times3 ,if 'gainst yourself you be incens'd1 we'll put you1 ,like one that means his proper harm1 in manacles1 ,then reason safely with you4 ,toothache4 ,it was formerly a common superstition--and one1 too1 not confined to our own country--that toothache was caused by a little worm1 having the form of an eel1 which gradually gnawed a hole in the tooth4 ,in ,much ,ado ,about ,nothing 7iii4 #b71 ,shakespeare speaks of this curious belief3 ,don ,pedro4 ,what6 sigh for the toothache8 ,leonato4 ,where is but a humour1 or a worm4 ,this notion was1 some years ago1 prevalent in ,derbyshire1#fcb where there was an odd way of extracting1 as it was thought1 the worm4 ,a small quantity of a mixture1 consisting of dry and powdered herbs1 was placed in some small vessel1 into which a live coal from the fire was dropped4 ,the patient then held his or her open mouth over the vessel1 and inhaled the smoke as long as it could be borne4 ,the cup was then taken away1 and in its place a glass of water was put before the patient4 ,into this glass the person breathed hard for a few moments1 when it was supposed the grub or worm could be seen in the water4 ,in ,orkney1 too1 toothache goes by the name of the worm1 and1 as a remedy1 the following charm1 called wormy lines1 is written on a piece of paper1 and worn as an amulet1 by the person affected1 in some part of his dress3 ,peter sat on a marble stone weeping2 ,christ came past1 and said1 ',what aileth thee1 ,peter8' ',o my ,lord1 my ,god1 my tooth doth ache4' ',arise1 ,o ,peter6 go thy way2 thy tooth shall ache no more4' #fcb ,see ,english ,folk-,lore1 p4 #aef4 ,this notion is still current in ,germany1 and is mentioned by ,thorpe1 in his ,northern ,mythology 7vol4 iii4 p4 #afg71 who quotes a ,north ,german incantation1 beginning1 ,pear tree1 ,i complain to thee2 ,three worms sting me4 ,it is found1 too1 even in ,china and ,new ,zealand1#fcc the following charm being used in the latter country3 ,an eel1 a spiny back ,true indeed1 indeed3 true in sooth1 in sooth4 ,you must eat the head ,of said spiny back4 #fcc ,see ,shortland's ,traditions and ,superstitions of the ,new-,zealanders1 #ahef1 p4 #aca4 ,a writer in the ,athenum 7,jan4 #bh1 #ahfj71 speaking of the ,rev4 ,r4 ,h4 ,cobbold's ,pictures of the ,chinese1 ,drawn by ,themselves1 says3 ,the first portrait is that of a quack doctress1 who pretends to cure toothache by extracting a maggot--the cause of the disorder4 ,this is done--or1 rather1 pretended to be done--by simply placing a bright steel pin on the part affected1 and tapping the pin with a piece of wood4 ,mr4 ,cobbold compares the operation to procuring worms for fishing by working a spade backwards and forwards in the ground4 ,he and a friend submitted to the process1 but in a very short time compelled the doctress to desist1 by the excessive precautions they took against imposition4 ,we may further note that ,john of ,gatisden1 one of the oldest medical authors1 attributes decay of the teeth to a humour or a worm4 ,in his ,rosa ,anglica#fcd he says3 ,si vermes sint in dentibus1 ,rx semen porri1 seu lusquiami contere et misce cum cera1 pone super carbones1 et fumus recipiatur per embotum1 quoniam sanat4 ,solum etiam semen lusquiami valet coctum in aqua calida1 supra quam aquam patiens palatum apertum si tenuerit1 cadent vermes evidenter vel in illam aquam1 vel in aliam qu ibi fuerit ibi posita4 ,de myrrha et aloe ponantur in dentem1 ubi est vermis3 semen caulis1 et absinthium1 per se vermes interficit4 #fcd ,liber ,secundus--,de ,febribus1 p4 #ibc1 ed4 #aeie4 ,tub-fast4 ,in years past the discipline of sweating in a heated tub for a considerable time1 accompanied with strict abstinence1 was thought necessary for the cure of venereal taint4#fce ,thus1 in ,timon of ,athens 7iv4 #c71 ,timon says to ,timandra3 ,be a whore still6 they love thee not that use thee2 ,give them diseases1 leaving with thee their lust4 ,make use of thy salt hours3 season the slaves ,for tubs and baths3 bring down rose-cheeked youth ,to the tub-fast1 and the diet4 #fce ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 ii4 p4 #ijf4 ,as beef1 too1 was usually salted down in a tub1 the one process was jocularly compared to the other4 ,so1 in ,measure for ,measure 7iii4 #b71 ,pompey1 when asked by ,lucio about his mistress1 replies1 ,troth1 sir1 she hath eaten up all her beef1 and she is herself in the tub4 ,again1 in ,henry ,v4 7ii4 #a71 ,pistol speaks of the powdering-tub of infamy4 ,vinegar4 ,in ,shakespeare's day this seems to have been termed eisel 7from ,a4 ,s4 aisel71 being esteemed highly efficacious in preventing the communication of the plague and other contagious diseases4 ,in this sense it has been used by ,shakespeare in ,sonnet cxi43 like a willing patient1 ,i will drink ,potions of eisel1 'gainst my strong infection4 ,in a ,,ms4 ,herbal in the library of ,trinity ,college1 ,cambridge1 occurs acetorum1 ance vynegre or aysel4 ,the word occurs again in ,hamlet 7v4 #a71 where ,laertes is challenged by ,hamlet3 ,woo't drink up eisel8 eat a crocodile8 ,the word woo't1 in the northern counties1 is the common contraction of wouldst thou1 which is the reading of the old copies4 ,in former years it was the fashion with gallants to do some extravagant feat1 as a proof of their love1 in honor of their mistresses1 and1 among others1 the swallowing of some nauseous potion was one of the most frequent4 ,hence1 in the above passage1 some bitter potion is evidently meant1 which it was a penance to drink4 ,some are of opinion that wormwood is alluded to2 and ,mr4 ,singer thinks it probable that the propoma called absinthites1 a nauseously bitter medicament then much in use1 may have been in the poet's mind1 to drink up a quantity of which would be an extreme pass of amorous demonstration4 ,it has been suggested by a correspondent of ,notes and ,queries1#fcf that the reference in this passage from ,hamlet is to a ,lake ,esyl1 which figures in ,scandinavian legends4 ,messrs4 ,wright and ,clark1 however1 in their ,notes to ,hamlet 7#ahgf1 p4 #bah71 say that they have consulted ,mr4 ,magnusson on this point1 and he writes as follows3 ,no such lake as ,esyl is known to ,norse mythology and folk-lore4 ,steevens supposes it to be the river ,yssell4#fcg #fcf ,see #dth series1 vol4 x4 pp4 #ajh1 #aej1 #bbi1 #bhb1 #cef4 #fcg ,see ,dyce's ,shakespeare1 vol4 vii4 p4 #bci4 ,water-casting4 ,the fanciful notion of recognizing diseases by the mere inspection of the urine was denounced years ago1 by an old statute of the ,college of ,physicians1 as belonging to tricksters and impostors1 and any member of the college was forbidden to give advice by this so-called water-casting without he also saw the patient4 ,the statute of the college runs as follows3 ,statuimus1 et ordinamus1 ut nemo1 sive socius1 sive candidatus1 sive permissus consilii quidquam impertiat veteratoriis1 et impostoribus1 super urinarum nuda inspectione1 nisi simul ad grum vocetur1 ut ibidem1 pro re nat1 idonea medicamenta ab honesto aliquo pharmacopoea componenda prscribat4 ,an allusion to this vulgar error occurs in the ,two ,gentlemen of ,verona 7ii4 #a71 where1 after ,speed has given to ,valentine his amusing description of a lover1 in which1 among other signs1 are to walk alone1 like one that had the pestilence1 and to fast1 like one that takes diet1 the following quibble takes place upon the within and the without of the symptoms3 ,valentine4 ,are all these things perceived in me8 ,speed4 ,they are all perceived without ye4 ,valentine4 ,without me8 they cannot4 ,speed4 ,without you8 nay1 that's certain2 for1 without you were so simple1 none else would3 but you are so without these follies1 that these follies are within you1 and shine through you like the water in an urinal1 that not an eye that sees you but is a physician to comment on your malady4 ,this singular pretence1 says ,dr4 ,bucknill1#fch is alleged to have arisen1 like the barber surgery1 from the ecclesiastical interdicts upon the medical vocations of the clergy4 ,priests and monks1 being unable to visit their former patients1 are said first to have resorted to the expedient of divining the malady1 and directing the treatment upon simple inspection of the urine4 ,however this may be1 the practice is of very ancient date4 ,numerous references to this piece of medical quackery occur in many of our old writers1 most of whom condemn it in very strong terms4 ,thus ,forestus1 in his ,medical ,politics1 speaks of it as being1 in his opinion1 a practice altogether evil1 and expresses an earnest desire that medical men would combine to repress it4 ,shakespeare gives a further allusion to it in the passage where he makes ,macbeth 7v4 #c7 say3 ,if thou couldst1 doctor1 cast ,the water of my land1 find her disease1 ,and purge it to a sound and pristine health1 ,i would applaud thee to the very echo4 #fch ,the ,medical ,knowledge of ,shakespeare1 #ahfj1 pp4 #a-fd4 ,and in #b ,henry ,,iv 7i4 #b7 ,falstaff asks the page1 ,what says the doctor to my water8 and1 once more1 in ,twelfth ,night 7iii4 #d71 ,fabian1 alluding to ,malvolio1 says1 ,carry his water to the wise woman4 ,it seems probable1 too1 that1 in the ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7ii4 #c71 the term mock-water1 employed by the host to the ,french ,dr4 ,caius1 refers to the mockery of judging of diseases by the water or urine--mock-water1 in this passage1 being equivalent to you pretending water-doctor6 ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,,customs ,,connected ,,with ,,the ,,calendar4 ,in years gone by the anniversaries connected with the calendar were kept up with an amount of enthusiasm and merry-making quite unknown at the present day4 ,thus1 for instance1 ,shakespeare tells us1 with regard to the ,may-day observance1 that it was looked forward to so eagerly as to render it impossible to make the people sleep on this festive occasion4 ,during the present century the popular celebrations of the festivals have been gradually on the decline1 and nearly every year marks the disuse of some local custom4 ,shakespeare has not omitted to give a good many scattered allusions to the old superstitions and popular usages associated with the festivals of the year1 some of which still survive in our midst4 ,alluding to the revels1 there can be no doubt that ,shakespeare was indebted to the revel-books for some of his plots4 ,thus1 in ,the ,tempest 7iv4 #a71 ,prospero remarks to ,ferdinand and ,miranda1 after ,iris1 ,ceres1 and ,juno have appeared1 and the dance of the nymphs is over3 ,you do look1 my son1 in a mov'd sort1 ,as if you were dismay'd2 be cheerful1 sir4 ,our revels now are ended4 ,these our actors1 ,as ,i foretold you1 were all spirits1 and ,are melted into air1 into thin air3 ,and1 like the baseless fabric of this vision1 ,the cloud-capp'd towers1 the gorgeous palaces1 ,the solemn temples1 the great globe itself1 ,yea1 all which it inherit1 shall dissolve1 ,and1 like this insubstantial pageant faded1 ,leave not a rack behind4 ,it has been inferred that ,shakespeare was present at ,kenilworth1 in #aege1 when ,elizabeth was so grandly entertained there4 ,lakes and seas are represented in the masque4 ,triton1 in the likeness of a mermaid1 came towards the queen1 says ,george ,gascoigne1 and ,arion appeared1 sitting on a dolphin's back4 ,in the dialogue in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream1 between ,oberon and ,puck 7ii4 #a71 there seems a direct allusion to this event3 ,oberon4 ,my gentle ,puck1 come hither4 ,thou remember'st ,since once ,i sat upon a promontory1 ,and heard a mermaid on a dolphin's back ,uttering such dulcet and harmonious breath1 ,that the rude sea grew civil at her song1 ,and certain stars shot madly from their spheres1 ,to hear the sea-maid's music4 ,puck4 ,i remember4 ,then1 too1 there were the ,children of the ,revels1 a company who performed at ,blackfriars ,theatre4 ,in ,hamlet 7ii4 #b71 ,shakespeare alludes to these children-players4#fci ,rosencrantz says1 in the conversation preceding the entry of the players1 in reply to ,hamlet's inquiry whether the actors have suffered through the result of the late inhibition1 evidently referring to the plague1 ,nay1 their endeavour keeps in the wonted pace2 but there is1 sir1 an aery of children1 little eyases1 that cry out on the top of question1 and are most tyrannically clapped for 't2 these are now the fashion2 and so berattle the common stages--so they call them--that many wearing rapiers are afraid of goose-quills1 and dare scarce come thither4 #fci ,the ,england of ,shakespeare1 ,e4 ,goadby1 #ahha1 p4 #aec4 ,twelfth-,day4 ,there can be no doubt that the title of ,shakespeare's play1 ,twelfth ,night1 took its origin in the festivities associated with this festival4 ,the season has1 from time immemorial1 been one of merriment1 the more decided from being the proper close of the festivities of ,christmas1 when games of chance were traditionally rife1 and the sport of sudden and casual elevation gave the tone of the time4 ,of like tone is the play1 and to this1#fdj says ,mr4 ,lloyd1 it apparently owes its title4 ,the play1 it appears1 was probably originally acted at the barristers' feast at the ,middle ,temple1 on ,february #b1 #afja-b1 as ,manningham tells us in his ,diary 7,camden ,society1 #ahfh1 ed4 ,j4 ,bruce1 p4 #ah74 ,it is worthy of note that the festive doings of the ,inns of ,court1 in days gone by1 at ,christmas-tide were conducted on the most extravagant scale4#fda ,in addition to the merry disports of the ,lord of ,misrule1 there were various revels4 ,the ,christmas masque at ,gray's ,inn1 in #aeid1 was on a magnificent scale4 #fdj ,critical ,essays on the ,plays of ,shakespeare1 #ahge1 p4 #ade2 see ,singer's ,shakespeare1 vol4 iii4 pp4 #cdg1 #cdh4 #fda ,see ,british ,popular ,customs1 p4 #dgc4 ,st4 ,valentine's ,day 7,feb4 #ad74 ,whatever may be the historical origin of this festival1 whether heathen or ,christian1 there can be no doubt of its antiquity4 ,according to an old tradition1 to which ,chaucer refers1 birds choose their mates on this day2 and hence1 in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7iv4 #a71 ,theseus asks3 ,good morrow1 friends4 ,st4 ,valentine is past3 ,begin these wood-birds but to couple now8 ,from this notion1 it has been suggested1 arose the once popular practice of choosing valentines1 and also the common belief that the first two single persons who meet in the morning of ,st4 ,valentine's day have a great chance of becoming wed to each other4 ,this superstition is alluded to in ,ophelia's song in ,hamlet 7iv4 #e73 ,to-morrow is ,saint ,valentine's day1 ,all in the morning betime1 ,and ,i a maid at your window1 ,to be your valentine4 ,there seems every probability that ,st4 ,valentine's day1 with its many customs1 has come down to us from the ,romans1 but was fathered upon ,st4 ,valentine in the earlier ages of the ,church in order to ,christianize it4#fdb ,in ,france ,st4 ,valentine's was a movable feast1 celebrated on the first ,sunday in ,lent1 which was called the jour des brandons1 because the boys carried about lighted torches on that day4 #fdb ,notes and ,queries1 #fth series1 vol4 i4 p4 #abi4 ,shrove-,tuesday4 ,this day was formerly devoted to feasting and merriment of every kind1 but whence originated the custom of eating pancakes is still a matter of uncertainty4 ,the practice is alluded to in ,all's ,well that ,ends ,well 7ii4 #b71 where the clown speaks of a pancake for ,shrove-,tuesday4#fdc ,in ,pericles 7ii4 #a7 they are termed flap-jacks1 a term used by ,taylor1 the ,water-,poet1 in his ,jack-a-,lent ,workes 7#afcj1 vol4 i4 p4 #aae73 ,until at last by the skill of the cooke it is transformed into the form of a flap-jack1 which in our translation is called a pancake4 ,shrovetide was1 in times gone by1 a season of such mirth that shroving1 or to shrove1 signified to be merry4 ,hence1 in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7v4 #c71 ,justice ,silence says3 ,be merry1 be merry1 my wife has all2 ,for women are shrews1 both short and tall2 ',tis merry in hall1 when beards wag all1 ,and welcome merry shrove-tide4 ,be merry1 be merry4 #fdc ,cf4 ,as ,you ,like ,it 7i4 #b74 ,touchstone alludes to a certain knight1 that swore by his honour they were good pancakes4 ,it was a holiday and a day of license for apprentices1 laboring persons1 and others4#fdd #fdd ,see ,hone's ,every ,day ,book1 #ahcf1 vol4 i4 p4 #beh2 ,book of ,days1 vol4 i4 p4 #bci2 see1 also1 ,dekker's ,seven ,deadly ,sins1 #afjf1 p4 #ce2 ,british ,popular ,customs1 pp4 #fb-ia4 ,lent4 ,this season was at one time marked by a custom now fallen into disuse4 ,a figure1 made up of straw and cast-off clothes1 was drawn or carried through the streets amid much noise and merriment2 after which it was either burned1 shot at1 or thrown down a chimney4 ,this image was called a ,jack-a-,lent1 and was1 according to some1 intended to represent ,judas ,iscariot4 ,it occurs twice in the ,merry ,wives of ,windsor2 once merely as a jocular appellation 7iii4 #c71 where ,mrs4 ,page says to ,robin1 ,you little ,jack-a-,lent1 have you been true to us8 and once 7v4 #e7 as a butt1 or object of satire and attack1 ,falstaff remarking1 ,how wit may be made a ,jack-a-,lent1 when 'tis upon ill employment6 ,it is alluded to by ,ben ,jonson in his ,tale of a ,tub 7iv4 #b73 ,thou cam'st but half a thing into the world1 ,and wast made up of patches1 parings1 shreds2 ,thou1 that when last thou wert put out of service1 ,travell'd to ,hamstead ,heath on an ,ash ,wednesday1 ,where thou didst stand six weeks the ,jack of ,lent1 ,for boys to hurl three throws a penny at thee1 ,to make thee a purse4 ,elderton1 in a ballad called ,lenton ,stuff1 in a ,,ms4 in the ,ashmolean ,museum1 thus concludes his account of ,lent3#fde ,when ,jakke a' ,lent comes justlynge in1 ,with the hedpeece of a herynge1 ,and saythe1 repent yowe of yower syn1 ,for shame1 syrs1 leve yowre swerynge3 ,and to ,palme ,sonday doethe he ryde1 ,with sprots and herryngs by his syde1 ,and makes an end of ,lenton tyde6#fdf #fde ,notes and ,queries1 #ast series1 vol4 xii4 p4 #big4 #fdf ,see ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 i4 p4 #ddc2 ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 i4 p4 #aja4 ,taylor1 the ,water-,poet1 has a tract entitled ,jack-a-,lent1 his ,beginning and ,entertainment1 with the mad ,prankes of ,gentlemen-,usher1 ,shrove ,tuesday4 ,in the reign of ,elizabeth butchers were strictly enjoined not to sell fleshmeat in ,lent1 not with a religious view1 but for the double purpose#fdg of diminishing the consumption of fleshmeat during that period1 and so making it more plentiful during the rest of the year1 and of encouraging the fisheries and augmenting the number of seamen4 ,butchers1 however1 who had an interest at court frequently obtained a dispensation to kill a certain number of beasts a week during ,lent2 of which indulgence the wants of invalids1 who could not subsist without animal food1 was made the pretence4 ,it is to this practice that ,cade refers in #b ,henry ,,vi4 7iv4 #c71 where he tells ,dick1 the butcher of ,ashford3 ,therefore1 thus will ,i reward thee1--the ,lent shall be as long again as it is2 and thou shalt have a license to kill for a hundred lacking one4 #fdg ,singer's ,shakespeare1 vol4 vi4 p4 #bai4 ,in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7ii4 #d71 ,falstaff mentions an indictment against ,hostess ,quickly1 for suffering flesh to be eaten in thy house1 contrary to the law2 for the which ,i think thou wilt howl4 ,whereupon she replies1 ,all victuallers do so3 what's a joint of mutton or two in a whole ,lent8 ,the sparing fare in olden days1 during ,lent1 is indirectly referred to by ,rosencrantz in ,hamlet 7ii4 #b73 ,to think1 my lord1 if you delight not in man1 what lenten entertainment the players shall receive4 ,we may compare1 too1 ,maria's words in ,twelfth ,night 7i4 #e71 where she speaks of a good lenten answer1 i4 e41 short4 ,by a scrap of proverbial rhyme quoted by ,mercutio in ,romeo and ,juliet 7ii4 #d71 and the speech introducing it1 it appears that a stale hare might be used to make a pie in ,lent2 he says3 ,no hare1 sir3 unless a hare1 sir1 in a lenten pie1 that is something stale and hoar ere it be spent4 ,an old hare hoar1 ,and an old hare hoar1 ,is very good meat in ,lent1 etc4 ,scambling days4 ,the days so called were ,mondays and ,saturdays in ,lent1 when no regular meals were provided1 and our great families scambled4 ,there may possibly be an indirect allusion to this custom in ,henry ,v4 7v4 #b71 where ,shakespeare makes ,king ,henry say3 ,if ever thou beest mine1 ,kate1 as ,i have a saving faith within me tells me thou shalt1 ,i get thee with scambling4 ,in the old household book of the fifth ,earl of ,northumberland there is a particular section appointing the order of service for these days1 and so regulating the licentious contentions of them4 ,we may1 also1 compare another passage in the same play 7i4 #a71 where the ,archbishop of ,canterbury speaks of the scambling and unquiet time4 ,good ,friday4 ,beyond the bare allusion to this day1 ,shakespeare makes no reference to the many observances formerly associated with it4 ,in ,king ,john 7i4 #a7 he makes ,philip the ,bastard say to ,lady ,faulconbridge3 ,madam1 ,i was not old ,sir ,robert's son3 ,sir ,robert might have eat his part in me ,upon ,good ,friday1 and ne'er broke his fast4 ,and1 in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7i4 #b71 ,poins inquires3 ,jack1 how agrees the devil and thee about thy soul1 that thou soldest him on ,good ,friday last1 for a cup of ,madeira and a cold capon's leg8 ,easter4 ,according to a popular superstition1 it is considered unlucky to omit wearing new clothes on ,easter ,day1 to which ,shakespeare no doubt alludes in ,romeo and ,juliet 7iii4 #a71 when he makes ,mercutio ask ,benvolio whether he did not fall out with a tailor for wearing his new doublet before ,easter4 ,in ,east ,yorkshire1 on ,easter ,eve1 young folks go to the nearest market-town to buy some new article of dress or personal adornment to wear for the first time on ,easter ,day1 as otherwise they believe that birds--notably rooks or crakes--will spoil their clothes4#fdh ,in ,poor ,robin's ,almanac we are told3 ,at ,easter let your clothes be new1 ,or else be sure you will it rue4 #fdh ,notes and ,queries1 #dth series1 vol4 v4 p4 #eie4 ,some think that the custom of clacking at ,easter--which is not quite obsolete in some counties--is incidentally alluded to in ,measure for ,measure 7iii4 #b7 by ,lucio3 his use was1 to put a ducat in her clack-dish4#fdi ,the clack or clap dish was a wooden dish with a movable cover1 formerly carried by beggars1 which they clacked and clattered to show that it was empty4 ,in this they received the alms4 ,lepers and other paupers deemed infectious originally used it1 that the sound might give warning not to approach too near1 and alms be given without touching the person4 #fdi ,see ,singer's ,shakespeare1 vol4 i4 p4 #cfb2 ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 i4 p4 #afd3 ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 iii4 p4 #id4 ,a popular name for ,easter ,monday was ,black ,monday1 so called1 says ,stow1 because in the #cdth of ,edward ,,iii4 7#acfj71 the #adth of ,april1 and the morrow after ,easter ,day1 ,king ,edward1 with his host1 lay before the city of ,paris2 which day was full dark of mist and hail1 and so bitter cold1 that many men died on their horses' backs with the cold4 ,wherefore unto this day it hath been call'd the ,blacke ,monday4 ,thus1 in the ,merchant of ,venice 7ii4 #e71 ,launcelot says1 it was not for nothing that my nose fell a-bleeding on ,black ,monday last at six o'clock i' the morning4 ,st4 ,david's ,day 7,march #a74 ,this day is observed by the ,welsh in honor of ,st4 ,david1 their patron saint1 when1 as a sign of their patriotism1 they wear a leek4 ,much doubt exists as to the origin of this custom4 ,according to the ,welsh1 it is because ,st4 ,david ordered his ,britons to place leeks in their caps1 that they might be distinguished from their ,saxon foes4 ,shakespeare introduces the custom into his play of ,henry ,v4 7iv4 #g71 where ,fluellen1 addressing the monarch1 says3 ,your grandfather of famous memory1 an't please your majesty1 and your great uncle ,edward the ,plack ,prince of ,wales1 as ,i have read in the chronicles1 fought a most prave pattle here in ,france4 ,k4 ,henry4 ,they did1 ,fluellen4 ,flu4 ,your majesty says very true3 if your majesties is remembered of it1 the ,welshmen did goot service in a garden where leeks did grow1 wearing leeks in their ,monmouth caps2 which1 your majesty know1 to this hour is an honourable padge of the service2 and ,i do pelieve1 your majesty takes no scorn to wear the leek upon ,saint ,tavy's day4 ,it has been justly pointed out1 however1 that this allusion by ,fluellen to the ,welsh having worn the leek in battle under the ,black ,prince is not1 as some writers suppose1 wholly decisive of its having originated in the fields of ,cressy1 but rather shows that when ,shakespeare wrote ,welshmen wore leeks4#fej ,in the same play1 too 7iv4 #a71 the well-remembered ,fluellen's enforcement of ,pistol to eat the leek he had ridiculed further establishes the wearing as a usage4 ,pistol says3 ,tell him ,i'll knock his leek about his pate ,upon ,saint ,davy's day4 #fej ,see ,hone's ,every ,day ,book1 vol4 i4 p4 #cah2 ,british ,popular ,customs1 pp4 #aaj-aac4 ,in days gone by this day was observed by royalty2 and in #afie we read how ,william ,,iii4 wore a leek on ,st4 ,david's ,day1 presented to him by his sergeant1 ,porter1 who hath as perquisites all the wearing apparel his majestie had on that day1 even to his sword4 ,it appears that formerly1 among other customs1 a ,welshman was burned in effigy upon ,st4 ,tavy's ,day1 an allusion to which occurs in ,poor ,robin's ,almanack for #ageg3 ,but it would make a stranger laugh1 ,to see th' ,english hang poor ,taff3 ,a pair of breeches and a coat1 ,hat1 shoes1 and stockings1 and what not1 ,are stuffed with hay1 to represent ,the ,cambrian hero thereby meant4 ,st4 ,patrick's ,day 7,march #ag74 ,shakespeare1 in ,hamlet 7i4 #e71 makes the ,danish prince swear by ,st4 ,patrick1 on which ,warburton remarks that the whole northern world had their learning from ,ireland4#fea ,as ,mr4 ,singer#feb observes1 however1 it is more probable that the poet seized the first popular imprecation that came to his mind1 without regarding whether it suited the country or character of the person to whom he gave it4 ,some1 again1 have supposed that there is a reference here to ,st4 ,patrick's purgatory1 but this does not seem probable4 #fea ,st4 ,patrick rids ,ireland of snakes2 see p4 #beg4 #feb ,singer's ,shakespeare1 #ahgj1 vol4 ix4 p4 #afh4 ,st4 ,george's ,day 7,april #bc74 ,st4 ,george1 the guardian saint of ,england1 is often alluded to by ,shakespeare4 ,his festival1 which was formerly celebrated by feasts of cities and corporations1 is now almost passed over without notice4 ,thus1 ,bedford1 in #a ,henry ,,vi4 7i4 #a71 speaks of keeping our great ,saint ,george's feast withal4 ,god and ,st4 ,george was once a common battle-cry1 several references to which occur in ,shakespeare's plays4 ,thus1 in ,henry ,v4 7iii4 #a71 the king says to his soldiers3#fec ,cry1 ,god for ,harry1 ,england1 and ,saint ,george4 #fec ,cf4 ,henry ,v41 v4 #b2 #c ,henry ,,vi41 ii4 #a1 #b2 ,taming of the ,shrew1 ii4 #a2 ,richard ,,ii41 i4 #c4 ,again1 in #a ,henry ,,vi4 7iv4 #b71 ,talbot says3 ,god and ,saint ,george1 ,talbot and ,england's right1 ,prosper our colours in this dangerous fight6 ,the following injunction1 from an old act of war1 concerning the use of ,st4 ,george's name in onsets1 is curious3 ,item1 that all souldiers entering into battaile1 assault1 skirmish1 or other faction of armes1 shall have for their common crye and word1 ,st4 ,george1 forward1 or1 ,upon them1 ,st4 ,george1 whereby the souldier is much comforted1 and the enemie dismaied1 by calling to minde the ancient valour of ,england1 with which that name has so often been victorious4#fed #fed ,cited by ,warton in a note on ,richard ,,iii41 v4 #c4 ,the combat of this saint on horseback with a dragon has been very long established as a subject for sign-painting4 ,in ,king ,john 7ii4 #a7 ,philip says3 ,saint ,george1 that swing'd the dragon1 and e'er since ,sits on his horseback at mine hostess' door4 ,it is still a very favorite sign4 ,in ,london alone#fee there are said to be no less than sixty-six public-houses and taverns with the sign of ,st4 ,george and the ,dragon1 not counting beer-houses and coffee-houses4 #fee ,hotten's ,history of ,sign-boards1 #ahff1 #c;d ed41 p4 #bhg4 ,may ,day4 ,the festival of ,may day has1 from the earliest times1 been most popular in this country1 on account of its association with the joyous season of spring4 ,it was formerly celebrated with far greater enthusiasm than nowadays1 for ,bourne tells us how the young people were in the habit of rising a little after midnight and walking to some neighboring wood1 accompanied with music and the blowing of horns1 where they broke down branches from the trees1 which1 decorated with nosegays and garlands of flowers1 were brought home soon after sunrise1 and placed at their doors and windows4 ,shakespeare1 alluding to this practice1 informs us how eagerly it was looked forward to1 and that it was impossible to make the people sleep on ,may morning4 ,thus1 in ,henry ,,viii4 7v4 #d71 it is said3 ,pray1 sir1 be patient3 'tis as much impossible-- ,unless we sweep 'em from the door with cannons-- ,to scatter 'em1 as 'tis to make 'em sleep ,on ,may-day morning4 ,again1 in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7i4 #a71 ,lysander1 speaking of these ,may-day observances1 says to ,hermia3 ,if thou lov'st me1 then1 ,steal forth thy father's house to-morrow night2 ,and in the wood1 a league without the town1 ,where ,i did meet thee once with ,helena1 ,to do observance to a morn of ,may1 ,there will ,i stay for thee4 ,and ,theseus says 7iv4 #a73 ,no doubt they rose up early to observe ,the rite of ,may4#fef #fef ,cf4 ,twelfth ,night 7iii4 #d73 ,more matter for a ,may morning4 ,in the ,two ,noble ,kinsmen 7ii4 #c71 one of the four countrymen asks3 ,do we all hold against the ,maying8 ,in ,chaucer's ,court of ,love we read that early on ,may day ,fourth goth al the ,court1 both most and lest1 to fetche the flowris fresh and blome4 ,in the reign of ,henry ,,viii4 it is on record that the heads of the corporation of ,london went out into the high grounds of ,kent to gather the ,may1 and were met on ,shooter's ,hill by the king and his queen1 ,katherine of ,arragon1 as they were coming from the palace of ,greenwich4 ,until within a comparatively recent period1 this custom still lingered in some of the counties4 ,thus1 at ,newcastle-upon-,tyne1 the following doggerel was sung3 ,rise up1 maidens1 fie for shame6 ,for ,i've been four long miles from hame1 ,i've been gathering my garlands gay1 ,rise up1 fair maidens1 and take in your ,may4 ,many of the ballads sung nowadays1 in country places1 by the village children1 on ,may morning1 as they carry their garlands from door to door1 undoubtedly refer to the old practice of going a-,maying1 although fallen into disuse4 ,in olden times nearly every village had its ,may-pole1 around which1 decorated with wreaths of flowers1 ribbons1 and flags1 our merry ancestors danced from morning till night4 ,the earliest representation of an ,english ,may-pole is that published in the ,variorum ,shakespeare1 and depicted on a window at ,betley1 in ,staffordshire1 then the property of ,mr4 ,tollet1 and which he was disposed to think as old as the time of ,henry ,,viii4 ,the pole is planted in a mound of earth1 and has affixed to it ,st4 ,george's red-cross banner and a white pennon or streamer with a forked end4 ,the shaft of the pole is painted in a diagonal line of black colors upon a yellow ground1 a characteristic decoration of all these ancient ,may-poles1 as alluded to by ,shakespeare in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7iii4 #b71 where it gives point to ,hermia's allusion to her rival ,helena as a painted ,may-pole4#feg ,the popularity of the ,may-pole in former centuries is shown by the fact that one of our ,london parishes1 ,st4 ,andrew ,undershaft1 derives its name from the ,may-pole which overhung its steeple1 a reference to which we find made by ,geoffrey ,chaucer1 who1 speaking of a vain boaster1 says3 ,right well aloft1 and high ye bear your head1 ,as ye would bear the great shaft of ,cornhill4 #feg ,book of ,days1 vol4 i4 p4 #ege2 see ,british ,popular ,customs1 pp4 #bbh-bcj1 #bdi4 ,london1 indeed1 had several ,may-poles1 one of which stood in ,basing ,lane1 near ,st4 ,paul's ,cathedral4 ,it was a large fir pole1 forty feet high and fifteen inches in diameter1 and fabled to be the justing staff of ,gerard the ,giant4 ,only a few1 however1 of the old ,may-poles remain scattered here and there throughout the country4 ,one still supports a weathercock in the churchyard at ,pendleton1 ,manchester2 and in ,derbyshire1 a few years ago1 several were to be seen standing on some of the village greens4 ,the rhymes made use of as the people danced round the ,may-pole varied according to the locality1 and oftentimes combined a curious mixture of the jocose and sacred4 ,another feature of the ,may-day festivities was the morris-dance1 the principal characters of which generally were ,robin ,hood1 ,maid ,marian1 ,scarlet1 ,stokesley1 ,little ,john1 the ,hobby-horse1 the ,bavian or ,fool1 ,tom the ,piper1 with his pipe and tabor4 ,the number of characters varied much at different times and places4 ,in ,all's ,well that ,ends ,well 7ii4 #b71 the clown says3 ,as fit as ten groats is for the hand of an attorney 444 a morris for ,may-day4#feh #feh ,see ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 vol4 i4 pp4 #bdg-bgj2 ,book of ,days1 vol4 i4 pp4 #fcj-fcc4 ,in #b ,henry ,,vi4 7iii4 #a7 the ,duke of ,york says of ,cade3 ,i have seen ,him caper upright1 like a wild ,morisco1 ,shaking the bloody darts1 as he his bells4 ,in the ,two ,noble ,kinsmen 7iii4 #e7 ,gerrold1 the schoolmaster1 thus describes to ,king ,theseus the morris-dance3 ,if you but favour1 our country pastime made is4 ,we are a few of those collected here1 ,that ruder tongues distinguish villagers2 ,and1 to say verity and not to fable1 ,we are a merry rout1 or else a rable1 ,or company1 or1 by a figure1 choris1 ,that 'fore thy dignity will dance a morris4 ,and ,i1 that am the rectifier of all1 ,by title ,pdagogus1 that let fall ,the birch upon the breeches of the small ones1 ,and humble with a ferula the tall ones1 ,do here present this machine1 or this frame3 ,and1 dainty duke1 whose doughty dismal fame1 ,from ,dis to ,ddalus1 from post to pillar1 ,is blown abroad1 help me1 thy poor well willer1 ,and1 with thy twinkling eyes1 look right and straight ,upon this mighty morr--of mickle weight-- ,is--now comes in1 which being glu'd together ,makes morris1 and the cause that we came hether1 ,the body of our sport1 of no small study4 ,i first appear1 though rude1 and raw1 and muddy1 ,to speak1 before thy noble grace1 this tenner2 ,at whose great feet ,i offer up my penner3 ,the next1 the ,lord of ,may and ,lady bright1 ,the chambermaid and serving-man1 by night ,that seek out silent hanging3 then mine host ,and his fat spouse1 that welcomes to their cost ,the galled traveller1 and with a beck'ning1 ,inform the tapster to inflame the reck'ning3 ,then the beast-eating clown1 and next the fool1 ,the bavian1 with long tail and eke long tool2 ,cum multis aliis that make a dance3 ,say ',ay1' and all shall presently advance4 ,among the scattered allusions to the characters of this dance may be noticed that in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7iii4 #c73 and for womanhood1 ,maid ,marian may be the deputy's wife of the ward to thee--the allusion being to the degraded ,maid ,marian of the later morris-dance1 more male than female4#fei #fei ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 ii4 p4 #eej4 ,the hobby-horse1 another personage of the morris-dance on ,may day1 was occasionally omitted1 and appears to have given rise to a popular ballad1 a line of which is given by ,hamlet 7iii4 #b73 ,for1 ,o1 for1 ,o1 the hobby-horse is forgot4 ,this is quoted again in ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7iii4 #a74 ,the hobby-horse was formed by a pasteboard horse's head1 and a light frame made of wicker-work to join the hinder parts4 ,this was fastened round the body of a man1 and covered with a foot-cloth which nearly reached the ground1 and concealed the legs of the performer1 who displayed his antic equestrian skill1 and performed various juggling tricks1 to the amusement of the bystanders4 ,in ,sir ,walter ,scott's ,monastery there is a spirited description of the hobby-horse4 ,the term hobby-horse was applied to a loose woman1 and in the ,winter's ,tale 7i4 #b7 it is so used by ,leontes1 who says to ,camillo3 ,then say ,my wife's a hobby-horse2 deserves a name ,as rank as any flax-wench1 that puts to ,before her troth-plight4 ,in ,othello 7iv4 #a71 ,bianca1 speaking of ,desdemona's handkerchief1 says to ,cassio3 ,this is some minx's token1 and ,i must take out the work6 ,there1 give it your hobby-horse4 ,it seems also to have denoted a silly fellow1 as in ,much ,ado ,about ,nothing 7iii4 #b71 where it is so used by ,benedick4 ,another character was ,friar ,tuck1 the chaplain of ,robin ,hood1 and as such is noticed in the ,two ,gentlemen of ,verona 7iv4 #a71 where one of the outlaws swears3 ,by the bare scalp of ,robin ,hood's fat friar4 ,he is also represented by ,tollet as a ,franciscan friar in the full clerical tonsure1 for1 as he adds1 ,when the parish priests were inhibited by the diocesan to assist in the ,may games1 the ,franciscans might give attendance1 as being exempted from episcopal jurisdiction4#ffj #ffj ,see ,drake's ,shakespeare and his ,times1 #ahag1 vol4 i4 p4 #afc4 ,it was no uncommon occurrence for metrical interludes of a comic species1 and founded on the achievements of the outlaw ,robin ,hood1 to be performed after the morris1 on the ,may-pole green4 ,mr4 ,drake thinks that these interludes are alluded to in ,twelfth ,night 7iii4 #d71 where ,fabian exclaims1 on the approach of ,sir ,andrew ,aguecheek with his challenge1 ,more matter for a ,may morning4 ,whitsuntide4 ,apart from its observance as a religious festival1 ,whitsuntide was1 in times past1 celebrated with much ceremony4 ,in the ,catholic times of ,england it was usual to dramatize the descent of the ,holy ,ghost1 which this festival commemorates--a custom which we find alluded to in ,barnaby ,googe's translation of ,naogeorgus3 ,on ,whit-,sunday white pigeons tame in strings from heaven flie1 ,and one that framed is of wood still hangeth in the skie1 ,thou seest how they with idols play1 and teach the people too3 ,none otherwise than little girls with puppets used to do4 ,this custom appears to have been carried to an extravagant height in ,spain1 for ,mr4 ,fosbroke#ffa tells us that the gift of the ,holy ,ghost was represented by thunder from engines which did much damage4 ,water1 oak leaves1 burning torches1 wafers1 and cakes were thrown down from the church roof2 pigeons and small birds1 with cakes tied to their legs1 were let loose2 and a long censer was swung up and down4 ,in our own country1 many costly pageants were exhibited at this season4 ,thus1 at ,chester1 the ,whitsun ,mysteries were acted during the ,monday1 ,tuesday1 and ,wednesday in ,whitsun week4 ,the performers were carried from one place to another by means of a scaffold--a huge and ponderous machine mounted on wheels1 gayly decorated with flags1 and divided into two compartments--the upper of which formed the stage1 and the lower1 defended from vulgar curiosity by coarse canvas draperies1 answered the purposes of a green-room4 ,to each craft in the city a separate mystery was allotted4 ,thus1 the drapers exhibited the ,creation1 the tanners took the ,fall of ,lucifer1 the water-carriers of the ,dee acted the ,deluge1 etc4 ,the production1 too1 of these pageants was extremely costly2 indeed1 each one has been set down at fifteen or twenty pounds sterling4 ,an allusion to this custom is made in the ,two ,gentlemen of ,verona 7iv4 #d71 where ,julia says3 ,at ,pentecost1 ,when all our pageants of delight were play'd1 ,our youth got me to play the woman's part1 ,and ,i was trimm'd in ,madam ,julia's gown4 #ffa ,encyclopdia of ,antiquities1 #ahdc1 vol4 ii4 p4 #fec4 ,the morris-dance1 too1 was formerly a common accompaniment to the ,whitsun ales1 a practice which is still kept up in many parts of the country4 ,in ,henry ,v4 7ii4 #d71 the ,dauphin thus alludes to it3 ,i say1 'tis meet we all go forth1 ,to view the sick and feeble parts of ,france3 ,and let us do it with no show of fear2 ,no1 with no more than if we heard that ,england ,were busied with a ,whitsun morris-dance4 ,and once more1 in the ,winter's ,tale 7iv4 #d71 ,perdita says to ,florizel3 ,methinks ,i play as ,i have seen them do ,in ,whitsun pastorals4 ,a custom formerly kept up in connection with ,whitsuntide was the ,whitsun ale4 ,ale was so prevalent a drink among us in olden times as to become a part of the name of various festal meetings1 as ,leet ale1 ,lamb ale1 ,bride ale 7bridal71 and1 as we see1 ,whitsun ale4 ,thus our ancestors were in the habit of holding parochial meetings every ,whitsuntide1 usually in some barn near the church1 consisting of a kind of picnic1 as each parishioner brought what victuals he could spare4 ,the ale1 which had been brewed pretty strong for the occasion1 was sold by the churchwardens1 and from its profits a fund arose for the repair of the church4#ffb ,these meetings are referred to by ,shakespeare in ,pericles 7i4 #a73 ,it hath been sung at festivals1 ,on ember-eves and holy-ales4 #ffb ,see ,british ,popular ,customs1 p4 #bgh2 ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 i4 p4 #bgf4 ,in the ,two ,gentlemen of ,verona 7ii4 #e71 when ,launce tells ,speed1 thou hast not so much charity in thee as to go to the ale with a ,christian1 these words have been explained to mean the rural festival so named1 though1 as ,mr4 ,dyce remarks 7,glossary1 p4 #aj71 the previous words of ,launce1 go with me to the ale-house1 show this explanation to be wrong4 ,in the old miracle-plays performed at this and other seasons ,herod was a favorite personage1 and was generally represented as a tyrant of a very overbearing1 violent character4 ,thus ,hamlet says 7iii4 #b73 ,o1 it offends me to the soul1 to hear a robustious periwig-pated fellow tear a passion to tatters1 to very rags1 to split the ears of the groundlings2 who1 for the most part1 are capable of nothing but inexplicable dumb-shows and noise3 ,i would have such a fellow whipped for o'er-doing ,termagant2 it out-herods ,herod4 ,on this account ,alexas mentions him as the most daring character when he tells ,cleopatra 7,antony and ,cleopatra1 iii4 #c73 ,good majesty1 ,herod of ,jewry dare not look upon you ,but when you are well pleas'd4 ,in the ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7ii4 #a71 ,mrs4 ,page speaks of him in the same signification3 ,what a ,herod of ,jewry is this6 ,mr4 ,dyce1 in his ,glossary 7p4 #bjg71 has this note3 ,if the reader wishes to know what a swaggering1 uproarious tyrant ,herod was represented to be in those old dramatic performances1 let him turn to ',magnus ,herodes' in ',the ,towneley ,mysteries1' p4 #adj1 ed4 ,surtees ,society2 to ',king ,herod' in the ',coventry ,mysteries1' p4 #ahh1 ed4 ,shakespeare ,society2 and to ',the ,slaughter of the ,innocents' in ',the ,chester ,plays1' vol4 i4 p4 #agb1 ed4 ,shakespeare ,society4 ,like ,herod1 ,termagant#ffc was a hectoring tyrant of the miracle-plays1 and as such is mentioned by ,hamlet in the passage quoted above4 ,hence1 in course of time1 the word was used as an adjective1 in the sense of violent1 as in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7v4 #d71 that hot termagant ,scot4 ,hall mentions him in his first satire3 ,nor fright the reader with the ,pagan vaunt ,of mighty ,mahound and great ,termagaunt4 #ffc ,according to the crusaders and the old romance writers a ,saracen deity4 ,see ,singer's ,shakespeare1 vol4 ix4 p4 #bad4 ,while speaking of the old mysteries or miracle-plays we may also here refer to the moralities1 a class of religious plays in which allegorical personifications of the virtues and vices were introduced as dramatis person4 ,these personages at first only took part in the play along with the ,scriptural or legendary characters1 but afterwards entirely superseded them4 ,they continued in fashion till the time of ,queen ,elizabeth4 ,several allusions are given by ,shakespeare to these moral plays4 ,thus1 in ,twelfth ,night 7iv4 #a71 the clown sings3 ,i am gone1 sir1 ,and anon1 sir1 ,i'll be with you again ,in a trice1 ,like to the old ,vice1 ,your need to sustain2 ,who1 with dagger of lath1 ,in his rage and his wrath1 ,cries1 ,ah1 ha6 to the devil1 etc4 ,again1 in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7ii4 #d71 ,prince ,henry speaks of that reverend ,vice1 that grey ,iniquity2 and in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7iii4 #b71 ,falstaff says1 now is this ,vice's dagger become a squire4 ,again1 further allusions occur in ,richard ,,iii4 7iii4 #a74 ,gloster says3 ,thus1 like the formal ,vice1 ,iniquity1 ,i moralize two meanings in one word4 ,and once more1 ,hamlet 7iii4 #d71 speaks of a ,vice of kings1 a king of shreds and patches4 ,according to ,nares1 ,vice had the name sometimes of one vice1 sometimes of another1 but most commonly of ,iniquity1 or ,vice itself4 ,he was grotesquely dressed in a cap with ass's ears1 a long coat1 and a dagger of lath4 ,one of his chief employments was to make sport with the devil1 leaping on his back1 and belaboring him with his dagger of lath1 till he made him roar4 ,the devil1 however1 always carried him off in the end4 ,he was1 in short1 the buffoon of the morality1 and was succeeded in his office by the clown1 whom we see in ,shakespeare and others4#ffd #ffd ,see ,dyce's ,glossary1 p4 #dhb4 ,again1 there may be a further allusion to the moralities in ,king ,lear 7ii4 #b71 where ,kent says to ,oswald1 take ,vanity1 the puppet's1 part1 against the royalty of her father4 ,then1 too1 there were the pageants--shows which were usually performed in the highways of our towns1 and assimilated in some degree to the miracle-plays1 but were of a more mixed character1 being partly drawn from profane history4 ,according to ,strutt1 they were more frequent in ,london1 being required at stated periods1 such as the setting of the ,midsummer ,watch1 and the ,lord ,mayor's ,show4#ffe ,among the allusions to these shows given by ,shakespeare1 we may quote one in ,richard ,,iii4 7iv4 #d71 where ,queen ,margaret speaks of ,the flattering index of a direful pageant --the pageants displayed on public occasions being generally preceded by a brief account of the order in which the characters were to walk4 ,these indexes were distributed among the spectators1 that they might understand the meaning of such allegorical representations as were usually exhibited4 ,in the ,merchant of ,venice 7i4 #a71 ,salarino calls argosies the pageants of the sea1 in allusion1 says ,douce1#fff to those enormous machines1 in the shapes of castles1 dragons1 ships1 giants1 etc41 that were drawn about the streets in the ancient shows or pageants1 and which often constituted the most important part of them4 ,again1 in ,as ,you ,like ,it 7iii4 #d71 ,corin says3 ,if you will see a pageant truly play'd1 ,between the pale complexion of true love ,and the red glow of scorn and proud disdain1 ,go hence a little1 and ,i shall conduct you1 ,if you will mark it4 #ffe ,sports and ,pastimes1 #ahgf1 pp4 #be-bh2 see ,warton's ,history of ,english ,poetry1 vol4 ii4 p4 #bjb4 #fff ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 p4 #aed4 ,and in ,antony and ,cleopatra 7iv4 #ad71 ,antony speaks of black vesper's pageants4 ,the nine worthies1 originally comprising ,joshua1 ,david1 ,judas ,maccabus1 ,hector1 ,alexander1 ,julius ,csar1 ,arthur1 ,charlemagne1 and ,godfrey of ,bouillon1 appear from a very early period to have been introduced occasionally in the shows and pageants of our ancestors4 ,thus1 in ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7v4 #b71 the pageant of the nine worthies is introduced4 ,as ,shakespeare1 however1 introduces ,hercules and ,pompey among his presence of worthies1 we may infer that the characters were sometimes varied to suit the circumstances of the period1 or the taste of the auditory4 ,a ,,ms4 preserved in the library of ,trinity ,college1 ,dublin1 mentions the ,six ,worthies having been played before the ,lord ,deputy ,sussex in #aeeg4ffg #ffg ,staunton's ,shakespeare1 #ahfd1 vol4 i4 pp4 #adg1 #adh4 ,another feature of the ,whitsun merry-makings were the ,cotswold games1 which were generally on the ,thursday in ,whitsun week1 in the vicinity of ,chipping ,campden4 ,they were instituted by an attorney of ,burton-on-the-,heath1 in ,warwickshire1 named ,robert ,dover1 and1 like the ,olympic games of the ancients1 consisted of most kinds of manly sports1 such as wrestling1 leaping1 pitching the bar1 handling the pike1 dancing1 and hunting4 ,ben ,jonson1 ,drayton1 and other poets of that age wrote verses on this festivity1 which1 in #afcf1 were collected into one volume1 and published under the name of ,annalia ,dubrensia4#ffh ,in the ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7i4 #a71 ,slender asks ,page1 ,how does your fallow greyhound1 sir8 ,i heard say1 he was outrun on ,cotsall4 ,and in #b ,henry ,,iv4#ffi 7iii4 #b71 ,shallow1 by distinguishing ,will ,squele as a ,cotswold man1 meant to imply that he was well versed in manly exercises1 and consequently of a daring spirit and athletic constitution4 ,a sheep was jocularly called a ,cotsold1 or ,cotswold lion1 from the extensive pastures in that part of ,gloucestershire4 #ffh ,see ,book of ,days1 vol4 i4 p4 #gab4 #ffi ,see ,singer's ,shakespeare1 vol4 v4 p4 #bjf4 ,while speaking of ,whitsuntide festivities1 we may refer to the roasted ,manningtree ox with the pudding in his belly1 to which ,prince ,henry alludes in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7ii4 #d74 ,it appears that ,manningtree1 in ,essex1 formerly enjoyed the privilege of fairs1 by the tenure of exhibiting a certain number of ,stage ,plays yearly4 ,there were1 also1 great festivities there1 and much good eating1 at ,whitsun ales and other times4 ,hence1 it seems that roasting an ox whole was not uncommon on such occasions4 ,the pudding spoken of by ,prince ,henry often accompanied the ox1 as we find in a ballad written in #afeh3fgj ,just so the people stare ,at an ox in the fair ,roasted whole with a pudding in 's belly4 #fgj ,see ,nichol's ,collection of ,poems1 #aghj1 vol4 iii4 p4 #bjd4 ,sheep-shearing ,time commences as soon as the warm weather is so far settled that the sheep may1 without danger1 lay aside their winter clothing2 the following tokens being laid down by ,dyer1 in his ,fleece 7bk4 i71 to mark out the proper time3#fga ,if verdant elder spreads ,her silver flowers2 if humble daisies yield ,to yellow crowfoot and luxuriant grass ,gay shearing-time approaches4 #fga ,see ,knight's ,life of ,shakespeare1 #ahde1 p4 #ga2 ,howitt's ,pictorial ,calendar of the ,seasons1 #ahed1 pp4 #bed-bfg4 ,our ancestors1 who took advantage of every natural holiday1 to keep it long and gladly1 celebrated the time of sheep-shearing by a feast exclusively rural4 ,drayton1#fgb the countryman of ,shakespeare1 has graphically described this festive scene1 the ,vale of ,evesham being the locality of the sheep-shearing which he has pictured so pleasantly3 ,the shepherd king1 ,whose flock hath chanc'd that year the earliest lamb to bring1 ,in his gay baldric sits at his low1 grassy board1 ,with flawns1 curds1 clouted cream1 and country dainties stored2 ,and whilst the bag-pipe plays1 each lusty1 jocund swain ,quaffs syllabubs in cans1 to all upon the plain1 ,and to their country girls1 whose nosegays they do wear2 ,some roundelays do sing2 the rest the burthen bear4 #fgb ,polyolbion1 song #ad2 see ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 ii4 p4 #cd2 ,timbs's ,a ,garland for the ,year1 pp4 #gd1 #ge4 ,in the ,winter's ,tale1 one of the most delicious scenes 7iv4 #d7 is that of the sheep-shearing1 in which we have the more poetical shepherd-queen4 ,mr4 ,furnivall1#fgc in his introduction to this play1 justly remarks3 ,how happily it brings ,shakespeare before us1 mixing with his ,stratford neighbors at their sheep-shearing and country sports1 enjoying the vagabond pedler's gammon and talk1 delighting in the sweet ,warwickshire maidens1 and buying them 'fairings1' telling goblin stories to the boys1 ',there was a man dwelt in a churchyard1' opening his heart afresh to all the innocent mirth1 and the beauty of nature around him4 ,the expense attaching to these festivities appears to have afforded matter of complaint4 ,thus1 the clown asks1 ,what am ,i to buy for our sheep-shearing feast8 and then proceeds to enumerate various things which he will have to purchase4 ,in ,tusser's ,five ,hundred ,points of ,husbandry this festival is described under ,the ,ploughman's ,feast-days3 ,wife1 make us a dinner1 spare flesh neither corne1 ,make wafers and cakes1 for our sheep must be shorne2 ,at sheepe-shearing1 neighbours none other things crave1 ,but good cheere and welcome like neighbours to have4 #fgc ,introduction to the ,leopold ,shakespeare1 p4 xci4 ,midsummer ,eve appears to have been regarded as a period when the imagination ran riot1 and many a curious superstition was associated with this season4 ,thus1 people gathered on this night the rose1 ,st4 ,john's wort1 vervain1 trefoil1 and rue1 all of which were supposed to have magical properties4 ,they set the orpine in clay upon pieces of slate or potsherd in their houses1 calling it a ,midsummer man4 ,as the stalk was found next morning to incline to the right or left1 the anxious maiden knew whether her lover would prove true to her or not4 ,young men sought1 also1 for pieces of coal1 but1 in reality1 certain hard1 black1 dead roots1 often found under the living mugwort1 designing to place these under their pillows1 that they might dream of themselves4#fgd ,it was also supposed that any person fasting on ,midsummer-eve1 and sitting in the church-porch1 would at midnight see the spirits of those persons of that parish who would die that year come and knock at the church-door1 in the order and succession in which they would die4 ,midsummer was formerly thought to be a season productive of madness4 ,thus1 ,malvolio's strange conduct is described by ,olivia in ,twelfth ,night 7iii4 #d7 as ,a very midsummer madness4 ,and1 hence1 ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream is no inappropriate title for the series of wild incongruities of which the play consists4#fge ,the ,low-,dutch have a proverb that1 when men have passed a troublesome night1 and could not sleep1 they have passed ,st4 ,john ,baptist's night--that is1 they have not taken any sleep1 but watched all night4 ,heywood seems to allude to a similar notion when he says3 ,as mad as a ,march hare3 where madness compares1 ,are not midsummer hares as mad as ,march hares8 #fgd ,book of ,days1 vol4 i4 p4 #haf2 see ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 vol4 i4 p4 #cad2 ,soane's ,book of the ,months4 #fge ,see ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 i4 pp4 #ccf1 #ccg4 ,a proverbial phrase1 too1 to signify that a person was mad1 was1 ',tis midsummer moon with you--hot weather being supposed to affect the brain4 ,dog-days4 ,a popular superstition--in all probability derived from the ,egyptians--referred to the rising and setting of ,sirius1 or the ,dog-star1 as infusing madness into the canine race4 ,consequently1 the name of ,dog-days was given by the ,romans to the period between the #c;d of ,july and #aath of ,august1 to which ,shakespeare alludes in ,henry ,,viii4 7v4 #c71 the dog-days now reign4 ,it is obvious that the notion is utterly groundless1 for not only does the star vary in its rising1 but is later and later every year4 ,according to the ,roman belief1 at the rising of the ,dog-star the seas boil1 the wines ferment in the cellars1 and standing waters are set in motion2 the dogs1 also1 go mad1 and the sturgeon is blasted4 ,the term ,dog-days is still a common phrase1 and it is difficult to say whether it is from superstitious adherence to old custom or from a belief of the injurious effect of heat upon the canine race that the magistrates1 often unwisely1 at this season of the year order them to be muzzled or tied up4 ,lammas-day 7,august #a74 ,according to some antiquarians1 ,lammas is a corruption of loaf-mass1 as our ancestors made an offering of bread from new wheat on this day4 ,others derive it from lamb-mass1 because the tenants who held lands under the ,cathedral ,church of ,york were bound by their tenure to bring a live lamb into the church at high mass4#fgf ,it appears to have been a popular day in times past1 and is mentioned in the following dialogue in ,romeo and ,juliet 7i4 #c71 where the ,nurse inquires3 ,how long is it now ,to ,lammas-tide8 ,lady ,capulet4 ,a fortnight1 and odd days4 ,nurse4 ,even or odd1 of all days in the year1 ,come ,lammas-eve at night1 shall she be fourteen8 #fgf ,see ,british ,popular ,customs1 pp4 #cdg-cea4 ,in ,neale's ,essays on ,liturgiology 7#b;d4 ed41 p4 #ebf71 the ,welsh equivalent for ,lammas-day is given as dydd degwm wyn1 lamb-tithing day4 ,st4 ,charity 7,august #a74 ,this saint is found in the ,martyrology on the #ast of ,august3 ,rom passio ,sanctaram ,virginum ,fidei1 ,spei1 et ,charitatis1 qu sub ,hadriano principe martyri coronam adept sunt4#fgg ,she is alluded to by ,ophelia1 in her song in ,hamlet 7iv4 #e73 ,by ,gis1#fgh and by ,saint ,charity1 ,alack1 and fie for shame6 etc4 #fgg ,douglas's ,criterion1 p4 #fh1 cited by ,ritson2 see ,douce's ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 p4 #dge4 #fgh ,this is1 perhaps1 a corrupt abbreviation of ,by ,jesus4 ,some would read ,by ,cis1 and understand by it ,st4 ,cicely4 ,in the ,faire ,maide of ,bristowe 7#afje7 we find a similar allusion3 ,now1 by ,saint ,charity1 if ,i were judge1 ,a halter were the least should hamper him4 ,st4 ,bartholomew's ,day 7,august #bd74 ,the anniversary of this festival was formerly signalized by the holding of the great ,smithfield ,fair1 the only real fair held within the city of ,london4 ,one of the chief attractions of ,bartholomew ,fair were roasted pigs4 ,they were sold piping hot1 in booths and on stalls1 and ostentatiously displayed to excite the appetite of passengers4 ,hence1 a ,bartholomew pig became a popular subject of allusion4 ,falstaff1 in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7ii4 #d71 in coaxing ridicule of his enormous figure1 is playfully called1 by his favorite ,doll3 ,thou whoreson little tidy ,bartholomew boar-pig4 ,dr4 ,johnson1 however1 thought that paste pigs were meant in this passage2 but this is improbable1 as the true ,bartholomew pigs were real roasted pigs1 as may be seen from ,ben ,jonson's play of ,bartholomew ,fair 7i4 #f71 where ,ursula1 the pig-woman1 is an important personage4#fgi ,gay1 too1 speaks of the pig-dressers3 ,like ,bartholomew ,fair pig-dressers1 who look like the dams1 as well as the cooks1 of what they roasted4 ,a further allusion to this season is found in ,henry ,v1 7v4 #b71 where ,burgundy tells how maids1 well-summered and warm kept1 are like flies at ,bartholomew-tide1 blind1 though they have their eyes2 and then they will endure handling1 which before would not abide looking on4 #fgi ,see ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 i4 p4 #eg2 ,morley's ,memoirs of ,bartholomew ,fair1 #ahei4 ,harvest ,home4 ,the ceremonies which graced the ingathering of the harvest in bygone times have gradually disappeared1 and at the present day only remnants of the old usages which once prevailed are still preserved4 ,shakespeare1 who has chronicled so many of our old customs1 and seems to have had a special delight in illustrating his writings with these characteristics of our social life1 has given several interesting allusions to the observances which1 in his day1 graced the harvest-field4 ,thus1 in ,warwickshire1 the laborers1 at their harvest-home1 appointed a judge to try misdemeanors committed during harvest1 and those who were sentenced to punishment were placed on a bench and beaten with a pair of boots4 ,hence the ceremony was called giving them the boots4 ,it has been suggested that this custom is alluded to in the ,two ,gentlemen of ,verona 7i4 #a71 where ,shakespeare makes ,proteus1 parrying ,valentine's raillery1 say1 nay1 give me not the boots4 ,in ,northamptonshire1 when any one misconducted himself in the field during harvest1 he was subjected to a mock-trial at the harvest-home feast1 and condemned to be booted1 a description of which we find in the introduction to ,clare's ,village ,minstrel3 ,a long form is placed in the kitchen1 upon which the boys who have worked well sit1 as a terror and disgrace to the rest1 in a bent posture1 with their hands laid on each other's backs1 forming a bridge for the 'hogs' 7as the truant boys are called7 to pass over2 while a strong chap stands on each side with a boot-legging1 soundly strapping them as they scuffle over the bridge1 which is done as fast as their ingenuity can carry them4 ,some1 however1 think the allusion in the ,two ,gentlemen of ,verona is to the diabolical torture of the boot4 ,not a great while before this play was written1 it had been inflicted1 says ,douce1#fhj in the presence of ,king ,james1 on one ,dr4 ,fian1 a supposed wizard1 who was charged with raising the storms that the king encountered in his return from ,denmark4 ,the unfortunate man was afterwards burned4 ,this horrible torture1 we are told1#fha consisted in the leg and knee of the criminal being enclosed within a tight iron boot or case1 wedges of iron being then driven in with a mallet between the knee and the iron boot4 ,sir ,walter ,scott1 in ,old ,mortality1 has given a description of ,macbriar undergoing this punishment4 ,at a later period the boot signified1 according to ,nares1#fhb an instrument for tightening the leg or hand1 and was used as a cure for the gout1 and called a bootikins4 ,the phrase to give the boots seems to have been a proverbial expression1 signifying ,don't make a laughing-stock of me2 don't play upon me4 #fhj ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 p4 #ba4 #fha ,dyce's ,glossary1 p4 #dg2 ,douce has given a representation of this instrument of torture from ,milloeus's ,praxis ,criminis ,persequendi1 ,paris1 #aeda4 #fhb ,glossary1 vol4 i4 p4 #ie4 ,in the ,merchant of ,venice 7v4 #a71 where ,lorenzo says3 ,come1 ho6 and wake ,diana with a hymn3 ,with sweetest touches pierce your mistress' ear1 ,and draw her home with music1 we have1 doubtless1 an allusion to the ,hock ,cart of the old harvest-home4 ,this was the cart which carried the last corn away from the harvest-field1#fhc and was generally profusely decorated1 and accompanied by music1 old and young shouting at the top of their voices a doggerel after the following fashion3 ,we have ploughed1 we have sowed1 ,we have reaped1 we have mowed1 ,we have brought home every load1 ,hip1 hip1 hip6 harvest home4#fhd #fhc ,cf4 #a ,henry ,,iv4 7i4 #c73 ,his chin1 new reap'd1 ,show'd like a stubble-land at harvest-home4 #fhd ,see ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 ii4 pp4 #af-cc4 ,in ,poor ,robin's ,almanack for ,august1 #afgf1 we read3 ,hoacky is brought home with hallowing1 ,boys with plumb-cake the cart following4 ,holyrood ,day 7,september #ad74 ,this festival1#fhe called also ,holy-,cross ,day1 was instituted by the ,romish ,church1 on account of the recovery of a large piece of the supposed cross by the ,emperor ,heraclius1 after it had been taken away1 on the plundering of ,jerusalem1 by ,chosroes1 king of ,persia4 ,among the customs associated with this day was one of going a-nutting1 alluded to in the old play of ,grim1 the ,collier of ,croydon 7ii4 #a73 ,to morrow is ,holy-rood day1 ,when all a-nutting take their way4 #fhe ,see ,british ,popular ,customs1 pp4 #cgb1 #cgc4 ,in ,lincolnshire this day is called ,hally-,loo ,day4 ,shakespeare mentions this festival in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7i4 #a71 where he represents the ,earl of ,westmoreland relating how1 ,on ,holy-rood day1 the gallant ,hotspur there1 ,young ,harry ,percy and brave ,archibald1 ,that ever-valiant and approved ,scot1 ,at ,holmedon met4 ,st4 ,lambert's ,day 7,september #ag74 ,this saint1 whose original name was ,landebert1 but contracted into ,lambert1 was a native of ,maestricht1 in the seventh century1 and was assassinated early in the eighth4#fhf ,his festival is alluded to in ,richard ,,ii4 7i4 #a71 where the king says3 ,be ready1 as your lives shall answer it1 ,at ,coventry1 upon ,saint ,lambert's day4 #fhf ,see ,butler's ,lives of the ,saints4 ,michaelmas 7,september #bi74 ,in the ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7i4 #a71 this festival is alluded to by ,simple1 who1 in answer to ,slender1 whether he had the ,book of riddles about him1 replies3 ,why1 did you not lend it to ,alice ,shortcake upon ,all-hallowmas last1 a fortnight afore ,michaelmas1--this doubtless being an intended blunder4 ,in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7ii4 #d71 ,francis says3 ,let me see--about ,michaelmas next ,i shall be4 ,st4 ,etheldreda1 or ,audry1 commemorated in the ,romish ,calendar on the #bc;d of ,june1 but in the ,english ,calendar on the #agth of ,october1 was daughter of ,annas1 ,king of the ,east ,angles4 ,she founded the convent and church of ,ely1 on the spot where the cathedral was subsequently erected4 ,formerly1 at ,ely1 a fair was annually held1 called in her memory ,st4 ,audry's ,fair1 at which much cheap lace was sold to the poorer classes1 which at first went by the name of ,st4 ,audry's lace1 but in time was corrupted into tawdry lace4 ,shakespeare makes an allusion to this lace in the ,winter's ,tale 7iv4 #d71 where ,mopsa says3 ,come1 you promised me a tawdry lace1 and a pair of sweet gloves2 although in his time the expression rather meant a rustic necklace4#fhg ,an old ,english historian makes ,st4 ,audry die of a swelling in her throat1 which she considered as a particular judgment for having been in her youth addicted to wearing fine necklaces4#fhh #fhg ,see ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 ii4 p4 #hfh2 ,brady's ,clavis ,calendaria4 #fhh ,nich4 ,harpsfield1 ,hist4 ,eccl4 ,anglicana1 p4 #hf4 ,st4 ,crispin's ,day 7,october #be7 has for centuries been a red-letter day in the calendar of the shoemakers1 being the festival of their patron saint4 ,according to tradition1 the brothers ,crispin and ,crispinian1 natives of ,rome1 having become converted to ,christianity1 travelled to ,soissons1 in ,france1 in order to preach the gospel4 ,being desirous1 however1 of rendering themselves independent1 they earned their daily bread by making shoes1 with which1 it is said1 they furnished the poor1 at an extremely low price4 ,when the governor of the town discovered that they maintained the ,christian faith1 and also tried to make proselytes of the inhabitants1 he ordered them to be beheaded4 ,from this time the shoemakers have chosen them for their tutelary saints4 ,shakespeare has perpetuated the memory of this festival by the speech which he has given to ,henry ,v4 7iv4 #c71 before the battle of ,agincourt3 ,this day is call'd the feast of ,crispian3 ,he that outlives this day1 and comes safe home1 ,will stand a tip-toe when this day is nam'd1 ,and rouse him at the name of ,crispian4 ,he that shall live this day1 and see old age1 ,will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours1 ,and say1 ',to-morrow is ,saint ,crispian4' ,st4 ,dennis has been adopted as the patron saint of ,france 7,october #i71 in the same manner as the ,english have chosen ,st4 ,george4 ,the guardianship of the two countries is thus expressed in the chorus to the old ballad3 ,st4 ,george he was for ,england1 ,st4 ,denis was for ,france1 ,singing1 ,honi soit qui mal y pense4 ,king ,henry 7,henry ,v41 v4 #b7 says to ,princess ,katherine3 ,shall not thou and ,i1 between ,saint ,dennis and ,saint ,george1 compound a boy1 half ,french1 half ,english1 etc4 ,in #a ,henry ,,vi4 7iii4 #b71 ,charles says3 ,saint ,dennis bless this happy stratagem1 ,and once again we'll sleep secure in ,rouen4 ,hallowmas 7,november #a7 is one of the names for the feast of ,all-hallows1 that is1 ,all-,saints4 ,shakespeare alludes to a custom relative to this day1 some traces of which are still to be found in ,staffordshire1 ,cheshire1 and other counties4 ,the poor people go from parish to parish a-souling1 as they term it1 that is1 begging1 in a certain lamentable tone1 for soul-cakes1 at the same time singing a song which they call the souler's song4 ,this practice is1 no doubt1 a remnant of the ,popish ceremony of praying for departed souls1 especially those of friends1 on the ensuing day1 ,november #b1 the feast of ,all-,souls4#fhi ,the following is a specimen of the doggerel sung on these occasions3 ,soul6 soul6 for a soul-cake2 ,pray1 good mistress1 for a soul-cake4 ,one for ,peter1 and two for ,paul1 ,three for them who made us all4 ,soul6 soul6 for an apple or two3 ,if you've got no apples1 pears will do4 ,up with your kettle1 and down with your pan1 ,give me a good big one1 and ,i'll be gone4 ,soul6 soul6 for a soul-cake1 etc4 ,an apple1 a pear1 a plum1 or a cherry1 ,is a very good thing to make us merry4 #fhi ,see ,british ,popular ,customs1 p4 #djd4 ,in the ,two ,gentlemen of ,verona 7ii4 #a71 ,speed thus speaks of this practice3 ,to watch1 like one that fears robbing2 to speak puling1#fij like a beggar at ,hallowmas4 #fij ,puling1 or singing small1 as ,bailey explains the word4 ,the season of ,hallowmas1 having been frequently mild1 has been1 from time immemorial1 proverbially called ,all-hallown summer1 i4 e41 late summer4 ,thus1 in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7i4 #b71 ,prince ,henry1 likening ,falstaff1 with his old age and young passions1 to this ,november summer1 addresses him3 ,farewell1 thou latter spring6 ,farewell1 ,all-hallown summer4#fia ,in some parts of ,germany there is a proverb1 ,all-,saints' ,day brings the second summer2 and in ,sweden there is often about this time a continuance of warm1 still weather1 which is called the ,all-,saints' rest4 #fia ,see ,swainson's ,weather-,lore1 #ahgc1 pp4 #ada-adc4 ,there is another reference to this festival in ,richard ,,ii4 7v4 #a71 where the king says of his wife3 ,she came adorned hither like sweet ,may1 ,sent back like ,hallowmas or short'st of day4 ,all-,souls' ,day 7,november #b7--which is set apart by the ,roman ,catholic ,church for a solemn service for the repose of the dead--was formerly observed in this country1 and among the many customs celebrated in its honor were ringing the passing bell1 making soul-cakes1 blessing beans1 etc4#fib ,in ,richard ,,iii4 7v4 #a71 ,buckingham1 when led to execution1 says3 ,this is ,all-,souls' day1 fellows1 is it not8 ,sheriff4 ,it is1 my lord4 ,buckingham4 ,why1 then1 ,all-,souls' day is my body's doomsday4 #fib ,see ,british ,popular ,customs1 p4 #dji4 ,lord ,mayor's ,day 7,november #i74 ,a custom which was in days gone by observed at the inauguration dinner was that of the ,lord ,mayor's fool leaping1 clothes and all1 into a large bowl of custard4 ,it is alluded to in ,all's ,well that ,ends ,well 7ii4 #e71 by ,lafeu3 ,you have made shift to run into't1 boots and spurs and all1 like him that leaped into the custard4 ,ben ,jonson1 in his ,devil's an ,ass 7i4 #a71 thus refers to it3 ,he may1 perchance1 in tail of a sheriff's dinner1 ,skip with a rime o' the table1 from new nothing1 ,and take his almain leap into a custard1 ,shall make my lady mayoress and her sisters1 ,laugh all their hoods over their shoulders4 ,st4 ,martin's ,day 7,november #aa74 ,the mild weather about this time has given rise to numerous proverbs2 one of the well-known ones being ,st4 ,martin's little summer1 an allusion to which we find in #a ,henry ,,vi4 7i4 #b71 where ,joan of ,arc says3 ,expect ,saint ,martin's summer1 halcyon days4 which ,johnson paraphrases thus3 ,expect prosperity after misfortune1 like fair weather at ,martlemas1 after winter has begun4 ,as an illustration1 too1 of this passage1 we may quote from the ,times1 ,october #f1 #ahfd3 ,it was one of those rare but lovely exceptions to a cold season1 called in the ,mediterranean ,st4 ,martin's summer4 ,a corruption of ,martinmas is ,martlemas4 ,falstaff is jocularly so called by ,poins1 in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7ii4 #b71 as being in the decline1 as the year is at this season3 ,and how doth the martlemas1 your master8 ,this was the customary time for hanging up provisions to dry1 which had been salted for winter use4 ,st4 ,nicholas 7,december #f74 ,this saint was deemed the patron of children in general1 but more particularly of all schoolboys1 among whom his festival used to be a very great holiday4 ,various reasons have been assigned for his having been chosen as the patron of children--either because the legend makes him to have been a bishop while yet a boy1 or from his having restored three young scholars to life who had been cruelly murdered1#fic or1 again1 on account of his early abstinence when a boy4 ,in the ,two ,gentlemen of ,verona 7iii4 #a7 he is alluded to in this capacity3 ,speed4 ,come1 fool1 come2 try me in thy paper4 ,launce4 ,there2 and ,saint ,nicholas be thy speed4 #fic ,see ,douce's ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 p4 #be2 ,the ,church of ,our ,fathers1 by ,d4 ,rock1 #ahec1 vol4 iii4 p4 #bae2 ,gent4 ,mag41 #aggg1 vol4 xliii4 p4 #aeh2 see ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 ii4 pp4 #fja1 #fjb2 ,brady's ,clavis ,calendaria4 ,nicholas's clerks was1 and still is1 a cant term for highwaymen and robbers2 but though the expression is very common1 its origin is a matter of uncertainty4 ,in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7ii4 #a7 it is thus alluded to3 ,gadshill4 ,sirrah1 if they meet not with ,saint ,nicholas' clerks1 ,i'll give thee this neck4 ,chamberlain4 ,no4 ,i'll none of it3 ,i pr'thee1 keep that for the hangman3 for ,i know thou worshippest ,saint ,nicholas as truly as a man of falsehood may4 ,christmas4 ,among the observances associated with this season1 to which ,shakespeare alludes1 we may mention the ,christmas ,carol1 a reference to which is probably made in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7ii4 #a71 by ,titania3 ,no night is now with hymn or carol blest4 ,hamlet 7ii4 #b7 quotes two lines from a popular ballad1 entitled the ,song of ,jephthah's ,daughter1 and adds3 ,the first row of the pious chanson will show you more4#fid #fid ,drake's ,shakespeare and his ,times1 vol4 i4 p4 #aih4 ,in days gone by1 the custom of carol-singing was most popular1 and ,warton1 in his ,history of ,english ,poetry1 notices a license granted in #aefb to ,john ,tysdale for printing ,certayne goodly carowles to be songe to the glory of ,god2 and again ,crestenmas ,carowles auctorisshed by my lord of ,london4#fie #fie ,see ,sandy's ,christmastide1 its ,history1 ,festivities1 and ,carols2 also ,athenum1 ,dec4 #bj1 #ahef4 ,in the ,taming of the ,shrew 7,ind41 sc4 #b7 ,sly asks whether a comonty#fif is not a ,christmas gambold4 ,formerly the sports and merry-makings at this season were on a most extensive scale1 being presided over by the ,lord of ,misrule4#fig ,again1 in ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7v4 #b71 ,biron speaks of a ,christmas comedy4 #fif ,his blunder for comedy4 #fig ,see ,british ,popular ,customs1 #ahgf1 pp4 #dei1 #dfc2 ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 ii4 p4 #idc2 ,antiquarian ,repertory1 vol4 i4 p4 #bah4 ,as we have noticed1 too1 in our chapter on ,plants1 a gilt nutmeg was formerly a common gift at ,christmas1 and on other festive occasions1 to which an allusion is probably made in the same scene4 ,formerly1 at this season1 the head of the house assembled his family around a bowl of spiced ale1 from which he drank their healths1 then passed it to the rest1 that they might drink too4 ,the word that passed among them was the ancient ,saxon phrase wass hael#fih1 i4 e41 to your health4 ,hence this came to be recognized as the wassail or wassel bowl2 and was the accompaniment to festivity of every kind throughout the year4 ,thus ,hamlet 7i4 #d7 says3 ,the king doth wake to-night1 and takes his rouse1 ,keeps wassail4 #fih ,this was a deep draught to the health of any one1 in which it was customary to empty the glass or vessel4 ,and in ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7v4 #b71 ,biron speaks of3 wakes and wassails1 meetings1 markets1 fairs4 ,in ,macbeth 7i4 #g71 it is used by ,lady ,macbeth in the sense of intemperance1 who1 speaking of ,duncan's two chamberlains1 says3 ,will ,i with wine and wassail so convince1 ,that memory1 the warder of the brain1 ,shall be a fume1 and the receipt of reason ,a limbeck only4 ,in ,antony and ,cleopatra 7i4 #d71 ,csar advises ,antony to live more temperately1 and to leave his lascivious wassails4#fii #fii ,see ,douce's ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 #ahci1 pp4 #dda-ddi4 ,in the same way1 a wassail candle denoted a large candle lighted up at a festival1 a reference to which occurs in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7i4 #b73 ,chief-,justice4 ,you are as a candle1 the better part burnt out4 ,falstaff4 ,a wassail candle1 my lord2 all tallow4 ,a custom which formerly prevailed at ,christmas1 and has not yet died out1 was for mummers to go from house to house1 attired in grotesque attire1 performing all kinds of odd antics4#gjj ,their performances1 however1 were not confined to this season4 ,thus1 in ,coriolanus 7ii4 #a7 ,menenius speaks of making faces like mummers4 #gjj ,see ,british ,popular ,customs1 pp4 #dfa1 #dfi1 #dgh1 #dhj4 ,cakes and ,ale4 ,it was formerly customary on holidays and saints' days to make cakes in honor of the day4 ,in ,twelfth ,night 7ii4 #c71 ,sir ,toby says3 ,dost thou think1 because thou art virtuous1 there shall be no more cakes and ale8 ,to which the ,clown replies3 ,yes1 by ,saint ,anne2 and ginger shall be hot i' the mouth too4 ,wakes4 ,in days gone by1 the church wake was an important institution1 and was made the occasion for a thorough holiday4 ,each church1 when consecrated1 was dedicated to a saint1 and on the anniversary of that day was kept the wake4 ,in many places there was a second wake on the birthday of the saint4 ,at such seasons1 the floor of the church was strewed with rushes and flowers1 and in the churchyard tents were erected1 to supply cakes and ale for the use of the merrymakers on the following day1 which was kept as a holiday4 ,they are still kept up in many parishes1 but in a very different manner4#gja ,in ,king ,lear 7iii4 #f71 ,edgar says3 ,come1 march to wakes and fairs1 and market towns4 ,we may also compare ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7v4 #b7 and ,winter's ,tale 7iv4 #b74 ,in ,hamlet 7i4 #d7 it is used in the sense of revel4 #gja ,see ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 i4 pp4 #a-ae4 ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,,birth ,,and ,,baptism4 ,as every period of human life has its peculiar rites and ceremonies1 its customs and superstitions1 so has that ever all-eventful hour which heralds the birth of a fresh actor upon the world's great stage4 ,from the cradle to the grave1 through all the successive epochs of man's existence1 we find a series of traditional beliefs and popular notions1 which have been handed down to us from the far-distant past4 ,although1 indeed1 these have lost much of their meaning in the lapse of years1 yet in many cases they are survivals of primitive culture1 and embody the conceptions of the ancestors of the human race4 ,many of these have been recorded by ,shakespeare1 who1 acting upon the great principle of presenting his audience with matters familiar to them1 has given numerous illustrations of the manners and superstitions of his own country1 as they existed in his day4 ,thus1 in ,richard ,,iii4 7iii4 #a71 when he represents the ,duke of ,gloster saying1 ,so wise so young1 they say1 do never live long1 he alludes to the old superstition1 still deeply rooted in the minds of the lower orders1 that a clever child never lives long4 ,in ,bright's ,treatise of ,melancholy 7#aehf1 p4 #eb71 we read3 ,i have knowne children languishing of the splene1 obstructed and altered in temper1 talke with gravity and wisdom surpassing those tender years1 and their judgments carrying a marvellous imitation of the wisdome of the ancient1 having after a sort attained that by disease1 which others have by course of yeares2 whereof ,i take it the proverb ariseth1 that 'they be of shorte life who are of wit so pregnant4' ,there are sundry superstitious notions relating to the teething of children prevalent in our own and other countries4 ,in #c ,henry ,,vi4 7v4 #f71 the ,duke of ,gloster1 alluding to the peculiarities connected with his1 birth1 relates how ,the midwife wonder'd2 and the women cried ',o1 ,jesus bless us1 he is born with teeth6' ,and so ,i was2 which plainly signified ,that ,i should snarl1 and bite1 and play the dog4 ,it is still believed1 for instance1 in many places1 that if a child's first tooth appears in the upper jaw it is an omen of its dying in infancy2 and when the teeth come early it is regarded as an indication that there will soon be another baby4 ,in ,sussex there is a dislike to throwing away the cast teeth of children1 from a notion that1 should they be found and gnawed by any animal1 the child's new tooth would be exactly like the animal's that had bitten the old one4 ,in ,durham1 when the first teeth come out the cavities must be filled with salt1 and each tooth burned1 while the following words are repeated3 ,fire1 fire1 burn bone1 ,god send me my tooth again4 ,in the above passage1 then1 ,shakespeare simply makes the ,duke of ,gloster refer to that extensive folk-lore associated with human birth1 showing how careful an observer he was in noticing the whims and oddities of his countrymen4 ,again1 one of the foremost dangers supposed to hover round the new-born infant was the propensity of witches and fairies to steal the most beautiful and well-favored children1 and to leave in their places such as were ugly and stupid4 ,these were usually called changelings4 ,shakespeare alludes to this notion in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7ii4 #a71 where ,puck says3 ,because that she1 as her attendant1 hath ,a lovely boy1 stol'n from an ,indian king2 ,she never had so sweet a changeling4 ,and further on1 in the same scene1 ,oberon says3 ,i do but beg a little changeling boy1 ,to be my henchman4 ,as a fairy is1 in each case1 the speaker1 the changeling in this case denotes the child taken by them4 ,so1 too1 in the ,winter's ,tale 7iii4 #c71 in the passage where the ,shepherd relates3 it was told me1 ,i should be rich by the fairies2 this is some changeling3--open't4 ,as the child here found was a beautiful one1 the changeling must naturally mean the child stolen by the fairies1 especially as the gold left with it is conjectured to be fairy gold4 ,the usual signification1 however1 of the term changeling is thus marked by ,spenser 7,fairy ,queen1 ,i4 x4 #fe74 ,from thence a faery thee unweeting reft1 ,there as thou slepst in tender swadling band1 ,and her base elfin brood there for thee left3 ,such men do chaungelings call1 so chaunged by faeries theft4 ,occasionally fairies played pranks with new-born children by exchanging them4 ,to this notion ,king ,henry refers 7#a ,henry ,,iv4 i4 #a7 when1 speaking of ,hotspur compared with his own profligate son1 he exclaims3 ,o that it could be prov'd ,that some night-tripping fairy had exchang'd ,in cradle-clothes our children where they lay1 ,and call'd mine ,percy1 his ,plantagenet6 ,to induce the fairies to restore the stolen child1 it was customary in ,ireland either to put the one supposed of being a changeling on a hot shovel1 or to torment it in some other way4 ,it seems that1 in ,denmark1 the mother heats the oven1 and places the changeling on the peel1 pretending to put it in1 or whips it severely with a rod1 or throws it into the water4 ,in the ,western ,isles of ,scotland idiots are supposed to be the fairies' changelings1 and1 in order to regain the lost child1 parents have recourse to the following device4 ,they place the changeling on the beach1 below high-water mark1 when the tide is out1 and pay no heed to its screams1 believing that the fairies1 rather than suffer their offspring to be drowned by the rising water1 will convey it away1 and restore the child they had stolen4 ,the sign that this has been done is the cessation of the child's screaming4 ,the most effectual preservative1 however1 against fairy influence1 is supposed to be baptism2 and hence1 among the superstitious1 this rite is performed as soon as possible4 ,a form of superstition very common in days gone by was the supposed influence of the ,evil eye1 being designated by the terms o'erlooked1 forelooked1 or eye-bitten1 certain persons being thought to possess the power of inflicting injury by merely looking on those whom they wished to harm4 ,even the new-born child was not exempt from this danger1 and various charms were practised to avert it4 ,in the ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7v4 #e71 ,pistol says of ,falstaff3 ,vile worm1 thou wast o'erlook'd1 even in thy birth4 ,this piece of folk-lore may be traced back to the time of the ,romans1 and1 in the late ,professor ,conington's translation of the ,satires of ,persius1 it is thus spoken of3 ,look here6 a grandmother or a superstitious aunt has taken baby from his cradle1 and is charming his forehead against mischief by the joint action of her middle-finger and her purifying spittle2 for she knows right well how to check the evil eye4#gjb ,is is again alluded to in the ,merchant of ,venice 7iii4 #b71 where ,portia1 expressing to ,bassanio her feelings of regard1 declares3 ,beshrew your eyes1 ,they have o'erlook'd me1 and divided me2 ,one half of me is yours1 the other half yours2 and in ,titus ,andronicus 7ii4 #a71 ,aaron speaks of ,tamora as3 faster bound to ,aaron's charming eyes ,than is ,prometheus tied to ,caucasus4 #gjb ,see ,douce's ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 p4 #chc2 ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 iii4 pp4 #dd-df1 #cbf4 ,this superstition1 however1 is not yet obsolete1 but lingers on in many country places4 ,we may also compare a similar phrase made use of by ,cleopatra 7,antony and ,cleopatra1 iii4 #g71 in answer to ,enobarbus3 ,thou hast forspoke my being in these wars1 the word forespeak having anciently had the meaning of charm or bewitch1 like forbid in ,macbeth 7i4 #c73 ,he shall live a man forbid4#gjc #gjc ,see ,napier's ,folk-,lore of ,west of ,scotland1 #ahgi1 pp4 #cd-dj2 ,keightley's ,fairy ,mythology2 ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 iii4 pp4 #gc1 #gd4 ,among the numerous customs associated with the birth of a child may be mentioned the practice of giving presents at the announcement of this important event4 ,in ,henry ,,viii4 7v4 #a71 on the old lady's making known to the king the happy tidings of the birth of a princess1 he says to ,lovell3 ,give her an hundred marks4 ,i'll to the queen4 ,the old lady1 however1 resents what she considers a paltry sum3 ,an hundred marks6 ,by this light1 ,i'll ha' more4 ,an ordinary groom is for such payment4 ,i will have more1 or scold it out of him4 ,it was an ancient custom--one which is not quite out of use--for the sponsors at christenings to offer silver or gilt spoons as a present to the child4 ,these were called apostle spoons1 because the extremity of the handle was formed into the figure of one or other of the apostles4 ,such as were opulent and generous gave the whole twelve2 those who were moderately rich or liberal escaped at the expense of the four evangelists1 or even sometimes contented themselves with presenting one spoon only1 which exhibited the figure of any saint1 in honor of whom the child received its name4 ,in ,henry ,,viii4 7v4 #b7 it is in allusion to this custom that1 when ,cranmer professes to be unworthy of being a sponsor to the young princess1 ,shakespeare makes the king reply3 ,come1 come1 my lord1 you'd spare your spoons4 ,a story is related of ,shakespeare promising spoons to one of ,ben ,jonson's children1 in a collection of anecdotes entitled ,merry ,passages and ,jests1 compiled by ,sir ,nicholas ,l',estrange 7,,mss4 ,harl4 #fcie73 ,shakespeare was godfather to one of ,ben ,jonson's children1 and after the christ'ning1 being in a deepe study1 ,jonson came to cheere him up1 and ask't him why he was so melancholy4 ',no faith1 ,ben 7sayes he71 not ,i2 but ,i have been considering a great while what should be the fittest gift for me to bestow upon my godchild1 and ,i have resolv'd at last4' ',i pr'y thee1 what8' sayes he4 ',i' faith1 ,ben1 ,i'le e'en give him a douzen good ,latin spoones1 and thou shalt translate them4' ,shakespeare1 says ,mr4 ,thoms1#gjd willing to show his wit1 if not his wealth1 gave a dozen spoons1 not of silver1 but of latten1 a name formerly used to signify a mixed metal resembling brass1 as being the most appropriate gift to the child of a father so learned4 ,in ,middleton's ,chaste ,maid of ,cheapside1 #afbj3 #b ,gossip4 ,what has he given her8 ,what is it1 gossip8 #c ,gossip4 ,a fair1 high-standing cup1 and two great 'postle spoons1 one of them gilt4 #gjd ,anecdotes and ,traditions1 #ahci1 p4 #c4 ,and ,beaumont and ,fletcher1 in the ,noble ,gentleman 7v4 #a73 ,i'll be a gossip1 ,beaufort1 ,i have an odd apostle spoon4 ,the gossip's feast1 held in honor of those who were associated in the festivities of a christening1 was a very ancient ,english custom1 and is frequently mentioned by dramatists of the ,elizabethan age4 ,the term gossip or godsip1 a ,saxon word signifying cognata ex parte dei1 or godmother1 is well defined by ,richard ,verstegan1 in his ,restitution of ,decayed ,intelligence4 ,he says3 ,our ,christian ancestors1 understanding a spiritual affinity to grow between the parents and such as undertooke for the child at baptism1 called each other by the name of godsib1 which is as much as to say that they were sib together1 that is1 of kin together through ,god4 ,and the childe1 in like manner1 called such his godfathers or godmothers4 ,as might be expected1 it is often alluded to by ,shakespeare4 ,thus1 in the ,comedy of ,errors 7v4 #a71 we read3 ,abbess4 ,thirty-three years have ,i but gone in travail ,of you1 my sons3 and till this present hour ,my heavy burthen ne'er delivered4 ,the duke1 my husband1 and my children both1 ,and you the calendars of their nativity1 ,go to a gossip's feast1 and go with me2 ,after so long grief1 such festivity6 ,duke4 ,with all my heart ,i'll gossip at this feast4 ,and again1 in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7ii4 #a71 the mischievous ,puck says3 sometime lurk ,i in a gossip's bowl1 ,in very likeness of a roasted crab2 ,and1 when she drinks1 against her lips ,i bob1 ,and on her wither'd dewlap pour the ale4 ,and1 once more1 we find ,capulet1 in ,romeo and ,juliet 7iii4 #e71 saying to the ,nurse3 ,peace1 you mumbling fool6 ,utter your gravity o'er a gossip's bowl2 ,for here we need it not4 ,referring to entertainments at christenings1 we find the following in the ,batchelor's ,banquet1 #afjc 7attributed to ,dekker73 ,what cost and trouble it will be to have all things fine against the ,christening ,day2 what store of sugar1 biskets1 comphets1 and caraways1 marmalet1 and marchpane1 with all kinds of sweet-suckers and superfluous banqueting stuff1 with a hundred other odd and needless trifles1 which at that time must fill the pockets of dainty dames1 by which it appears the ladies not only ate what they pleased1 but pocketed likewise4 ,upon this and the falling-off of the custom of giving apostle spoons at the christening1 we read in ,shipman's ,gossip1 #afff3 ,especially since gossips now ,eat more at christenings than bestow4 ,formerly when they us'd to troul ,gilt bowls of sack1 they gave the bowl2 ,two spoons at least2 an use ill kept2 ',tis well now if our own be left4 ,strype tells us that1 in #aeei1 the son of ,sir ,thomas ,chamberlayne was baptized at ,st4 ,benet's ,church1 ,paul's ,wharf1 when the ,church was hung with cloth of arras1 and after the christening were brought wafers1 comfits1 and divers banqueting dishes1 and hypocras and ,muscadine wine1 to entertain the guests4 ,in ,henry ,,viii4 7v4 #d71 the ,porter says3 ,do you look for ale and cakes here1 you rude rascals8 ,a term formerly in use for the name given at baptism was ,christendom1 an allusion to which we find in ,all's ,well that ,ends ,well 7i4 #a71 where ,helena says3 with a world ,of pretty1 fond1 adoptious christendoms ,that blinking ,cupid gossips1 the meaning evidently being1 a number of pretty1 fond1 adopted appellations or ,christian names to which blind ,cupid stands godfather4 ,the expression is often used for baptism by old writers2 and ,singer#gje quotes from ,king ,john 7iv4 #a73 ,by my christendom1 ,so ,i were out of prison1 and kept sheep1 ,i should be as merry as the day is long4 #gje ,shakespeare1 #ahge1 vol4 iv4 p4 #cad4 ,steevens observes that1 in the ,puritanical times1 it was usual to christen children with the names of moral and religious virtues--a practice to which allusion seems to be made in ,the ,tempest 7ii4 #a7 by ,antonio3 ,temperance was a delicate wench4 ,so ,taylor1 the ,water-,poet1 in his description of a strumpet1 says3 ,though bad they be1 they will not bate an ace1 ,to be call'd ,prudence1 ,temperance1 ,faith1 or ,grace4 ,in days gone by a chrisom or christom child was one who had recently been baptized1 and died within the month of birth1 the term having originated in the face-cloth1 or piece of linen1 put upon the head of a child newly baptized4 ,the word was formed from the chrism1 that is1 the anointing1 which formed a part of baptism before the ,reformation4 ,thus1 in ,henry ,v4 7ii4 #c71 the hostess1 ,mrs4 ,quickly1 means chrisom child in the following passage1 where she speaks of ,falstaff's death3 ',a made a finer end1 and went away an it had been any christom child4 ,in a beautiful passage of ,bishop ,taylor's ,holy ,dying 7chap4 i4 sec4 #b71 this custom is thus spoken of3 ,every morning creeps out of a dark cloud1 leaving behind it an ignorance and silence deep as midnight1 and undiscerned as are the phantoms that made a chrisom child to smile4 ,referring to the use of the chrisom-cloth in connection with baptism1 it appears that1 after the usual immersion in water1 the priest made a cross on the child's head with oil1 after which the chrisom was put on1 the priest asking at the same time the infant's name1 and saying1 ,receive this white1 pure1 and holy vestment1 which thou shalt wear before the tribunal of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 that thou mayest inherit eternal life4 ,amen4 ,it was to be worn seven days2 but after the ,reformation1 however1 the use of oil was omitted1 and the chrisom was worn by the child till the mother's churching1 when it was returned to the church4 ,if the child died before the churching1 it was buried in the chrisom1 and hence it may be that the child itself was called a chrisom or chrisomer4#gjf ,thus1 it will be seen that ,dame ,quickly simply compares the manner of ,falstaff's death to that of a young infant4 ,in registers and bills of mortality we find infants alluded to under the term ,chrisoms4 ,burn1 in his ,history of ,parish ,registers 7#ahfb1 p4 #abg71 gives the subjoined entry from a register of ,westminster ,abbey3 ,the ,princess ,ann's child a chrissome bu4 in ye vault1 ,oct4 #bb1 #afhg4 #gjf ,douce's ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 #ahei1 pp4 #bii1 #cjj2 ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 i4 p4 #afj2 see ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 ii4 pp4 #hd1 #he4 ,in ,graunt's ,bills of ,mortality1 cited in ,johnson's ,dictionary1 we read3 ,when the convulsions were but were but few1 the number of chrisoms and infants was greater4 ,the bearing-cloth was the mantle which generally covered the child when it was carried to the font4 ,it is noticed in the ,winter's ,tale 7iii4 #c71 by the ,shepherd1 who1 on the discovery of ,perdita1 says to the ,clown3 ,here's a sight for thee3 look thee1 a bearing-cloth for a squire's child6 ,look thee here2 take up1 take up1 boy3 open't4 ,in ,stow's ,chronicle 7#afca1 p4 #ajci71 we are told that about this time it was not customary for godfathers and godmothers generally to give plate at the baptisme of children1 but only to give 'christening shirts1' with little bands and cuffs1 wrought either with silk or blue thread4 ,the best of them1 for chief persons1 were edged with a small lace of black silk and gold1 the highest price of which1 for great men's children1 was seldom above a noble1 and the common sort1 two1 three1 or four1 and six shillings a piece4 ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,,marriage4 ,the style of courtship which prevailed in ,shakespeare's time1 and the numerous customs associated with the marriage ceremony1 may be accurately drawn from the many allusions interspersed through his plays4 ,from these1 it would seem that the mode of love-making was much the same among all classes1 often lacking that polish and refined expression which are distinguishing characteristics nowadays4 ,as ,mr4 ,drake remarks1#gjg the amatory dialogues of ,hamlet1 ,hotspur1 and ,henry ,v4 are not more refined than those which occur between ,master ,fenton and ,anne ,page1 in the ,merry ,wives of ,windsor1 between ,lorenzo and ,jessica1 in the ,merchant of ,venice1 and between ,orlando and ,rosalind1 in ,as ,you ,like ,it4 ,these last1 which may be considered as instances taken from the middle class of life1 together with a few drawn from the lower rank of rural manners1 such as the courtship of ,touchstone and ,audrey1 and of ,silvius and ,phoebe1 in ,as ,you ,like ,it1 are good illustrations of this subject1 although it must be added that1 in point of fancy1 sentiment1 and simplicity1 the most pleasing love-scenes in ,shakespeare are those of ,romeo and ,juliet and of ,florizel and ,perdita4 #gjg ,shakespeare and ,his ,times1 #ahag1 vol4 i4 p4 #bbj4 ,the ancient ceremony of betrothing seems still to have been in full use in ,shakespeare's day4 ,indeed1 he gives us several interesting passages upon the subject of troth-plight4 ,thus1 in ,measure for ,measure 7iii4 #a71 we learn that the unhappiness of the poor1 dejected ,mariana was caused by a violation of the troth-plight3 ,duke4 ,she should this ,angelo have married2 was affianced to her by oath1 and the nuptial appointed3 between which time of the contract1 and limit of the solemnity1 her brother ,frederick was wrecked at sea1 having in that perished vessel the dowry of his sister4 ,but mark how heavily this befell to the poor gentlewoman3 there she lost a noble and renowned brother1 in his love toward her ever most kind and natural2 with him1 the portion and sinew of her fortune1 her marriage-dowry2 with both1 her combinate husband1 this well-seeming ,angelo4 ,isabella4 ,can this be so8 ,did ,angelo so leave her8 ,duke4 ,left her in her tears1 and dried not one of them with his comfort2 swallowed his vows whole1 pretending in her discoveries of dishonour2 in few1 bestowed her on her own lamentation1 which she yet wears for his sake2 and he1 a marble to her tears1 is washed with them1 but relents not4 ,it is evident that ,angelo and ,mariana were bound by oath2 the nuptial was appointed2 there was a prescribed time between the contract and the performance of the solemnity of the ,church4 ,the lady1 however1 having lost her dowry1 the contract was violated by her combinate or affianced husband--the oath1 no doubt1 having been tendered by a minister of the ,church1 in the presence of witnesses4 ,in ,twelfth ,night 7iv4 #c7 we have a minute description of such a ceremonial2 for1 when ,olivia is hastily espoused to ,sebastian1 she says3 ,now go with me and with this holy man ,into the chantry by3 there1 before him1 ,and underneath that consecrated roof1 ,plight me the full assurance of your faith2 ,that my most jealous and too doubtful soul ,may live at peace4 ,he shall conceal it1 ,whiles you are willing it shall come to note3 ,what time we will our celebration keep ,according to my birth4 ,this1 then1 was a private ceremony before a single witness1 who would conceal it till the proper period of the public ceremonial4 ,olivia1 fancying that she has thus espoused the page1 repeatedly calls him husband2 and1 being rejected1 she summons the priest to declare 7v4 #a73 what thou dost know ,hath newly pass'd between this youth and me4 ,the priest answers3 ,a contract of eternal bond of love1 ,confirm'd by mutual joinder of your hands1 ,attested by the holy close of lips1 ,strengthen'd by interchangement of your rings2 ,and all the ceremony of this compact ,seal'd in my function1 by my testimony3 ,since when1 my watch hath told me1 toward my grave ,i have travell'd but two hours4 ,again1 in the ,winter's ,tale 7iv4 #d71 which contains many a perfect picture of real rustic life1 it appears that1 occasionally1 the troth-plight was exchanged without the presence of a priest2 but that witnesses were essential to the ceremony3 ,florizel4 444 ,o1 hear me breathe my life ,before this ancient sir1 who1 it should seem1 ,hath sometime lov'd3 ,i take thy hand1 this hand1 ,as soft as dove's down and as white as it1 ,or ,ethiopian's tooth1 or the fann'd snow1 that's bolted ,by the northern blasts twice o'er4 ,polixenes4 ,what follows this8-- ,how prettily the young swain seems to wash ,the hand1 was fair before6--,i have put you out3-- ,but1 to your protestation2 let me hear ,what you profess4 ,florizel4 ,do1 and be witness to't4 ,polixenes4 ,and this my neighbour too8 ,florizel4 ,and he1 and more ,than he1 and men2 the earth1 the heavens1 and all2 ,that1 were ,i crown'd the most imperial monarch1 ,thereof most worthy2 were ,i the fairest youth ,that ever made eye swerve2 had force and knowledge ,more than was ever man's1 ,i would not prize them ,without her love2 for her employ them all2 ,commend them1 and condemn them1 to her service1 ,or to their own perdition4 ,polixenes4 ,fairly offer'd4 ,camillo4 ,this shows a sound affection4 ,shepherd4 ,but1 my daughter1 ,say you the like to him8 ,perdita4 ,i cannot speak ,so well1 nothing so well2 no1 nor mean better3 ,by the pattern of mine own thoughts ,i cut out ,the purity of his4 ,shepherd4 ,take hands1 a bargain6 ,and1 friends unknown1 you shall bear witness to't3 ,i give my daughter to him1 and will make ,her portion equal his4#gjh ,florizel4 ,o1 that must be ,i' the virtue of your daughter3 one being dead1 ,i shall have more than you can dream of yet2 ,enough then for your wonder4 ,but1 come on1 ,contract us 'fore these witnesses4 ,shepherd4 ,come1 your hand2 ,and1 daughter1 yours4 #gjh ,on entering into any contract1 or plighting of troth1 the clapping of the hands together set the seal1 as in the ,winter's ,tale 7i4 #b71 where ,leontes says3 ,ere ,i could make thee open thy white hand1 ,and clap thyself my love2 then didst thou utter ,i am yours forever4 ,so1 too1 in ,the ,tempest 7iii4 #a73 ,miranda4 ,my husband1 then8 ,ferdinand4 ,ay1 with a heart as willing ,as bondage e'er of freedom3 here's my hand4 ,miranda4 ,and mine1 with my heart in't4 ,and in the old play of ,ram ,alley1 by ,barry 7#afaa71 we read1 ,come1 clap hands1 a match4 ,the custom is not yet disused in common life4 ,to the argument of ,polixenes1 that the father of ,florizel ought to know of his proceeding1 the young man answers3 ,come1 come1 he must not4 ,mark our contract4 ,and then the father1 discovering himself1 exclaims3 ,mark your divorce1 young sir4 ,here1 then1 as ,mr4 ,knight remarks1#gji in the publicity of a village festival1 the hand of the loved one is solemnly taken by her lover1 who breathes his love before the ancient stranger who is accidentally present4 ,the stranger is called to be a witness to the protestation1 and so is the neighbor who has come with him4 ,the maiden is called upon by her father to speak1 and then the old man adds3 ,take hands1 a bargain6 #gji ,the ,stratford ,shakespeare1 #ahed1 vol4 i p4 #gj4 ,the friends are to bear witness to it3 ,i give my daughter to him1 and will make ,her portion equal his4 ,the impatient lover then again exclaims3 ,contract us 'fore these witnesses4 ,the shepherd takes the hands of the youth and the maiden4 ,again the lover exclaims3 ,mark our contract4 ,the ceremony is left incomplete1 for the princely father discovers himself with3 ,mark your divorce1 young sir4 ,it appears1 therefore1 that espousals before witnesses were considered as constituting a valid marriage1 if followed up within a limited time by the marriage of the ,church4 ,however much the ,reformed ,church might have endeavored to abrogate this practice1 it was unquestionably the ancient habit of the people4#gaj ,it was derived from the ,roman law1 and still prevails in the ,lutheran ,church4 #gaj ,knight's ,stratford ,shakespeare1 p4 #gc4 ,besides exchanging kisses1#gaa accompanied with vows of everlasting affection1 and whispering lovers' reassurances of fidelity1 it was customary to interchange rings4 ,in ,shakespeare's plays1 however1 espousals are made with and without the use of the ring4 ,thus1 in the case of ,ferdinand and ,miranda1 we read of their joining hands only 7,tempest1 iii4 #a73 ,ferdinand4 ,ay1 with a heart as willing ,as bondage e'er of freedom2 here's my hand4 ,miranda4 ,an mine1 with my heart in't2 and now farewell1 ,till half an hour hence4 #gaa ,cf4 ,king ,john 7ii4 #b73 ,king ,philip4 ,young princes1 close your hands4 ,austria4 ,and your lips too2 for1 ,i am well assured1 ,that ,i did so1 when ,i was first assured4 ,in the passage already quoted from ,twelfth ,night 7v4 #a7 there seems to have been a mutual interchange of rings4 ,some1 indeed1 considered that a betrothal was not complete unless each spouse gave the other a circlet4 ,lady ,anne1 in ,richard ,,iii4 7i4 #b71 is made to share in this misconception3 ,gloster4 ,vouchsafe to wear this ring4 ,anne4 ,to take1 is not to give4 ,gloster4 ,look1 how my ring encompasseth thy finger1 ,even so thy breast encloseth my poor heart3 ,wear both of them1 for both of them are thine4 ,in ,two ,gentlemen of ,verona 7ii4 #b7 we read3 ,julia4 ,keep this remembrance for thy ,julia's sake 7giving a ring74 ,proteus4 ,why1 then1 we'll make exchange3 here1 take you this4 ,julia4 ,and seal the bargain with a holy kiss4 ,a joint1 or gimmal1 ring was anciently a common token among lovers1 an allusion to which is made by ,emilia1 in ,othello 7iv4 #c73 ,i would not do such a thing for a joint-ring4 ,their nature will be best understood by a passage in ,dryden's ,don ,sebastian 7#afij1 act v473 ,a curious artist wrought them1 ,with joints so close1 as not to be perceiv'd2 ,yet are they both each other's counterpart1 444 and in the midst1 ,a heart1 divided in two halves1 was plac'd4 ,they were generally made of two or three hoops1 so chased and engraved that1 when fastened together by a single rivet1 the whole three formed one design1 the usual device being a hand4 ,when an engagement was contracted1 the ring was taken apart1 each spouse taking a division1 and the third one being presented to the principal witness of the contract4#gab ,hence such a ring was known as a ,sponsalium ,annulis1 to which ,herrick thus refers3 ,thou sent'st me a true-love knot1 but ,i ,returned a ring of jimmals1 to imply ,thy love hath one knot1 mine a triple tye4 #gab ,see ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 ii4 p4 #cfc2 ,archologia1 vol4 xiv4 p4 #g2 ,jones's ,finger ,ring ,lore1 #ahgg1 pp4 #cac-cah4 ,the term is used by the ,duke of ,anjou1 in #a ,henry ,,vi4 7i4 #b73 ,i think1 by some odd gimmors or device1 ,their arms are set like clocks1 still to strike on2 ,else ne'er could they hold out so as they do4 ,again1 in ,henry ,v4 7iv4 #b71 ,grandpr tells how1 in their pale dull mouths the gimmal bit ,lies foul with chew'd grass1 still and motionless4 ,most readers of the ,merchant of ,venice remember the mirthful use which ,shakespeare makes of lovers' rings4 ,portia says 7iii4 #b71 when giving her wealth and self to ,bassanio3 ,i give them with this ring2 ,which when you part from1 lose1 or give away1 ,let it presage the ruin of your love4 ,the last act1 too1 gives several particulars about lovers' rings1 which1 in ,elizabethan ,england1#gac often had posies engraved on them1 and were worn by men on the left hand4 ,gratiano1 for example1 says3 ,about a hoop of gold1 a paltry ring ,that she did give me2 whose posy was ,for all the world like cutlers' poetry ,upon a knife1 ',love me and leave me not4' #gac ,see ,jeaffreson's ,brides and ,bridals1 #ahgc1 vol4 i4 pp4 #gg1 #gh4 ,again ,bassanio exclaims3 ,why1 ,i were best to cut my left hand off1 ,and swear ,i lost the ring defending it4 ,in ,taming of the ,shrew ,shakespeare gives numerous allusions to the customs of his day connected with courtship and marriage4 ,indeed1 in the second act 7sc4 #b7 we have a perfect betrothal scene3 ,petruchio4 ,give me thy hand1 ,kate3 ,i will unto ,venice1 ,to buy apparel 'gainst the wedding-day4-- ,provide the feast1 father1 and bid the guests2 ,i will be sure my ,katharine shall be fine4 ,baptista4 ,i know not what to say3 but give me your hands2 ,god send you joy1 ,petruchio6 'tis a match4 ,gremio4 ,tranio4 ,amen1 say we2 we will be witnesses4 ,petruchio4 ,father1 and wife1 and gentlemen1 adieu2 ,i will to ,venice2 ,sunday comes apace4 ,we will have rings1 and things1 and fine array2 ,and1 kiss me1 ,kate1 we will be married o' ,sunday4 ,although ,katharina is only his spouse1 and ,baptista not yet his father-in-law1 ,petruchio1 in accordance with fashion1 calls her wife and him father4 ,the spouses of old times used to term one another husband and wife1 for1 as they argued1 they were as good as husband and wife4 ,formerly there was a kind of betrothal or marriage contract prevalent among the low orders called hand-fasting1 or hand-festing1 said to have been much in use among the ,danes1 and which is mentioned by ,ray in his ,glossary of ,northumbrian ,words4 ,it simply means hand-fastening or binding4 ,in ,cymbeline 7i4 #e7 the phrase is used in its secondary sense by the ,queen1 who1 speaking of ,pisanio1 declares that he is ,a sly and constant knave1 ,not to be shak'd2 the agent for his master1 ,and the remembrancer of her1 to hold ,the hand-fast to her lord4 ,in the ,christian ,state of ,matrimony1 #aedc1 we find the following illustration of this custom3 ,yet in this thing almost must ,i warn every reasonable and honest person to beware that in the contracting of marriage they dissemble not1 nor set forth any lie4 ,every man1 likewise1 must esteem the person to whom he is 'handfasted' none otherwise than for his own spouse2 though as yet it be not done in the church1 nor in the street4 ,after the handfasting and making of the contract1 the church-going and wedding should not be deferred too long4 ,the author then goes on to rebuke a custom that at the handfasting there is made a great feast and superfluous banquet4 ,sir ,john ,sinclair1 in the ,statistical account of ,scotland 7#agid1 vol4 xii4 p4 #fae71 tells us that at a fair annually held at ,eskdalemuir1 ,dumfriesshire1 it was the custom for the unmarried persons of both sexes to choose a companion according to their liking1 with whom they were to live till that time next year4 ,this was called 'handfasting1' or hand-in-fist4 ,if they were pleased with each other at that time then they continued together for life2 if not1 they separated1 and were free to make another choice as at the first4 ,shakespeare has given us numerous illustrations of the marriage customs of our forefathers1 many of which are interesting as relics of the past1 owing to their having long ago fallen into disuse4 ,the fashion of introducing a bowl of wine into the church at a wedding1 which is alluded to in the ,taming of the ,shrew 7iii4 #b71 to be drunk by the bride and bridegroom and persons present1 immediately after the marriage ceremony1 is very ancient4 ,gremio relates how ,petruchio stamp'd and swore1 ,as if the vicar meant to cozen him4 ,but after many ceremonies done1 ,he calls for wine3--',a health6' quoth he1 as if ,he had been aboard1 carousing to his mates ,after a storm3--quaff'd off the muscadel1 ,and threw the sops#gad all in the sexton's face2 ,having no other reason ,but that his beard grew thin and hungerly1 ,and seem'd to ask him sops as he was drinking4 #gad ,sops in wine4 ,it existed even among our ,gothic ancestors1 and is mentioned in the ordinances of the household of ,henry ,,vii41 ,for the ,marriage of a ,princess3--',then pottes of ipocrice to be ready1 and to be put into cupps with soppe1 and to be borne to the estates1 and to take a soppe and drinke4' ,it was also practised at the magnificent marriage of ,queen ,mary and ,philip1 in ,winchester ,cathedral1 and at the marriage of the ,elector ,palatine to the daughter of ,james ,i41 in #afab-ac4 ,indeed1 it appears to have been the practice at most marriages4 ,in ,jonson's ,magnetic ,lady it is called a knitting cup2 in ,middleton's ,no ,wit like a ,woman's1 the contracting cup4 ,in ,robert ,armin's comedy of ,the ,history of the ,two ,maids of ,more ,clacke1 #afji1 the play begins with3 ,enter a maid strewing flowers1 and a serving-man perfuming the door4 ,maid4 ,strew1 strew4 ,man4 ,the muscadine stays for the bride at church3 ,the priest and ,hymen's ceremonies tend ,to make them man and wife4 ,again1 in ,beaumont and ,fletcher's ,scornful ,lady 7i4 #a71 the custom is referred to3#gae ,if my wedding-smock were on1 ,were the gloves bought and given1 the license come1 ,were the rosemary branches dipp'd1 and all ,the hippocras and cakes eat and drunk off4 #gae ,see ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 ii4 pp4 #acf1 #aci4 ,we find it enjoined in the ,hereford missal4 ,by the ,sarum missal it is directed that the sops immersed in this wine1 as well as the liquor itself1 and the cup that contained it1 should be blessed by the priest4 ,the beverage used on this occasion was to be drunk by the bride and bridegroom and the rest of the company4 ,the nuptial kiss in the church was anciently part of the marriage ceremony1 as appears from a rubric in one of the ,salisbury missals4 ,in the ,taming of the ,shrew1 ,shakespeare has made an excellent use of this custom1 where he relates how ,petruchio 7iii4 #b7 took the bride about the neck ,and kiss'd her lips with such a clamorous smack ,that1 at the parting1 all the church did echo4 ,again1 in ,richard ,,ii4 7v4 #a71 where the ,duke of ,northumberland announces to the king that he is to be sent to ,pomfret1 and his wife to be banished to ,france1 the king exclaims3 ,doubly divorc'd6--,bad men1 ye violate ,a twofold marriage1--'twixt my crown and me1 ,and then1 betwixt me and my married wife4-- ,let me unkiss the oath twixt thee and me2 ,and yet not so1 for with a kiss 'twas made4 ,marston1 too1 in his ,insatiate ,countess1 mentions it3 ,the kisse thou gav'st me in the church1 here take4 ,the practice is still kept up among the poor2 and ,brand#gaf says it is still customary among persons of middling rank as well as the vulgar1 in most parts of ,england1 for the young men present at the marriage ceremony to salute the bride1 one by one1 the moment it is concluded4 #gaf ,pop4 ,antiq41 vol4 ii4 p4 #adj4 ,music was the universal accompaniment of weddings in olden times4#gag ,the allusions to wedding music that may be found in the works of ,shakespeare1 ,ben ,jonson1 and other ,elizabethan dramatists1 testify1 as ,mr4 ,jeaffreson points out1 that1 in the opinion of their contemporaries1 a wedding without the braying of trumpets and beating of drums and clashing of cymbals was a poor affair4 ,in ,as ,you ,like ,it 7v4 #d71 ,hymen says3 ,whiles a wedlock-hymn we sing4 #gag ,brides and ,bridals1 #ahgc1 vol4 i4 p4 #beb4 ,and in ,romeo and ,juliet 7iv4 #e71 ,capulet says3 ,our wedding cheer1 to a sad burial feast2 ,our solemn hymns to sullen dirges change4 ,it seems to have been customary for the bride at her wedding to wear her hair unbraided and hanging loose over her shoulders4 ,there may be an allusion to this custom in ,king ,john 7iii4 #a71 where ,constance says3 ,o ,lewis1 stand fast6 the devil tempts thee here ,in likeness of a new untrimmed bride4 ,at the celebration of her marriage with the ,palatine1 ,elizabeth ,stuart wore her hair dishevelled and hanging down her shoulders4 ,heywood speaks of this practice in the following graphic words3 ,at length the blushing bride comes1 with her hair ,dishevelled 'bout her shoulders4 ,it has been suggested that the bride's veil1 which of late years has become one of the most conspicuous features of her costume1 may be nothing more than a milliner's substitute1 which in old time concealed not a few of the bride's personal attractions1 and covered her face when she knelt at the altar4 ,mr4 ,jeaffreson#gah thinks it may be ascribed to the ,hebrew ceremony2 or has come from the ,east1 where veils have been worn from time immemorial4 ,some1 again1 connect it with the yellow veil which was worn by the ,roman brides4 ,strange1 too1 as it may appear1 it is nevertheless certain that knives and daggers were formerly part of the customary accoutrements of brides4 ,thus1 ,shakespeare1 in the old quarto1 #aeig1 makes ,juliet wear a knife at the friar's cell1 and when she is about to take the potion4 ,this custom1 however1 is easily accounted for1 when we consider that women anciently wore a knife suspended from their girdle4 ,many allusions to this practice occur in old writers4#gai ,in ,dekker's ,match ,me in ,london1 #afca1 a bride says to her jealous husband3 ,see1 at my girdle hang my wedding knives6 ,with those dispatch me4 #gah ,brides and ,bridals1 vol4 i4 p4 #agg4 #gai ,see ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 ii4 pp4 #aca-acc4 ,in the ,witch of ,edmonton1 #afeh1 ,somerton says3 ,but see1 the bridegroom and bride come2 the new ,pair of ,sheffield knives fitted both to one sheath4 ,among other wedding customs alluded to by ,shakespeare we may mention one referred to in ,taming of the ,shrew 7ii4 #a71 where ,katharina1 speaking of ,bianca1 says to her father3 ,she is your treasure1 she must have a husband3 ,i must dance bare-foot on her wedding-day1 ,and1 for your love to her1 lead apes in hell1 it being a popular notion that unless the elder sisters danced barefoot at the marriage of a younger one1 they would inevitably become old maids1 and be condemned to lead apes in hell4 ,the expression to lead apes in hell1 applied above to old maids1 has given rise to much discussion1 and the phrase has not yet been satisfactorily explained4 ,steevens suggests that it might be considered an act of posthumous retribution for women who refused to bear children to be condemned to the care of apes in leading-strings after death4 ,malone says that to lead apes was in ,shakespeare's time one of the employments of a bear-ward1 who often carried about one of these animals with his bear4 ,nares explains the expression by reference to the word ape as denoting a fool1 it probably meaning that those coquettes who made fools of men1 and led them about without real intention of marriage1 would have them still to lead against their will hereafter4 ,in ,much ,ado ,about ,nothing 7ii4 #a71 ,beatrice says3 therefore ,i will even take sixpence in earnest of the bear-ward1 and lead his apes into hell4 ,douce#gbj tells us that homicides and adulterers were in ancient times compelled1 by way of punishment1 to lead an ape by the neck1 with their mouths affixed in a very unseemly manner to the animal's tail4 #gbj ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 p4 #bjc4 ,in accordance with an old custom1 the bride1 on the wedding-night1 had to dance with every guest1 and play the amiable1 however much against her own wishes4 ,in ,henry ,,viii4 7v4 #b71 there seems to be an allusion to this practice1 where the king says3 ,i had thought1 ,they had parted so much honesty among them1 ,at least1 good manners1 as not thus to suffer ,a man of his place1 and so near our favour1 ,to dance attendance on their lordships' pleasures4 ,in the ,christian ,state of ,matrimony 7#aedc7 we read thus3 ,then must the poor bryde kepe foote with a dauncers1 and refuse none1 how scabbed1 foule1 droncken1 rude1 and shameless soever he be4 ,as in our own time1 so1 too1 formerly1 flowers entered largely into the marriage festivities4 ,most readers will at once call to mind that touching scene in ,romeo and ,juliet 7iv4 #e71 where ,capulet says1 referring to ,juliet's supposed untimely death3 ,our bridal flowers serve for a buried corse4 ,it seems1 too1 in days gone by to have been customary to deck the bridal bed with flowers1 various allusions to which are given by ,shakespeare4 ,thus1 in ,hamlet 7v4 #a71 the queen1 speaking of poor ,ophelia1 says3 ,i hop'd thou should'st have been my ,hamlet's wife2 ,i thought thy bride-bed to have deck'd1 sweet maid4 ,in ,the ,tempest 7iv4 #a7 we may compare the words of ,prospero1 who1 alluding to the marriage of his daughter ,miranda with ,ferdinand1 by way of warning1 cautions them lest barren hate1 ,sour-ey'd disdain and discord shall bestrew ,the union of your bed with weeds so loathly ,that you shall hate it both4 ,in the ,papal times no new-married couple could go to bed together till the bridal-bed had been blessed--this being considered one of the most important of the marriage ceremonies4 ,on the evening of the wedding-day1 says ,mr4 ,jeaffreson1#gba when the married couple sat in state in the bridal-bed1 before the exclusion of the guests1 who assembled to commend them yet again to ,heaven's keeping1 one or more priests1 attended by acolytes swinging to and fro lighted censers1 appeared in the crowded chamber to bless the couch1 its occupants1 and the truckle-bed1 and fumigate the room with hallowing incense4 ,in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7v4 #a71 ,oberon says3 ,now1 until the break of day1 ,through this house each fairy stray4 ,to the best bride-bed will we1 ,which by us shall blessed be2 ,and the issue there create ,ever shall be fortunate4 #gba ,brides and ,bridals1 vol4 i4 p4 #ih2 see ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 vol4 ii4 p4 #age4 ,steevens1 in illustration of this custom1 quotes from ,chaucer's ,the ,merchant's ,tale 7ed4 ,tyrwhitt71 line #ific3 ,and when the bed was with the preest yblessed4 ,the formula for this curious ceremony is thus given in the ,manual for the use of ,salisbury3 ,nocte vero sequente cum sponsus et sponsa ad lectum pervenerint1 accedat sacerdos et benedicat thalamum1 dicens4 ,benedic1 ,domine1 thalamum istum et omnes habitantes in eo2 ut in tua pace consistant1 et in tua voluntate permaneant3 et in tuo amore vivant et senescant et multiplicentur in longitudine dierum4 ,per ,dominum4--,item benedictio super lectum4 ,benedic1 ,domine1 hoc cubiculum1 respice1 quinon dormis neque dormitas4 ,qui custodis ,israel1 custodi famulos tuos in hoc lecto quiescentes ab omnibus fantasmaticis demonum illusionibus4 ,custodi eos vigilantes ut in preceptis tuis meditentur dormientes1 et te per soporem sentiant2 ut hic et ubique depensionis tu muniantur auxilio4 ,per ,dominum4--,deinde fiat benedictio super eos in lecto tantum cum oremus4 ,benedicat ,deus corpora vestra et animas vestras2 et det super eos benedictionem sicut benedixit ,abraham1 ,isaac1 et ,jacob1 ,amen4 ,his peractis aspergat eos aqua benedicta1 et sic discedat et dimittat eos in pace4#gbb #gbb ,see ,douce's ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 pp4 #abc1 #abd4 ,in the ,french romance of ,melusine1 the bishop who marries her to ,raymondin blesses the nuptial-bed4 ,the ceremony is there presented in a very ancient cut1 of which ,douce has given a copy4 ,the good prelate is sprinkling the parties with holy water4 ,it appears that1 occasionally1 during the benediction1 the married couple only sat on the bed2 but they generally received a portion of the consecrated bread and wine4 ,it is recorded in ,france1 that1 on frequent occasions1 the priest was improperly detained till midnight1 while the wedding guests rioted in the luxuries of the table1 and made use of language that was extremely offensive to the clergy4 ,it was therefore ordained1 in the year #aegg1 that the ceremony of blessing the nuptial-bed should for the future be performed in the day-time1 or at least before supper1 and in the presence of the bride and bridegroom1 and of their nearest relations only4 ,on the morning after the celebration of the marriage1 it was formerly customary for friends to serenade a newly married couple1 or to greet them with a morning song to bid them good-morrow4 ,in ,othello 7iii4 #a7 this custom is referred to by ,cassio1 who1 speaking of ,othello and ,desdemona1 says to the musicians3 ,masters1 play here2 ,i will content your pains3 ,something that's brief2 and bid1 ',good morrow1 general4' ,according to ,cotgrave1 the morning-song to a newly married woman was called the hunt's up4 ,it has been suggested that this may be alluded to by ,juliet 7iii4 #e71 who1 when urging ,romeo to make his escape1 tells him3 ,some say the lark and loathed toad change eyes2 ,o1 now ,i would they had chang'd voices too6 ,since arm from arm that voice doth us affray1 ,hunting thee hence with hunt's-up to the day4 ,o1 now be gone4 ,in olden times torches were used at weddings--a practice1 indeed1 dating as far back as the time of the ,romans4 ,from the following lines in ,herrick's ,hesperides1 it has been suggested that the custom once existed in this country3 ,upon a maid that dyed the day she was marryed4 ,that morne which saw me made a bride1 ,the ev'ning witnest that ,i dy'd4 ,those holy lights1 wherewith they guide ,unto the bed the bashful bride1 ,serv'd but as tapers for to burne ,and light my reliques to their urne4 ,this epitaph which here you see1 ,supply'd the ,epithalamie4#gbc #gbc ,see ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 ii4 p4 #aei4 ,shakespeare alludes to this custom in #a ,henry ,,vi4 7iii4 #b71 where ,joan of ,arc1 thrusting out a burning torch on the top of the tower at ,rouen1 exclaims3 ,behold1 this is the happy wedding torch1 ,that joineth ,rouen unto her countrymen4 ,in ,the ,tempest1 too 7iv4 #a71 ,iris says3 no bed-right shall be paid ,till ,hymen's torch be lighted4 ,according to a ,roman marriage custom1 the bride1 on her entry into her husband's house1 was prohibited from treading over his threshold1 and lest she should even so much as touch it1 she was always lifted over it4 ,shakespeare seems inadvertently to have overlooked this usage in ,coriolanus 7iv4 #e71 where he represents ,aufidius as saying3 ,i lov'd the maid ,i married2 never man ,sigh'd truer breath2 but that ,i see thee here1 ,thou noble thing6 more dances my rapt heart1 ,than when ,i first my wedded mistress saw ,bestride my threshold4 ,lucan in his ,pharsalia 7lib4 ii4 #a4 #cei71 says3 ,translata vetuit contingere limina planta4 ,once more1 ,sunday appears to have been a popular day for marriages2 the brides of the ,elizabethan dramas being usually represented as married on ,sundays4 ,in the ,taming of the ,shrew 7ii4 #a71 ,petruchio1 after telling his future father-in-law that upon ,sunday is the wedding-day1 and laughing at ,katharina's petulant exclamation1 ,i'll see thee hanged on ,sunday first1 says3 ,father1 and wife1 and gentlemen1 adieu2 ,i will to ,venice2 ,sunday comes apace3-- ,we will have rings1 and things1 and fine array2 ,and1 kiss me1 ,kate1 we will be married o' ,sunday4 ,thus ,mr4 ,jeaffreson1 speaking of this custom in his ,brides and ,bridals1 rightly remarks3 ,a fashionable wedding1 celebrated on the ,lord's ,day in ,london1 or any part of ,england1 would nowadays be denounced by religious people of all ,christian parties4 ,but in our feudal times1 and long after the ,reformation1 ,sunday was of all days of the week the favorite one for marriages4 ,long after the theatres had been closed on ,sundays1 the day of rest was the chief day for weddings with ,londoners of every social class4 ,love-charms have from the earliest times been much in request among the credulous1 anxious to gain an insight into their matrimonial prospects4#gbd ,in the ,merchant of ,venice 7v4 #a71 we have an allusion to the practice of kneeling and praying at wayside crosses for a happy marriage1 in the passage where ,stephano tells how his mistress doth stray about ,by holy crosses1 where she kneels and prays ,for happy wedlock hours4 #gbd ,see ,merry ,wives of ,windsor1 iv4 #b4 ,the use of love-potions by a despairing lover1 to secure the affections of another1 was a superstitious practice much resorted to in olden times4#gbe ,this mode of enchantment1 too1 was formerly often employed in our own country1 and ,gay1 in his ,shepherd's ,week1 relates how ,hobnelia was guilty of this questionable practice3 ,as ,i was wont1 ,i trudged1 last market-day1 ,to town with new-laid eggs1 preserved in hay4 ,i made my market long before 'twas night2 ,my purse grew heavy1 and my basket light4 ,straight to the 'pothecary's shop ,i went1 ,and in love-powder all my money spent4 ,behap what will1 next ,sunday after prayers1 ,when to the ale-house ,lubberkin repairs1 ,these golden flies into his mug ,i'll throw1 ,and soon the swain with fervent love shall glow4 #gbe ,see ,potter's ,antiquities of ,greece2 ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 vol4 iii4 p4 #cjf4 ,in the ,character of a ,quack ,astrologer1 #afgc1 quoted by ,brand1 we are told how he trappans a young heiress to run away with a footman1 by persuading a young girl 'tis her destiny2 and sells the old and ugly philtres and love-powder to procure them sweethearts4 ,shakespeare has represented ,othello as accused of winning ,desdemona by conjuration and mighty magic4 ,thus ,brabantio 7i4 #b7 says3 thou hast practised on her with foul charms2 ,abus'd her delicate youth with drugs1 or minerals1 ,that weaken motion4 ,and in the following scene he further repeats the same charge against ,othello3 ,she is abus'd1 stol'n from me1 and corrupted ,by spells and medicines bought of mountebanks2 ,for nature so preposterously to err1 ,being not deficient1 blind1 or lame of sense1 ,sans witchcraft could not4 ,othello1 however1 in proving that he had won ,desdemona only by honorable means1 addressing the ,duke1 replies3 by your gracious patience1 ,i will a round unvarnish'd tale deliver ,of my whole course of love2 what drugs1 what charms1 ,what conjuration1 and what mighty magic1-- ,for such proceeding ,i am charg'd withal1-- ,i won his daughter4 ,it may have escaped the poet's notice that1 by the ,venetian law1 the giving love-potions was held highly criminal1 as appears in the code ,della ,promission del ,malefico1 cap4 xvii41 ,del ,maleficii et ,herbarie4 ,a further allusion to this practice occurs in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7ii4 #a74 where ,puck and ,oberon amuse themselves at ,titania's expense4#gbf #gbf ,see page #bbg4 ,an expression common in ,shakespeare's day for any one born out of wedlock is mentioned by the ,bastard in ,king ,john 7i4 #a73 ,in at the window1 or else o'er the hatch4 ,the old saying also that ,hanging and wiving go by destiny is quoted by ,nerissa in the ,merchant of ,venice 7ii4 #i74 ,in ,much ,ado ,about ,nothing 7ii4 #a71 ,don ,pedro makes use of an old popular phrase in asking ,claudio3 ,when mean you to go to church8 referring to his marriage4 ,a solemn and even melancholy air was often affected by the beaux of ,queen ,elizabeth's time1 as a refined mark of gentility1 a most sad and pathetic allusion to which custom is made by ,arthur in ,king ,john 7iv4 #a73 ,methinks1 nobody should be sad but ,i3 ,yet1 ,i remember1 when ,i was in ,france1 ,young gentlemen would be as sad as night1 ,only for wantonness4#gbg #gbg ,see ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 ii4 p4 #efc4 ,there are frequent references to this fashion in our old writers4 ,thus1 in ,ben ,jonson's ,every ,man in ,his ,humor 7i4 #c71 we read3 ,why1 ,i do think of it2 and ,i will be more proud1 and melancholy1 and gentlemanlike than ,i have been1 ,i'll insure you4 ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,,death ,,and ,,burial4 ,from a very early period there has been a belief in the existence of a power of prophecy at that period which precedes death4 ,it took its origin in the assumed fact that the soul becomes divine in the same ratio as its connection with the body is loosened4 ,it has been urged in support of this theory that at the hour of death the soul is1 as it were1 on the confines of two worlds1 and may possibly at the same moment possess a power which is both prospective and retrospective4 ,shakespeare1 in ,richard ,,ii4 7ii4 #a71 makes the dying ,gaunt exclaim1 alluding to his nephew1 the young and self-willed king3 ,methinks ,i am a prophet new inspir'd1 ,and thus1 expiring1 do foretell of him4 ,again1 the brave ,percy1 in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7v4 #d71 when in the agonies of death1 expresses the same idea3 ,o1 ,i could prophesy1 ,but that the earthy and cold hand of death ,lies on my tongue4 ,we may also compare what ,nerissa says of ,portia's father in ,merchant of ,venice 7i4 #b71 ,your father was ever virtuous2 and holy men1 at their death1 have good inspirations4 ,curious to say1 this notion may be traced up to the time of ,homer4 ,thus ,patroclus prophesies the death of ,hector 7,iliad1 ,greek3 p4 #heb73 ,you yourself are not destined to live long1 for even now death is drawing nigh unto you1 and a violent fate awaits you--about to be slain in fight by the hands of ,achilles4 ,aristotle tells us that the soul1 when on the point of death1 foretells things about to happen4 ,others have sought for the foundation of this belief in the #dith chapter of ,genesis3 ,and ,jacob called unto his sons1 and said1 ,gather yourselves together1 that ,i may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days4444 ,and when ,jacob had made an end of commanding his sons1 he gathered up his feet into the bed1 and yielded up the ghost1 and was gathered unto his people4 ,whether1 however1 we accept this origin or not1 at any rate it is very certain that the notion in question has existed from the earliest times1 being alluded to also by ,socrates1 ,xenophon1 and ,diodorus ,siculus4 ,it still lingers on in ,lancashire and other parts of ,england4 ,among other omens of death may be mentioned high spirits1 which have been supposed to presage impending death4 ,thus1 in ,romeo and ,juliet 7v4 #c71 ,romeo exclaims3 ,how oft1 when men are at the point of death1 ,have they been merry6 which their keepers call ,a lightning before death4 ,this idea is noticed by ,ray1 who inserts it as a proverb1 ,it's a lightening before death2 and adds this note3 ,this is generally observed of sick persons1 that a little before they die their pains leave them1 and their understanding and memory return to them--as a candle just before it goes out gives a great blaze4 ,it was also a superstitious notion that unusual mirth was a forerunner of adversity4 ,thus1 in the last act of ,romeo and ,juliet 7sc4 #a7 ,romeo comes on1 saying3 ,if ,i may trust the flattering truth of sleep1 ,my dreams presage some joyful news at hand3 ,my bosom's lord sits lightly in his throne2 ,and all this day an unaccustom'd spirit ,lifts me above the ground with cheerful thoughts4 ,immediately1 however1 a messenger enters to announce ,juliet's death4 ,in ,richard ,,iii4 7iii4 #b71 ,hastings is represented as rising in the morning in unusually high spirits4 ,stanley says3 ,the lords at ,pomfret1 when they rode from ,london1 ,were jocund1 and suppos'd their state was sure1 ,and they1 indeed1 had no cause to mistrust2 ,but yet1 you see1 how soon the day o'ercast4 ,this idea1 it may be noted1 runs throughout the whole scene4 ,before dinner-time1 ,hastings was beheaded4 ,once more1 in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7iv4 #b71 the same notion is alluded to in the following dialogue3 ,westmoreland4 ,health to my lord and gentle cousin1 ,mowbray4 ,mowbray4 ,you wish me health in very happy season2 ,for ,i am1 on the sudden1 something ill4 ,archbishop4 ,against ill chances men are ever merry2 ,but heaviness foreruns the good event4 ,westmoreland4 ,therefore be merry1 coz2 since sudden sorrow ,serves to say thus1 ',some good thing comes to-morrow4' ,archbishop4 ,believe me1 ,i am passing light in spirit4 ,mowbray4 ,so much the worse1 if your own rule be true4 ,tytler1 in his ,history of ,scotland1 thus speaks of the death of ,king ,james ,i43 ,on this fatal evening 7,feb4 #bj1 #adcg71 the revels of the court were kept up to a late hour4 ,the prince himself appears to have been in unusually gay and cheerful spirits4 ,he even jested1 if we may believe the contemporary manuscript1 about a prophecy which had declared that a king that year should be slain4 ,shelley strongly entertained this superstition3 ,during all the time he spent in ,leghorn1 he was in brilliant spirits1 to him a sure prognostic of coming evil4 ,again1 it is a very common opinion that death announces its approach by certain mysterious noises1 a notion1 indeed1 which may be traced up to the time of the ,romans1 who believed that the genius of death announced his approach by some supernatural warning4 ,in ,troilus and ,cressida 7iv4 #d71 ,troilus says3 ,hark6 you are call'd3 some say1 the ,genius so ,cries ',come6' to him that instantly must die4 ,this superstition was frequently made use of by writers of bygone times1 and often served to embellish1 with touching pathos1 their poetic sentiment4 ,thus ,flatman1 in some pretty lines1 has embodied this thought3 ,my soul1 just now about to take her flight1 ,into the regions of eternal night1 ,methinks ,i hear some gentle spirit say1 ,be not fearful1 come away4 ,pope speaks in the same strain3 ,hark6 they whisper1 angels say1 ,sister spirit1 come away4 ,shakespeare1 too1 further alludes to this idea in ,macbeth 7ii4 #c71 where1 it may be remembered1 ,lennox graphically describes how1 on the awful night in which ,duncan is so basely murdered3 ,our chimneys were blown down2 and1 as they say1 ,lamentings heard i' the air2 strange screams of death2 ,and prophesying1 with accents terrible1 ,of dire combustion1 and confus'd events1 ,new hatch'd to the woful time4 ,as in ,shakespeare's day1 so1 too1 at the present time1 there is perhaps no superstition so deeply rooted in the minds of many people as the belief in what are popularly termed death-warnings4 ,modern folk-lore holds either that a knocking or rumbling in the floor is an omen of a death about to happen1 or that dying persons themselves announce their dissolution to their friends in such strange sounds4#gbh ,many families are supposed to have particular warnings1 such as the appearance of a bird1 the figure of a tall woman1 etc4 ,such1 moreover1 are not confined to our own country1 but in a variety of forms are found on the ,continent4 ,according to another belief1 it was generally supposed that when a man was on his death-bed the devil or his agents tried to seize his soul1 if it should happen that he died without receiving the sacrament of the ,eucharist1 or without confessing his sins4 ,hence1 in #b ,henry ,,vi4 7iii4 #c71 the king says3 ,o1 beat away the busy meddling fiend ,that lays strong siege unto this wretch's soul1 ,and from his bosom purge this black despair4 #gbh ,tylor's ,primitive ,culture1 #ahgc1 vol4 i4 p4 #ade4 ,in the old ,office books of the ,church1 these busy meddling fiends are often represented with great anxiety besieging the dying man2 but on the approach of the priest and his attendants1 they are shown to display symptoms of despair at their impending discomfiture4 ,douce#gbi quotes from an ancient manuscript book of devotion1 written in the reign of ,henry ,,vi41 the following prayer to ,st4 ,george3 ,judge for me whan the moste hedyous and damnable dragons of helle shall be redy to take my poore soule and engloute it in to theyr infernall belyes4 #gbi ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 #ahbi1 pp4 #cbd-cbf4 ,some think that the passing-bell1 which was formerly tolled for a person who was dying1 was intended to drive away the evil spirit that might be hovering about to seize the soul of the deceased4 ,its object1 however1 was probably to bespeak the prayers of the faithful1 and to serve as a solemn warning to the living4 ,shakespeare has given several touching allusions to it4 ,thus1 in ,sonnet lxxi4 he says3 ,no longer mourn for me when ,i am dead1 ,than you shall hear the surly sullen bell ,give warning to the world that ,i am fled ,from this vile world4 ,in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7i4 #a71 ,northumberland speaks in the same strain3 ,yet the first bringer of unwelcome news ,hath but a losing office3 and his tongue ,sounds ever after as a sullen bell1 ,remember'd knolling a departing friend4 ,we may quote a further allusion in ,venus and ,adonis 7l4 #gja73 ,and now his grief may be compared well ,to one sore sick that hears the passing-bell4 ,in a statute passed during the reign of ,henry ,,viii41 it is ordered that clarks are to ring no more than the passing bell for poare people1 nor less for an honest householder1 and he be a citizen2 nor for children1 maydes1 journeymen1 apprentices1 day-labourers1 or any other poare person4 ,in #affb1 the ,bishop of ,worcester#gcj asks1 in his visitation charge3 ,doth the parish clerk or sexton take care to admonish the living1 by tolling of a passing-bell1 of any that are dying1 thereby to meditate of their own deaths1 and to commend the other's weak condition to the mercy of ,god8 ,it was1 also1 called the soul-bell1 upon which ,bishop ,hall remarks3 ,we call it the soul-bell because it signifies the departure of the soul1 not because it helps the passage of the soul4 ,ray1 in his ,collection of ,proverbs1 has the following couplet3 ,when thou dost hear a toll or knell ,then think upon thy passing-bell4 #gcj ,annals of ,worcester1 #ahde4 ,it was formerly customary to draw away the pillow from under the heads of dying persons1 so as to accelerate their departure--an allusion to which we find in ,timon of ,athens 7iv4 #c71 where ,timon says3 ,pluck stout men's pillows from below their heads4 ,this1 no doubt1 originated in the notion that a person cannot die happily on a bed made of pigeons' feathers4 ,grose says3 ,it is impossible for a person to die whilst resting on a pillow stuffed with the feathers of a dove2 but that he will struggle with death in the most exquisite torture4 ,the pillows of dying persons are therefore frequently taken away when they appear in great agonies1 lest they may have pigeon's feathers in them4 ,indeed1 in ,lancashire1 this practice is carried to such an extent that some will not allow dying persons to lie on a feather bed1 because they hold that it very much increases their pain and suffering1 and actually retards their departure4#gca #gca ,harland and ,wilkinson's ,lancashire ,folk-,lore1 #ahfi1 p4 #bfh2 see ,english ,folk-,lore1 #ahgh1 pp4 #ii1 #ajj2 also ,notes and ,queries1 #ast series1 vol4 iv4 p4 #acc4 ,the departure of the human soul from this world1 and its journey to its untried future1 have become interwoven with an extensive network of superstitions1 varying more or less in every country and tribe4 ,shakespeare has alluded to the numerous destinations of the disembodied spirit1 enumerating the many ideas prevalent in his time on the subject4 ,in ,measure for ,measure 7iii4 #a71 ,claudio thus speaks3 ,ay1 but to die1 and go we know not where2 ,to lie in cold obstruction and to rot2 ,this sensible warm motion to become ,a kneaded clod2 and the delighted spirit ,to bathe in fiery floods1 or to reside ,in thrilling region of thick-ribbed ice2 ,to be imprison'd in the viewless winds1 ,and blown with restless violence round about ,the pendent world4#gcb #gcb ,cf4 ,milton's ,paradise ,lost1 v4 #eie-fhc4 ,we may compare also the powerful language of ,othello 7v4 #b73 ,this look of thine will hurl my soul from heaven1 ,and fiends will snatch at it4 ,cold1 cold1 my girl6 ,even like thy chastity4-- ,o cursed1 cursed slave6 ,whip me1 ye devils1 ,from the possession of this heavenly sight6 ,blow me about in winds6 roast me in sulphur6 ,wash me in steep-down gulfs of liquid fire6 ,o ,desdemona6 ,desdemona6 dead6 ,douce#gcc says that in the former passage it is difficult to decide whether ,shakespeare is alluding to the pains of hell or purgatory4 ,both passages are obscure1 and have given rise to much criticism4 ,it seems probable1 however1 that while partly referring to the notions of the time1 relating to departed souls1 ,shakespeare has in a great measure incorporated the ideas of what he had read in books of ,catholic divinity4 ,the passages quoted above remind us of the legend of ,st4 ,patrick's purgatory1 where mention is made of a lake of ice and snow into which persons were plunged up to their necks2 and of the description of hell given in the ,shepherd's ,calendar3 a great froste in a water rounes ,and after a bytter wynde comes ,which gothe through the soules with eyre2 ,fends with pokes pulle theyr flesshe ysondre1 ,they fight and curse1 and eche on other wonder4 #gcc ,see ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 #ahci1 pp4 #hb1 #hc4 ,we cannot here enter1 however1 into the mass of mystic details respecting the soul's dread journey#gcd by caverns and rocky paths and weary plains1 over steep and slippery mountains1 by frail bank or giddy bridge1 across gulfs or rushing rivers1 abiding the fierce onset of the soul-destroyer or the doom of the stern guardian of the other world4 ,few subjects1 indeed1 have afforded greater scope for the imagination than the hereafter of the human soul1 and hence1 as might be expected1 numerous myths have been invented in most countries to account for its mysterious departure in the hour of death1 from the world of living men to its unseen1 unknown home in the distant land of spirits4 #gcd ,tylor's ,primitive ,culture1 vol4 ii4 p4 #df4 ,shakespeare several times uses the word limbo in a general signification for hell1 as in ,titus ,andronicus 7iii4 #a73 ,as far from help as limbo is from bliss4 ,and in ,all's ,well that ,ends ,well 7v4 #c71 ,parolles says3 for1 indeed1 he was mad for her1 and talked of ,satan1 and of limbo1 and of furies1 and ,i know not what4 ,in ,henry ,,viii4 7v4 #d71 in ,limbo ,patrum is jocularly put for a prison2 and1 again1 in ,comedy of ,errors 7iv4 #b71 he's in ,tartar limbo4 ,according to the schoolmen1 ,limbus ,patrum was the place1 bordering on hell1 where the souls of the patriarchs and saints of the ,old ,testament remained till the death of ,christ1 who1 descending into hell1 set them free4#gce #gce ,dyce's ,glossary1 p4 #bdf4 ,one of the punishments invented of old for the covetous and avaricious1 in hell1 was to have melted gold poured down their throats1 to which allusion is made by ,flaminius1 in ,timon of ,athens 7iii4 #a71 who1 denouncing ,lucullus for his mean insincerity towards his friend ,timon1 exclaims1 on rejecting the bribe offered him to tell his master that he had not seen him3 ,may these add to the number that may scald thee6 ,let molten coin be thy damnation4 ,in the ,shepherd's ,calendar1 ,lazarus declares himself to have seen covetous men and women in hell dipped in caldrons of molten lead4 ,malone quotes the following from an old black-letter ballad of ,the ,dead ,man's ,song3 ,ladles full of melted gold ,were poured down their throats4 ,crassus was so punished by the ,parthians4#gcf #gcf ,singer's ,shakespeare1 #ahge1 vol4 viii4 p4 #bia4 ,there is possibly a further allusion to this imaginary punishment in ,antony and ,cleopatra 7ii4 #e71 where ,cleopatra says to the messenger3 ,but1 sirrah1 mark1 we use ,to say1 the dead are well3 bring it to that1 ,the gold ,i give thee will ,i melt1 and pour ,down thy ill-uttering throat4 ,according to a well-known superstition among sailors1 it is considered highly unlucky to keep a corpse on board1 in case of a death at sea4 ,thus1 in ,pericles 7iii4 #a71 this piece of folk-lore is alluded to3 #a ,sailor4 ,sir1 your queen must overboard2 the sea works high1 the wind is loud1 and will not lie till the ship be cleared of the dead4 ,pericles4 ,that's your superstition4 #a ,sailor4 ,pardon us1 sir2 with us at sea it hath been still observed2 and we are strong in custom4 ,therefore briefly yield her2 for she must overboard straight4 ,it was also a popular opinion that death is delayed until the ebb of the tide--a superstition to which ,mrs4 ,quickly refers in ,henry ,v4 7ii4 #c72 speaking of ,falstaff's death1 she says3 ',a made a finer end1 and went away1 an it had been any christom child2 'a parted even just between twelve and one1 even at the turning o' the tide4 ,hence1 in cases of sickness1 many pretended that they could foretell the hour of the soul's departure4 ,it may be remembered how ,mr4 ,peggotty explained to ,david ,copperfield1 by poor ,barkis's bedside1 that people can't die along the coast except when the tide's pretty nigh out4 ,they can't be born unless it's pretty nigh in--not properly born till flood4 ,he's a-going out with the tide--he's a-going out with the tide4 ,it's ebb at half arter three1 slack-water half an hour4 ,if he lives till it turns he'll hold his own till past the flood1 and go out with the next tide4 ,mr4 ,henderson#gcg quotes from the parish register of ,heslidon1 near ,hartlepool1 the subjoined extracts of old date1 in which the state of the tide at the time of death is mentioned3 ,the xith daye of ,maye1 ,a4,d4 #aeie1 at vi4 of ye clocke in the morninge1 being full water1 ,mr4 ,henrye ,mitford1 of ,hoolam1 died at ,newcastel1 and was buried the xvith daie1 being ,sondaie1 at evening prayer1 the hired preacher maid ye sermon4 ,the xviith daie of ,maie1 at xii4 of ye clock at noon1 being lowe water1 ,mrs4 ,barbara ,mitford died1 and was buried the xviiith daie of ,maie1 at ix4 of the clocke4 ,mr4 ,holsworth maid ye sermon4 #gcg ,folk-,lore of ,northern ,counties1 #ahhj1 p4 #eh4 ,according to ,mr4 ,henderson1 this belief is common along the east coast of ,england1 from ,northumberland to ,kent4 ,it has been suggested that there may be some slight foundation for this belief in the change of temperature which undoubtedly takes place on the change of tide1 and which may act on the flickering spark of life1 extinguishing it as the ebbing sea recedes4 ,we may compare1 too1 the following passage in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7iv4 #d71 where ,clarence1 speaking of the approaching death of the king1 says3 ,the river hath thrice flow'd1 no ebb between2 ,and the old folk1 time's doting chronicles1 ,say it did so a little time before ,that our great grandsire1 ,edward1 sick'd and died4 ,this was an historical fact1 having happened on ,october #ab1 #adaa4 ,the prayers of the ,church1 which are used for the recovery of the sick1 were1 in the olden time1 also supposed to have a morbific influence1 to which ,gloster attributes the death of the king in #a ,henry ,,vi4 7i4 #a73 ,the church6 where is it8 ,had not churchmen pray'd1 ,his thread of life had not so soon decay'd4 ,once more1 the custom of closing the eyes at the moment of death is touchingly referred to in ,antony and ,cleopatra 7v4 #b71 where ,charmian may be supposed to close ,cleopatra's eyes3 ,downy windows1 close2 ,and golden ,phoebus never be beheld ,of eyes again so royal4 ,passing on from that solemn moment in human life when the soul takes its flight from the fragile tenement of clay that contained it during its earthly existence1 we find that1 even among the lowest savages1 there has generally been a certain respect paid to the dead body2 and1 consequently1 various superstitious rites have1 from time to time1 been associated with its burial1 which has been so appropriately termed the last act4 ,while occasionally speaking of death1 ,shakespeare has not only pictured its solemnity in the most powerful and glowing language1 but1 as opportunity allowed1 given us a slight insight into those customs that formerly prevailed in connection with the committal of the body to its final resting-place in the grave4 ,at the present day1 when there is an ever-growing tendency to discard and forget1 as irrational and foolish1 the customs of bygone years1 it is interesting to find chronicled1 for all future time1 in the immortal pages of our illustrious poet1 those superstitious rites and social usages which may be said to have been most intimately identified with the age to which they belonged4 ,one custom1 perhaps1 that will always retain its old hold among us--so long as we continue to bury the remains of our departed ones--is the scattering of flowers on their graves2 a practice1 indeed1 which may be traced up to pagan times4 ,it is frequently mentioned by ,shakespeare in some of his superb passages2 as1 for instance1 in ,cymbeline 7iv4 #b71 where ,arviragus says3 ,with fairest flowers1 ,whilst summer lasts1 and ,i live here1 ,fidele1 ,i'll sweeten thy sad grave3 thou shalt not lack ,the flower that's like thy face1 pale primrose1 nor ,the azur'd hare-bell1 like thy veins2 no1 nor ,the leaf of eglantine1 whom not to slander1 ,out-sweeten'd not thy breath4 99 99 99 99 99 ,yea1 and furr'd moss besides1 when flowers are none1 ,to winter-ground thy corse4 ,in ,hamlet 7iv4 #e71 the poor1 bewildered ,ophelia sings3 ,larded with sweet flowers2 ,which bewept to the grave did go ,with true-love showers4 ,then1 further on 7v4 #a71 there is the affecting flower-strewing scene1 where the ,queen1 standing over the grave of ,ophelia1 bids her a long farewell3 ,sweets to the sweet3 farewell6 ,i hop'd thou should'st have been my ,hamlet's wife2 ,i thought thy bride-bed to have deck'd1 sweet maid1 ,and not have strew'd thy grave4 ,in ,romeo and ,juliet 7iv4 #e71 ,capulet says3 ,our bridal flowers serve for a buried corse4 ,and further on 7v4 #c7 the ,page says3 ,he came with flowers to strew his lady's grave4#gch #gch ,cf4 ,winter's ,tale1 iv4 #d4 ,once more1 in ,pericles 7iv4 #a71 ,marina is introduced1 entering with a basket of flowers1 uttering these sad words3 ,no1 ,i will rob ,tellus of her weed1 ,to strew thy green with flowers2 the yellows1 blues1 ,the purple violets1 and marigolds1 ,shall1 as a carpet1 hang upon thy grave1 ,while summer days do last4 ,flowers1 which so soon droop and wither1 are1 indeed1 sweet emblems of that brief life which is the portion of mankind in this world1 while1 at the same time1 their exquisite beauty is a further type of the glory that awaits the redeemed hereafter1 when1 like fair flowers1 they shall burst forth in unspeakable grandeur on the resurrection morn4 ,there is a pretty custom observed in ,south ,wales on ,palm ,sunday1 of spreading fresh flowers upon the graves of friends and relatives1 the day being called ,flowering ,sunday4 ,the practice of decorating the corpse is mentioned by many old writers4 ,in ,romeo and ,juliet 7iv4 #e71 ,friar ,laurence says3 ,dry up your tears1 and stick your rosemary ,on this fair corse2 and1 as the custom is1 ,in all her best array bear her to church4 ,queen ,katharine1 in ,henry ,,viii4 7iv4 #b71 directs3 ,when ,i am dead1 good wench1 ,let me be us'd with honour3 strew me over ,with maiden flowers4 ,it was formerly customary1 in various parts of ,england1 to have a garland of flowers and sweet herbs carried before a maiden's coffin1 and afterwards to suspend it in the church4 ,in allusion to this practice1 the ,priest1 in ,hamlet 7v4 #a71 says3 ,yet here she is allow'd her virgin crants1 ,her maiden strewments1 and the bringing home ,of bell and burial4 --crants#gci meaning garlands4 ,it may be noted that no other instance has been found of this word in ,english4 ,these garlands are thus described by ,gay3 ,to her sweet mem'ry flow'ry garlands strung1 ,on her now empty seat aloft were hung4 #gci ,the word in ,german is kranz1 in other ,teutonic dialects krants1 krans1 and crance--the latter being ,lowland ,scotch--and having cransies for plural4 ,clark and ,wright's ,hamlet1 #ahgf1 p4 #baf4 ,nichols1 in his ,history of ,lancashire 7vol4 ii4 pt4 i4 p4 #chb71 speaking of ,waltham1 in ,framland ,hundred1 says3 ,in this church1 under every arch1 a garland is suspended1 one of which is customarily placed there whenever any young unmarried woman dies4 ,brand#gdj tells us he saw in the churches of ,wolsingham and ,stanhope1 in the county of ,durham1 specimens of these garlands2 the form of a woman's glove1 cut in white paper1 being hung in the centre of each of them4 #gdj ,pop4 ,antiq4 vol4 ii4 p4 #cjc4 ,the funerals of knights and persons of rank were1 in ,shakespeare's day1 performed with great ceremony and ostentation4 ,sir ,john ,hawkins observes that the sword1 the helmet1 the gauntlets1 spurs1 and tabard are still hung over the grave of every knight4 ,in ,hamlet 7iv4 #e71 ,laertes speaks of this custom3 ,his means of death1 his obscure burial1-- ,no trophy1 sword1 nor hatchment1 o'er his bones1 ,no noble rite1 nor formal ostentation1-- ,cry to be heard1 as 'twere from heaven to earth1 ,that ,i must call't in question4 ,again1 in #b ,henry ,,vi4 7iv4 #aj71 ,iden says3 ,is't ,cade that ,i have slain1 that monstrous traitor8 ,sword1 ,i will hallow thee for this thy deed1 ,and hang thee o'er my tomb when ,i am dead4 ,the custom of bearing the dead body in its ordinary habiliments1 and with the face uncovered--a practice referred to in ,romeo and ,juliet 7iv4 #a7--;appears to have been peculiar to ,italy3 ,then1 as the manner of our country is1 ,in thy best robes uncover'd on the bier1 ,thou shalt be borne to that same ancient vault ,where all the kindred of the ,capulets lie4 ,in ,coryat's ,crudities 7#aggf1 vol4 ii4 p4 #bg7 the practice is thus described3 ,the burials are so strange1 both in ,venice and all other cities1 towns1 and parishes of ,italy1 that they differ not only from ,england1 but from all other nations whatever in ,christendom4 ,for they carry the corse to church with the face1 hands1 and feet all naked1 and wearing the same apparel that the person wore lately before he died1 or that which he craved to be buried in2 which apparel is interred together with the body4#gda ,singer#gdb says that ,shakespeare no doubt had seen this custom particularly described in the ,tragicall ,history of ,romeus and ,juliet3 ,another use there is1 that1 whosoever dies1 ,borne to the church1 with open face1 upon the bier he lies1 ,in wonted weed attir'd1 not wrapt in winding sheet4 #gda ,see ,staunton's ,shakespeare1 #ahfd1 vol4 i4 p4 #cje4 #gdb ,shakespeare1 #ahge1 vol4 ix4 pp4 #bji1 #baj4 ,he alludes to it again in ,ophelia's song1 in ,hamlet 7iv4 #e73 ,they bore him barefac'd on the bier4 ,it was1 in bygone times1 customary to bury the ,danish kings in their armor2 hence the remark of ,hamlet 7i4 #d71 when addressing the ,ghost3 ,what may this mean1 ,that thou1 dead corse1 again1 in complete steel1 ,revisit'st thus the glimpses of the moon1 ,making night hideous8 ,shakespeare was probably guilty of an anachronism in ,coriolanus 7v4 #f7 when he makes one of the lords say3 ,bear from hence his body1 ,and mourn you for him3 let him be regarded ,as the most noble corse that ever herald ,did follow to his urn1 the allusion being to the public funeral of ,english princes1 at the conclusion of which a herald proclaimed the style of the deceased4 ,we may compare what ,queen ,katharine says in ,henry ,,viii4 7iv4 #b73 ,after my death ,i wish no other herald1 ,no other speaker of my living actions1 ,to keep my honour from corruption1 ,but such an honest chronicler as ,griffith4 ,it seems to have been the fashion1 as far back as the thirteenth century1 to ornament the tombs of eminent persons with figures and inscriptions on plates of brass2 hence1 in ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7i4 #a71 the ,king says3 ,let fame1 that all hunt after in their lives1 ,live register'd upon our brazen tombs4 ,in ,much ,ado ,about ,nothing 7v4 #a71 ,leonato1 speaking of his daughter's death1 says3 ,hang her an epitaph upon her tomb1 ,and sing it to her bones3 sing it to-night4 ,and also in a previous scene 7iv4 #a7 this graceful custom is noticed3 ,maintain a mourning ostentation1 ,and on your family's old monument ,hang mournful epitaphs4 ,it was also the custom1 in years gone by1 on the death of an eminent person1 for his friends to compose short laudatory verses1 epitaphs1 etc41 and to affix them to the hearse or grave with pins1 wax1 paste1 etc4 ,thus1 in ,henry ,v4 7i4 #b71 ,king ,henry declares3 ,either our history shall with full mouth ,speak freely of our acts1 or else our grave1 ,like ,turkish mute1 shall have a tongueless mouth1 ,not worshipp'd with a waxen epitaph1 meaning1 says ,gifford1 ,i will either have my full history recorded with glory1 or lie in an undisturbed grave2 not merely without an inscription sculptured in stone1 but unworshipped1 unhonoured1 even by a waxen epitaph4#gdc #gdc ,notes on ,jonson's ,works1 vol4 ix4 p4 #eh4 ,we may also compare what ,lucius says in ,titus ,andronicus 7i4 #a73 ,there lie thy bones1 sweet ,mutius1 with thy friends1 ,till we with trophies do adorn thy tomb6 ,the custom was still general when ,shakespeare lived2 many fine and interesting examples existing in the old ,cathedral of ,st4 ,paul's1 and other churches of ,london1 down to the time of the great fire1 in the form of pensil-tables of wood and metal1 painted or engraved with poetical memorials1 suspended against the columns and walls4 ,feasts of the ,dead1 which have prevailed in this and other countries from the earliest times1 are1 according to some antiquarians1 supposed to have been borrowed from the cna feralis of the ,romans--an offering1 consisting of milk1 honey1 wine1 olives1 and strewed flowers1 to the ghost of the deceased4 ,in a variety of forms this custom has prevailed among most nations--the idea being that the spirits of the dead feed on the viands set before them2 hence the rite in question embraced the notion of a sacrifice4 ,in ,christian times1 however1 these funeral offerings have passed into commemorative banquets1 under which form they still exist among us4 ,in allusion to these feasts1 ,hamlet 7i4 #b71 speaking of his mother's marriage1 says3 ,the funeral bak'd meats ,did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables4 ,again1 in ,romeo and ,juliet 7iv4 #e71 ,capulet narrates how3 ,all things that we ordained festival1 ,turn from their office to black funeral3 ,our instruments1 to melancholy bells2 ,our wedding cheer1 to a sad burial feast4 ,mr4 ,tylor1#gdd in discussing the origin of funeral feasts1 and in tracing their origin back to the savage and barbaric times of the institution of feast of departed souls1 says we may find a lingering survival of this old rite in the doles of bread and drink given to the poor at funerals1 and soul-mass cakes1 which peasant girls beg for at farmhouses1 with the traditional formula1 ,soul1 soul1 for a soul cake1 ,pray you1 mistress1 a soul cake4#gde #gdd ,primitive ,culture1 vol4 ii4 p4 #dc4 #gde ,see ,british ,popular ,customs1 p4 #djd2 ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 ii4 pp4 #bcg1 #bdf2 ,douce's ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 #ahci1 p4 #dci4 ,in the ,north of ,england the funeral feast is called an arval1 and the loaves that are sometimes distributed among the poor are termed arval bread4 ,among other funeral customs mentioned by ,shakespeare1 may be mentioned his allusion to the burial service4 ,originally1 before the reign of ,edward ,,vi41 it was the practice for the priest to throw earth on the body in the form of a cross1 and then to sprinkle it with holy water4 ,thus1 in the ,winter's ,tale 7iv4 #d71 the ,shepherd says3 ,some hangman must put on my shroud1 and lay me ,where no priest shovels in dust1 implying1 ,i must be buried as a common malefactor1 out of the pale of consecrated ground1 and without the usual rites of the dead--a whimsical anachronism1 as ,mr4 ,douce#gdf points out1 when it is considered that the old ,shepherd was a pagan1 a worshipper of ,jupiter and ,apollo4 #gdf ,see ,douce's ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 #ahci1 p4 #bbb4 ,in ,antony and ,cleopatra 7i4 #c71 we find an allusion to the lachrymatory vials filled with tears which the ,romans were in the habit of placing in the tomb of a departed friend4 ,cleopatra sorrowfully exclaims3 ,o most false love6 ,where be the sacred vials thou shouldst fill ,with sorrowful water8 ,now ,i see1 ,i see1 ,in ,fulvia's death1 how mine receiv'd shall be4 ,this is another interesting instance of ,shakespeare's knowledge of the manners of distant ages1 showing how varied and extensive his knowledge was1 and his skill in applying it whenever occasion required4 ,the winding or shrouding sheet1 in which the body was wrapped previous to its burial1 is alluded to in ,hamlet 7v4 #a71 in the song of the clown3 ,a pick-axe1 and a spade1 a spade1 ,for and a shrouding sheet3 ,o1 a pit of clay for to be made ,for such a guest is meet4 ,again1 in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7v4 #a71 ,puck says3 the screech-owl1 screeching loud1 ,puts the wretch that lies in woe ,in remembrance of a shroud4 ,ophelia speaks of the shroud as white as the mountain snow 7,hamlet1 iv4 #e74 ,the following song1 too1 in ,twelfth ,night 7ii4 #d71 mentions the custom of sticking yew in the shroud3 ,come away1 come away1 death1 ,and in sad cypress let me be laid2 ,fly away1 fly away1 breath3 ,i am slain by a fair cruel maid4 ,my shroud of white1 stuck all with yew1 ,o prepare it6 ,my part of death1 no one so true ,did share it6 ,to quote two further illustrations4 ,desdemona 7,othello1 iv4 #b7 says to ,emilia3 ,lay on my bed my wedding-sheets1 and when in the following scene ,emilia answers3 ,i have laid those sheets you bade me on the bed1 ,desdemona adds3 ,if ,i do die before thee1 pr'thee1 shroud me ,in one of those same sheets --a wish1 indeed1 which her cruel fate so speedily caused to be realized4 ,and in #c ,henry ,,vi4 7i4 #a7 we have ,king ,henry's powerful words3 ,think'st thou1 that ,i will leave my kingly throne1 ,wherein my grandsire and my father sat8 ,no3 first shall war unpeople this my realm2 ,ay1 and their colours1--often borne in ,france1 ,and now in ,england1 to our heart's great sorrow1-- ,shall be my winding-sheet4 ,the custom1 still prevalent1 of carrying the dead to the grave with music--a practice which existed in the primitive church--to denote that they have ended their spiritual warfare1 and are become conquerors1 formerly existed very generally in this country4#gdg ,in ,cymbeline 7iv4 #b71 ,arviragus says3 ,and let us1 ,polydore1 though now our voices ,have got the mannish crack1 sing him to the ground1 ,as once our mother2 use like note and words1 ,save that ,euriphile must be ,fidele4 #gdg ,see ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol ii4 pp4 #bfg-bgj4 ,the tolling of bells at funerals is referred to in ,hamlet 7v4 #a71 where the priest says of ,ophelia3 she is allow'd her virgin crants1 ,her maiden strewments1 and the bringing home ,of bell and burial4 ,it has been a current opinion for centuries that places of burial are haunted with spectres and apparitions--a notion1 indeed1 that prevailed as far back as the times of heathenism4 ,ovid speaks of ghosts coming out of their sepulchres and wandering about3 and ,vergil1 quoting the popular opinion of his time1 tells us how ,moeris could call the ghosts out of their sepulchres 7,bucol4 viii4 #ih73 ,moerim1 spe animas imis excire sepulchris1 ,atque satas alio vidi traducere messis4 ,indeed1 the idea of the ghost remaining near the corpse is of world-wide prevalence2 and as ,mr4 ,tylor#gdh points out1 through all the changes of religious thought from first to last1 in the course of human history1 the hovering ghosts of the dead make the midnight burial-ground a place where men's flesh creeps with terror4 ,in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7v4 #a71 ,puck declares3 ,now it is the time of night1 ,that the graves1 all gaping wide1 ,every one lets forth his sprite1 ,in the church-way paths to glide4 #gdh ,primitive ,culture1 vol4 ii4 p4 #cj4 ,in the same play1 too 7iii4 #b71 ,puck1 speaking of ,aurora's harbinger1 says3 ,at whose approach1 ghosts1 wandering here and there1 ,troop home to churchyards3 damned spirits all1 ,that in cross-ways and floods have burial1 ,already to their wormy beds are gone2 ,for fear lest day should look their shames upon4 ,in this passage two curious superstitions are described2 the ghosts of self-murderers1 who are buried in cross-roads1 and of those who have been drowned at sea1 being said to wander for a hundred years1 owing to the rites of sepulture having never been properly bestowed on their bodies4 ,we may further compare ,hamlet's words 7iii4 #b73 ',tis now the very witching time of night1 ,when churchyards yawn1 and hell itself breathes out ,contagion to this world4 ,from the earliest period much importance has been attached to the position of the grave1 the popular direction being from east to west1 that from north to south being regarded as not only dishonorable1 but unlucky4 ,thus1 in ,cymbeline 7iv4 #b71 ,guiderius1 when arranging about the apparently dead body of ,imogen1 disguised in man's apparel1 says3 ,nay1 ,cadwal1 we must lay his head to the east2 ,my father had a reason for't4 ,indeed1 the famous antiquary ,hearne had such precise views in this matter that he left orders for his grave to be made straight by a compass1 due east and west4 ,this custom was practised by the ancient ,greeks1 and thus1 as ,mr4 ,tylor points out1#gdi it is not to late and isolated fancy1 but to the carrying on of ancient and widespread solar ideas1 that we trace the well-known legend that the body of ,christ was laid with the head towards the west1 thus looking eastward1 and the ,christian usage of digging graves east and west1 which prevailed through medival times1 and is not yet forgotten4 ,the rule of laying the head to the west1 and its meaning that the dead shall rise looking towards the east1 are perfectly stated in the following passage from an ecclesiastical treatise of the #afth century3#gej ,debet autem quis sic sepeliri ut capite ad occidentem posito1 pedes dirigat ad ,orientem1 in quo quasi ipsa positione orat3 et innuit quod promptus est1 ut de occasu festinet ad ortum3 de mundo ad seculum4#gea #gdi ,primitive ,culture1 #ahgc1 vol4 ii4 p4 #dbc4 #gej ,durandus1 ,de ,officio ,mortuorum1 lib4 vii4 chap4 #ce-ci4 #gea ,dr4 ,johnson thought the words of the clown in ,hamlet 7v4 #a71 make her grave straight1 meant1 make her grave from east to west1 in a direct line parallel to the church4 ,this interpretation seems improbable1 as the word straight in the sense of immediately occurs frequently in ,shakespeare's plays4 ,within old monuments and receptacles for the dead perpetual lamps were supposed to be lighted up1 an allusion to which is made by ,pericles 7iii4 #a71 who1 deploring the untimely death of ,thaisa at sea1 and the superstitious demand made by the sailors that her corpse should be thrown overboard1 says3 ,nor have ,i time ,to give thee hallow'd to thy grave1 but straight ,must cast thee1 scarcely coffin'd1 in the ooze2 ,where1 for a monument upon thy bones1 ,and aye-remaining lamps1 the belching whale ,and humming water must o'erwhelm thy corpse1 ,lying with simple shells4 ,again1 in ,troilus and ,cressida 7iii4 #b71 we find a further reference in the words of ,troilus3 ,o1 that ,i thought it could be in a woman1 ,to feed for aye her lamp and flames of love4 ,pope1 too1 in his ,eloisa to ,abelard1 has a similar allusion 7l4 #bfa1 #bfb73 ,ah1 hopeless lasting flames1 like those that burn ,to light the dead1 and warm th' unfruitful urn6 ,d',israeli1 in his ,curiosities of ,literature1 thus explains this superstition3 ,it has happened frequently that inquisitive men1 examining with a flambeau ancient sepulchres which have just been opened1 the fat and gross vapors engendered by the corruption of dead bodies kindled as the flambeau approached them1 to the great astonishment of the spectators1 who frequently cried out ',a miracle6' ,this sudden inflammation1 although very natural1 has given room to believe that these flames proceeded from perpetual lamps1 which some have thought were placed in the tombs of the ancients1 and which1 they said1 were extinguished at the moment that these tombs opened1 and were penetrated by the exterior air4 ,mr4 ,dennis1 however1 in his ,cities and ,cemeteries of ,etruria 7#ahgh1 vol4 ii4 p4 #djd71 says that the use of sepulchral lamps by the ancients is well known1 and gave rise to the above superstition4 ,sometimes lamps were kept burning in sepulchres long after the interment1 as in the case of the ,ephesian widow described by ,petronius 7,satyr1 c4 #ac71 who replaced the lamp placed in her husband's tomb4 ,a common expression formerly applied to the dead occurs in the ,winter's ,tale 7v4 #a71 where ,dion asks3 ,what were more holy1 ,than to rejoice the former queen is well8 ,so in ,antony and ,cleopatra 7ii4 #e73 ,messenger4 ,first1 madam1 he is well4 ,cleopatra4 ,why1 there's more gold4 ,but1 sirrah1 mark1 we use ,to say1 the dead are well4#geb #geb ,see ,malone's note1 ,variorum edition1 xiv4 #djj4 ,lastly1 commentators have differed as to the meaning of the words of ,julia in the ,two ,gentlemen of ,verona 7i4 #b73 ,i see you have a month's mind to them4 ,douce says she refers to the mind or remembrance days of our popish ancestors2 persons in their wills having often directed that in a month1 or at some other specific time1 some solemn office1 as a mass or a dirge1 should be performed for the repose of their souls4 ,thus ,ray quotes a proverb3 ,to have a month's mind to a thing1 and mentions the above custom4 ,for a further and not improbable solution of this difficulty1 the reader may consult ,dyce's ,glossary 7p4 #bgg74 ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,,rings ,,and ,,precious ,,stones4 ,from a very early period1 rings and precious stones have held a prominent place in the traditionary lore1 customs1 and superstitions of most nations4 ,thus1 rings have been supposed to protect from evil fascinations of every kind1 against the evil eye1 the influence of demons1 and dangers of every possible character3 though it was not simply in the rings themselves that the supposed virtues existed1 but in the materials of which they were composed--in some particular precious stones that were set in them as charms or talismans1 in some device or inscription on the stone1 or some magical letters engraved on the circumference of the ring4#gec ,rings1 too1 in days gone by1 had a symbolical importance4 ,thus1 it was anciently the custom for every monarch to have a ring1 the temporary possession of which invested the holder with the same authority as the owner himself could exercise4 ,thus1 in ,henry ,,viii4 7v4 #a71 we have the king's ring given to ,cranmer1 and presented by him 7sc4 #b71 as a security against the machinations of ,gardiner and others of the council1 who were plotting to destroy him4 ,thus the king says3 ,if entreaties ,will render you no remedy1 this ring ,deliver them1 and your appeal to us ,there make before them4 #gec ,jones's ,finger-,ring ,lore1 #ahgg1 p4 #ia4 ,this custom1 too1 was not confined to royalty1 for in ,richard ,,ii4 7ii4 #b71 the ,duke of ,york gives this order to his servant3 ,sirrah1 get thee to ,plashy1 to my sister ,gloster2 ,bid her send me presently a thousand pound3-- ,hold1 take my ring4 ,there is an interesting relic of the same custom still kept up at ,winchester ,college4#ged ,when the captain of the school petitions the head-master for a holiday1 and obtains it1 he receives from him a ring1 in token of the indulgence granted1 which he wears during the holiday1 and returns to the head-master when it is over4 ,the inscription upon the ring was1 formerly1 ,potentiam fero1 geroque4 ,it is now ,commendat rarior usus 7,juvenal1 ,sat4 xi4 #bjh74 #ged ,wordsworth's ,shakespeare and the ,bible1 #ahhj1 p4 #bhc4 ,token ,rings date from very early times4 ,edward ,i41 in #abig1 presented ,margaret1 his fourth daughter1 with a golden pyx1 in which he deposited a ring1 as a token of his unfailing love4 ,in ,richard ,,iii4 7i4 #b7 when ,gloster brings his hasty wooing to a conclusion1 he gives the ,lady ,anne a ring1 saying3 ,look1 how my ring encompasseth thy finger1 ,even so thy breast encloseth my poor heart2 ,wear both of them1 for both of them are thine4 ,in ,cymbeline 7i4 #a7 ,imogen gives ,posthumus a ring when they part1 and he presents her with a bracelet in exchange3 ,look here1 love2 ,this diamond was my mother's2 take it1 heart2 ,but keep it till you woo another wife1 ,when ,imogen is dead4 ,posthumus4 ,how6 how6 another8-- ,you gentle gods1 give me but this ,i have1 ,and sear up my embracements from a next ,with bonds of death6 ,remain1 remain thou here1 7,putting on the ring7 ,while sense can keep it on4 ,yet he afterwards gives it up to ,iachimo 7ii4 #d7--upon a false representation--to test his wife's honor3 ,here1 take this too2 ,it is a basilisk unto mine eye1 ,kills me to look on't4 ,the exchange of rings1 a solemn mode of private contract between lovers1 we have already referred to in the chapter on ,marriage1 a practice alluded to in the ,two ,gentlemen of ,verona 7ii4 #b71 where ,julia gives ,proteus a ring1 saying3 ,keep this remembrance for thy ,julia's sake2 and he replies3 ,why1 then we'll make exchange3 here1 take you this4 ,death's-head rings4 ,rings engraved with skulls and skeletons were not necessarily mourning rings1 but were also worn by persons who affected gravity2 and1 curious to say1 by the procuresses of ,elizabeth's time4 ,biron1 in ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7v4 #b71 refers to a death's face in a ring2 and we may quote ,falstaff's words in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7ii4 #d73 ,peace1 good ,doll6 do not speak like a death's head2 do not bid me remember mine end4 ,we may compare the following from ,the ,chances 7i4 #e71 by ,beaumont and ,fletcher3 ,as they keep deaths' heads in rings1 ,to cry 'memento' to me4 ,according to ,mr4 ,fairholt1 the skull and skeleton decorations for rings first came into favor and fashion at the obsequious court of ,france1 when ,diana of ,poictiers became the mistress of ,henry ,,ii4 ,at that time she was a widow1 and in mourning1 so black and white became fashionable colors2 jewels were formed like funeral memorials2 golden ornaments1 shaped like coffins1 holding enamelled skeletons1 hung from the neck2 watches1 made to fit in little silver skulls1 were attached to the waists of the denizens of a court that alternately indulged in profanity or piety1 but who mourned for show4#gee #gee ,see ,jones's ,finger-,ring ,lore1 #ahgg1 p4 #cgb4 ,posy-rings were formerly much used1 it having been customary to inscribe a motto or posy within the hoop of the betrothal ring4 ,thus1 in the ,merchant of ,venice 7v4 #a71 ,gratiano1 when asked by ,portia the reason of his quarrel with ,nerissa1 answers3 ,about a hoop of gold1 a paltry ring ,that she did give me2 whose posy was ,for all the world like cutlers' poetry ,upon a knife1 ',love me1 and leave me not4' ,in ,as ,you ,like ,it 7iii4 #b71 ,jaques tells ,orlando1 ,you are full of pretty answers4 ,have you not been acquainted with goldsmiths' wives1 and conned them out of rings8 ,again1 ,hamlet 7iii4 #b7 asks3 ,is this a prologue1 or the posy of a ring8 ,many of our old writers allude to the posy-rings4 ,thus ,herrick1 in his ,hesperides1 says3 ,what posies for our wedding rings1 ,what gloves we'll give1 and ribbonings4 ,henry ,,viii4 gave ,anne of ,cleves a ring with the following posy3 ,god send me well to kepe2 a most unpropitious alliance1 as the king expressed his dislike to her soon after the marriage4 ,thumb-rings4 ,these were generally broad gold rings worn on the thumb by important personages4 ,thus ,falstaff 7#a ,henry ,,iv4 ii4 #d7 bragged that1 in his earlier years1 he had been so slender in figure as to creep into an alderman's thumb-ring2 and a ring thus worn--probably as more conspicuous--appears to have been considered as appropriate to the customary attire of a civic dignitary at a much later period4 ,a character in the ,lord ,mayor's ,show1 in #affd1 is described as habited like a grave citizen--gold girdle1 and gloves hung thereon1 rings on his fingers1 and a seal ring on his thumb4#gef ,chaucer1 in his ,squire's ,tale1 says of the rider of the brazen horse who advanced into the hall1 ,cambuscan1 that upon his thumb he had of gold a ring4 ,in ,romeo and ,juliet 7i4 #d71 ,mercutio speaks of the agate stone ,on the forefinger of an alderman4 #gef ,see ,jones's ,finger-,ring ,lore1 #ahgg1 p4 #hh4 ,it has been suggested that ,shakespeare1 in the following passage1 alludes to the annual celebration1 at ,venice1 of the wedding of the ,doge with the ,adriatic1 when he makes ,othello say 7i4 #b73 ,but that ,i love the gentle ,desdemona1 ,i would not my unhoused free condition ,put into circumscription and confine ,for the sea's worth4 ,this custom1 it is said1 was instituted by ,pope ,alexander ,,iii41 who gave the ,doge a gold ring from his own finger1 in token of the victory by the ,venetian fleet1 at ,istria1 over ,frederick ,barbarossa1 in defence of the ,pope's quarrel4 ,when his holiness gave the ring1 he desired the ,doge to throw a similar ring into the sea every year on ,ascension ,day1 in commemoration of the event4 ,agate4 ,this stone was frequently cut to represent the human form1 and was occasionally worn in the hat by gallants4 ,in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7i4 #b7 ,falstaff says3 ,i was never manned with an agate till now--meaning1 according to ,johnson1 had an agate for my man1 was waited on by an agate4 ,carbuncle4 ,the supernatural lustre of this gem#geg is supposed to be described in ,titus ,andronicus 7ii4 #c71 where1 speaking of the ring on the finger of ,bassianus1 ,martius says3 ,upon his bloody finger he doth wear ,a precious ring1 that lightens all the hole1 ,which1 like a taper in some monument1 ,doth shine upon the dead man's earthy cheeks1 ,and shows the ragged entrails of the pit4 #geg ,see ,sir ,thomas ,browne's ,vulgar ,errors4 ,in ,drayton's ,muses' ,elysium 7,nymphal4 ix47 it is thus eulogized3 ,that admired mighty stone1 ,the carbuncle that's named1 ,which from it such a flaming light ,and radiancy ejecteth1 ,that in the very darkest night ,the eye to it directeth4 ,milton1 speaking of the cobra1 says3 ,his head ,crested aloof1 and carbuncle his eyes4 ,john ,norton1#geh an alchemist in the reign of ,edward ,,iv41 wrote a poem entitled the ,ordinal1 or a manual of the chemical art4 ,one of his projects1 we are told1 was a bridge of gold over the ,thames1 crowned with pinnacles of gold1 which1 being studded with carbuncles1 would diffuse a blaze of light in the dark4 ,among the other references to it given by ,shakespeare may be mentioned one in ,henry ,,viii4 7ii4 #c71 where the ,princess ,elizabeth is spoken of as a gem ,to lighten all this isle4 #geh ,jones's ,precious ,stones1 #ahhj1 p4 #fb4 ,and ,hamlet 7ii4 #b7 uses the phrase1 ,with eyes like carbuncles4 ,chrysolite4 ,this stone was supposed to possess peculiar virtues1 and1 according to ,simon ,maiolus1 in his ,dierum ,caniculares 7#afae-ai71 ,thetel the ,jew1 who wrote a book1 ,de ,sculpturiis1 mentions one naturally in the form of a woman1 which was potent against fascination of all kinds4 ,othello 7v4 #b7 thus alludes to this stone in reference to his wife3 ,nay1 had she been true1 ,if heaven would make me such another world ,of one entire and perfect chrysolite1 ,i'd not have sold her for it4 ,pearls4 ,the ,eastern custom of powdering sovereigns at their coronation with gold-dust and seed-pearl is alluded to in ,antony and ,cleopatra#gei 7ii4 #e73 ,i'll set thee in a shower of gold1 and hail ,rich pearls upon thee4 #gei ,see ,singer's ,shakespeare1 vol4 x4 p4 #bac4 ,so ,milton 7,paradise ,lost1 ii4 #d73 ,the gorgeous ,east1 with liberal hand1 ,showers on her kings barbaric pearl and gold4 ,again1 to swallow a pearl in a draught seems to have been common to royal and mercantile prodigality4 ,in ,hamlet 7v4 #b7 the ,king says3 ,the king shall drink to ,hamlet's better breath2 ,and in the cup an union#gfj shall he throw4 #gfj ,a union is a precious pearl1 remarkable for its size4 ,further on ,hamlet himself asks1 tauntingly3 ,here1 thou incestuous1 murderous1 damned ,dane1 ,drink off this potion4 ,is thy union here8 ,malone1 as an illustration of this custom1 quotes from the second part of ,heywood's ,if ,you ,know ,not ,me ,you ,know ,nobody3 ,here sixteen thousand pound at one clap goes ,instead of sugar4 ,gresham drinks this pearl ,unto the queen1 his mistress4 ,in former times powdered pearls were considered invaluable for stomach complaints2 and ,rondeletius tells us that they were supposed to possess an exhilarating quality3 ,uniones qu a conchis1 et valde cordiales sunt4 ,much mystery was1 in bygone days1 thought to hang over the origin of pearls1 and1 according to the poetic ,orientals1#gfa ,every year1 on the sixteenth day of the month ,nisan1 the pearl oysters rise to the sea and open their shells1 in order to receive the rain which falls at that time1 and the drops thus caught become pearls4 ,thus1 in ,richard ,,iii4 7iv4 #d7 the king says3 ,the liquid drops of tears that you have shed ,shall come again1 transform'd to orient pearl1 ,advantaging their loan with interest ,of ten times double gain of happiness4 #gfa ,see ,jones's ,history and ,mystery of ,precious ,stones1 p4 #aaf4 ,moore1 in one of his ,melodies1 notices this pretty notion3 ,and precious the tear as that rain from the sky ,which turns into pearls as it falls in the sea4 ,turquoise4 ,this stone was probably more esteemed for its secret virtues than from any commercial value1 the turquoise1 turkise1 or turkey-stone1 having from a remote period been supposed to possess talismanic properties4 ,thus1 in the ,merchant of ,venice 7iii4 #a71 ,shylock says3 ,it was my turquoise2 ,i had it of ,leah when ,i was a bachelor3 ,i would not have given it for a wilderness of monkeys4 ,mr4 ,dyce#gfb says that ,shylock valued his turquoise1 not only as being the gift of ,leah1 but on account of the imaginary virtues ascribed to it3 which was supposed to become pale or to brighten according as the health of the wearer was bad or good4 ,thus1 ,ben ,jonson1 in ,sejanus 7i4 #a71 alludes to its wonderful properties3 ,and true as turkoise in the dear lord's ring1 ,look well or ill with him4 #gfb ,glossary1 p4 #dfe4 ,fenton1 in his ,certain ,secret ,wonders of ,nature 7#aefi71 thus describes it3 ,the turkeys doth move when there is any evil prepared to him that weareth it4 ,there were numerous other magical properties ascribed to the turquoise4 ,thus1 it was supposed to lose its color entirely at the death of its owner1 but to recover it when placed upon the finger of a new and healthy possessor4 ,it was also said that whoever wore a turquoise1 so that either it or its setting touched the skin1 might fall from any height1 the stone attracting to itself the whole force of the blow4 ,with the ,germans1 the turquoise is still the gem appropriated to the ring1 the gage d'amour1 presented by the lover on the acceptance of his suit1 the permanence of its color being believed to depend upon the constancy of his affection4#gfc #gfc ,see ,c4 ,w4 ,king on ,precious ,stones1 #ahfg1 p4 #bfg4 ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,,sports ,,and ,,pastimes4 ,very many of the old sports and pastimes in popular use in ,shakespeare's day have long ago not only been laid aside1 but1 in the course of years1 have become entirely forgotten4 ,this is to be regretted1 as a great number of these capital diversions were admirably suited both for in and out of doors1 the simplicity which marked them being one of their distinguishing charms4 ,that ,shakespeare1 too1 took an interest in these good old sources of recreation1 may be gathered from the frequent reference which he has made to them2 his mention of some childish game even serving occasionally as an illustration in a passage characterized by its force and vigor4 ,archery4 ,in ,shakespeare's day this was a very popular diversion1 and the ,knights of ,prince ,arthur's ,round ,table was a society of archers instituted by ,henry ,,viii41 and encouraged in the reign of ,elizabeth4#gfd ,fitzstephen1 who wrote in the reign of ,henry ,,ii41 notices it among the summer pastimes of the ,london youth2 and the repeated statutes1 from the thirteenth to the sixteenth century1 enforcing the use of the bow1 generally ordered the leisure time upon holidays to be passed in its exercise4#gfe ,shakespeare seems to have been intimately acquainted with the numerous terms connected with archery1 many of which we find scattered throughout his plays4 ,thus1 in ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7iv4 #a71 ,maria uses the expression1 ,wide o' the bow hand1 a term which signified a good deal to the left of the mark4 #gfd ,see ,drake's ,shakespeare and ,his ,times1 vol4 ii4 pp4 #agh-aha4 #gfe ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahgj1 vol4 ii4 p4 #bij4 ,the clout was the nail or pin of the target1 and from the passages1 says ,dyce1#gff which ,i happen to recollect in our early writers1 ,i should say that the clout1 or pin1 stood in the centre of the inner circle of the butts1 which circle1 being painted white1 was called the white2 that1 to 'hit the white' was a considerable feat1 but that to 'hit or cleave the clout or pin' was a much greater one1 though1 no doubt1 the expressions were occasionally used to signify the same thing1 viz41 to hit the mark4 ,in ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7iv4 #a71 ,costard says of ,boyet3 ,indeed1 a' must shoot nearer1 or he'll ne'er hit the clout2 and1 in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7iii4 #b71 ,shallow says of old ,double3 ,he would have clapped i' the clout at twelve score--that is1 he would have hit the clout at twelve-score yards4 ,and ,king ,lear 7iv4 #f7 employs the phrase i' the clout1 i' the clout3 hewgh6 #gff ,glossary1 p4 #hd4 ,in ,romeo and ,juliet 7ii4 #d71 where ,mercutio relates how ,romeo is shot thorough the ear with a love-song2 the very pin of his heart cleft with the blind bow-boy's butt-shaft1 the metaphor1 of course1 is from archery4 ,the term loose was the technical one for the discharging of an arrow1 and occurs in ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7v4 #b74 ,according to ,capell1#gfg the words of ,bottom1 in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7i4 #b71 hold1 or cut bow-strings1 were a proverbial phrase1 and alluded to archery4 ,when a party was made at butts1 assurance of meeting was given in the words of that phrase1 the sense of the person using them being that he would 'hold' or keep promise1 or they might 'cut his bow-strings1' demolish him for an archer4 ,whether1 adds ,dyce1 this be the true explanation of the phrase1 ,i am unable to determine4 #gfg ,glossary1 p4 #baj4 ,all hid1 all hid4 ,biron1 in ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7iv4 #c71 no doubt means the game well-known as hide-and-seek1 ,all hid1 all hid2 an old infant play4 ,the following note1 however1 in ,cotgrave's ,french and ,english ,dictionary1 has been adduced to show that he may possibly mean blind-man's-buff3 ,clignemasset4 ,the childish play called ,hodman-blind i4 e41 blind-man's-buff1 ,harrie-racket1 or ,are you all hid4 ,backgammon4 ,the old name for this game was ,tables1 as in ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7v4 #b73 ,this is the ape of form1 monsieur the nice ,that1 when he plays at tables1 chides the dice4 ,an interesting history of this game will be found in ,strutt's ,sports and ,pastimes 7#ahgf1 pp4 #dai-dba74 ,barley-break4 ,this game1 called also the ,last ,couple in ,hell1 which is alluded to in the ,two ,noble ,kinsmen1 7iv4 #c71 was played by six people1 three of each sex1 who were coupled by lot4#gfh ,a piece of ground was then chosen1 and divided into three compartments1 of which the middle one was called hell4 ,it was the object of the couple condemned to this division to catch the others1 who advanced from the two extremities2 in which case a change of situation took place1 and hell was filled by the couple who were excluded by preoccupation from the other places4 ,this catching1 however1 was not so easy1 as1 by the rules of the game1 the middle couple were not to separate before they had succeeded1 while the others might break hands whenever they found themselves hard pressed4 ,when all had been taken in turn1 the last couple were said to be in hell1 and the game ended4 #gfh ,from ,gifford's ,note on ,massinger's ,works1 #ahac1 vol4 i4 p4 #ajd4 ,the game was frequently mentioned by old writers1 and appears to have been very popular4 ,from ,herrick's ,poems1 it is seen that the couples in their confinement occasionally solaced themselves by kisses3 ,barley-break2 or1 ,last in ,hell4 ,we two are last in hell2 what may we fear1 ,to be tormented1 or kept pris'ners here8 ,alas1 if kissing be of plagues the worst1 ,we'll wish in hell we had been last and first4 ,in ,scotland it was called barla-breikis1 and was1 says ,jamieson1 generally played by young people in a corn-yard1 hence its name1 barla-bracks1 about the stacks4#gfi ,the term hell1 says ,nares1#ggj was indiscreet1 and must have produced many profane allusions1 besides familiarizing what ought always to preserve its due effect of awe upon the mind4 ,both its names are alluded to in the following passage in ,shirley's ,bird in a ,cage3 ,shall's to barlibreak8 ,i was in hell last2 'tis little less to be in a petticoat sometimes4 #gfi ,see ,jamieson's ,scottish ,dictionary1 #ahgi1 vol4 i4 p4 #abb4 #ggj ,glossary1 vol4 i4 p4 #eg4 ,base4 ,this was a rustic game1 known also as ,prison base or ,prison bars4 ,it is mentioned in ,cymbeline 7v4 #c7 by ,posthumus3 ,lads more like to run ,the country base1 than to commit such slaughter4 ,and in ,two ,gentlemen of ,verona 7i4 #b7 by ,lucetta3 ,indeed1 ,i bid the base for ,proteus4#gga #gga ,ibid4 vol4 i4 p4 #eh4 ,the success of this pastime depended upon the agility of the candidates1 and their skill in running4 ,early in the reign of ,edward ,,iii4 it is spoken of as a childish amusement1 and was prohibited to be played in the avenues of the palace at ,westminster during the session of ,parliament1 because of the interruption it occasioned to the members and others in passing to and fro as their business required4 ,it was also played by men1 and especially in ,cheshire and other adjoining counties1 where it seems to have been in high repute among all classes4 ,strutt thus describes the game3#ggb ,the performance of this pastime requires two parties of equal number1 each of them having a base or home to themselves1 at the distance of about twenty or thirty yards4 ,the players then on either side1 taking hold of hands1 extend themselves in length1 and opposite to each other1 as far as they conveniently can1 always remembering that one of them must touch the base4 ,when any one of them quits the hand of his fellow and runs into the field1 which is called giving the chase1 he is immediately followed by one of his opponents4 ,he is again followed by a second from the former side1 and he by a second opponent1 and so on alternately until as many are out as choose to run1 every one pursuing the man he first followed1 and no other2 and if he overtake him near enough to touch him1 his party claims one towards their game1 and both return home4 ,they then run forth again and again in like manner until the number is completed that decides the victory4 ,this number is optional1 and rarely exceeds twenty4 #ggb ,sports and ,pastimes1 #ahgf1 p4 #adc4 ,the phrase to bid the base1 means to run fast1 challenging another to pursue4 ,it occurs again in ,venus and ,adonis3 ,to bid the wind a base he now prepares4 ,in ,spenser's ,fairy ,queen 7bk4 v4 canto #h71 we read3 ,so ran they all as they had been at base1 ,they being chased that did others chase4 ,bat-fowling4 ,this sport1 which is noticed in ,the ,tempest 7ii4 #a7 by ,sebastian1 was common in days gone by4 ,it is minutely described in ,markham's ,hunger's ,prevention 7#afjj71 which is quoted by ,dyce4#ggc ,the term bat-fowling1 however1 had another signification1 says ,mr4 ,harting1#ggd in ,shakespeare's day1 and it may have been in this secondary sense that it is used in ,the ,tempest1 being a slang word for a particular mode of cheating4 ,bat-fowling was practised about dusk1 when the rogue pretended to have dropped a ring or a jewel at the door of some well-furnished shop1 and1 going in1 asked the apprentice of the house to light his candle to look for it4 ,after some peering about the bat-fowler would drop the candle as if by accident4 ,now1 ,i pray you1 good young man1 he would say1 do so much as light the candle again4 ,while the boy was away the rogue plundered the shop1 and having stolen everything he could find stole himself away4 #ggc ,glossary1 pp4 #bi1 #cj4 #ggd ,see ,harting's ,ornithology of ,shakespeare1 p4 #aef2 ,strutt's ,sports and ,pastimes1 #ahgf1 p4 #ih4 ,a simple mode of bat-fowling1 by means of a large clap-net and a lantern1 and called bird-batting1 is alluded to in ,fielding's ,joseph ,andrews 7bk4 ii4 chap4 x474 ,drake thinks that it is to a stratagem of this kind ,shakespeare alludes when he paints ,buckingham exclaiming 7,henry ,,viii4 i4 #a73 ,the net has fall'n upon me2 ,i shall perish ,under device and practice4 ,billiards4 ,shakespeare is guilty of an anachronism in ,antony and ,cleopatra 7ii4 #e71 where he makes ,cleopatra say3 ,let's to billiards--the game being unknown to the ancients4 ,the modern manner of playing at billiards differs from that formerly in use4 ,at the commencement of the last century1#gge the billiard-table was square1 having only three pockets for the balls to run in1 situated on one of the sides--that is1 at each corner1 and the third between them4 ,about the middle of the table a small arch of iron was placed1 and at a little distance from it an upright cone called a king4 ,at certain periods of the game it was necessary for the balls to be driven through the one and round the other1 without knocking either of them down1 which was not easily effected1 because they were not fastened to the table4 #gge ,strutt's ,sports and ,pastimes1 #ahgf1 p4 #cif4 ,bone-ace4 ,this old game1 popularly called ,one-and-,thirty1 is alluded to by ,grumio in ,taming of the ,shrew 7i4 #b73 ,well1 was it fit for a servant to use his master so2 being1 perhaps1 for aught ,i see1 two-and-thirty--a pip out4#ggf ,it was very like the ,french game of ,vingt-un1 only a longer reckoning4 ,strutt#ggg says that perhaps ,bone-ace is the same as the game called ,ace of ,hearts1 prohibited with all lotteries by cards and dice1 ,an4 #ab ,geor4 ,,ii41 ,cap4 #ch1 sect4 #b4 ,it is mentioned in ,massinger's ,fatal ,dowry 7ii4 #b73 ,you think1 because you served my lady's mother1 you are thirty-two years old1 which is a pip out1 you know4 #ggf ,a pip is a spot upon a card4 #ggg ,sports and ,pastimes1 #ahgf1 p4 #dcf4 ,the phrase to be two-and-thirty1 a pip out1 was an old cant term applied to a person who was intoxicated4 ,bo-peep4 ,this nursery amusement1 which consisted in peeping from behind something1 and crying ,bo6 is referred to by the ,fool in ,king ,lear 7i4 #d73 ,that such a king should play bo-peep4 ,in ,sherwood's ,dictionary it is defined1 ,jeu d'enfant2 ou 7plustost7 des nourrices aux petits enfans2 se cachans le visage et puis se monstrant4 ,minsheu's derivation of bo-peep1 from the noise which chickens make when they come out of the shell1 is1 says ,douce1#ggh more whimsical than just4 #ggh ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 p4 #dje4 ,bowls4 ,frequent allusions occur to this game1 which seems to have been a popular pastime in olden times4 ,the small ball1 now called the jack1 at which the players aim1 was sometimes termed the mistress4 ,in ,troilus and ,cressida 7iii4 #b71 ,pandarus says3 ,so1 so2 rub#ggi on1 and kiss the mistress4 ,a bowl that kisses the jack1 or mistress1 is in the most advantageous position2 hence to kiss the jack served to denote a state of great advantage4 ,thus1 in ,cymbeline 7ii4 #a71 ,cloten exclaims1 ,was there ever man had such luck6 when ,i kissed the jack1 upon an up-cast to be hit away6 ,i had a hundred pound on't4 ,there is another allusion to this game1 according to ,staunton1 in ,king ,john 7ii4 #a73 on the outward eye of fickle ,france--the aperture on one side which contains the bias or weight that inclines the bowl in running from a direct course1 being sometimes called the eye4 #ggi ,rub is still a term at the game1 expressive of the movement of the balls4 ,cf4 ,king ,lear 7ii4 #b71 and ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7iv4 #a71 where ,boyet1 speaking of the game1 says3 ,i fear too much rubbing4 ,a further reference to this game occurs in the following dialogue in ,richard ,,ii4 7iii4 #d73 ,queen4 ,what sport shall we devise here in this garden1 ,to drive away the heavy thought of care8 #a ,lady4 ,madam1 we'll play at bowls4 ,queen4',twill make me think the world is full of rubs1 ,and that my fortune runs against the bias --the bias1 as stated above1 being a weight inserted in one side of a bowl1 in order to give it a particular inclination in bowling4 ,to run against the bias1 therefore1 became a proverb4 ,thus1 to quote another instance1 in the ,taming of the ,shrew 7iv4 #e7 ,petruchio says3 ,well1 forward1 forward6 thus the bowl should run1 ,and not unluckily against the bias4 ,and in ,troilus and ,cressida 7iv4 #e71 the term bias-cheek is used to denote a cheek swelling out like the bias of a bowl4#ghj #ghj ,halliwell-,phillipps' ,handbook ,index to ,shakespeare1 p4 #dc4 ,cards4 ,some of the old terms connected with card-playing are curious1 a few of which are alluded to by ,shakespeare4 ,thus1 in ,king ,lear 7v4 #a71 ,edmund says3 ,and hardly shall ,i carry out my side1 alluding to the card table1 where to carry out a side meant to carry out the game with your partner successfully4 ,so1 to set up a side was to become partners in the game2 to pull or pluck down a side was to lose it4#gha #gha ,staunton's ,shakespeare1 vol4 iii4 p4 #eib4 ,a lurch at cards denoted an easy victory4 ,so1 in ,coriolanus 7ii4 #b71 ,cominius says3 he lurch'd all swords of the garland1 meaning1 as ,malone says1 that ,coriolanus gained from all other warriors the wreath of victory1 with ease1 and incontestable superiority4 ,a pack of cards was formerly termed a deck of cards1 as in #c ,henry ,,vi4 7v4 #a73 ,the king was slily finger'd from the deck4 ,again1 to vie was also a term at cards1 and meant particularly to increase the stakes1 and generally to challenge any one to a contention1 bet1 wager1 etc4 ,so1 ,cleopatra 7v4 #b71 says3 nature wants stuff ,to vie strange forms with fancy4 ,cherry-pit4 ,this consisted in throwing cherry stones into a little hole--a game1 says ,nares1 still practised with dumps or money4#ghb ,in ,twelfth ,night 7iii4 #d71 ,sir ,toby alludes to it3 ,what1 man6 'tis not for gravity to play at cherry-pit with ,satan4 ,nash1 in his ,pierce ,pennilesse1 speaking of the disfigurement of ladies' faces by painting1 says3 ,you may play at cherry-pit in the dint of their cheeks4 #ghb ,see ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 vol4 ii4 p4 #dji4 ,chess4 ,as might be expected1 several allusions occur in ,shakespeare's plays to this popular game4 ,in ,the ,tempest 7v4 #a71 ,ferdinand and ,miranda are represented playing at it2 and in ,king ,john 7ii4 #a71 ,elinor says3 ,that thou mayst be a queen1 and check the world6 ,in the ,taming of the ,shrew 7i4 #a71 ,katharina asks3 ,i pray you1 sir1 is it your will ,to make a stale#ghc of me amongst these mates8 alluding1 as ,douce#ghd suggests1 to the chess term of stale-mate1 which is used when the game is ended by the king being alone and unchecked1 and then forced into a situation from which he is unable to move without going into check4 ,this is a dishonorable termination to the adversary1 who thereby loses the game4 ,thus1 in ,bacon's ,twelfth ,essay3 ,they stand still like a stale at chess1 where it is no mate1 but yet the game cannot stir4 #ghc ,she means1 ,do you intend to make a mockery of me among these companions8 #ghd ,illustrations of ,shakspeare1 p4 #bj4 ,dice4 ,among the notices of this game1 may be quoted that in ,henry ,v4 7iv4 prologue73 ,the confident and over-lusty ,french ,do the low-rated ,english play at dice4 ,edgar1 in ,king ,lear 7iii4 #d71 says3 ,wine loved ,i deeply1 dice dearly4 ,pistol1 in ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7i4 #c71 gives a double allusion3 ,let vultures gripe thy guts6--for gourd and fullam holds1 ,and high and low beguiles the rich and poor4 ,gourds were false dice1 with a secret cavity scooped out like a gourd4 ,fullams were also false dice1 loaded with metal on one side1 so as better to produce high throws1 or to turn up low numbers1 as was required1 and were hence named 'high men' or 'low men1' also 'high fullams' and 'low fullams4'#ghe ,it has been suggested that dice were termed fullams either because ,fulham was the resort of sharpers1 or because they were principally manufactured there4 #ghe ,gifford's note on ,jonson's ,works1 vol4 ii4 p4 #c4 ,dun is in the mire4 ,this is a ,christmas sport1 which ,gifford#ghf describes as follows3 ,a log of wood is brought into the midst of the room3 this is ,dun 7the cart-horse71 and a cry is raised that he is stuck in the mire4 ,two of the company advance1 either with or without ropes1 to draw him out4 ,after repeated attempts1 they find themselves unable to do it1 and call for more assistance4 ,the game continues till all the company take part in it1 when ,dun is extricated4 ,much merriment is occasioned from the awkward efforts of the rustics to lift the log1 and from sundry arch contrivances to let the ends of it fall on one another's toes4 ,thus1 in ,romeo and ,juliet 7i4 #d71 ,mercutio says3 ,if thou art dun1 we'll draw thee from the mire4 #ghf ,ibid41 vol4 vii4 p4 #bhc4 ,beaumont and ,fletcher1 also1 in the ,woman ,hater 7iv4 #c71 allude to this game3 ,dun's in the mire1 get out again how he can4 ,fast and ,loose4 ,this was a cheating game1 much practised in ,shakespeare's day1 whereby gypsies and other vagrants beguiled the common people of their money3 and hence was very often to be seen at fairs4 ,its other name was pricking at the belt or girdle2 and it is thus described by ,sir ,j4 ,hawkins3 ,a leathern belt was made up into a number of intricate folds1 and placed edgewise upon a table4 ,one of the folds was made to resemble the middle of the girdle1 so that whoever could thrust a skewer into it would think he held it fast to the table2 whereas1 when he has so done1 the person with whom he plays may take hold of both ends1 and draw it away4 ,in ,antony and ,cleopatra 7iv4 #ab71 ,antony says3 ,like a right gypsy1 hath1 at fast and loose1 ,beguil'd me to the very heart of loss4 ,the drift of this game seems to have been to encourage wagers whether the belt was fast or loose1 which the juggler could easily make it at his option4 ,it is constantly alluded to by old writers1 and is thus described in ,drayton's ,moon-calf3 ,he like a gypsy oftentimes would go1 ,all kinds of gibberish he hath learn'd to know1 ,and with a stick1 a short string1 and a noose1 ,would show the people tricks at fast and loose4 ,fencing4 ,in years gone by1 there were three degrees in fencing1 a master's1 a provost's1 and a scholar's4#ghg ,to each of these a prize was played1 with various weapons1 in some open place or square4 ,in ,titus ,andronicus 7i4 #a71 this practice is alluded to by ,saturninus3 ,so1 ,bassianus1 you have play'd your prize4 #ghg ,see ,douce's ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 p4 #ce4 ,in the ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7i4 #a71 ,slender says3 ,i bruised my shin th' other day with playing at sword and dagger with a master of fence1 i4 e41 with one who had taken his master's degree in the science4 ,among the numerous allusions to fencing quoted by ,shakespeare may be mentioned the following3 ,venue or veney was a fencing term1 meaning an attack or hit4 ,it is used in the ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7i4 #a71 by ,slender1 who relates how he bruised his shin with playing at sword and dagger with a master of fence2 three veneys for a dish of stewed prunes4 ,it is used metaphorically in ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7v4 #a71 for a brisk attack1 by ,armado3 ,a sweet touch1 a quick venue of wit6 snip1 snap1 quick and home6#ghh ,the ,italian term ,stoccado or ,stoccata1 abbreviated also into ,stock1 seems to have had a similar signification4 ,in ,romeo and ,juliet 7iii4 #a71 ,mercutio1 drawing his sword1 says3 ,alla stoccata carries it away4 #ghh ,see ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 ii4 p4 #iai4 ,in the ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7ii4 #a71 it is used by ,shallow3 ,in these times you stand on distance1 your passes1 stoccadoes1 and ,i know not what4 ,again1 ,montant1 an abbreviation of ,montanto1 denoted an upright blow or thrust1 and occurs also in the ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7ii4 #c71 where the ,host tells ,caius that he1 with the others1 has come --to see thee pass thy punto1 thy stock1 thy reverse1 thy distance1 thy montant4 ,hence1 in ,much ,ado ,about ,nothing 7i4 #a71 ,beatrice jocularly calls ,benedick ,signior ,montanto1 meaning to imply that he was a great fencer4 ,of the other old fencing terms quoted in the passage above1 it appears that passado implied a pass or motion forwards4 ,it occurs in ,romeo and ,juliet 7ii4 #d71 where ,mercutio speaks of the immortal passado6 the punto reverso6 ,again1 in ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7i4 #b71 ,armado says of ,cupid that ,the passado he respects not1 the duello he regards not4 ,the punto reverso was a backhanded thrust or stroke1 and the term distance was the space between the antagonists4 ,shakespeare has also alluded to other fencing terms1 such as the foin1 a thrust1 which is used by the ,host in the ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7iii4 #b71 and in ,much ,ado ,about ,nothing 7v4 #a71 where ,antonio says1 in his heated conversation with ,leonato3 ,sir boy1 ,i'll whip you from your foining fence2 ,nay1 as ,i am a gentleman1 ,i will4 ,the term traverse denoted a posture of opposition1 and is used by the ,host in the ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7ii4 #c74 ,a bout1 too1 is another fencing term1 to which the ,king refers in ,hamlet 7iv4 #g73 ,when in your motion you are hot and dry-- ,as make your bouts more violent to that end4 ,filliping the ,toad4 ,this is a common and cruel diversion of boys4 ,they lay a board1 two or three feet long1 at right angles over a transverse piece two or three inches thick1 then1 placing the toad at one end of the board1 the other end is struck by a bat or large stick1 which throws the poor toad forty or fifty feet perpendicularly from the earth2 and the fall generally kills it4 ,in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7i4 #b71 ,falstaff says3 ,if ,i do1 fillip me with a three-man beetle4#ghi #ghi ,a three-man beetle is a heavy implement1 with three handles1 used in driving piles1 etc41 which required three men to lift it4 ,flap-dragon4#gij ,this pastime was much in use in days gone by4 ,a small combustible body was set on fire1 and put afloat in a glass of liquor4 ,the courage of the toper was tried in the attempt to toss off the glass in such a manner as to prevent the flap-dragon doing mischief--raisins in hot brandy being the usual flap-dragons4 ,shakespeare several times mentions this custom1 as in ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7v4 #a7 where ,costard says3 ,thou art easier swallowed than a flap-dragon4 ,and in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7ii4 #d71 he makes ,falstaff say3 and drinks off candles' ends for flap-dragons4#gia #gij ,a correspondent of ,notes and ,queries1 #b;d series1 vol4 vii4 p4 #bgg1 suggests as a derivation the ,german schnapps1 spirit1 and drache1 dragon1 and that it is equivalent to spirit-fire4 #gia ,cf4 ,winter's ,tale 7iii4 #c73 ,but to make an end of the ship1--to see how the sea flap-dragoned it4 ,it appears that formerly gallants used to vie with each other in drinking off flap-dragons to the health of their mistresses--which were sometimes even candles' ends1 swimming in brandy or other strong spirits1 whence1 when on fire1 they were snatched by the mouth and swallowed2#gib an allusion to which occurs in the passage above4 ,as candles' ends made the most formidable flap-dragon1 the greatest merit was ascribed to the heroism of swallowing them4 ,ben ,jonson1 in ,the ,masque of the ,moon 7#ahch1 p4 #faf1 ed4 ,gifford71 says3 ,but none that will hang themselves for love1 or eat candles' ends1 etc41 as the sublunary lovers do4 #gib ,see ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 i4 p4 #aca4 ,football4 ,an allusion to this once highly popular game occurs in ,comedy of ,errors 7ii4 #a74 ,dromio of ,ephesus asks3 ,am ,i so round with you as you with me1 ,that like a football you do spurn me thus8 99 99 99 99 99 ,if ,i last in this service1 you must case me in leather4 ,in ,king ,lear 7i4 #d71 ,kent calls ,oswald a base football player4 ,according to ,strutt1#gic it does not appear among the popular exercises before the reign of ,edward ,,iii42 and then1 in #acdi1 it was prohibited by a public edict because it impeded the progress of archery4 ,the danger1 however1 attending this pastime occasioned ,james ,i4 to say3 ,from this ,court ,i debarre all rough and violent exercises1 as the football1 meeter for laming than making able the users thereof4 #gic ,sports and ,pastimes1 pp4 #afh1 #afi4 ,occasionally the rustic boys made use of a blown bladder1 without the covering of leather1 by way of a football1 putting beans and horse-beans inside1 which made a rattling noise as it was kicked about4 ,barclay1 in his ,ship of ,fools 7#aejh7 thus graphically describes it3 ,howe in the winter1 when men kill the fat swine1 ,they get the bladder and blow it great and thin1 ,with many beans or peason put within3 ,it ratleth1 soundeth1 and shineth clere and fayre1 ,while it is thrown and caste up in the ayre1 ,eche one contendeth and hath a great delite ,with foote and with hande the bladder for to smite2 ,if it fall to grounde1 they lifte it up agayne1 ,this wise to labour they count it for no payne4 ,shrovetide was the great season for football matches2#gid and at a comparatively recent period it was played in ,derby1 ,nottingham1 ,kingston-upon-,thames1 etc4 #gid ,see ,british ,popular ,customs1 #ahgf1 pp4 #gh1 #hc1 #hg1 #dja4 ,gleek4 ,according to ,drake1#gie this game is alluded to twice by ,shakespeare--in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7iii4 #a73 ,nay1 ,i can gleek upon occasion4 #gie ,shakespeare and his ,times1 vol4 ii4 p4 #agj2 see ,douce's ,illustrations of ,shakspeare1 pp4 #aah1 #dce4 ,and in ,romeo and ,juliet 7iv4 #e73 #a ,musician4 ,what will you give us8 ,peter4 ,no money1 on my faith1 but the gleek4 ,douce1 however1 considers that the word gleek was simply used to express a stronger sort of joke1 a scoffing2 and that the phrase to give the gleek merely denoted to pass a jest upon1 or to make a person appear ridiculous4 ,handy-dandy4 ,a very old game among children4 ,a child hides something in his hand1 and makes his playfellow guess in which hand it is4 ,if the latter guess rightly1 he wins the article1 if wrongly1 he loses an equivalent4#gif ,sometimes1 says ,mr4 ,halliwell-,phillipps1 the game is played by a sort of sleight-of-hand1 changing the article rapidly from one hand into the other1 so that the looker-on is often deceived1 and induced to name the hand into which it is apparently thrown4 ,this is what ,shakespeare alludes to by change places in ,king ,lear 7iv4 #f73 see how yond justice rails upon yond simple thief4 ,hark1 in thine ear3 change places2 and1 handy-dandy1 which is the justice1 which is the thief8#gig #gif ,dyce's ,glossary1 p4 #aii4 #gig ,see ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 ii4 p4 #dbj4 ,hide-fox and all after4 ,a children's game1 considered by many to be identical with hide-and-seek4 ,it is mentioned by ,hamlet 7iv4 #b74 ,some commentators think that the term kid-fox1 in ,much ,ado ,about ,nothing 7ii4 #c71 may have been a technical term in the game of hide-fox4 ,some editions have printed it hid-fox4 ,claudio says3 ,o1 very well1 my lord3 the music ended1 ,we'll fit the kid-fox with a pennyworth4 ,hoodman-blind4 ,the childish sport now called blindman's buff was known by various names1 such as hood-wink1 blind-hob1 etc4 ,it was termed hoodman-blind1 because the players formerly were blinded with their hoods1#gih and under this designation it is mentioned by ,hamlet 7iii4 #d73 ,what devil was't ,that thus hath cozen'd you at hoodman-blind8 #gih ,see ,strutt's ,sports and ,pastimes1 pp4 #dii1 #ejj2 ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 ii4 pp4 #cig1 #cih4 ,in ,scotland this game was called belly-blind2 and ,gay1 in his ,shepherd's ,week 7i4 #if71 says1 concerning it3 ,as once ,i play'd at blindman's buff1 it hapt ,about my eyes the towel thick was wrapt1 ,i miss'd the swains1 and seiz'd on ,blouzelind4 ,true speaks that ancient proverb1 ',love is blind4' ,the term hoodman occurs in ,all's ,well that ,ends ,well 7iv4 #c74 ,the ,first ,lord says3 ,hoodman comes6 and no doubt there is an allusion to the game in the same play 7iii4 #f71 we will bind and hoodwink him2 and in ,macbeth 7iv4 #c7 ,macduff says3 the time you may so hoodwink4 ,there may also have been a reference to falconry--the hawks being hooded in the intervals of sport4 ,thus1 in ,latham's ,falconry 7#afae71 to hood is the term used for the blinding1 to unhood for the unblinding4 ,horse-racing4 ,that this diversion was in ,shakespeare's day occasionally practised in the spirit of the modern turf is evident from ,cymbeline 7iii4 #b73 ,i have heard of riding wagers1 ,where horses have been nimbler than the sands ,that run i' the clock's behalf4 ,burton1#gii too1 who wrote at the close of the ,shakespearian era1 mentions the ruinous consequences of this recreation3 ,horse races are desports of great men1 and good in themselves1 though many gentlemen by such means gallop quite out of their fortunes4 #gii ,anatomy of ,melancholy2 ,drake's ,shakespeare and ,his ,times1 vol4 ii4 p4 #bih4 ,leap-frog4 ,one boy stoops down with his hands upon his knees1 and others leap over him1 every one of them running forward and stooping in his turn4 ,it is mentioned by ,shakespeare in ,henry ,v4 7v4 #b71 where he makes the king say1 ,if ,i could win a lady at leap-frog1 or by vaulting into my saddle with my armour on my back1 444 ,i should quickly leap into a wife4 ,ben ,jonson1 in his comedy of ,bartholomew ,fair1 speaks of a leappe frogge chance note4 ,laugh-and-lie-down 7more properly laugh-and-lay-down7 was a game at cards1 to which there is an allusion in the ,two ,noble ,kinsmen 7ii4 #a73 ,emilia4 ,i could laugh now4 ,waiting-woman4 ,i could lie down1 ,i'm sure4 ,loggat4 ,the game so called resembles bowls1 but with notable differences4#hjj ,first1 it is played1 not on a green1 but on a floor strewed with ashes4 ,the jack is a wheel of lignum vit1 or other hard wood1 nine inches in diameter1 and three or four inches thick4 ,the loggat1 made of apple-wood1 is a truncated cone1 twenty-six or twenty-seven inches in length1 tapering from a girth of eight and a half to nine inches at one end to three and a half or four inches at the other4 ,each player has three loggats1 which he throws1 holding lightly the thin end4 ,the object is to lie as near the jack as possible4 ,hamlet speaks of this game 7v4 #a73 ,did these bones cost no more the breeding1 but to play at loggats with 'em8 comparing1 perhaps1 the skull to the jack at which the bones were thrown4 ,in ,ben ,jonson's ,tale of a ,tub 7iv4 #e7 we read3 ,now are they tossing of his legs and arms1 ,like loggats at a pear-tree4 #hjj ,clark and ,wright's ,notes to ,hamlet1 #ahgf1 pp4 #bab1 #bac4 ,sir ,thomas ,hanmer makes the game the same as nine-pins or skittles4 ,he says3 ,it is one of the unlawful games enumerated in the ,thirty-third statute of ,henry ,,viii42#hja it is the same which is now called kittle-pins1 in which the boys often make use of bones instead of wooden pins1 throwing at them with another bone instead of bowling4 #hja ,see ,strutt's ,sports and ,pastimes1 p4 #cfe2 ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 ii4 p4 #ebb4 ,marbles4 ,it has been suggested that there is an allusion to this pastime in ,measure for ,measure 7i4 #c73 ,believe not that the dribbling dart of love ,can pierce a complete bosom4 --dribbling being a term used in the game of marbles for shooting slowly along the ground1 in contradistinction to plumping1 which is elevating the hand so that the marble does not touch the ground till it reaches the object of its aim4#hjb ,according to others1 a dribbler was a term in archery expressive of contempt4#hjc #hjb ,baker's ,northamptonshire ,glossary1 #ahed1 vol4 i4 p4 #aih4 #hjc ,see ,dyce's ,glossary1 p4 #acd4 ,muss4 ,this was a phrase for a scramble1 when any small objects were thrown down1 to be taken by those who could seize them4 ,in ,antony and ,cleopatra 7iii4 #ac71 ,antony says3 ,like boys unto a muss1 kings would start forth4 ,the word is used by ,dryden1 in the ,prologue to the ,widow ,ranter3 ,bauble and cap no sooner are thrown down ,but there's a muss of more than half the town4 ,nine-,men's-,morris4 ,this rustic game1 which is still extant in some parts of ,england1 was sometimes called the nine men's merrils1 from merelles1 or mereaux1 an ancient ,french word for the jettons or counters with which it was played4#hjd ,the other term1 morris1 is probably a corruption suggested by the sort of dance which1 in the progress of the game1 the counters performed4 ,some consider#hje that it was identical with the game known as ,nine-holes1#hjf mentioned by ,herrick in his ,hesperides3 ,raspe playes at nine-holes1 and 'tis known he gets ,many a tester by his game1 and bets4 #hjd ,douce's ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 p4 #add4 #hje ,see ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 ii4 p4 #fje4 #hjf ,see ,strutt's ,sports and ,pastimes1 #ahgf1 pp4 #cfh1 #cfi4 ,cotgrave speaks of ,le jeu des merelles1 the boyish game called merills1 or five pennie morris1 played here most commonly with stones1 but in ,france with pawns or men made on purpose1 and termed merelles4 ,it was also called peg morris1 as is evidenced by ,clare1 who1 in his ,rural ,muse1 speaking of the shepherd boy1 says3 ,oft we may track his haunts1 where he hath been ,to spend the leisure which his toils bestow1 ,by nine-peg morris nicked upon the green4 ,the game is fully described by ,james1 in the ,variorum ,shakespeare1 as follows3 ,in that part of ,warwickshire where ,shakespeare was educated1 and the neighbouring parts of ,northamptonshire1 the shepherds and other boys dig up the turf with their knives to represent a sort of imperfect chessboard4 ,it consists of a square1 sometimes only a foot diameter1 sometimes three or four yards4 ,within this is another square1 every side of which is parallel to the external square2 and these squares are joined by lines drawn from each corner of both squares1 and the middle of each line4 ,one party or player has wooden pegs1 the other stones1 which they move in such a manner as to take up each other's men1 as they are called1 and the area of the inner square is called the pound1 in which the men taken up are impounded4 ,these figures are1 by the country people1 called nine-men's-morris1 or merrils2 and are so called because each party has nine men4 ,these figures are always cut upon the green turf or leys1 as they are called1 or upon the grass at the end of ploughed lands1 and in rainy seasons never fail to be choked up with mud4 ,this verifies the allusion made by ,shakespeare in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7ii4 #a73 ,the nine men's morris is fill'd up with mud2 ,and the quaint mazes in the wanton green1 ,for lack of tread are undistinguishable4 ,this game was also transferred to a board1 and continues a fireside recreation of the agricultural laborer4 ,it is often called by the name of ,mill1 or ,shepherd's ,mill4#hjg #hjg ,see ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 ii4 pp4 #dbi1 #dcb4 ,noddy4 ,some doubt exists as to what game at cards was signified by this term4 ,it has been suggested that cribbage is meant4 ,mr4 ,singer thinks it bore some resemblance to the more recent game of ,beat the ,knave out of ,doors1 which is mentioned together with ,ruff and new coat in ,heywood's play of ,a ,woman ,killed with ,kindness4 ,the game is probably alluded to in ,troilus and ,cressida 7i4 #b71 in the following dialogue3 ,pandarus4 ,when comes ,troilus8--,i'll show you ,troilus anon3 if he see me1 you shall see him nod at me4 ,cressida4 ,will he give you the nod8 ,pandarus4 ,you shall see4 ,cressida4 ,if he do1 the rich shall have more4#hjh #hjh ,see ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 ii4 p4 #fjf4 ,the term noddy was also applied to a fool1 because1 says ,minsheu1 he nods when he should speak4 ,in this sense it occurs in ,two ,gentlemen of ,verona 7i4 #a73 ,speed4 ,you mistook1 sir3 ,i say1 she did nod2 and you ask me1 if she did nod2 and ,i say1 ',ay4' ,proteus4 ,and that set together is noddy4 ,novem ,quinque4 ,a game of dice1 so called from its principal throws being five and nine4 ,it is alluded to in ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7v4 #b7 by ,biron1 who speaks of it simply as novem4 ,parish-top4 ,formerly a top was kept for public exercise in a parish--a custom to which the old writers often refer4 ,thus1 in ,twelfth ,night 7i4 #c71 ,sir ,toby ,belch says3 ,he's a coward1 and a coystril1 that will not drink to my niece till his brains turn o' the toe like a parish-top4 ,on which passage ,mr4 ,steevens says3 ,a large top was kept in every village1 to be whipped in frosty weather1 that the peasants might be kept warm by exercise1 and out of mischief while they could not work4 ,beaumont and ,fletcher1 in ,thierry and ,theodoret 7ii4 #c71 speak of the practice3 ,i'll hazard ,my life upon it1 that a body of twelve ,should scourge him hither like a parish top1 ,and make him dance before you4 ,and in their ,night ,walker 7i4 #c7 they mention the town-top4 ,evelyn1 enumerating the uses of willow-wood1 speaks of great town-topps4 ,mr4 ,knight#hji remarks that the custom which existed in the time of ,elizabeth1 and probably long before1 of a large top being provided for the amusement of the peasants in frosty weather1 presents a curious illustration of the mitigating influences of social kindness in an age of penal legislation4 #hji ,pictorial ,shakespeare1 vol4 ii4 p4 #ade4 ,primero4 ,in ,shakespeare's time this was a very fashionable game at cards1 and hence is frequently alluded to by him4 ,it was known under the various designations of ,primero1 ,prime1 and ,primavista2 and1 according to ,strutt1#haj has been reckoned among the most ancient games of cards known to have been played in ,england4 ,shakespeare speaks of ,henry ,,viii4 7v4 #a7 playing at primero with the ,duke of ,suffolk1 and makes ,falstaff exclaim1 in ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7iv4 #e71 ,i never prospered since ,i forswore myself at primero4 ,that it was the court game is shown in a very curious picture described by ,mr4 ,barrington1 in the ,archologia 7vol4 viii4 p4 #acb71 which represents ,lord ,burleigh playing at this pastime with three other noblemen4 ,primero continued to be the most fashionable game throughout the reigns of ,henry ,,viii41 ,edward ,,vi41 ,mary1 ,elizabeth1 and ,james ,i4#haa ,in the ,earl of ,northumberland's letters about the ,gunpowder-plot we find that ,josceline ,percy was playing at primero on ,sunday1 when his uncle1 the conspirator1 called on him at ,essex ,house2 and in the ,sydney ,papers there is an account of a quarrel between ,lord ,southampton and one ,ambrose ,willoughby1 on account of the former persisting to play at primero in the presence-chamber after the queen had retired to rest4 ,the manner of playing was thus3 ,each player had four cards dealt to him one by one2 the seven was the highest card in point of number that he could avail himself of1 which counted for twenty-one2 the six counted for sixteen1 the five for fifteen1 and the ace for the same2 but the two1 the three1 and the four for their respective points only4 #haj ,sports and ,pastimes4 #haa ,smith's ,festivals1 ,games1 and ,amusements1 #ahca1 p4 #cbj4 ,there may be further allusions to this game in ,taming of the ,shrew 7ii4 #a71 where ,tranio says3 ,a vengeance on your crafty1 wither'd hide6 ,yet ,i have faced it with a card of ten --the phrase to face it with a card of ten being derived1 as some suggest1 possibly from primero1 wherein the standing boldly on a ten was often successful4 ,to face meant1 as it still does1 to attack by impudence of face4 ,in #a ,henry ,,vi4 7v4 #c7 ,suffolk speaks of a cooling card1 which ,nares considers is borrowed from primero--a card so decisive as to cool the courage of the adversary4 ,gifford objects to this explanation1 and says a cooling-card is1 literally1 a bolus4 ,there can be no doubt1 however1 that1 metaphorically1 the term was used to denote something which damped or overwhelmed the hopes of an expectant4 ,thus1 in ,fletcher's ,island ,princess 7i4 #c71 ,piniero says3 ,these hot youths ,i fear will find a cooling-card4 ,push-pin was a foolish sport1 consisting in nothing more than pushing one pin across another4 ,biron1 in ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7iv4 #c71 speaks of ,nestor playing at push-pin with the boys4 ,quintain4 ,this was a figure set up for tilters to run at1 in mock resemblance of a tournament1 and is alluded to in ,as ,you ,like ,it 7i4 #b7 by ,orlando1 who says3 ,my better parts ,are all thrown down1 and that which here stands up ,is but a quintain1 a mere lifeless block4 ,it cannot be better or more minutely described than in the words of ,mr4 ,strutt3#hab ,tilting or combating at the quintain is a military exercise of high antiquity1 and antecedent1 ,i doubt not1 to the jousts and tournaments4 ,the quintain originally was nothing more than the trunk of a tree or post set up for the practice of the tyros in chivalry4 ,afterwards a staff or spear was fixed in the earth1 and a shield being hung upon it1 was the mark to strike at4 ,the dexterity of the performer consisted in smiting the shield in such a manner as to break the ligatures and bear it to the ground4 ,in process of time this diversion was improved1 and instead of a staff and the shield1 the resemblance of a human figure carved in wood was introduced4 ,to render the appearance of this figure more formidable1 it was generally made in the likeness of a ,turk or a ,saracen1 armed at all points1 bearing a shield upon his left arm1 and brandishing a club or a sabre with his right4 ,the quintain thus fashioned was placed upon a pivot1 and so contrived as to move round with facility4 ,in running at this figure1 it was necessary for the horseman to direct his lance with great adroitness1 and make his stroke upon the forehead between the eyes1 or upon the nose2 for if he struck wide of those parts1 especially upon the shield1 the quintain turned about with much velocity1 and1 in case he was not exceedingly careful1 would give him a severe blow upon the back with the wooden sabre held in the right hand1 which was considered as highly disgraceful to the performer1 while it excited the laughter and ridicule of the spectators4#hac ,in ,ben ,jonson's ,underwoods it is thus humorously mentioned3 ,go1 ,captain ,stub1 lead on1 and show ,what horse you come on1 by the blow ,you give ,sir ,quintain1 and the cuff ,you 'scape o' the sandbags counterbuff4 #hab ,sports and ,pastimes1 #ahgf1 p4 #ahb4 #hac ,see ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 ii4 p4 #gac4 ,quoits4 ,this game derived its origin1 according to ,strutt1#had from the ancient discus1 and with us1 at the present day1 it is a circular plate of iron perforated in the middle1 not always of one size1 but larger or smaller1 to suit the strength or conveniency of the several candidates4 ,it is referred to in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7ii4 #d71 by ,falstaff1 who assigns as one of the reasons why ,prince ,henry loves ,poins3 ,because their legs are both of a bigness1 and 'a plays at quoits well4 #had ,sports and ,pastimes1 p4 #ada4 ,formerly1 in the country1 the rustics1 not having the round perforated quoits to play with1 used horse-shoes2 and in many places the quoit itself1 to this day1 is called a shoe4 ,running for the ring4 ,this1 according to ,staunton1 was the name of a sport1 a ring having been one of the prizes formerly given in wrestling and running matches4 ,thus1 in the ,taming of the ,shrew 7i4 #a71 ,hortensio says3 ,he that runs fastest gets the ring4 ,running the figure of eight4 ,steevens says that this game is alluded to by ,shakespeare in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7ii4 #a71 where ,titania speaks of the quaint mazes in the wanton green4 ,mr4 ,halliwell-,phillipps1 in referring to this passage1 says3 ,several mazes of the kind here alluded to are still preserved1 having been kept up from time immemorial4 ,on the top of ,catherine ,hill1 ,winchester1 the usual play-place of the school1 was a very perplexed and winding path1 running in a very small space over a great deal of ground1 called a miz-maze4 ,the senior boys obliged the juniors to tread it1 to prevent the figure from being lost1 and ,i believe it is still retained4#hae #hae ,see ,milner's ,history of ,winchester1 vol4 ii4 p4 #aee4 ,see-,saw4 ,another name for this childish sport is that given by ,falstaff in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7ii4 #d71 where he calls it riding the wild mare4 ,gay thus describes this well-known game3 ,across the fallen oak the plank ,i laid1 ,and myself pois'd against the tott'ring maid2 ,high leap'd the plank1 adown ,buxonia fell4 ,shove-,groat4 ,the object of this game was to shake or push pieces of money on a board to reach certain marks4 ,it is alluded to in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7ii4 #d71 where ,falstaff says3 ,quoit him down1 ,bardolph1 like a shove-groat shilling2 or1 in other words1 ,bardolph was to quoit ,pistol down-stairs as quickly as the smooth shilling--the shove-groat--flies along the board4 ,in a statute of #cc ,henry ,,viii41 shove-groat is called a new game1 and was probably originally played with the silver groat4 ,the broad shilling of ,edward ,,vi4 came afterwards to be used in this game1 which was1 no doubt1 the same as shovel-board1 with the exception that the latter was on a larger scale4 ,master ,slender1 in the ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7i4 #a71 had his pocket picked of two ,edward shovel-boards1 that cost me two shilling and two pence a-piece4 ,mr4 ,halliwell-,phillipps1 in describing the game in his ,archaic ,dictionary1 says that a shilling or other smooth coin was placed on the extreme edge of the shovel-board1 and propelled towards a mark by a smart stroke with the palm of the hand4 ,it is mentioned under various names1 according to the coin employed1 as shove-groat1#haf etc4 ,the game of shove-halfpenny is mentioned in the ,times of ,april #be1 #ahde1 as then played by the lower orders4 ,according to ,strutt1 it was analogous to the modern pastime called ,justice ,jervis1 or ,jarvis1 which is confined to common pot-houses4 #haf ,according to ,douce1 ,illustrations of ,shakespeare 7#ahci1 p4 #bhj71 it was known as slide-groat1 slide-board1 slide-thrift1 and slip-thrift4 ,see ,strutt's ,sports and ,pastimes1 #ahgf1 pp4 #af1 #cid1 #cih2 ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 ii4 p4 #gia2 ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 ii4 p4 #dda4 ,snowballs4 ,these are alluded to in ,pericles 7iv4 #f71 and in the ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7iii4 #e74 ,span-counter4 ,in this boyish game one throws a counter1 or piece of money1 which the other wins1 if he can throw another so as to hit it1 or lie within a span of it4 ,in #b ,henry ,,vi4 7iv4 #b71 ,cade says3 ,tell the king from me1 that1 for his father's sake1 ,henry the ,fifth1 in whose time boys went to span-counter for ,french crowns1 ,i am content he shall reign4 ,it is called in ,france tapper2 and in ,swift's time was played with farthings1 as he calls it span-farthing4#hag #hag ,see ,strutt's ,sports and ,pastimes1 #ahgf1 p4 #dia4 ,stool-ball4 ,this game1 alluded to in the ,two ,noble ,kinsmen 7v4 #b71 was formerly popular among young women1 and occasionally was played by persons of both sexes indiscriminately1 as the following lines1 from a song written by ,durfey for his play of ,don ,quixote1 acted at ,dorset ,gardens1 in #afid1 show3#hah ,down in a vale on a summer's day1 ,all the lads and lasses met to be merry2 ,a match for kisses at stool-ball to play1 ,and for cakes1 and ale1 and sider1 and perry4 ,chorus--,come all1 great1 small1 short1 tall1 away to stool-ball4 #hah ,quoted by ,strutt1 ,sports and ,pastimes1 p4 #aff4 ,strutt informs us that this game1 as played in the north1 consists in simply setting a stool upon the ground1 and one of the players takes his place before it1 while his antagonist1 standing at a distance1 tosses a ball with the intention of striking the stool2 and this is the business of the former to prevent by beating it away with the hand1 reckoning one to the game for every stroke of the ball2 if1 on the contrary1 it should be missed by the hand and touch the stool1 the players change places4 ,the conqueror is he who strikes the ball most times before it touches the stool4 ,tennis4 ,according to a story told by the old annalists1 one of the most interesting historical events in connection with this game happened when ,henry ,v4 was meditating war against ,france4 ,the ,dolphin1 says ,hall in his ,chronicle1 thynkyng ,king ,henry to be given still to such plaies and lyght folies as he exercised and used before the tyme that he was exalted to the ,croune1 sent to hym a tunne of tennis balles to plaie with1 as who saied that he had better skill of tennis than of warre4 ,on the foundation of this incident1 as told by ,holinshed1 ,shakespeare has constructed his fine scene of the ,french ,ambassadors' audience in ,henry ,v4 7i4 #b74 ,as soon as the first ,ambassador has given the ,dauphin's message and insulting gift1 the ,english king speaks thus3 ,we are glad the ,dauphin is so pleasant with us2 ,his present and your pains we thank you for3 ,when we have match'd our rackets to these balls1 ,we will1 in ,france1 by ,god's grace1 play a set ,shall strike his father's crown into the hazard4 ,tell him1 he hath made a match with such a wrangler ,that all the courts of ,france will be disturb'd ,with chases4 ,in ,hamlet 7ii4 #a71 ,polonius speaks of this pastime1 and alludes to falling out at tennis4 ,in the sixteenth century tennis-courts were common in ,england1 and the establishment of such places was countenanced by the example of royalty4 ,it is evident that ,henry ,,vii4 was a tennis-player4 ,in a ,,ms4 register of his expenditures1 made in the thirteenth year of his reign1 this entry occurs3 ,item1 for the king's loss at tennis1 twelvepence2 for the loss of balls1 threepence4 ,stow1 in his ,survey of ,london1 tells us that among the additions that ,king ,henry ,,viii4 made to ,whitehall1 were divers fair tennis-courts1 bowling-allies1 and a cock-pit4 ,charles ,,ii4 frequently diverted himself with playing at tennis1 and had a particular kind of dress made for that purpose4 ,pericles1 when he is shipwrecked and cast upon the coast of ,pentapolis1 addresses himself and the three fishermen whom he chances to meet thus 7,pericles1 ii4 #a73 ,a man whom both the waters and the wind1 ,in that vast tennis-court1 have made the ball ,for them to play upon1 entreats you pity him4 ,in ,much ,ado ,about ,nothing 7iii4 #b71 ,claudio1 referring to ,benedick1 says3 the old ornament of his cheek hath already stuffed tennis-balls2#hai and in ,henry ,v4 7iii4 #g71 the ,dauphin says his horse bounds from the earth as if his entrails were hairs4 ,again1 bandy was originally a term at tennis1 to which ,juliet refers in ,romeo and ,juliet 7ii4 #e71 when speaking of her ,nurse3 ,had she affections1 and warm youthful blood1 ,she'd be as swift in motion as a ball2 ,my words would bandy her to my sweet love1 ,and his to me4 #hai ,in ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7v4 #b71 the ,princess speaks of a set of wit well play'd2 upon which ,mr4 ,singer 7,shakespeare1 vol4 ii4 p4 #bfc7 adds that a set is a term at tennis for a game4 ,also1 ,king ,lear 7i4 #d7 says to ,oswald3 ,do you bandy looks with me1 you rascal8 ,tick-tack4 ,this was a sort of backgammon1 and is alluded to by ,lucio in ,measure for ,measure 7i4 #b7 who1 referring to ,claudio's unpleasant predicament1 says3 ,i would be sorry should be thus foolishly lost at a game of tick-tack4 ,in ,weaver's ,lusty ,juventus1 ,hipocrisye1 seeing ,lusty ,juventus kiss ,abhominable ,lyuing1 says3 ,what a hurly burly is here6 ,smicke smacke1 and all thys gere6 ,you well will to tycke take1 ,i fere1 ,if thou had tyme4#hbj #hbj ,quoted by ,dyce's ,glossary1 p4 #ddi2 see ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 ii4 p4 #dde4 ,jouer au tric-trac is used1 too1 in ,france in a wanton sense4 ,tray-trip4 ,this was probably a game at cards1 played with dice as well as with cards1 the success in which chiefly depended upon the throwing of treys4 ,thus1 in a satire called ,machivell's ,dog 7#afag73 ,but1 leaving cardes1 lets go to dice a while1 ,to passage1 treitrippe1 hazarde1 or mumchance4 ,in ,twelfth ,night 7ii4 #e74 ,sir ,toby ,belch asks3 ,shall ,i play my freedom at tray-trip1 and become thy bond-slave8 ,it may be remembered1 too1 that in ,the ,scornful ,lady of ,beaumont and ,fletcher 7ii4 #a71 the ,chaplain complains that the ,butler had broken his head1 and being asked the reason1 says1 for ,reproving him at tra-trip1 sir1 for swearing4 ,some are of opinion that it resembled the game of hopscotch1 or ,scotch-hop2 but this1 says ,nares1#hba seems to rest merely upon unauthorized conjecture4 #hba ,glossary1 vol4 ii4 p4 #hif4 ,troll-my-dame4 ,the game of ,troll-madam1 still familiar as ,bagatelle1 was borrowed from the ,french 7,trou-madame74 ,one of its names was ,pigeon-holes1 because played on a board1 at one end of which were a number of arches1 like pigeon-holes1 into which small balls had to be bowled4 ,in ,winter's ,tale 7iv4 #b71 it is mentioned by ,autolycus1 who1 in answer to the ,clown1 says that the manner of fellow that robbed him was one that he had known to go about with troll-my-dames4 ,cotgrave declares it as the game called ,trunkes1 or the ,hole4 ,trump4 ,this was probably the triumfo of the ,italians1 and the triomphe of the ,french--being perhaps of equal antiquity in ,england with primero4 ,at the latter end of the sixteenth century it was very common among the inferior classes4 ,there is1 no doubt1 a particular allusion to this game in ,antony and ,cleopatra 7iv4 #ad71 where ,antony says3 the queen-- ,whose heart ,i thought ,i had1 for she had mine2 ,which1 whilst it was mine1 had annex'd unto't ,a million more1 now lost--she1 ,eros1 has ,pack'd cards with ,csar1 and false-play'd my glory ,unto an enemy's triumph4 ,the poet meant to say1 that ,cleopatra1 by collusion1 played the great game they were engaged in falsely1 so as to sacrifice ,antony's fame to that of his enemy4 ,there is an equivoque between trump and triumph4 ,the game in question bore a very strong resemblance to our modern whist--the only points of dissimilarity being that more or less than four persons might play at trump2 that all the cards were not dealt out2 and that the dealer had the privilege of discarding some1 and taking others in from the stock4 ,in ,eliot's ,fruits for the ,french1 #aeic1 it is called a very common ale-house game in ,england4 ,wrestling4 ,of the many allusions that are given by ,shakespeare to this pastime1 we may quote the phrase to catch on the hip1 made use of by ,shylock in the ,merchant of ,venice 7i4 #c71 who1 speaking of ,antonio1 says1 ,if ,i can catch him once upon the hip1 ,i will feed fat the ancient grudge ,i bear him --the meaning being1 to have at an entire advantage4#hbb ,the expression occurs again in ,othello 7ii4 #a71 where ,iago says3 ,i'll have our ,michael ,cassio on the hip4 #hbb ,dyce's ,glossary1 p4 #bjh4 ,nares1#hbc however1 considers the phrase was derived from hunting2 because1 when the animal pursued is seized upon the hip1 it is finally disabled from flight4 #hbc ,glossary1 vol4 i4 p4 #dba4 ,in ,as ,you ,like ,it 7ii4 #c71 where ,adam speaks of the bonny priser of the humorous duke1 ,singer considers that a priser was the phrase for a wrestler1 a prise being a term in that sport for a grappling or hold taken4 ,,chapter ,,xvii4 ,,dances4 ,we are indebted to ,shakespeare for having bequeathed to us many interesting allusions to some of the old dances in use in his day1 but which have long ago passed into oblivion4 ,as will be seen1 these were of a very diverse character1 but1 as has been remarked1 were well suited to the merry doings of our forefathers2 and although in some cases they justly merited censure for their extravagant nature1 yet the greater part of these sources of diversion were harmless4 ,indeed1 no more pleasing picture can be imagined than that of a rustic sheep-shearing gathering in the olden times1 when1 the work over1 the peasantry joined together in some simple dance1 each one vieing with his neighbor to perform his part with as much grace as possible4 ,antic4 ,this was a grotesque dance4 ,in ,macbeth 7iv4 #a71 the witch1 perceiving how ,macbeth is affected by the horrible apparitions which he has seen1 says to her sisters3 ,come1 sisters1 cheer we up his sprites1 ,and show the best of our delights4 ,i'll charm the air to give a sound1 ,while you perform your antic round4 ,to quote another instance1 ,armado1 in ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7v4 #a71 says3 ,we will have1 if this fadge not1 an antique4 ,bergomask ,dance4 ,according to ,sir ,thomas ,hanmer1 this was a dance after the manner of the peasants of ,bergomasco1 a county in ,italy belonging to the ,venetians4 ,all the buffoons in ,italy affected to imitate the ridiculous jargon of that people1 and from thence it became customary to mimic also their manner of dancing4 ,in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7v4 #a71 ,bottom asks ,theseus whether he would like to hear a ,bergomask dance1 between two of their company4 ,brawl4 ,this was a kind of dance4 ,it appears that several persons united hands in a circle1 and gave one another continual shakes1 the steps changing with the tune4 ,with this dance balls were usually opened4#hbd ,kissing was occasionally introduced4 ,in ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7iii4 #a71 ,moth asks his master3 ,will you win your love with a ,french brawl4 #hbd ,douce's ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 p4 #acd4 ,canary4 ,this was the name of a sprightly dance1 the music to which consisted of two strains with eight bars in each2 an allusion to which is made by ,moth in ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7iii4 #a71 who speaks of jigging off a tune at the tongue's end1 and canarying to it with the feet4 ,and in ,all's ,well that ,end's ,well 7ii4 #a71 ,lafeu tells the king that he has seen a medicine that's able to breathe life into a stone1 ,quicken a rock1 and make you dance canary ,with spritely fire and motion4 ,this dance is said to have originated in the ,canary ,islands1 an opinion1 however1 which has1 says ,dyce1 been disputed4#hbe #hbe ,see ,chappell's ,popular ,music of the ,olden ,time1 #b;d edition1 vol4 i4 p4 #cfh2 ,dyce's ,glossary1 vol4 i4 p4 #fc4 ,cinque-pace4 ,this was so named from its steps being regulated by the number five3 ,five was the number of the music's feet1 ,which still the dance did with five paces meet4#hbf #hbf ,quoted by ,nares from ,sir ,john ,davies on ,dancing4 ,mr4 ,dyce1 ,glossary1 p4 #ha1 says that ,nares wrongly confounded this with the gallard4 ,in ,much ,ado ,about ,nothing 7ii4 #a71 ,shakespeare makes ,beatrice make a quibble upon the term2 for after comparing wooing1 wedding1 and repenting to a ,scotch jig1 a measure1 and a cinque-pace1 she says3 then comes repentance1 and1 with his bad legs1 falls into the cinque-pace faster and faster1 till he sink into his grave4 ,a further reference occurs in ,twelfth ,night 7i4 #c71 by ,sir ,toby ,belch1 who calls it a sink-a-pace4 ,coranto4 ,an allusion to this dance1 which appears to have been of a very lively and rapid character1 is made in ,henry ,v4 7iii4 #e71 where the ,duke of ,bourbon describes it as the swift coranto2 and in ,all's ,well that ,ends ,well 7ii4 #c7 ,lafeu refers to it4 ,a further notice of it occurs in ,twelfth ,night 7i4 #c71 in the passage where ,sir ,toby ,belch speaks of coming home in a coranto4 ,fading4 ,malone quotes a passage from ,sportive ,wit1 #afff1 which implies that this was a rustic dance3 ,the courtiers scorn us country clowns1 ,we country clowns do scorn the court2 ,we can be as merry upon the downs ,as you at midnight with all your sport1 ,with a fading1 with a fading4 ,it would appear1 also1 from a letter appended to ,boswell's edition of ,malone1 that it was an ,irish dance1 and that it was practised1 upon rejoicing occasions1 as recently as #ahjc1 the date of the letter3 ,this dance is still practised on rejoicing occasions in many parts of ,ireland2 a king and queen are chosen from amongst the young persons who are the best dancers2 the queen carries a garland composed of two hoops placed at right angles1 and fastened to a handle2 the hoops are covered with flowers and ribbons2 you have seen it1 ,i dare say1 with the ,may-maids4 ,frequently in the course of the dance the king and queen lift up their joined hands as high as they can1 she still holding the garland in the other4 ,the most remote couple from the king and queen first pass under2 all the rest of the line linked together follow in succession4 ,when the last has passed1 the king and queen suddenly face about and front their companions2 this is often repeated during the dance1 and the various undulations are pretty enough1 resembling the movements of a serpent4 ,the dancers on the first of ,may visit such newly wedded pairs of a certain rank as have been married since last ,may-day in the neighborhood1 who commonly bestow on them a stuffed ball richly decked with gold and silver lace1 and accompanied with a present in money1 to regale themselves after the dance4 ,this dance is practised when the bonfires are lighted up1 the queen hailing the return of summer in a popular ,irish song beginning3 ',we lead on summer--see6 she follows in our train4' ,in the ,winter's ,tale 7iv4 #d71 ,shakespeare seems to allude to this dance where he makes the servant1 speaking of the pedler1 say3 he has the prettiest love songs for maids2 so without bawdry1 which is strange2 with such delicate burdens of 'dildos' and 'fadings4' ,some commentators1#hbg however1 consider that only the song is meant4 #hbg ,see ,knight's ,pictorial ,shakespeare1 vol4 ii4 p4 #cge2 ,dyce's ,glossary1 #ahcf1 p4 #aeb2 ,british ,popular ,customs1 #ahgf1 pp4 #bgf1 #bgg4 ,see also ,chappell's ,popular ,music of the ,olden ,time1 #b;d edition1 vol4 i4 p4 #bce2 ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 i4 p4 #bib4 ,hay4 ,douce#hbh says this dance was borrowed by us from the ,french1 and is classed among the brawls in ,thoinot ,arbeau's ,orchesographie 7#aehh74 ,in ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7v4 #a71 ,dull says3 ,i will play on tabor to the ,worthies1 and let them dance their hay4 #hbh ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 p4 #adf4 ,jig4 ,besides meaning a merry1 sprightly dance1 a jig also implied a coarse sort of comic entertainment1 in which sense it is probably used by ,hamlet 7ii4 #b73 ,he's for a jig or a tale of bawdry4 ,it seems1 says ,mr4 ,collier1#hbi to have been a ludicrous composition in rhyme1 sung1 or said1 by the clown1 and accompanied by dancing and playing upon the pipe and tabor4#hcj an instance of which perhaps occurs in the ,clown's song at the close of ,twelfth ,night3 ,when that ,i was and a little tiny boy4 #hbi ,history of ,english ,dramatic ,poetry1 vol4 iii4 p4 #chj2 see ,dyce's ,glossary1 p4 #bbi2 ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 i4 p4 #dej2 ,singer's ,shakespeare1 vol4 ix4 pp4 #aih1 #bai4 #hcj ,hamlet3 iii4 #b3 your only jig-maker4 ,fletcher1 in the ,prologue to the ,fair ,maid of the ,inn1 says3 ,a jig should be clapt at1 and every rhyme ,praised and applauded by a clamorous chime4 ,among the allusions to this dance we may quote one in ,much ,ado ,about ,nothing 7ii4 #a71 where ,beatrice compares wooing to a ,scotch jig2 and another in ,twelfth ,night 7i4 #c71 where ,sir ,toby ,belch says1 his very walk should be a jig4 ,lavolta4 ,according to ,florio1 the lavolta is a kind of turning ,french dance1 in which the man turns the woman round several times1 and then assists her in making a high spring or cabriole4 ,it is thus described by ,sir ,john ,davies3 ,yet is there one the most delightful kind4 ,a loftie jumping1 or a leaping round1 ,where arme in arme two dauncers are entwined1 ,and whirle themselves1 with strict embracements bound2 ,and still their feet an anapest do sound1 ,an anapest is all their musicks song1 ,whose first two feet are short1 and third is long4 ,douce1#hca however1 considers it to be of ,italian origin1 and says1 ,it passed from ,italy into ,provence and the rest of ,france1 and thence into ,england4 ,scot1 too1 in his ,discovery of ,witchcraft1 thus speaks of it3 ,he saith1 that these night-walking1 or rather night-dancing1 witches1 brought out of ,italie into ,france that dance which is called la ,volta4 ,shakespeare1 in his ,henry ,v4 7iii4 #e71 makes the ,duke of ,bourbon allude to it3 ,they bid us to the ,english dancing-schools1 ,and teach lavoltas high1 and swift corantos4 #hca ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 p4 #cja2 see ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 ii4 p4 #dih4 ,again1 in ,troilus and ,cressida 7iv4 #d71 ,troilus says3 ,i cannot sing1 ,nor heel the high lavolt4 ,light o' ,love4 ,this was an old dance tune1 and was a proverbial expression for levity1 especially in love matters4#hcb ,in ,much ,ado ,about ,nothing 7iii4 #d71 ,margaret says3 ,clap's into ',light o' love2' that goes without a burden2 do you sing it1 and ,i'll dance it2 to which ,beatrice answers3 ,yea1 light o' love1 with your heels4 #hcb ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 ii4 p4 #eaj4 ,in ,two ,gentlemen of ,verona 7i4 #b71 it is alluded to3 ,julia4 ,best sing it to the tune of ',light o' love4' ,lucetta4 ,it is too heavy for so light a tune4 ,in the ,two ,noble ,kinsmen 7v4 #b71 we read3 ,he'll dance the morris twenty mile an hour4 ,and gallops to the tune of ',light o' love4' ,and in ,beaumont and ,fletcher's ,chances 7i4 #c71 ,frederic says3 ,sure he has encounter'd some light-o'-love or other4 ,pavan4 ,this was a grave and majestic dance1 in which the gentlemen wore their caps1 swords1 and mantles1 and the ladies their long robes and trains4 ,the dancers stepped round the room and then crossed in the middle1 trailing their garments on the ground1 the motion whereof1 says ,sir ,j4 ,hawkins1 resembled that of a peacock's tail4 ,it is alluded to in ,twelfth ,night 7v4 #a7 by ,sir ,toby3 ,a passy-measures pavin1 although the reading of this passage is uncertain1 the editors of the ,globe edition substituting panyn4 ,it has been conjectured that the passy-measure galliard1 and the passy-measure pavan were only two different measures of the same dance1 from the ,italian passamezzo4#hcc #hcc ,see ,dyce1 vol4 iii4 p4 #dab1 note #aba4 ,roundel4 ,this was also called the round1 a dance of a circular kind1 and is probably referred to by ,titania in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7ii4 #b71 where she says to her train3#hcd ,come now1 a roundel and a fairy song4 #hcd ,roundel also meant a song4 ,mr4 ,dyce considers the dance is here meant4 ,ben ,jonson1 in the ,tale of a ,tub1#hce seems to call the rings1 which such fairy dances are supposed to make1 roundels4 ,i'll have no roundels1 ,i1 in the queen's paths4 #hce ,see ,singer's ,shakespeare1 vol4 ii4 p4 #ccc4 ,satyrs' ,dance4 ,a dance of satyrs was a not uncommon entertainment in ,shakespeare's day1 or even at an earlier period4#hcf ,it was not confined to ,england1 and has been rendered memorable by the fearful accident with which it was accompanied at the ,court of ,france in #acib1 a graphic description of which has been recorded by ,froissart4 ,in the ,winter's ,tale 7iv4 #d71 the satyrs' dance is alluded to by the ,servant1 who says3 ,master1 there is three carters1 three shepherds1 three neat-herds1 three swine-herds1 that have made themselves all men of hair2 they call themselves ,saltiers3 and they have a dance which the wenches say is a gallimaufry of gambols1 because they are not in't4 ,in a book of songs composed by ,thomas ,ravenscroft and others1 in the time of ,shakespeare1 we find one#hcg called the ,satyres' daunce4 ,it is for four voices1 and is as follows3 ,round a round1 a rounda1 keepe your ring ,to the glorious sunne we sing4 ,hoe1 hoe6 ,he that weares the flaming rayes1 ,and the imperiall crowne of bayes1 ,him with shoutes and songs we praise4 ,hoe1 hoe6 ,that in his bountee would vouchsafe to grace ,the humble sylvanes and their shaggy race4 #hcf ,see ,knight's ,pictorial ,shakespeare1 vol4 ii4 p4 #chd2 ,singer's ,shakespeare1 vol4 iv4 p4 #he2 ,boswell's ,shakespeare1 vol4 xiv4 p4 #cga4 #hcg ,see ,douce's ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 p4 #bbb4 ,sword-dance4 ,in olden times there were several kinds of sword-dances1 most of which afforded opportunities for the display of skill4 ,in ,antony and ,cleopatra 7iii4 #aa71 there seems to be an allusion to this custom1 where ,antony1 speaking of ,csar1 says3#hch he1 at ,philippi1 kept ,his sword e'en like a dancer4 #hch ,see ,strutt's ,sports and ,pastimes1 #ahgf1 pp4 #cjj1 #cja2 ,douce's ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 p4 #aic4 ,and in ,all's ,well that ,ends ,well 7ii4 #a71 where ,bertram1 lamenting that he is kept from the wars1 adds3 ,i shall stay here the forehorse to a smock1 ,creaking my shoes on the plain masonry1 ,till honour be bought up1 and no sword worn ,but one to dance with4 ,in ,titus ,andronicus 7ii4 #a71 too1 ,demetrius says to ,chiron3 ,why1 boy1 although our mother1 unadvis'd ,gave you a dancing-rapier by your side4 ,tread a ,measure1 to which the ,king refers in ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7v4 #b71 when he tells ,boyet to tell ,rosaline we have measur'd many miles1 ,to tread a measure with her on this grass1 was a grave solemn dance1 with slow and measured steps1 like the minuet4 ,as it was of so solemn a nature1 it was performed#hci at public entertainments in the ,inns of ,court1 and it was not unusual1 nor thought inconsistent1 for the first characters in the law to bear a part in treading a measure4 #hci ,singer's ,shakespeare1 vol4 ii4 p4 #bfi2 ,sir ,christopher ,hatton was famous for it4 ,trip and ,go was the name of a favorite morris-dance1 and appears1 says ,mr4 ,chappell1 in his ,popular ,music of the ,olden ,times1 etc4 7#b;d edition1 vol4 i4 p4 #aca71 to have become a proverbial expression4 ,it is used in ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7iv4 #b74 ,up-spring4 ,from the following passage1 in ,chapman's ,alphonsus1 ,emperor of ,germany1 it would seem that this was a ,german dance3 ,we ,germans have no changes in our dances2 ,an almain and an up-spring1 that is all4 ,karl ,elze1#hdj who1 a few years ago1 reprinted ,chapman's ,alphonsus at ,leipsic1 says that the word up-spring is the ',hpfauf1' the last and wildest dance at the old ,german merry-makings4 ,no epithet could there be more appropriate to this drunken dance than ,shakespeare's swaggering in ,hamlet 7i4 #d73 ,the king doth wake to-night1 and takes his rouse1 ,keeps wassail1 and the swaggering up-spring reels4 #hdj ,quoted in ,dyce's ,glossary1 p4 #dgf4 ,,chapter ,,xviii4 ,,punishments4 ,shakespeare has not omitted to notice many of the punishments which were in use in years gone by2 the scattered allusions to these being interesting in so far as they serve to illustrate the domestic manners and customs of our forefathers4 ,happily1 however1 these cruel tortures1 which darken the pages of history1 have long ago passed into oblivion2 and at the present day it is difficult to believe that such barbarous practices could ever have been tolerated in any civilized country4 ,the horrible punishment of boiling to death1 is mentioned in ,twelfth ,night 7ii4 #e71 where ,fabian says3 ,if ,i lose a scruple of this sport1 let me be boiled to death with melancholy4 ,in ,winter's ,tale 7iii4 #b71 ,paulina inquires3 ,what studied torments1 tyrant1 hast for me8 ,what wheels8 racks8 fires8 ,what flaying8 boiling ,in leads or oils8 ,what old or newer torture ,must ,i receive8 ,there seems to be an indirect allusion to this punishment in ,the ,two ,noble ,kinsmen 7iv4 #c71 where the ,gaoler's ,daughter in her madness speaks of those who are mad1 or hang1 or drown themselves1 being put into a caldron of lead and usurer's grease1 and there boiling like a gammon of bacon that will never be enough4 ,the practice of holding burning basins before the eyes of captives1 to destroy their eyesight1 is probably alluded to by ,macbeth 7iv4 #a71 in the passage where the apparitions are presented to him by the witches3 ,thou art too like the spirit of ,banquo2 down6 ,thy crown does sear mine eyeballs4#hda #hda ,halliwell-,phillipps's ,index to ,shakespeare1 p4 #cf4 ,in ,antony and ,cleopatra 7ii4 #d71 soaking in brine as a punishment is referred to by ,cleopatra1 who says to the messenger3 ,thou shalt be whipp'd with wire1 and stew'd in brine1 ,smarting in lingering pickle4 ,drowning by the tide1 a method of punishing criminals1 is probably noticed in ,the ,tempest 7i4 #a71 by ,antonio3 ,we are merely cheated of our lives by drunkards4 ,this wide-chapp'd rascal--would thou might'st lie drowning ,the washing of ten tides6 ,baffle4 ,this was formerly a punishment of infamy inflicted on recreant knights1 one part of which consisted in hanging them up by the heels1 to which ,falstaff probably refers in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7i4 #b71 where he says to the prince1 call me villain1 and baffle me4 ,and1 further on 7ii4 #d73 if thou dost it half so gravely1 so majestically1 both in word and matter1 hang me up by the heels for a rabbit-sucker1 or a poulter's hare4#hdb ,in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7i4 #b71 the ,chief ,justice tells ,falstaff that to punish him by the heels would amend the attention of his ears4 ,and in ,all's ,well that ,ends ,well 7iv4 #c71 where the lord relates how ,parolles has sat in the stocks all night1 ,bertram says3 his heels have deserved it1 in usurping his spurs so long4 #hdb ,see ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 i4 p4 #df4 ,spenser1 in his ,fairy ,queen 7vi4 #g71 thus describes this mode of punishment3 ,and after all1 for greater infamie ,he by the heels him hung upon a tree1 ,and baffl'd so1 that all which passed by ,the picture of his punishment might see4 ,the appropriate term1 too1 for chopping off the spurs of a knight when he was to be degraded1 was hack--a custom to which1 it has been suggested1 ,mrs4 ,page alludes in the ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7ii4 #a73hdc ,what8--,sir ,alice ,ford6 ,these knights will hack1 and so thou shouldst not alter the article of thy gentry4#hdd #hdc ,mr4 ,halliwell-,phillipps1 in his ,handbook ,index to the ,works of ,shakespeare 7#ahff1 p4 #bca71 suggests this meaning4 #hdd ,see ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 i4 p4 #cig4 ,mr4 ,dyce1#hde however1 says the most probable meaning of this obscure passage is1 that there is an allusion to the extravagant number of knights created by ,king ,james1 and that hack is equivalent to become cheap or vulgar4 #hde ,dyce's ,glossary1 p4 #aig4 ,it appears1 too1 that in days gone by the arms1 etc41 of traitors and rebels might be defaced4 ,thus1 in ,richard ,,ii4 7ii4 #c71 ,berkeley tells ,bolingbroke3 ,mistake me not1 my lord2 'tis not my meaning ,to raze one title of your honour out4 ,upon which passage we may quote from ,camden's ,remains 7#afje1 p4 #ahf73 ,how the names of them1 which for capital crimes against majestie1 were erased out of the public records1 tables1 and registers1 or forbidden to be borne by their posteritie1 when their memory was damned1 ,i could show at large4 ,in the following act 7iii4 #a7 ,bolingbroke further relates how his enemies had3 ,dispark'd my parks1 and fell'd my forest woods1 ,from mine own windows torn my household coat1 ,raz'd out my impress1 leaving me no sign4 ,bilboes4 ,these were a kind of stocks or fetters used at sea to confine prisoners1 of which ,hamlet speaks to ,horatio 7v4 #b73 ,sir1 in my heart there was a kind of fighting1 ,that would not let me sleep3 methought ,i lay ,worse than the mutines in the bilboes4 ,this punishment is thus described by ,steevens3 ,the bilboes is a bar of iron with fetters annexed to it1 by which mutinous or disorderly sailors were anciently linked together4 ,the word is derived from ,bilboa1 a place in ,spain where instruments of steel were fabricated in the utmost perfection4 ,to understand ,shakespeare's allusion completely1 it should be known that1 as these fetters connect the legs of the offenders very close together1 their attempts to rest must be as fruitless as those of ,hamlet1 in whose mind 'there was a kind of fighting that would not let him sleep4' ,every motion of one must disturb his partner in confinement4 ,the bilboes are still shown in the ,tower of ,london1 among the other spoils of the ,spanish ,armada4#hdf #hdf ,bilbo was also a rapier or sword2 thus1 in ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7iii4 #e71 ,falstaff says to ,ford3 ,i suffered the pangs of three several deaths3 first1 an intolerable fright1 to be detected 444 next1 to be compassed1 like a good bilbo 444 hilt to point1 etc4 ,brand4--,the branding of criminals is indirectly alluded to in #b ,henry ,,vi4 7v4 #b71 by ,young ,clifford1 who calls the ,duke of ,richmond a foul stigmatick1 which properly meant a person who had been branded with a hot iron for some crime1 one notably defamed for naughtiness4 ,the practice was abolished by law in the year #ahbb4 ,the practice1 too1 of making persons convicted of perjury wear papers1 while undergoing punishment1 descriptive of their offence1 is spoken of in ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7iv4 #c71 where ,biron says of ,longaville3 ,why1 he comes in like a perjure1 wearing papers4 ,holinshed relates how ,wolsey so punished a perjure with open punishment and open paper-wearing that in his time it was disused4 ,breech4 ,this old term to whip or punish as a school-boy is noticed in the ,taming of the ,shrew 7iii4 #a73 ,i am no breeching scholar in the schools2 ,i'll not be tied to hours nor 'pointed times --breeching being equivalent to liable to be whipped4 ,in ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7iv4 #a71 ,sir ,hugh ,evans tells the boy page3 ,if you forget your 'quies1' your 'qus1' and your 'quods1' you must be preeches 7breeched74 ,crown4 ,a burning crown1 as the punishment of regicides or other criminals1 is probably alluded to by ,anne in ,richard ,,iii4 7iv4 #a73 ,o1 would to ,god that the inclusive verge ,of golden metal1 that must round my brow1 ,were red-hot steel1 to sear me to the brain6 ,mr4 ,singer1#hdg in a note on this passage1 quotes from ,chettle's ,tragedy of ,hoffman 7#afca71 where this punishment is introduced3 ,fix on thy master's head my burning crown4 ,and again3 ,was adjudg'd ,to have his head sear'd with a burning crown4 #hdg ,shakespeare1 vol4 vi4 p4 #dhe2 see ,boswell's ,life of ,johnson1 vol4 ii4 p4 #f4 ,the ,earl of ,athol1 who was executed for the murder of ,james ,i4 of ,scotland1 was1 before his death1 crowned with a hot iron4 ,in some of the monkish accounts of a place of future torments1 a burning crown is appropriated to those who deprived any lawful monarch of his kingdom4 ,pillory4 ,this old mode of punishment is referred to by ,launce in the ,two ,gentlemen of ,verona 7iv4 #d71 where he speaks of having stood on the pillory4 ,in ,taming of the ,shrew 7ii4 #a71 ,hortensio1 when he tells ,baptista how he had been struck by ,katharina because ,i did but tell her she mistook her frets1 adds3 she struck me on the head1 ,and through the instrument my pate made way2 ,and there ,i stood amazed for a while1 ,as on a pillory1 looking through the lute4 ,it has been suggested that there may be an allusion to the pillory in ,measure for ,measure 7v4 #a71 where ,lucio says to the duke1 disguised in his friar's hood3 you must be hooded1 must you8 show your knave's visage1 with a pox to you6 show your sheep-biting face1 and be hanged an hour6 ,the alleged crime was not capital1 and suspension in the pillory for an hour was all that the speaker intended4#hdh #hdh ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 ii4 p4 #ffa2 see ,douce's ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 #ahci1 pp4 #ij1 #ia1 #aji2 ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 vol4 iii4 p4 #aaa4 ,press4 ,several allusions occur to this species of torture1 applied to contumacious felons4 ,it was also1 says ,malone1 formerly inflicted on those persons who1 being indicted1 refused to plead4 ,in consequence of their silence1 they were pressed to death by a heavy weight laid upon the stomach4 ,in ,much ,ado ,about ,nothing 7iii4 #a71 ,hero says of ,beatrice3 she would laugh me ,out of myself1 press me to death with wit4 ,in ,richard ,,ii4 7iii4 #d7 the ,queen exclaims3 ,o1 ,i am press'd to death1 through want of speaking6 ,and in ,measure for ,measure 7v4 #a71 ,lucio tells the ,duke that1 ,marrying a punk1 my lord1 is pressing to death1 whipping1 and hanging4 ,in the ,perfect ,account of the ,daily ,intelligence 7,april #afth1 #afea71 we find it recorded3 ,mond41 ,april #adth4 ,this ,session1 at the ,old ,bailey1 were four men pressed to death that were all in one robbery1 and1 out of obstinacy and contempt of the ,court1 stood mute1 and refused to plead4 ,this punishment was not abolished until by statute #ab ,george ,,iii4 c4 #bj4 ,rack4 ,according to ,mr4 ,blackstone1 this was utterly unknown to the law of ,england2 though once1 when the ,dukes of ,exeter and ,suffolk1 and other ministers of ,henry ,,vi41 had laid a design to introduce the civil law into this kingdom as a rule of government1 for the beginning thereof they erected a rack of torture1 which was called1 in derision1 the ,duke of ,exeter's daughter2 and still remains in the ,tower of ,london1 where it was occasionally used as an engine of state1 not of law1 more than once in the reign of ,queen ,elizabeth4 ,but when1 upon the assassination of ,villiers1 ,duke of ,buckingham1 it was proposed1 in the ,privy ,council1 to put the assassin to the rack1 in order to discover his accomplices1 the judges 7being consulted7 declared unanimously1 to their own honor and the honor of the ,english law1 that no such proceeding was allowable by the law of ,england4 ,mr4 ,hallam observes that1 though the ,english law never recognized the use of torture1 yet there were many instances of its employment in the reign of ,elizabeth and ,james2 and1 among others1 in the case of the ,gunpowder ,plot4 ,he further adds1 in the latter part of the reign of ,elizabeth the rack seldom stood idle in the ,tower4 ,of the many allusions to this torture may be mentioned ,sebastian's word in ,twelfth ,night 7v4 #a73 ,antonio6 ,o my dear ,antonio6 ,how have the hours rack'd and tortured me1 ,since ,i have lost thee4 ,in ,measure for ,measure 7v4 #a71 ,escalus orders the unreverend and unhallow'd friar 7the ,duke disguised7 to be taken to the rack3 ,take him hence2 to the rack with him6--,we'll touse you ,joint by joint4 ,the engine1 which sometimes meant the rack1 is spoken of in ,king ,lear 7i4 #d73 ,which1 like an engine1 wrench'd my frame of nature ,from the fix'd place4#hdi #hdi ,it also meant a warlike engine1 as in ,coriolanus1 v4 #d3 ,when he walks1 he moves like an engine1 and the ground shrinks before his treading2 so1 also1 in ,troilus and ,cressida1 ii4 #c4 ,so1 in ,beaumont and ,fletcher's ,night ,walker 7iv4 #e73 ,their souls shot through with adders1 torn on engines4 ,once more1 in ,measure for ,measure 7ii4 #a71 where ,escalus tells how ,some run from brakes of ice1 and answer none --a passage which ,mr4 ,dyce would thus read3 ,some run from brakes of vice4 ,it has been suggested that there is an allusion to engines of torture1 although1 owing to the many significations of the word brake1 its meaning here has been much disputed4#hej #hej ,see ,dyce's ,glossary1 p4 #di2 ,halliwell-,phillipps's ,handbook ,index to ,shakespeare1 p4 #ef2 ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 i4 p4 #ajd4 ,stocks4 ,this old-fashioned mode of punishment is the subject of frequent allusion by ,shakespeare4 ,thus1 ,launce1 in the ,two ,gentlemen of ,verona 7iv4 #d71 says3 ,i have sat in the stocks for puddings he hath stolen4 ,in ,all's ,well that ,ends ,well 7iv4 #c71 ,bertram says3 ,come1 bring forth this counterfeit module1 has deceived me1 like a double-meaning prophesier4 ,whereupon one of the ,french lords adds3 ,bring him forth3 has sat i' the stocks all night1 poor gallant knave4 ,volumnia says of ,coriolanus 7v4 #c73 ,there's no man in the world ,more bound to's mother2 yet here he lets me prate ,like one i' the stocks4 ,again1 in the ,comedy of ,errors 7iii4 #a71 ,luce speaks of a pair of stocks in the town1 and in ,king ,lear 7ii4 #b71 ,cornwall1 referring to ,kent1 says3 ,fetch forth the stocks6-- ,you stubborn ancient knave4 ,it would seem that formerly1 in great houses1 as in some colleges1 there were movable stocks for the correction of the servants4 ,putting a person in the stocks1 too1 was an exhibition familiar to the ancient stage4 ,in ,hick ,scorner1#hea printed in the reign of ,henry ,,viii41 ,pity is placed in the stocks1 and left there until he is freed by ,perseverance and ,contemplacyon4 #hea ,it is reprinted in ,hawkins's ,english ,drama1 #aggc4 ,strappado4 ,this was a military punishment1 by which the unfortunate sufferer was cruelly tortured in the following way3 a rope being fastened under his arms1 he was drawn up by a pulley to the top of a high beam1 and then suddenly let down with a jerk4 ,the result usually was a dislocation of the shoulder-blade4 ,in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7ii4 #d71 it is referred to by ,falstaff1 who tells ,poins3 were ,i at the strappado1 or all the racks in the world1 ,i would not tell you on compulsion4 ,at ,paris1 says ,douce1#heb there was a spot called l'estrapade1 in the ,faubourg ,st4 ,jacques1 where soldiers received this punishment4 ,the machine1 whence the place took its name1 remained fixed like a perpetual gallows4 ,the term is probably derived from the ,italian strappare1 to pull or draw with violence4 #heb ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 pp4 #bfc4 #bfd2 see ,dyce's ,glossary1 p4 #dbc4 ,toss in a ,sieve4 ,this punishment1 according to ,cotgrave1 was inflicted on such as committed gross absurdities4 ,in #a ,henry ,,vi4 7i4 #c71 ,gloster says to the ,bishop of ,winchester3 ,i'll canvass thee in thy broad cardinal's hat1 ,if thou proceed in this thy insolence4 ,it is alluded to in ,davenant's ,cruel ,brother 7#afcj73 ,i'll sift and winow him in an old hat4 ,wheel4 ,the punishment of the wheel was not known at ,rome1 but we read of ,mettius ,tuffetius being torn asunder by quadrig driven in opposite directions4 ,as ,shakespeare1 remarks ,malone1 has coupled this species of punishment with another that certainly was unknown to ancient ,rome1 it is highly probable that he was not apprised of the story of ,mettius ,tuffetius1 and that in this1 as in various other instances1 the practice of his own times was in his thoughts1 for in #aeid ,john ,chastel had been thus executed in ,france for attempting to assassinate ,henry ,,iv4 ,coriolanus 7iii4 #b7 says3 ,let them pull all about mine ears1 present me ,death on the wheel1 or at wild horses' heels4 ,whipping4 ,three centuries ago this mode of punishment was carried to a cruel extent4 ,by an act passed in the #b;d year of ,henry ,,viii41 vagrants were to be carried to some market-town1 or other place1 and there tied to the end of a cart1 naked1 and beaten with whips throughout such market-town1 or other place1 till the body should be bloody by reason of such whipping4 ,the punishment was afterwards slightly mitigated1 for1 by a statute passed in #cith of ,elizabeth's reign1 vagrants were only to be stripped naked from the middle upwards1 and whipped till the body should be bloody4 ,the stocks were often so constructed as to serve both for stocks and whipping-posts4#hec ,among the numerous references to this punishment by ,shakespeare1 we may quote #b ,henry ,,iv4 7v4 #d71 where the beadle says of ,hostess ,quickly3 ,the constables have delivered her over to me1 and she shall have whipping-cheer enough1 ,i warrant her4 ,in the ,taming of the ,shrew 7i4 #a71 ,gremio says1 speaking of ,katharina1 ,i had as lief take her dowry with this condition1--to be whipped at the high-cross every morning1 in allusion to what ,hortensio had just said3 why1 man1 there be good fellows in the world1 an a man could light on them1 would take her with all faults1 and money enough4 ,in #b ,henry ,,vi4 7ii4 #a71 ,gloster orders ,simpcox and his wife to be whipped through every market-town1 ,till they come to ,berwick1 from whence they came4 #hec ,see ,book of ,days1 vol4 i4 pp4 #eih1 #eii4 ,wisp4 ,this was a punishment for a scold4#hed ,it appears that a wisp1 or small twist of straw or hay1 was often applied as a mark of opprobrium to an immodest woman1 a scold1 or similar offender2 even1 therefore1 the showing it to a woman1 was considered a grievous affront4 ,in #c ,henry ,,vi4 7ii4 #b7 ,edward says of ,queen ,margaret3 ,a wisp of straw were worth a thousand crowns1 ,to make this shameless callat#hee know herself4 #hed ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 ii4 p4 #ife4 #hee ,callat1 an immodest woman1 also applied to a scold4 ,cf4 ,winter's ,tale1 ii4 #c3 ,a callat ,of boundless tongue1 who late hath beat her husband1 ,and now baits me4 ,a wisp1 adds ,nares1 seems to have been the badge of the scolding woman in the ceremony of ,skimmington2#hef an allusion to which is given in a ,dialogue between ,john and ,jone1 striving who shall wear the breeches1 in the ,pleasures of ,poetry1 cited by ,malone3 ,good1 gentle ,jone1 with-holde thy handes1 ,this once let me entreat thee1 ,and make me promise never more1 ,that thou shalt mind to beat me4 ,for fear thou wear the wispe1 good wife1 ,and make our neighbours ride4 #hef ,skimmington was a burlesque ceremony in ridicule of a man beaten by his wife4 ,see ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 vol4 ii4 pp4 #aia1 #aib4 ,in ,nash's ,pierce ,pennilesse 7#aeic7 there is also an amusing allusion to it3 ,why1 thou errant butter-whore1 thou cotquean and scrattop of scolds1 wilt thou never leave afflicting a dead carcasse8 continually read the rhetorick lecture of ,ramme-alley8 a wispe1 a wispe1 you kitchen-stuffe wrangler4 ,,chapter ,,xix4 ,,proverbs4 ,in the present chapter are collected together the chief proverbs either quoted or alluded to by ,shakespeare4 ,many of these are familiar to most readers1 but have gained an additional interest by reason of their connection with the poet's writings4 ,at the same time1 it may be noted that very many of ,shakespeare's pithy sayings have1 since his day1 passed into proverbs1 and have taken their place in this class of literature4 ,it is curious to notice1 as ,mrs4 ,cowden-,clarke remarks1#heg how ,shakespeare has paraphrased some of our commonest proverbs in his own choice and elegant diction4 ,thus1 ,make hay while the sun shines becomes ,the sun shines hot2 and if we use delay1 ,cold biting winter mars our hoped-for hay1 a statement which applies to numerous other proverbial sayings4 #heg ,shakespeare ,proverbs1 #aheh4 ,a black man is a jewel in a fair woman's eyes4 ,in the ,two ,gentlemen of ,verona 7v4 #b71 the following passage is an amusing illustration of the above3 ,thurio4 ,what says she to my face8 ,proteus4 ,she says it is a fair one4 ,thurio4 ,nay then1 the wanton lies2 my face is black4 ,proteus4 ,but pearls are fair2 and the old saying is1 ,black men are pearls in beauteous ladies' eyes4 ,in ,titus ,andronicus 7v4 #a7 there is a further allusion to this proverb1 where ,lucius says of ,aaron1 ,this is the pearl that pleas'd your empress' eye4 ,a beggar marries a wife and lice4 ,so in ,king ,lear 7iii4 #b71 ,song3 ,the cod-piece that will house1 ,before the head has any1 ,the head and he shall louse2 ,so beggars marry many4 ,thus it is also said3 ,a beggar payeth a benefit with a louse4 ,a cunning knave needs no broker4 ,this old proverb is quoted by ,hume1 in #b ,henry ,,vi4 7i4 #b73 ,a crafty knave does need no broker4 ,a curst cur must be tied short4 ,with this proverb we may compare what ,sir ,toby says in ,twelfth ,night 7iii4 #b71 to ,sir ,andrew3 ,go1 write it in a martial hand2 be curst and brief4 ,a drop hollows the stone1 or many drops pierce the stone4 ,we may compare #c ,henry ,,vi4 7iii4 #b71 much rain wears the marble1 and also the messenger's words 7ii4 #a71 when he relates how the noble ,duke of ,york was slain3 ,environed he was with many foes2 ,and stood against them1 as the hope of ,troy ,against the ,greeks1 that would have enter'd ,troy4 ,but ,hercules himself must yield to odds2 ,and many strokes1 though with a little axe1 ,hew down and fell the hardest-timber'd oak4 ,a finger in every pie4 ,so1 in ,henry ,,viii4 7i4 #a71 ,buckingham says of ,wolsey3 no man's pie is freed ,from his ambitious finger4 ,to the same purport is the following proverb3#heh ,he had a finger in the pie when he burnt his nail off4 #heh ,bohn's ,handbook of ,proverbs1 p4 #aei4 ,a fool's bolt is soon shot4 ,quoted by ,duke of ,orleans in ,henry ,v4 7iii4 #g74 ,with this we may compare the ,french3 ,de fol juge breve sentence4#hei #hei ,ibid4 p4 #id4 ,a friend at court is as good as a penny in the purse4 ,so1 in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7v4 #a71 ,shallow says3 a friend i' the court is better than a penny in purse4 ,the ,french equivalent of this saying is3 ,bon fait avoir ami en cour1 car le procs en est plus court4 ,a little pot's soon hot4 ,grumio1 in ,taming of the ,shrew 7iv4 #a71 uses this familiar proverb3 were not ,i a little pot1 and soon hot1 my very lips might freeze to my teeth1 etc4 ,a pox of the devil 7,henry ,v41 iii4 #g74 ,a smoky chimney and a scolding wife are two bad companions4 ,there are various versions of this proverb4 ,ray gives the following3 ,smoke1 raining into the house1 and a scolding wife1 will make a man run out of doors4 ,hotspur1 in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7iii4 #a71 says of ,glendower3 ,o1 he's as tedious ,as a tired horse1 a railing wife2 ,worse than a smoky house4 ,a snake lies hidden in the grass4 ,this1 as ,mr4 ,green#hfj remarks1 is no unfrequent proverb1 and the idea is often made use of by ,shakespeare4 ,thus1 in #b ,henry ,,vi4 7iii4 #a71 ,margaret declares to the attendant nobles3 ,henry my lord is cold in great affairs1 ,too full of foolish pity3 and ,gloster's show ,beguiles him1 as the mournful crocodile ,with sorrow snares relenting passengers1 ,or as the snake1 roll'd in a flowering bank1 ,with shining checker'd slough1 doth sting a child1 ,that for the beauty thinks it excellent4 #hfj ,shakespeare and the ,emblem ,writers1 #ahgj1 p4 #cda4 ,lady ,macbeth 7i4 #e7 tells her husband3 look like the innocent flower1 ,but be the serpent under't4 ,juliet 7,romeo and ,juliet1 iii4 #b7 speaks of3 ,serpent heart1 hid with a flowering face4 ,a staff is quickly found to beat a dog4 ,other versions of this proverb are3 ,it is easy to find a stick to beat a dog2 ,it is easy to find a stone to throw at a dog4#hfa ,so1 in #b ,henry ,,vi4 7iii4 #a71 ,gloster says3 ,i shall not want false witness to condemn me1 ,nor store of treasons to augment my guilt2 ,the ancient proverb will be well effected1-- ,a staff is quickly found to beat a dog4 #hfa ,see ,kelly's ,proverbs of ,all ,nations1 #ahgj1 p4 #aeg4 ,a wise man may live anywhere4 ,in ,richard ,,ii4 7i4 #c71 ,john of ,gaunt says3 ,all places that the eye of heaven visits1 ,are to a wise man ports and happy havens4 ,a woman conceals what she does not know4 ,hence ,hotspur says to his wife1 in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7ii4 #c73 ,constant you are1 ,but yet a woman3 and for secrecy1 ,no lady closer2 for ,i well believe ,thou wilt not utter what thou dost not know1-- ,and so far will ,i trust thee1 gentle ,kate4 ,all men are not alike 7,much ,ado ,about ,nothing1 iii4 #e74hfb #hfb ,halliwell-,phillipps's ,handbook ,index to ,shakespeare1 p4 #cij1 under ,proverbs4 ,all's ,well that ,ends ,well4 ,as lean as a rake4 ,so in ,coriolanus 7i4 #a71 one of the citizens says3 ,let us revenge this with our pikes1 ere we become rakes4 ,so ,spenser1 in his ,fairy ,queen 7bk4 ii4 can4 #aa73 ,his body leane and meagre as a rake4 ,this proverb is found in ,chaucer's ,canterbury ,tales 7i4 #bhi73 ,al so lene was his hors as is a rake4 ,as thin as a whipping-post is another proverb of the same kind4 ,as mad as a ,march hare 7,the ,two ,noble ,kinsmen1 iii4 #e74 ,we may compare the expression hare-brained3 #a ,henry ,,iv4 7v4 #b74 ,as sound as a bell4 ,so in ,much ,ado about ,nothing 7iii4 #b71 ,don ,pedro says of ,benedick3 ,he hath a heart as sound as a bell4 ,as the bell clinketh1 so the fool thinketh4 ,this proverb is indirectly alluded to in ,much ,ado ,about ,nothing 7iii4 #b71 in the previous passage1 where ,don ,pedro says of ,benedick that ,he hath a heart as sound as a bell1 and his tongue is the clapper2 for what his heart thinks1 his tongue speaks4 ,another form of the same proverb is3 ,as the fool thinks1 the bell tinks4#hfc #hfc ,see ,kelly's ,proverbs of ,all ,nations1 p4 #ia4 ,as true as steel4 ,this popular adage is quoted in ,troilus and ,cressida 7iii4 #b73 ,as true as steel1 as plantage to the moon4 ,we may also compare the proverb3 ,as true as the dial to the sun4 ,at hand1 quoth pick-purse 7#a ,henry ,,iv41 ii4 #a74 ,this proverbial saying arose1 says ,malone1 from the pickpurse always seizing the prey nearest him4 ,ay1 tell me that and unyoke 7,hamlet1 v4 #a74 ,this was a common adage for giving over or ceasing to do a thing2 a metaphor derived from the unyoking of oxen at the end of their labor4 ,baccare1 quoth ,mortimer to his sow4 ,with this ,mr4 ,halliwell-,phillipps compares ,gremio's words in the ,taming of the ,shrew 7ii4 #a73 ,saving your tale1 ,petruchio1 ,i pray1 ,let us1 that are poor petitioners1 speak too3 ,baccare6 you are marvellous forward4 ,mr4 ,dyce 7,glossary1 p4 #bc7 says the word signifies go back1 and cites one of ,john ,heywood's epigrams upon it3 ,backare1 quoth ,mortimer to his sow2 ,went that sowe backe at that bidding1 trow you4 ,barnes are blessings 7,all's ,well that ,ends ,well1 i4 #c74 ,base is the slave that pays 7,henry ,v41 ii4 #a74hfd #hfd ,halliwell-,phillipps's ,handbook ,index to ,shakespeare1 p4 #cia4 ,bastards are born lucky4 ,this proverb is alluded to in ,king ,john 7i4 #a71 by the ,bastard1 who says3 ,brother1 adieu2 good fortune come to thee6 ,for thou wast got i' the way of honesty4 ,philip wishes his brother good fortune1 because ,robert was not a bastard4 ,beggars mounted run their horses to death4#hfe ,quoted by ,york in #c ,henry ,,vi4 7i4 #d74 ,we may also compare the proverb3 ,set a beggar on horseback1 he'll ride to the devil4 #hfe ,see ,bohn's ,handbook of ,proverbs1 p4 #cbf4 ,begone when the sport is at the best4 ,mr4 ,halliwell-,phillipps quotes ,benvolio's words in ,romeo and ,juliet 7i4 #e73 ,away1 be gone2 the sport is at the best4 ,to the same effect are ,romeo's words 7i4 #d73 ,the game was ne'er so fair1 and ,i am done4 ,be off while your shoes are good4 ,this popular phrase1 still in use1 seems alluded to by ,katharina in ,taming of the ,shrew 7iii4 #b71 who says to ,petruchio3 ,you may be jogging whiles your boots are green4 ,better a witty fool1 than a foolish wit4 ,quoted by the clown in ,twelfth ,night 7i4 #e74 ,better fed than taught4 ,this old saying may be alluded to in ,all's ,well that ,ends ,well 7ii4 #b7 by the clown1 ,i will show myself highly fed and lowly taught2 and again 7ii4 #d7 by ,parolles3 ,a good knave1 i' faith1 and well fed4 ,blessing of your heart1 you brew good ale4 ,quoted by ,launce as a proverb in the ,two ,gentlemen of ,verona 7iii4 #a74 ,blush like a black dog4 ,this saying is referred to in ,titus ,andronicus 7v4 #a73 #a ,goth4 ,what1 canst thou say all this1 and never blush8 ,aaron4 ,ay1 like a black dog1 as the saying is4 ,bought and sold 7,troilus and ,cressida1 ii4 #a74 ,a proverbial phrase applied to any one entrapped or made a victim by treachery or mismanagement4 ,it is found again in the ,comedy of ,errors 7iii4 #a72 in ,king ,john 7v4 #d72 and in ,richard ,,iii4 7v4 #c74 ,bring your hand to the buttery-bar1 and let it drink 7,twelfth ,night1 i4 #c74 ,mr4 ,dyce quotes the following explanation of this passage1 although he does not answer for its correctness3 ,this is a proverbial phrase among forward abigails1 to ask at once for a kiss and a present4 ,sir ,andrew's slowness of comprehension in this particular gave her a just suspicion1 at once1 of his frigidity and avarice4 ,the buttery-bar means the place in palaces and in great houses whence provisions were dispensed2 and it is still to be seen in most of our colleges4 ,brag's a good dog1 but ,hold-fast is a better4 ,this proverb is alluded to in ,henry ,v4 7ii4 #c71 by ,pistol3 ,hold-fast is the only dog1 my duck4#hff #hff ,see ,bohn's ,handbook of ,proverbs1 p4 #ccc2 ,kelly's ,proverbs of all ,nations1 #ahgj1 p4 #agc4 ,bush natural1 more hair than wit4 ,ray's ,proverbs4 ,so in ,two ,gentlemen of ,verona 7iii4 #a71 it is said1 ,she hath more hair than wit4 ,by chance but not by truth#hfg 7,king ,john1 i4 #a74 #hfg ,halliwell-,phillipps's ,handbook ,index to ,shakespeare1 p4 #cia4 ,care will kill a cat2 yet there's no living without it4 ,so in ,much ,ado ,about ,nothing 7v4 #a71 ,claudio says to ,don ,pedro3 ,what though care killed a cat1 thou hast mettle enough in thee to kill care4 ,come cut and long-tail 7,merry ,wives of ,windsor1 iii4 #d74 ,this proverb means1 ,let any come that may1 good or bad2 and was1 no doubt1 says ,staunton1 originally applied to dogs or horses4 ,comparisons are odious4 ,so1 in ,much ,ado ,about ,nothing 7iii4 #e71 ,dogberry tells ,verges3 ,comparisons are odorous4 ,confess and be hanged4 ,this well-known proverb is probably alluded to in the ,merchant of ,venice 7iii4 #b73 ,bassanio4 ,promise me life1 and ,i'll confess the truth4 ,portia4 ,well then1 confess1 and live4 ,we may also refer to what ,othello says 7iv4 #a73 ,to confess1 and be hanged for his labour2 first1 to be hanged1 and then to confess4 ,i tremble at it4 ,in ,timon of ,athens 7i4 #b71 ,apemantus says3 ,ho1 ho1 confess'd it6 hang'd it1 have you not8 ,cry him1 and have him4 ,so ,rosalind says1 in ,as ,you ,like ,it 7i4 #c71 ,if ,i could cry 'hem' and have him4 ,cry you mercy1 ,i took you for a joint-stool 7,king ,lear1 iii4 #f74 ,it is given by ,ray in his ,proverbs 7#agfh72 see also ,taming of the ,shrew 7ii4 #a74 ,cucullus non facit monachum4 ,so in ,henry ,,viii4 7iii4 #a71 ,queen ,katherine says3 ,all hoods make not monks4 ,chaucer thus alludes to this proverb3 ,habite ne maketh monk ne feere2 ,but a clean life and devotion ,maketh gode men of religion4 ,dead as a door-nail4 ,so1 in #b ,henry ,,vi4 7iv4 #aj71 ,cade says to ,iden3 ,i have eat no meat these five days2 yet1 come thou and thy five men1 and if ,i do not leave you all as dead as a door-nail1 ,i pray ,god ,i may never eat grass more4 ,we may compare the term1 dead as a herring1 which ,caius uses in the ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7ii4 #c71 ,by gar1 de herring is no dead1 so as ,i vill kill him4 ,death will have his day 7,richard ,,ii41 iii4 #b74 ,delays are dangerous4 ,in #a ,henry ,,vi4 7iii4 #b71 ,reignier says3 ,defer no time1 delays have dangerous ends4 ,diluculo surgere1 etc4 7,twelfth ,night1 ii4 #c74 ,dogs must eat4 ,this1 with several other proverbs1 is quoted by ,agrippa in ,coriolanus 7i4 #a74 ,dun's the mouse 7,romeo and ,juliet1 i4 #d74 ,this was a proverbial saying1 of which no satisfactory explanation has yet been given4 ,nares thinks it was frequently employed with no other intent than that of quibbling on the word done4 ,ray has1 as dun as a mouse4 ,mercutio says3 ,tut1 dun's the mouse1 the constable's own word4 ,empty vessels give the greatest sound4 ,quoted in ,henry ,v4 7iv4 #d74 ,every dog hath his day1 and every man his hour4 ,this old adage seems alluded to by ,hamlet 7v4 #a73hfh ,the cat will mew1 and dog will have his day4 #hfh ,bohn's ,handbook of ,proverbs1 p4 #hf4 ,every man at forty is either a fool or a physician4#hfi ,this popular proverb is probably referred to in ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7iii4 #d71 by ,mistress ,quickly1 who tells ,fenton how she had recommended him as a suitor for ,mr4 ,page's daughter instead of ,doctor ,caius3 ,this is my doing1 now3 ',nay1' said ,i1 'will you cast away your child on a fool1 and a physician8 look on ,master ,fenton3'--this is my doing4 #hfi ,ray gives another form3 ,every man is either a fool or a physician after thirty years of age2 see ,bohn's ,handbook of ,proverbs1 #aheg1 p4 #bg4 ,familiarity breeds contempt4 ,so1 in the ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7i4 #a71 ,slender says3 ,i hope1 upon familiarity will grow more contempt4 ,fast bind1 fast find4 ,in ,merchant of ,venice 7ii4 #e71 ,shylock says3 ,well1 ,jessica1 go in3 ,perhaps ,i will return immediately3 ,do as ,i bid you2 shut doors after you2 ,fast bind1 fast find2 ,a proverb never stale in thrifty mind4 ,finis coronat opus4 ,a translation of this ,latin proverb is given by ,helena in ,all's ,well that ,ends ,well 7iv4 #d73 ,still the fine's the crown4 ,in #b ,henry ,,vi4 7v4 #b71 also1 ,clifford's expiring words are3 ,la fin couronne les oeuvres4 ,we still have the expression to crown1 in the sense of to finish or make perfect4 ,mr4 ,douce#hgj remarks that coronidem imponere is a metaphor well known to the ancients1 and supposed to have originated from the practice of finishing buildings by placing a crown at the top as an ornament2 and for this reason the words crown1 top1 and head are become synonymous in most languages4 ,there is reason for believing that the ancients placed a crescent at the beginning1 and a crown1 or some ornament that resembled it1 at the end of their books4 ,in ,troilus and ,cressida 7iv4 #e71 ,hector says3 ,the fall of every ,phrygian stone will cost ,a drop of ,grecian blood3 the end crowns all2 ,and that old common arbitrator1 ,time1 ,will one day end it4 #hgj ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 p4 #aii4 ,prince ,henry 7#b ,henry ,,iv41 ii4 #b71 in reply to ,poins1 gives another turn to the proverb3 ,by this hand1 thou think'st me as far in the devil's book as thou and ,falstaff1 for obduracy and persistency3 let the end try the man4#hga #hga ,see ,green's ,shakespeare and the ,emblem ,writers1 #ahgj1 pp4 #cai1 #cbc4 ,fly pride1 says the peacock4 ,this is quoted by ,dromio of ,syracuse1 in ,the ,comedy of ,errors 7iv4 #c74hgb #hgb ,halliwell-,phillipps's ,handbook ,index to ,shakespeare1 p4 #cia4 ,friends may meet1 but mountains never greet4 ,this is ironically alluded to in ,as ,you ,like ,it 7iii4 #b71 by ,celia3 ,it is a hard matter for friends to meet2 but mountains may be removed with earthquakes1 and so encounter4 ,give the devil his due4 ,in ,henry ,v4 7iii4 #g7 it is quoted by the ,duke of ,orleans4 ,god sends fools fortune4 ,it is to this version of the ,latin adage1 ,fortuna favet fatuis 7,fortune favors fools71 that ,touchstone alludes in his reply to ,jaques1 in ,as ,you ,like ,it 7ii4 #g73 ',no1 sir1' quoth he1 ',call me not fool till heaven hath sent me fortune4' ,under different forms1 the same proverb is found on the ,continent4 ,the ,spanish say1 ,the mother of ,god appears to fools2 and the ,german one is this1 ,fortune and women are fond of fools4#hgc #hgc ,kelly's ,proverbs of ,all ,nations1 #ahgb1 p4 #eb4 ,god sends not corn for the rich only4 ,this is quoted by ,marcius in ,coriolanus 7i4 #a74 ,good goose1 do not bite4 ,this proverb is used in ,romeo and ,juliet 7ii4 #d73 ,mercutio4 ,i will bite thee by the ear for that jest4 ,romeo4 ,nay1 good goose1 bite not4 ,good liquor will make a cat speak4 ,so1 in the ,tempest 7ii4 #b71 ,stephano says3 ,come on your ways3 open your mouth2 here is that which will give language to you1 cat2 open your mouth4 ,good wine needs no bush4 ,this old proverb1 which is quoted by ,shakespeare in ,as ,you ,like ,it 7v4 #d1 ,epilogue7--,if it be true that good wine needs no bush1 'tis true that a good play needs no epilogue--refers to the custom of hanging up a bunch of twigs1 or a wisp of hay1 at a roadside inn1 as a sign that drink may be had within4 ,this practice1 which still lingers in the cider-making counties of the west of ,england1 and prevails more generally in ,france1 is derived from the ,romans1 among whom a bunch of ivy was used as the sign of a wine-shop4 ,they were also in the habit of saying1 ,vendible wine needs no ivy hung up4 ,the ,spanish have a proverb1 ,good wine needs no crier4#hgd #hgd ,ibid41 #ahgj1 pp4 #age1 #agf4 ,greatest clerks not the wisest men4 ,mr4 ,halliwell-,phillipps1 in his ,handbook ,index to ,shakespeare 7p4 #cia71 quotes the following passage in ,twelfth ,night 7iv4 #b71 where ,maria tells the clown to personate ,sir ,topas1 the curate3 ,i am not tall enough to become the function well1 nor lean enough to be thought a good student2 but to be said an honest man and a good housekeeper goes as fairly as to say a careful man and a great scholar4 ,happy man be his dole 7,taming of the ,shrew1 i4 #a2 #a ,henry ,,iv41 ii4 #b74 ,ray has it1 ,happy man1 happy dole2 or1 ,happy man by his dole4 ,happy the bride on whom the sun shines4 ,mr4 ,halliwell-,phillipps1 in his ,handbook ,index to ,shakespeare 7p4 #cib71 quotes1 as an illustration of this popular proverb1 the following passage in ,twelfth ,night 7iv4 #c71 where ,olivia and ,sebastian1 having made a contract of eternal bond of love1 the former says3 and heavens so shine1 ,that they may fairly note this act of mine6 ,happy the child whose father went to the devil4#hge ,so1 in #c ,henry ,,vi4 7ii4 #b71 ,king ,henry asks1 interrogatively3 ,and happy always was it for that son1 ,whose father1 for his hoarding1 went to hell8 #hge ,see ,bohn's ,handbook of ,proverbs1 p4 #ajj2 ,kelly's ,proverbs of ,all ,nations1 p4 #ahg4 ,the ,portuguese say1 ,alas for the son whose father goes to heaven4 ,hares pull dead lions by the beard4 ,in ,king ,john 7ii4 #a71 the ,bastard says to ,austria3 ,you are the hare of whom the proverb goes1 ,whose valour plucks dead lions by the beard4 ,have is have1 however men do catch4 ,quoted by the ,bastard in ,king ,john 7i4 #a74 ,heaven's above all4 ,in ,richard ,,ii4 7iii4 #c7 ,york tells ,bolingbroke3 ,take not1 good cousin1 further than you should1 ,lest you mistake3 the heavens are o'er our heads4 ,so1 too1 in ,othello 7ii4 #c71 ,cassio says3 ,heaven's above all4#hgf #hgf ,halliwell-,phillipps's ,handbook ,index to ,shakespeare1 p4 #cib4 ,he is a poor cook who cannot lick his own fingers4 ,under a variety of forms1 this proverb is found in different countries4 ,the ,italians say1 ,he who manages other people's wealth does not go supperless to bed4 ,the ,dutch1 too1 say1 ,all officers are greasy1 that is1 something sticks to them4#hgg ,in ,romeo and ,juliet 7iv4 #b7 the saying is thus alluded to3 ,capulet4 ,sirrah1 go hire me twenty cunning cooks4 #b ,servant4 ,you shall have none ill1 sir2 for ,i'll try if they can lick their fingers4 ,capulet4 ,how canst thou try them so8 #b ,servant4 ,marry1 sir1 'tis an ill cook that cannot lick his own fingers3 therefore he that cannot lick his fingers goes not with me4 #hgg ,see ,kelly's ,proverbs of ,all ,nations1 #ahgj1 pp4 #aif1 #aig4 ,he's mad1 that trusts in the tameness of a wolf1 a horse's health1 a boy's love1 or a whore's oath 7,king ,lear1 iii4 #f74hgh #hgh ,halliwell-,phillipps's ,handbook ,index to ,shakespeare1 p4 #cib4 ,heroum filii nox4 ,it is a common notion that a father above the common rate of men has usually a son below it4 ,hence1 in ,the ,tempest 7i4 #b71 ,shakespeare probably alludes to this ,latin proverb3 ,my trust1 ,like a good parent1 did beget of him ,a falsehood1 in its contrary as great ,as my trust was4 ,he knows not a hawk from a handsaw4 ,hamlet says 7ii4 #b73 ,when the wind is southerly1 ,i know a hawk from a handsaw4 ,he may hang himself in his own garters4 ,so1 ,falstaff 7#a ,henry ,,iv4 ii4 #b7 says3 ,go1 hang thyself in thine own heir-apparent garters4 ,he that is born to be hanged will never be drowned4 ,in ,the ,tempest 7i4 #a71 ,gonzalo says of the ,boatswain3 ,i have great comfort from this fellow3 methinks he hath no drowning mark upon him2 his complexion is perfect gallows4 ,stand fast1 good ,fate1 to his hanging6 make the rope of his destiny our cable1 for our own doth little advantage6 ,if he be not born to be hanged1 our case is miserable4 ,the ,italians say1 ,he that is to die by the gallows may dance on the river4 ,he that dies pays all debts 7,the ,tempest1 iii4 #b74 ,he who eats with the devil hath need of a long spoon4 ,this is referred to by ,stephano1 in ,the ,tempest 7ii4 #b73 ,this is a devil1 and no monster3 ,i will leave him2 ,i have no long spoon4 ,again1 in the ,comedy of ,errors 7iv4 #c71 ,dromio of ,syracuse says3 ,he must have a long spoon that must eat with the devil4 ,the old adage1 which tells how ,he that will not when he may1 ,when he will he shall have nay1 is quoted in ,antony and ,cleopatra 7ii4 #g7 by ,menas3 ,who seeks1 and will not take1 when once 'tis offer'd1 ,shall never find it more4 ,hold hook and line 7#b ,henry ,,iv41 ii4 #d74 ,this1 says ,dyce1 is a sort of cant proverbial expression1 which sometimes occurs in our early writers 7,glossary1 p4 #baj74 ,hold1 or cut bow-strings#hgi 7,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream1 i4 #b74 #hgi ,see page #cid4 ,honest as the skin between his brows 7,much ,ado ,about ,nothing1 iii4 #e74hhj #hhj ,handbook ,index to ,shakespeare1 p4 #cib4 ,hunger will break through stone-walls4 ,this is quoted by ,marcius in ,coriolanus 7i4 #a71 who1 in reply to ,agrippa's question1 ,what says the other troop8 replies3 ,they are dissolved3 hang 'em6 ,they said they were an-hungry2 sigh'd forth proverbs1-- ,that hunger broke stone-walls1 etc4 ,according to an old ,suffolk proverb1#hha ,hunger will break through stone-walls1 or anything1 except ,suffolk cheese4 #hha ,bohn's ,handbook of ,proverbs1 #aheg1 p4 #dji4 ,i scorn that with my heels 7,much ,ado ,about ,nothing1 iii4 #d74 ,a not uncommon proverbial expression4 ,it is again referred to1 in the ,merchant of ,venice 7ii4 #b71 by ,launcelot3 do not run2 scorn running with thy heels4 ,dyce thinks it is alluded to in ,venus and ,adonis3 ,beating his kind embracements with her heels4 ,if you are wise1 keep yourself warm4 ,this proverb is probably alluded to in the ,taming of the ,shrew 7ii4 #a73 ,petruchio4 ,am ,i not wise8 ,katharina4 ,yes2 keep you warm4 ,so1 in ,much ,ado ,about ,nothing 7i4 #a73 that if he have wit enough to keep himself warm4 ,i fear no colours 7,twelfth ,night1 i4 #e74 ,ill-gotten goods never prosper4 ,this proverb is referred to by ,king ,henry 7#c ,henry ,,vi41 ii4 #b73 ,clifford1 tell me1 didst thou never hear ,that things ill got had ever bad success8 ,illotis manibus tractare sacra4 ,falstaff1 in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7iii4 #c71 says3 ,rob me the exchequer the first thing thou dost1 and do it with unwashed hands too4 ,ill will never said well4 ,this is quoted by ,duke of ,orleans in ,henry ,v4 7iii4 #g74 ,in at the window1 or else o'er the hatch 7,king ,john1 i4 #a74 ,applied to illegitimate children4 ,staunton has this note3 ,woe worth the time that ever a gave suck to a child that came in at the window6 7,the ,family of ,love1 #afjh74 ,so1 also1 in ,the ,witches of ,lancashire1 by ,heywood and ,broome1 #afcd3 ,it appears you came in at the window4 ,i would not have you think ,i scorn my grannam's cat to leap over the hatch4 ,it is a foul bird which defiles its own nest4 ,this seems alluded to in ,as ,you ,like ,it 7iv4 #a7 where ,celia says to ,rosalind3 ,you have simply misused our sex in your love-prate3 we must have your doublet and hose plucked over your head1 and show the world what the bird hath done to her own nest4 ,it is a poor dog that is not worth the whistling4 ,so ,goneril1 in ,king ,lear 7iv4 #b73 ,i have been worth the whistle4 ,it is a wise child that knows its own father4 ,in the ,merchant of ,venice 7ii4 #b71 ,launcelot has the converse of this3 ,it is a wise father that knows his own child4 ,it is an ill wind that blows nobody good4 ,so1 in #c ,henry ,,vi4 7ii4 #e71 we read3 ,ill blows the wind that profits nobody4 ,and1 in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7v4 #c71 when ,falstaff asks ,pistol ,what wind blew you hither8 the latter replies3 ,not the ill wind which blows no man to good4 ,it is easy to steal a shive from a cut loaf4 ,in ,titus ,andronicus 7ii4 #a71 ,demetrius refers to this proverb4 ,ray has1 ',tis safe taking a shive out of a cut loaf4 ,it's a dear collop that's cut out of my own flesh4 ,mr4 ,halliwell-,phillipps thinks there may be possibly an allusion to this proverb in #a ,henry ,,vi4 7v4 #d71 where the ,shepherd says of ,la ,pucelle3 ,god knows1 thou art a collop of my flesh4 ,i will make a shaft or a bolt of it4 ,in the ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7iii4 #d7 this proverb is used by ,slender4#hhb ,ray gives to make a bolt or a shaft of a thing4 ,this is equivalent to1 ,i will either make a good or a bad thing of it3 ,i will take the risk4 #hhb ,a shaft is an arrow for the longbow1 a bolt is for the crossbow4 ,kelly's ,proverbs of ,all ,nations1 p4 #aee4 ,it is like a barber's chair 7,all's ,well that ,ends ,well1 ii4 #b74 ,the following passage1 in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7iii4 #b73 ,jack shall have ,jill2 ,nought shall go ill2 ,the man shall have his mare again1 ,and all shall be well1 refers to the popular proverb of olden times1 says ,staunton1 signifying all ended happily4 ,so1 too1 ,biron says1 in ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7v4 #b73 ,our wooing doth not end like an old play2 ,jack hath not ,jill4 ,it occurs in ,skelton's poem ,magnyfycence 7,dyce1 ed4 i4 p4 #bcd73 ,jack shall have ,gyl2 and in ,heywood's ,dialogue 7,sig4 ,f4 #c1 #aeih73 ,come1 chat at hame1 all is well1 ,jack shall have ,gill4 ,kindness will creep where it cannot go4 ,thus1 in the ,two ,gentlemen of ,verona 7iv4 #b71 ,proteus tells ,thurio how love ,will creep in service where it cannot go4 ,there is a ,scotch proverb1 ,kindness will creep whar it mauna gang4 ,let the world slide 7,taming of the ,shrew1 ,induction1 sc4 i474 ,let them laugh that win4 ,othello says 7iv4 #a73 ,so1 so1 so1 so3--they laugh that win4 ,on the other hand1 the ,french say1 ,marchand qui perd ne peut rire4 ,like will to like1 as the devil said to the collier4 ,with this we may compare the following passage in ,twelfth ,night 7iii4 #d73 ,what1 man6 'tis not for gravity to play at cherry-pit with ,satan3 hang him1 foul collier6--collier having been1 in ,shakespeare's day1 a term of the highest reproach4 ,losers have leave to talk4 ,titus ,andronicus 7iii4 #a7 says3 ,then give me leave1 for losers will have leave ,to ease their stomachs with their bitter tongues4 ,maids say nay1 and take4 ,so ,julia1 in the ,two ,gentlemen of ,verona 7i4 #b71 says3 ,since maids1 in modesty1 say ',no' to that ,which they would have the profferer construe ',ay4' ,in ,the ,passionate ,pilgrim we read3 ,have you not heard it said full oft1 ,a woman's nay doth stand for nought8 ,make hay while the sun shines4 ,king ,edward1 in #c ,henry ,,vi4 7iv4 #h71 alludes to this proverb3 ,the sun shines hot2 and1 if we use delay1 ,cold1 biting winter mars our hop'd-for hay4 ,the above proverb is peculiar to ,england1 and1 as ,trench remarks1 could have its birth only under such variable skies as ours4 ,many talk of ,robin ,hood that never shot in his bow4 ,so1 in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7iii4 #b71 ,justice ,shallow1 says ,falstaff1 talks as familiarly of ,john o' ,gaunt as if he had been sworn brother to him2 and ,i'll be sworn a' never saw him but once in the ,tilt-yard1--and then he burst his head1 for crowding among the marshal's men4 ,marriage and hanging go by destiny4#hhc ,this proverb is the popular creed respecting marriage1 and1 under a variety of forms1 is found in different countries4 ,thus1 in ,merchant of ,venice 7ii4 #i71 ,nerissa says3 ,the ancient saying is no heresy1-- ,hanging and wiving goes by destiny4 #hhc ,but now consider the old proverbe to be true1 yt saieth that marriage is destinie4--,hall's ,chronicles4 ,again1 in ,all's ,well that ,ends ,well 7i4 #c7 the ,clown says3 ,for ,i the ballad will repeat1 ,which men full true shall find2 ,your marriage comes by destiny1 ,your cuckoo sings by kind4 ,we may compare the well-known proverb1 ,marriages are made in heaven1 and the ,french version1 ,les mariages sont crits dans le ciel4 ,marriage as bad as hanging4 ,in ,twelfth ,night 7i4 #e71 the ,clown says3 ,many a good hanging prevents a bad marriage4 ,marry trap 7,merry ,wives of ,windsor1 i4 #a74 ,this1 says ,nares1 is apparently a kind of proverbial exclamation1 as much as to say1 ',by ,mary1 you are caught4' ,meat was made for mouths4 ,quoted in ,coriolanus 7i4 #a74 ,misfortunes seldom come alone4 ,this proverb is beautifully alluded to by the ,king in ,hamlet 7iv4 #e73 ,when sorrows come1 they come not single spies1 ,but in battalions4 ,the ,french say3#hhd ,malheur ne vient jamais seul4 #hhd ,see ,bohn's ,handbook of ,proverbs1 p4 #aaf4 ,more hair than wit 7,two ,gentlemen of ,verona1 iii4 #b74 ,a well-known old ,english proverb4 ,mortuo leoni et lepores insultant4 ,this proverb is alluded to by the ,bastard in ,king ,john 7ii4 #a71 who says to the ,archduke of ,austria3 ,you are the hare of whom the proverb goes1 ,whose valour plucks dead lions by the beard4 ,much water goes by the mill the miller knows not of4 ,this adage is quoted in ,titus ,andronicus 7ii4 #a71 by ,demetrius3 more water glideth by the mill ,than wots the miller of4 ,my cake is dough 7,taming of the ,shrew1 v4 #a74 ,an obsolete proverb1 repeated on the loss of hope or expectation3 the allusion being to the old-fashioned way of baking cakes at the embers1 when it may have been occasionally the case for a cake to be burned on one side and dough on the other4 ,in a former scene 7i4 #a7 ,gremio says3 our cake's dough on both sides4 ,staunton quotes from ,the ,case is ,altered1 #afji3 ,steward1 your cake is dough1 as well as mine4 ,murder will out4 ,so1 in the ,merchant of ,venice 7ii4 #b71 ,launcelot says3 ,murder cannot be hid long1--a man's son may2 but1 in the end1 truth will out4 ,near or far off1 well won is still well shot 7,king ,john1 i4 #a74 ,needs must when the devil drives4 ,in ,all's ,well that ,ends ,well 7i4 #c71 the ,clown tells the ,countess3 ,i am driven on by the flesh2 and he must needs go1 that the devil drives4 ,neither fish1 nor flesh1 nor good red herring4#hhe ,falstaff says of the ,hostess in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7iii4 #c73 ,why1 she's neither fish nor flesh2 a man knows not where to have her4 #hhe ,see ,bohn's ,handbook of ,proverbs1 pp4 #afj1 #bea4 ,one nail drives out another4 ,in ,romeo and ,juliet 7i4 #b71 ,benvolio says3 ,tut1 man1 one fire burns out another's burning1 ,one pain is lessen'd by another's anguish2 ,turn giddy1 and be holp by backward turning2 ,one desperate grief cures with another's languish3 ,take thou some new infection to thy eye1 ,and the rank poison of the old will die4 ,the allusion1 of course1 is to homoeopathy4 ,the ,italians say1 ,poison quells poison4 ,old men are twice children2 or1 as they say in ,scotland1 ,auld men are twice bairns4 ,we may compare the ,greek ,greek3 ,dis paides oi gerontes4 ,the proverb occurs in ,hamlet 7ii4 #b73 ,an old man is twice a child4 ,out of ,god's blessing into the warm sun4 ,so ,kent says in ,king ,lear 7ii4 #b73 ,good king1 that must approve the common saw1-- ,thou out of heaven's benediction com'st ,to the warm sun4 ,patience perforce is a medicine for a mad dog4 ,this proverb is probably alluded to by ,tybalt in ,romeo and ,juliet 7i4 #e73 ,patience perforce with wilful choler meeting1 ,makes my flesh tremble in their different greeting4 ,and again1 in ,richard ,,iii4 7i4 #a73 ,gloster4 ,meantime1 have patience4 ,clarence4 ,i must perforce3 farewell4 ,pitch and ,pay 7,henry ,v41 ii4 #c74 ,this is a proverbial expression equivalent to ,pay down at once4#hhf ,it probably originated from pitching goods in a market1 and paying immediately for their standing4 ,tusser1 in his ,description of ,norwich1 calls it3 ,a city trim1 ,where strangers well may seem to dwell1 ,that pitch and pay1 or keep their day4 #hhf ,see ,dyce's ,glossary1 p4 #cbc4 ,pitchers have ears4 ,baptista quotes this proverb in the ,taming of the ,shrew 7iv4 #d73 ,pitchers have ears1 and ,i have many servants4 ,according to another old proverb3 ,small pitchers have great ears4 ,poor and proud6 fy1 fy4 ,olivia1 in ,twelfth ,night 7iii4 #a71 says3 ,o world1 how apt the poor are to be proud6 ,praise in departing 7,the ,tempest1 iii4 #c74 ,the meaning is3 ,do not praise your entertainment too soon1 lest you should have reason to retract your commendation4 ,staunton quotes from ,the ,paradise of ,dainty ,devises1 #aeif3 ,a good beginning oft we see1 but seldome standing at one stay4 ,for few do like the meane degree1 then praise at parting some men say4 ,pray ,god1 my girdle break#hhg 7#a ,henry ,,iv41 iii4 #c74 #hhg ,halliwell-,phillipps's ,handbook ,index to ,shakespeare1 p4 #cic4 ,put your finger in the fire and say it was your fortune4 ,an excellent illustration of this proverb is given by ,edmund in ,king ,lear 7i4 #b73 ,this is the excellent foppery of the world1 that1 when we are sick in fortune1 we make guilty of our disasters1 the sun1 the moon1 and the stars3 as if we were villains on necessity2 fools1 by heavenly compulsion2 knaves1 thieves1 and treachers1 by spherical predominance2 drunkards1 liars1 and adulterers1 by an enforced obedience of planetary influence2 and all that we are evil in1 by a divine thrusting on3 an admirable evasion1 etc4 ,respice finem1 respice furem4 ,it has been suggested that ,shakespeare 7,comedy of ,errors1 iv4 #d7 may have met with these words in a popular pamphlet of his time1 by ,george ,buchanan1 entitled ,chamleon ,redivivus2 or1 ,nathaniel's ,character ,reversed--a satire against the ,laird of ,lidingstone1 #aegj1 which concludes with the following words1 ,respice finem1 respice furem4 ,seldom comes the better4 ,in ,richard ,,iii4 7ii4 #c71 one of the citizens says3 ,ill news1 by'r lady2 seldom comes the better3 ,i fear1 ,i fear1 'twill prove a troublous world --a proverbial saying of great antiquity4 ,mr4 ,douce#hhh cites an account of its origin from a ,,ms4 collection of stories in ,latin1 compiled about the time of ,henry ,,iii4 #hhh ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 p4 #ccc4 ,service is no inheritance4 ,so1 in ,all's ,well that ,ends ,well 7i4 #c71 the ,clown says3 ,service is no heritage4 ,sit thee down1 sorrow 7,love's ,labour's ,lost1 i4 #a74 ,sit at the stern4 ,a proverbial phrase meaning to have the management of public affairs4 ,so1 in #a ,henry ,,vi4 7i4 #a71 ,winchester says3 ,the king from ,eltham ,i intend to steal1 ,and sit at chiefest stern of public weal4 ,she has the mends in her own hands4 ,this proverbial phrase is of frequent occurrence in our old writers1 and probably signifies1 ,it is her own fault2 or1 ,the remedy lies with herself4 ,it is used by ,pandarus in ,troilus and ,cressida 7i4 #a74 ,burton1 in his ,anatomy of ,melancholy1 writes3 ,and if men will be jealous in such cases1 the mends is in their own hands1 they must thank themselves4 ,small herbs have grace1 great weeds do grow apace 7,richard ,,iii41 ii4 #d74 ,so wise so young1 do ne'er live long 7,richard ,,iii41 iii4 #a74hhi #hhi ,see page #ccb4 ,so like you1 'tis the worse4 ,this is quoted as an old proverb by ,paulina in the ,winter's ,tale 7ii4 #c74 ,something about1 a little from the right 7,king ,john1 i4 #a74 ,sowed cockle1 reap no corn 7,love's ,labour's ,lost1 iv4 #c74 ,speak by the card 7,hamlet1 v4 #a74 ,a merchant's expression1 equivalent to be as precise as a map or book4 ,the card is the document in writing containing the agreement made between a merchant and the captain of a vessel4 ,sometimes the owner binds himself1 ship1 tackle1 and furniture1 for due performance1 and the captain is bound to declare the cargo committed to him in good condition4 ,hence1 to speak by the card is to speak according to the indentures or written instructions4 ,still swine eat all the draff 7,merry ,wives of ,windsor1 iv4 #b74 ,ray gives3 ,the still sow eats up all the draught4 ,still waters run deep4 ,so in #b ,henry ,,vi4 7iii4 #a71 ,suffolk says3 ,smooth runs the water where the brook is deep4 ,strike sail4 ,a proverbial phrase to acknowledge one's self beaten4 ,in #c ,henry ,,vi4 7iii4 #c71 it occurs3 now ,margaret ,must strike her sail and learn awhile to serve1 ,where kings command4 ,when a ship1 in fight1 or on meeting another ship1 lets down her topsails at least half-mast high1 she is said to strike1 that is1 to submit or pay respect to the other4#hij #hij ,brewer's ,dictionary of ,phrase and ,fable1 p4 #hfj4 ,strike while the iron is hot4 ,poins probably alludes to this proverb in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7ii4 #d73 ,my lord1 he will drive you out of your revenge1 and turn all to a merriment1 if you take not the heat4 ,again1 in ,king ,lear 7i4 #a71 ,goneril adds3 ,we must do something1 and i' the heat4 ,take all1 pay all 7,merry ,wives of ,windsor1 ii4 #b74 ,ray gives another version of this proverb3 ,take all1 and pay the baker4 ,tell the truth and shame the devil4 ,in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7iii4 #a71 ,hotspur tells ,glendower3 ,i can teach thee1 coz1 to shame the devil ,by telling truth3 tell truth1 and shame the devil4 ,that was laid on with a trowel4#hia ,this proverb1 which is quoted by ,ray1 is used by ,celia in ,as ,you ,like ,it 7i4 #b74 ,thus we say1 when any one bespatters another with gross flattery1 that he lays it on with a trowel4 #hia ,ray's ,proverbs 7,bohn's ,edition71 #aheg1 p4 #gf4 ,the cat loves fish1 but she's loath to wet her feet4 ,it is to this proverb that ,lady ,macbeth alludes when she upbraids her husband for his irresolution 7,macbeth1 i4 #g73 ,letting ',i dare not' wait upon ',i would1' ,like the poor cat i' the adage4 ,there are various forms of this proverb4 ,thus1 according to the rhyme3 ,fain would the cat fish eat1 ,but she's loath to wet her feet4 ,the ,french version is ,le chat aime le poisson mais il n'aime pas mouiller la patte--so that it would seem ,shakespeare borrowed from the ,french4 ,the devil rides on a fiddlestick 7#a ,henry ,,iv41 ii4 #d74 ,the galled jade will wince4 ,so ,hamlet says 7iii4 #b71 let the galled jade wince1 our withers are unwrung4 ,the grace o' ,god is gear enough4 ,this is the ,scotch form of the proverb which ,launcelot ,gobbo speaks of as being well parted between ,bassanio and ,shylock1 in the ,merchant of ,venice 7ii4 #b73 ,the old proverb is very well parted between my master ,shylock and you1 sir2 you have the grace of ,god1 sir1 and he hath enough4 ,the ,mayor of ,northampton opens oysters with his dagger4 ,this proverb is alluded to by ,pistol in ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7ii4 #b71 when he says3 ,why1 then the world's mine oyster1 ,which ,i with sword will open4 ,northampton being some eighty miles from the sea1 oysters were so stale before they reached the town 7before railroads1 or even coaches1 were known71 that the ,mayor would be loath to bring them near his nose4 ,the more haste the worse speed4 ,in ,romeo and ,juliet 7ii4 #f71 ,friar ,laurence says3 ,these violent delights have violent ends ,and in their triumph die2 like fire and powder1 ,which1 as they kiss1 consume3 the sweetest honey ,is loathsome in his own deliciousness1 ,and in the taste confounds the appetite3 ,therefore1 love moderately2 long love doth so2 ,too swift arrives as tardy as too slow4 ,the proverb thus alluded to seems to be derived from the ,latin adage1 ,festinatio tarda est4 ,it defeats its own purpose by the blunders and imperfect work it occasions4#hib ,hence the ,french say3 ,he that goes too hastily along often stumbles on a fair road4 #hib ,kelly's ,proverbs of ,all ,nations1 p4 #hj4 ,there is flattery in friendship--used by the ,constable of ,france in ,henry ,v4 7iii4 #g72 the usual form of this proverb being3 ,there is falsehood in friendship4 ,there was but one way 7,henry ,v41 ii4 #c74 ,this1 says ,dyce1 is a kind of proverbial expression for death4 7,glossary1 p4 #did47 ,the weakest goes to the wall4 ,this is quoted by ,gregory in ,romeo and ,juliet 7i4 #a71 whereupon ,sampson adds3 ,women1 being the weaker vessels1 are ever thrust to the wall3 therefore1 ,i will push ,montague's men from the wall1 and thrust his maids to the wall4 ,there went but a pair of shears between them 7,measure for ,measure1 i4 #b74 ,that is1 ,we are both of the same piece4 ,the world goes on wheels4 ,this proverbial expression occurs in ,antony and ,cleopatra 7ii4 #g72 and ,taylor1 the ,water-,poet1 has made it the subject of one of his pamphlets3 ,the worlde runnes on wheeles1 or1 oddes betwixt carts and coaches4 ,three women and a goose make a market4 ,this proverb is alluded to in ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7iii4 #a73 thus came your argument in2 ,then the boy's fat l'envoy1 the goose that you bought2 ,and he ended the market4 ,the following lines in #a ,henry ,,vi4 7i4 #f71 ,thy promises are like ,adonis' gardens ,that one day bloom'd1 and fruitful were the next1 allude to the ,adonis horti1 which were nothing but portable earthen pots1 with some lettuce or fennel growing in them4 ,on his yearly festival every woman carried one of them in honor of ,adonis1 because ,venus had once laid him in a lettuce bed4 ,the next day they were thrown away4 ,the proverb seems to have been used always in a bad sense1 for things which make a fair show for a few days and then wither away4 ,the ,dauphin is here made to apply it as an encomium4 ,there is a good account of it in ,erasmus's ,adagia2 but the idea may have been taken from the ,fairy ,queen1 bk4 iii4 cant4 #f1 st4 #db 7,singer's ,shakespeare1 #ahge1 vol4 vi4 p4 #cb74 ,to clip the anvil of my sword4 ,this expression1 in ',coriolanus' 7iv4 #e7 is very difficult to be explained1 says ,mr4 ,green1 unless we regard it as a proverb1 denoting the breaking of the weapon and the laying aside of enmity4 ,aufidius makes use of it in his welcome to the banished ,coriolanus4 here ,i clip ,the anvil of my sword2 and do contest ,as hotly and as nobly with thy love1 ,as ever in ambitious strength ,i did ,contend against thy valour4 ,to have a month's mind to a thing4 ,ray's ,proverbs4 ,so1 in the ,two ,gentlemen of ,verona 7i4 #b71 ,julia says3 ,i see you have a month's mind to them4#hic #hic ,see page #che4 ',tis merry in hall when beards wag all4#hid ,this is quoted by ,silence in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7v4 #c73 ,be merry1 be merry1 my wife has all2 ,for women are shrews1 both short and tall2 ',tis merry in hall when beards wag all1 ,and welcome merry shrove-tide4 ,be merry1 be merry4 #hid ,see ,bohn's ,handbook of ,proverbs1 p4 #aae4 ,to have one in the wind4 ,this is one of ,camden's proverbial sentences4 ,in ,all's ,well that ,ends ,well 7iii4 #f71 ,bertram says3 ,i spoke with her but once1 ,and found her wondrous cold2 but ,i sent to her1 ,by this same coxcomb that we have i' the wind1 ,tokens and letters which she did re-send4 ,to hold a candle to the devil--that is1 to aid or countenance that which is wrong4 ,thus1 in the ,merchant of ,venice 7ii4 #f71 ,jessica says3 ,what1 must ,i hold a candle to my shames8 --the allusion being to the practice of the ,roman ,catholics who burn candles before the image of a favorite saint1 carry them in funeral processions1 and place them on their altars4 ,to the dark house 7,all's ,well that ,ends ,well1 ii4 #c74 ,a house which is the seat of gloom and discontent4 ,truth should be silent4 ,enobarbus1 in ,antony and ,cleopatra 7ii4 #b71 says3 ,that truth should be silent ,i had almost forgot4 ,to take mine ease in mine inn4 ,a proverbial phrase used by ,falstaff in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7iii4 #c71 implying1 says ,mr4 ,drake1 a degree of comfort which has always been the peculiar attribute of an ,english house of public entertainment4#hie #hie ,shakespeare and his ,times1 vol4 i4 p4 #baf4 ,twice away says stay 7,twelfth ,night1 v4 #a74 ,malone thinks this proverb is alluded to by the ,clown3 conclusions to be as kisses1 if your four negatives make your two affirmatives1 why1 then1 the worse for my friends and the better for my foes2 and quotes ,marlowe's ,last ,dominion1 where the ,queen says to the ,moor3 ,come1 let's kisse4 ,moor4 ,away1 away4 ,queen4 ,no1 no1 sayes ,i1 and twice away sayes stay4 ,trust not a horse's heel4 ,in ,king ,lear 7iii4 #f7 the ,fool says1 he's mad that trusts a horse's health4 ,malone would read heels4 ,two may keep counsel1 putting one away4 ,so ,aaron1 in ,titus ,andronicus 7iv4 #b71 says3 ,two may keep counsel1 when the third's away4 ,ungirt1 unblest4 ,falstaff alludes to the old adage1 in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7iii4 #c74 ,i pray ,god my girdle break4 ,malone quotes from an ancient ballad3 ,ungirt1 unblest1 the proverbe sayes2 ,and they to prove it right1 ,have got a fashion now adayes1 ,that's odious to the sight2 ,like ,frenchmen1 all on points they stand1 ,no girdles now they wear4 ,walls have ears4 ,so1 in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7v4 #a71 ,thisbe is made to say3 ,o wall1 full often hast thou heard my moans1 ,for parting my fair ,pyramus and me4 ,wedding and ill-wintering tame both man and beast4 ,thus1 in ,taming of the ,shrew 7iv4 #a71 ,grumio says3 ,winter tames man1 woman1 and beast2 for it hath tamed my old master1 and my new mistress1 and myself4 ,we may also compare the ,spanish adage3 ,you will marry and grow tame4 ,we steal as in a castle 7#a ,henry ,,iv41 ii4 #a74 ,this1 says ,steevens1 was once a proverbial phrase4 ,what can't be cured must be endured4 ,with this popular adage may be compared the following3 ,past cure is still past care1 in ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7v4 #b74 ,so in ,richard ,,ii4 7ii4 #c71 the ,duke of ,york says3 ,things past redress are now with me past care4 ,again1 in ,macbeth 7iii4 #b7 ,lady ,macbeth says3 ,things without all remedy ,should be without regard3 what's done is done4 ,what's mine is yours1 and what is yours is mine 7,measure for ,measure1 v4 #a74 ,when things come to the worst they'll mend4 ,the truth of this popular adage is thus exemplified by ,pandulph in ,king ,john 7iii4 #d73 ,before the curing of a strong disease1 ,even in the instant of repair and health1 ,the fit is strongest2 evils that take leave1 ,on their departure most of all show evil4 ,of course it is equivalent to the proverb1 ,when the night's darkest the day's nearest4 ,when8 can you tell8 7,comedy of ,errors1 iii4 #a74 ,this proverbial query1 often met with in old writers1 and perhaps alluded to just before in this scene1 when ,dromio of ,syracuse says3 ,right1 sir2 ,i'll tell you when1 an you'll tell me wherefore2 occurs again in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7ii4 #a73 ,ay1 when8 canst tell8 ,when two men ride the same horse one must ride behind4 ,so in ,much ,ado ,about ,nothing 7iii4 #e7 ,dogberry says3 ,an two men ride of a horse1 one must ride behind4#hif ,with this may be compared the ,spanish adage1 ,he who rides behind does not saddle when he will4 #hif ,see ,kelly's ,proverbs of ,all ,nations1 p4 #di4 ,while the grass grows1 the steed starves4 ,this is alluded to by ,hamlet 7iii4 #b73 ,ay1 sir1 but 'while the grass grows1' the proverb is something musty4 ,see ,dyce's ,glossary1 p4 #dii4 ,who dares not stir by day must walk by night 7,king ,john1 i4 #a74 ,who goes to ,westminster for a wife1 to ,st4 ,paul's for a man1 and to ,smithfield for a horse1 may meet with a queane1 a knave1 and a jade4 ,this proverb1 often quoted by old writers1 is alluded to in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7i4 #b73 ,falstaff4 ,where's ,bardolph8 ,page4 ,he's gone into ,smithfield to buy your worship a horse4 ,falstaff4 ,i bought him in ,paul's1 and he'll buy me a horse in ,smithfield3 an ,i could get me but a wife in the stews1 ,i were manned1 horsed1 and wived4 ,wit1 whither wilt8 ,this was a proverbial expression not unfrequent in ,shakespeare's day4 ,it is used by ,orlando in ,as ,you ,like ,it 7iv4 #a73 ,a man that had a wife with such a wit1 he might say--',wit1 whither wilt8' ,will you take eggs for money8 ,this was a proverbial phrase1 quoted by ,leontes in the ,winter's ,tale 7i4 #b71 for putting up with an affront1 or being cajoled or imposed upon4 ,words are but wind1 but blows unkind4 ,in ,comedy of ,errors 7iii4 #a71 ,dromio of ,ephesus uses the first part of this popular adage4 ,worth a ,jew's eye4 ,launcelot1 in the ,merchant of ,venice 7ii4 #e71 says3 ,there will come a ,christian by1 ,will be worth a ,jewess' eye4 ,according to tradition1 the proverb arose from the custom of torturing ,jews to extort money from them4 ,it is simply1 however1 a corruption of the ,italian giia 7a jewel74 ,you'll never be burned for a witch4 ,this proverb1 which was applied to a silly person1 is probably referred to in ,antony and ,cleopatra 7i4 #b7 by ,charmian1 when he says to the soothsayer3 ,out1 fool2 ,i forgive thee for a witch4 ,young ravens must have food 7,merry ,wives of ,windsor1 i4 #c74hig ,ray has ,small birds must have meat4 #hig ,handbook ,index to ,shakespeare1 p4 #cie4 ,,chapter ,,xx4 ,,the ,,human ,,body4 ,it would be difficult to enumerate the manifold forms of superstition which have1 in most countries1 in the course of past centuries1 clustered round the human body4 ,many of these1 too1 may still be found scattered1 here and there1 throughout our own country1 one of the most deep-rooted being palmistry1 several allusions to which are made by ,shakespeare4 ,according to a popular belief current in years past1 a trembling of the body was supposed to be an indication of demoniacal possession4 ,thus1 in the ,comedy of ,errors 7iv4 #d7 the ,courtezan says of ,antipholus of ,ephesus3 ,mark how he trembles in his ecstasy6 and ,pinch adds3 ,i charge thee1 ,satan1 hous'd within this man1 ,to yield possession to my holy prayers1 ,and to thy state of darkness hie thee straight2 ,i conjure thee by all the saints in heaven6 ,in ,the ,tempest 7ii4 #b71 ,caliban says to ,stephano1 ,thou dost me yet but little hurt2 thou wilt anon1 ,i know it by thy trembling4 ,it was formerly supposed that our bodies consisted of the four elements--fire1 air1 earth1 and water1 and that all diseases arose from derangement in the due proportion of these elements4 ,thus1 in ,antony's eulogium on ,brutus1 in ,julius ,csar 7v4 #e71 this theory is alluded to3 ,his life was gentle1 and the elements ,so mix'd in him1 that ,nature might stand up1 ,and say to all the world1 ',this was a man6' ,in ,twelfth ,night 7ii4 #c7 it is also noticed3 ,sir ,toby4 ,do not our lives consist of the four elements8 ,sir ,andrew4 ',faith1 so they say2 but ,i think1 it rather consists of eating and drinking4 ,sir ,toby4 ,thou art a scholar2 let us therefore eat and drink4 ,marian1 ,i say6--a stoop of wine6 ,in ,antony and ,cleopatra 7v4 #b71 ,shakespeare makes the latter say3 ,i am fire1 and air1 my other elements ,i give to baser life4 ,this theory is the subject1 too1 of ,sonnets xliv4 and xlv41 and is set forth at large in its connection with physic in ,sir ,philip ,sidney's ,arcadia3 ,o elements1 by whose 7men say7 contention1 ,our bodies be in living power maintained1 ,was this man's death the fruit of your dissension8 ,o physic's power1 which 7some say7 hath restrained ,approach of death1 alas1 thou keepest meagerly1 ,when once one is for ,atropos distrained4 ,great be physicians' brags1 but aide is beggarly ,when rooted moisture fails1 or groweth drie2 ,they leave off all1 and say1 death comes too eagerly4 ,they are but words therefore that men doe buy ,of any1 since ,god ,esculapius ceased4 ,this notion was substantially adopted by ,galen1 and embraced by the physicians of the olden times4#hih #hih ,see ,bucknill's ,medical ,knowledge of ,shakespeare1 p4 #abj4 ,blood4 ,in old phraseology this word was popularly used for disposition or temperament4 ,in ,timon of ,athens 7iv4 #b71 ,flavius says3 ,strange1 unusual blood1 ,when man's worst sin is1 he does too much good6 ,in the opening passage of ,cymbeline it occurs in the same sense3 ,you do not meet a man but frowns3 our bloods ,no more obey the heavens1 than our courtiers ,still seem as does the king1 the meaning evidently being that our dispositions no longer obey the influences of heaven2 they are courtiers1 and still seem to resemble the disposition the king is in4 ,again1 in ,much ,ado ,about ,nothing 7ii4 #c73 wisdom and blood combating in so tender a body1 we have ten proofs to one1 that blood hath the victory4 ,once more1 in ,king ,lear 7iv4 #b71 the ,duke of ,albany says to ,goneril3 ,were't my fitness ,to let these hands obey my blood1 ,they are apt enough to dislocate and tear ,thy flesh and bones4 ,again1 the phrase to be in blood was a term of the chase1 meaning1 to be in good condition1 to be vigorous4 ,in #a ,henry ,,vi4 7iv4 #b71 ,talbot exclaims3 ,if we be ,english deer1 be1 then1 in blood2 ,not rascal-like1 to fall down with a pinch --the expression being put in opposition to rascal1 which was the term for the deer when lean and out of condition4 ,in ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7iv4 #b71 ,holofernes says3 ,the deer was1 as you know1 sanguis1--in blood4 ,the notion that the blood may be thickened by emotional influences is mentioned by ,polixenes in the ,winter's ,tale 7i4 #b71 where he speaks of thoughts that would thick my blood4 ,in ,king ,john's temptation of ,hubert to murder ,arthur 7iii4 #c71 it is thus referred to3 ,or if that surly spirit1 melancholy1 ,had bak'd thy blood and made it heavy1 thick1 ,which else runs tickling up and down the veins4 ,red blood was considered a traditionary sign of courage4 ,hence1 in the ,merchant of ,venice 7ii4 #a71 the ,prince of ,morocco1 when addressing himself to ,portia1 and urging his claims for her hand1 says3 ,bring me the fairest creature northward born1 ,where ,phoebus' fire scarce thaws the icicles1 ,and let us make incision for your love1#hii ,to prove whose blood is reddest1 his or mine4 #hii ,mr4 ,singer1 in a note on this passage1 says1 ,it was customary1 in the ,east1 for lovers to testify the violence of their passion by cutting themselves in the sight of their mistresses2 and the fashion seems to have been adopted here as a mark of gallantry in ,shakespeare's time1 when young men frequently stabbed their arms with daggers1 and1 mingling the blood with wine1 drank it off to the healths of their mistresses4--,vol4 ii4 p4 #dag4 ,again1 in the same play1 cowards are said to have livers as white as milk1 and an effeminate man is termed a milk-sop4 ,macbeth1 too 7v4 #c71 calls one of his frighted soldiers a lily-liver'd boy4 ,and in ,king ,lear 7ii4 #b71 the ,earl of ,kent makes use of the same phrase4 ,in illustration of this notion ,mr4 ,douce#ijj quotes from ,bartholomew ,glantville1 who says3 ,reed clothes have been layed upon deed men in remembrance of theyr hardynes and boldnes1 whyle they were in theyr bloudde4 #ijj ,illustrations of ,shakspeare1 #ahci1 p4 #aef4 ,the absence of blood in the liver as the supposed property of a coward1 originated1 says ,dr4 ,bucknill1#ija in the old theory of the circulation of the blood1 which explains ,sir ,toby's remarks on his dupe1 in ,twelfth ,night 7iii4 #b73 ,for ,andrew1 if he were opened1 and you find so much blood in his liver as will clog the foot of a flea1 ,i'll eat the rest of the anatomy4 #ija ,medical ,knowledge of ,shakespeare1 p4 #abd4 ,we may quote here a notion referred to in ,lucrece 7#agdd-ej71 that1 ever since the sad death of ,lucrece1 corrupted blood has watery particles3 ,about the mourning and congealed face ,of that black blood a watery rigol goes1 ,which seems to weep upon the tainted place3 ,and ever since1 as pitying ,lucrece' woes1 ,corrupted blood some watery token shows2 ,and blood untainted still doth red abide1 ,blushing at that which is so putrefied4 ,brain4 ,by old anatomists the brain was divided into three ventricles1 in the hindermost of which they placed the memory4 ,that this division was not unknown to ,shakespeare is apparent from ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7iv4 #b71 where ,holofernes says3 ,a foolish extravagant spirit1 full of forms1 figures1 shapes1 objects1 ideas1 apprehensions1 motions1 revolutions3 these are begot in the ventricle of memory4 ,again1 ,lady ,macbeth 7i4 #g71 speaking of ,duncan's two chamberlains1 says3 ,will ,i with wine and wassail so convince1 ,that memory1 the warder of the brain1 ,shall be a fume1 and the receipt of reason ,a limbeck only4 ,the third ventricle is the cerebellum1 by which the brain is connected with the spinal marrow and the rest of the body2 the memory is posted in the cerebellum1 like a warder or sentinel1 to warn the reason against attack4 ,thus1 when the memory is converted by intoxication into a mere fume1#ijb then it fills the brain itself--the receipt or receptacle of reason1 which thus becomes like an alembic1 or cap of a still4#ijc #ijb ,cf4 ,tempest1 v4 #a3 the ignorant fumes that mantle ,their clearer reason4 #ijc ,clark and ,wright's ,notes to ,macbeth1 #ahgg1 p4 #aja4 ,a popular nickname1 in former times1 for the skull1 was brain-pan2 to which ,cade1 in #b ,henry ,,vi4 7iv4 #aj7 refers3 many a time1 but for a sallet1 my brain-pan had been cleft with a brown bill4 ,the phrase to beat out the brains is used by ,shakespeare metaphorically in the sense of defeat or destroy2 just as nowadays we popularly speak of knocking a scheme on the head4 ,in ,measure for ,measure 7v4 #a71 the ,duke1 addressing ,isabella1 tells her3 ,o most kind maid1 ,it was the swift celerity of his death1 ,which ,i did think with slower foot came on1 ,that brain'd my purpose4 ,the expression to bear a brain1 which is used by the ,nurse in ,romeo and ,juliet 7i4 #c71 ,nay1 ,i do bear a brain1 denoted much mental capacity either of attention1 ingenuity1 or remembrance4#ijd ,thus1 in ,marston's ,dutch ,courtezan 7#afje71 we read3 ,my silly husband1 alas6 knows nothing of it1 'tis ,i that must beare a braine for all4 #ijd ,singer's ,shakespeare1 vol4 viii4 p4 #abc4 ,the notion of the brain as the seat of the soul is mentioned by ,prince ,henry1 who1 referring to ,king ,john 7v4 #g71 says3 his pure brain1 ,which some suppose the soul's frail dwelling-house1 ,doth1 by the idle comments that it makes1 ,foretell the ending of mortality4 ,ear4 ,according to a well-known superstition1 much credited in days gone by1 and still extensively believed1 a tingling of the right ear is considered lucky1 being supposed to denote that a friend is speaking well of one1 whereas a tingling of the left is said to imply the opposite4 ,this notion1 however1 varies in different localities1 as in some places it is the tingling of the left ear which denotes the friend1 and the tingling of the right ear the enemy4 ,in ,much ,ado ,about ,nothing 7iii4 #a71 ,beatrice asks ,ursula and ,hero1 who had been talking of her3 ,what fire is in mine ears8 the reference1 no doubt1 being to this popular fancy4 ,sir ,thomas ,browne#ije ascribes the idea to the belief in guardian angels1 who touch the right or left ear according as the conversation is favorable or not to the person4 #ije ,vulgar ,errors1 book v4 chap4 #bc 7,bohn's edition1 #aheb1 vol4 ii4 p4 #hb74 ,in ,shakespeare's day it was customary for young gallants to wear a long lock of hair dangling by the ear1 known as a love-lock4 ,hence1 in ,much ,ado ,about ,nothing 7iii4 #c71 the ,watch identifies one of his delinquents3 ,i know him2 a' wears a lock4#ijf #ijf ,prynne attacked the fashion in his ,unloveliness of ,love-locks4 ,again1 further on 7v4 #a71 ,dogberry gives another allusion to this practice3 ,he wears a key in his ear1 and a lock hanging by it4 ,an expression of endearment current in years gone by was to bite the ear4 ,in ,romeo and ,juliet 7ii4 #d71 ,mercutio says3 ,i will bite thee by the ear for that jest1 a passage which is explained in ,nares 7,glossary1 vol4 i4 p4 #ha7 by the following one from ,ben ,jonson's ,alchemist 7ii4 #c73 ,mammon4 ,th' hast witch'd me1 rogue2 take1 go4 ,face4 ,your jack1 and all1 sir4 ,mammon4 ,slave1 ,i could bite thine ear4444 ,away1 thou dost not care for me6 ,gifford1 in his notes on ,jonson's ,works 7vol4 ii4 p4 #ahd71 says the odd mode of expressing pleasure by biting the ear seems to be taken from the practice of animals1 who1 in a playful mood1 bite each other's ears4 ,while speaking of the ear1 it may be noted that the so-called want of ear for music has been regarded as a sign of an austere disposition4 ,thus ,csar says of ,cassius 7,julius ,csar1 i4 #b73 ,he hears no music ,seldom he smiles4 ,there is1 too1 the well-known passage in the ,merchant of ,venice 7v4 #a73 ,the man that hath no music in himself1 ,nor is not mov'd with concord of sweet sounds1 ,is fit for treasons1 stratagems1 and spoils4 ,according to the ,italian proverb3 ,whom ,god loves not1 that man loves not music4#ijg #ijg ,see ,douce's ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 pp4 #afe1 #aff4 ,elbow4 ,according to a popular belief1 the itching of the elbow denoted an approaching change of some kind or other4#ijh ,thus1 in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7v4 #a71 the king speaks of ,fickle changelings1 and poor discontents1 ,which gape1 and rub the elbow1 at the news ,of hurlyburly innovation4 #ijh ,ibid4 p4 #bgc4 ,with this idea we may compare similar ones connected with other parts of the body4 ,thus1 in ,macbeth 7iv4 #a71 one of the witches exclaims3 ,by the pricking of my thumbs1 ,something wicked this way comes4 ,again1 in ,troilus and ,cressida 7ii4 #a71 ,ajax says3 ,my fingers itch1#iji and an itching palm was said to be an indication that the person would shortly receive money4 ,hence1 it denoted a hand ready to receive bribes4 ,thus1 in ,julius ,csar 7iv4 #c71 ,brutus says to ,cassius3 ,let me tell you1 ,cassius1 you yourself ,are much condemn'd to have an itching palm2 ,to sell and mart your offices for gold ,to undeservers4 #iji ,see ,romeo and ,juliet 7iii4 #e71 where ,capulet says1 ,my fingers itch1 denoting anxiety4 ,so1 in ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7ii4 #c71 ,shallow says3 ,if ,i see a sword out1 my finger itches to make one4 ,again1 in ,othello 7iv4 #c71 poor ,desdemona says to ,emilia3 ,mine eyes do itch2 ,doth that bode weeping8 ,grose alludes to this superstition1 and says3 ,when the right eye itches1 the party affected will shortly cry2 if the left1 they will laugh4 ,the itching of the eye1 as an omen1 is spoken of by ,theocritus1 who says3 ,my right eye itches now1 and ,i will see my love4 ,eyes4 ,a good deal of curious folk-lore has1 at one time or another1 clustered round the eye2 and the well-known superstition known as the evil eye has already been described in the chapter on ,birth and ,baptism4 ,blueness above the eye was1 in days gone by1 considered a sign of love1 and as such is alluded to by ,rosalind in ,as ,you ,like ,it 7iii4 #b71 where she enumerates the marks of love to ,orlando3 ,a lean cheek1 which you have not2 a blue eye1 and sunken1 which you have not4 ,the term baby in the eye was sportively applied by our forefathers to the miniature reflection of himself which a person may see in the pupil of another's eye4 ,in ,timon of ,athens 7i4 #b71 one of the lords says3 ,joy had the like conception in our eyes1 ,and1 at that instant1 like a babe sprung up1 an allusion probably being made to this whimsical notion4 ,it is often referred to by old writers1 as1 for instance1 by ,drayton1 in his ,ideas3 ,but ,o1 see1 see6 we need enquire no further1 ,upon your lips the scarlet drops are found1 ,and1 in your eye1 the boy that did the murder4#iaj #iaj ,see ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 i4 p4 #dd4 ,we may compare the expression1 to look babies in the eyes1 a common amusement of lovers in days gone by4 ,in ,beaumont and ,fletcher's ,loyal ,subject 7iii4 #b71 ,theodore asks3 ,can ye look babies1 sisters1 ,in the young gallants' eyes1 and twirl their band-strings8 ,and once more1 to quote from ,massinger's ,renegado 7ii4 #d71 where ,donusa says3 ,when a young lady wrings you by the hand1 thus1 ,or with an amorous touch presses your foot2 ,looks babies in your eyes1 plays with your locks1 etc4 ,another old term for the eyes was crystal1 which is used by ,pistol to his wife1 ,mrs4 ,quickly1 in ,henry ,v4 7ii4 #c73 ,therefore1 caveto be thy counsellor4 ,go1 clear thy crystals2 that is1 dry thine eyes4 ,in ,romeo and ,juliet 7i4 #b71 the phrase is employed by ,benvolio3 ,tut6 you saw her fair1 none else being by1 ,herself pois'd with herself in either eye3 ,but in that crystal scales let there be weigh'd ,your lady's love against some other maid4 ,it also occurs in ,beaumont and ,fletcher's ,double ,marriage 7v4 #c71 where ,juliana exclaims3 ,sleep you1 sweet glasses6 ,an everlasting slumber crown those crystals4 ,the expression wall-eyed denotes1 says ,dyce 7,glossary1 p4 #dhf71 eyes with a white or pale-gray iris--glaring-eyed4 ,it is used by ,lucius in ,titus ,andronicus 7v4 #a73 ,say1 wall-ey'd slave1 whither wouldst thou convey ,this growing image of thy fiend-like face8 ,in ,king ,john 7iv4 #c71 ,salisbury speaks of wall-eyed wrath4 ,brockett1 in his ,glossary of ,north ,country ,words1 says3 ,in those parts of the north with which ,i am best acquainted1 persons are said to be wall-eyed when the white of the eye is very large and to one side2 on the borders 'sic folks' are considered lucky4 ,the term is also occasionally applied to horses with similar eyes1 though its wider general acceptation seems to be when the iris of the eye is white1 or of a very pale color4 ,a wall-eyed horse sees perfectly well4 ,face4 ,a common expression to play the hypocrite1 or feign1 was to face4 ,so1 in #a ,henry ,,vi4 7v4 #c71 ,suffolk declares how3 ,fair ,margaret knows ,that ,suffolk doth not flatter1 face1 or feign4 ,hence the name of one of the characters in ,ben ,jonson's ,alchemist4 ,so1 in the ,taming of the ,shrew 7ii4 #a73 ,yet ,i have faced it with a card of ten4 ,the phrase1 also1 to face me down1 implied insisting upon anything in opposition4 ,so1 in the ,comedy of ,errors 7iii4 #a71 ,antipholus of ,ephesus says3 ,but here's a villain that would face me down ,he met me on the mart4 ,feet4 ,stumbling has from the earliest period been considered ominous4#iaa ,thus1 ,cicero mentions it among the superstitions of his day2 and numerous instances of this unlucky act have been handed down from bygone times4 ,we are told by ,ovid how ,myrrha1 on her way to ,cinyra's chamber1 stumbled thrice1 but was not deterred by the omen from an unnatural and fatal crime2 and ,tibullus 7lib4 ,i41 eleg4 iii4 #bj71 refers to it3 ,o6 quoties ingressus iter1 mihi tristia dixi1 ,offensum in porta signa dedisse pedem4 #iaa ,see ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 iii4 p4 #bdi2 ,jones's ,credulities ,past and ,present1 pp4 #ebi-eca2 ,notes and ,queries1 #eth series1 vol4 viii4 p4 #bja4 ,this superstition is alluded to by ,shakespeare1 who1 in #c ,henry ,,vi4 7iv4 #g71 makes ,gloster say3 ,for many men that stumble at the threshold ,are well foretold that danger lurks within4 ,in ,richard ,,iii4 7iii4 #d71 ,hastings relates3#iab ,three times to-day my foot-cloth horse did stumble1 ,and started when he look'd upon the ,tower1 ,as loath to bear me to the slaughter-house4 #iab ,the following is from ,holinshed1 who copies ,sir ,thomas ,more3 ,in riding toward the ,tower the same morning in which he 7,hastings7 was beheaded his horse twice or thrice stumbled with him1 almost to the falling2 which thing1 albeit each man wot well daily happeneth to them to whome no such mischance is toward2 yet hath it beene of an olde rite and custome observed as a token oftentimes notablie foregoing some great misfortune4 ,in the same way1 stumbling at a grave has been regarded as equally unlucky2 and in ,romeo and ,juliet 7v4 #c71 ,friar ,laurence says3 how oft to-night ,have my old feet stumbled at graves4 ,hair4 ,from time immemorial there has been a strong antipathy to red hair1 which originated1 according to some antiquarians1 in a tradition that ,judas had hair of this color4 ,one reason1 it may be1 why the dislike to it arose1 was that this color was considered ugly and unfashionable1 and on this account a person with red hair would soon be regarded with contempt4 ,it has been conjectured1 too1 that the odium took its rise from the aversion to the red-haired ,danes4 ,in ,as ,you ,like ,it 7iii4 #d71 ,rosalind1 when speaking of ,orlando1 refers to this notion3#iac ,his very hair is of the dissembling colour1 whereupon ,celia replies3 ,something browner than ,judas's4 #iac ,see ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 i4 p4 #abg2 ,dyce's ,glossary1 pp4 #fa1 #bcj4 ,yellow hair1 too1 was in years gone by regarded with ill-favor1 and esteemed a deformity4 ,in ancient pictures and tapestries both ,cain and ,judas are represented with yellow beards1 in allusion to which ,simple1 in the ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7i4 #d71 when interrogated1 says of his master3 ,he hath but a little wee face1 with a little yellow beard--a ,cain-coloured beard4#iad #iad ,the quartos of #afjb read a kane-coloured beard4 ,in speaking of beards1 it may be noted that formerly they gave rise to various customs4 ,thus1 in ,shakespeare's day1 dyeing beards was a fashionable custom1 and so ,bottom1 in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7i4 #b71 is perplexed as to what beard he should wear when acting before the duke4 ,he says3 ,i will discharge it in either your straw-colour beard1 your orange-tawny beard1 your purple-in-grain beard1 or your ,french-crown-colour beard1 your perfect yellow4#iae #iae ,see ,jaques's ,description of the ,seven ,ages in ,as ,you ,like ,it1 7ii4 #f74 ,to mutilate a beard in any way was considered an irreparable outrage1 a practice to which ,hamlet refers 7ii4 #b73 ,who calls me villain8 breaks my pate across8 ,plucks off my beard1 and blows it in my face8 ,and in ,king ,lear 7iii4 #g71 ,gloster exclaims3 ,by the kind gods1 'tis most ignobly done ,to pluck me by the beard4 ,stroking the beard before a person spoke was preparatory to favor4 ,hence in ,troilus and ,cressida 7i4 #c71 ,ulysses1 when describing how ,achilles asks ,patroclus to imitate certain of their chiefs1 represents him as saying3 ',now play me ,nestor2 hem1 and stroke thy beard1 ,as he1 being drest to some oration4' ,again1 the phrase to beard meant to oppose face to face in a hostile manner4 ,thus1 in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7iv4 #a71 ,douglas declares3 ,no man so potent breathes upon the ground1 ,but ,i will beard him4 ,and in #a ,henry ,,vi4 7i4 #c71 the ,bishop of ,winchester says to ,gloster3 ,do what thou dar'st2 ,i'll beard thee to thy face4 ,it seems also to have been customary to swear by the beard1 an allusion to which is made by ,touchstone in ,as ,you ,like ,it 7i4 #b73 stroke your chins1 and swear by your beards that ,i am a knave4 ,we may also compare what ,nestor says in ,troilus and ,cressida 7iv4 #e73 ,by this white beard1 ,i'd fight with thee to-morrow4 ,our ancestors paid great attention to the shape of their beards1 certain cuts being appropriated to certain professions and ranks4 ,in ,henry ,v4 7iii4 #f71 ,gower speaks of a beard of the general's cut4 ,as ,mr4 ,staunton remarks1 ,not the least odd among the fantastic fashions of our forefathers was the custom of distinguishing certain professions and classes by the cut of the beard2 thus we hear1 inter alia1 of the bishop's beard1 the judge's beard1 the soldier's beard1 the citizen's beard1 and even the clown's beard4 ,randle ,holme tells us1 ,the broad or cathedral beard is so-called because bishops or gown-men of the church anciently did wear such beards4 ,by the military man1 the cut adopted was known as the stiletto or spade4 ,the beard of the citizen was usually worn round1 as ,mrs4 ,quickly describes it in ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7i4 #d71 like a glover's paring-knife4 ,the clown's beard was left bushy or untrimmed4 ,malone quotes from an old ballad entitled ,le ,prince d' ,amour1 #affj3 ,next the clown doth out-rush ,with the beard of the bush4 ,according to an old superstition1 much hair on the head has been supposed to indicate an absence of intellect1 a notion referred to by ,antipholus of ,syracuse1 in the ,comedy of ,errors 7ii4 #b73 there's many a man hath more hair than wit4 ,in the ,two ,gentlemen of ,verona 7iii4 #a71 the same proverbial sentence is mentioned by ,speed4 ,malone quotes the following lines upon ,suckling's ,aglaura1 as an illustration of this saying3#iaf ,this great voluminous pamphlet may be said ,to be like one that hath more hair than head2 ,more excrement than body3 trees which sprout ,with broadest leaves have still the smallest fruit4 #iaf ,parnassus ,biceps1 #afef4 ,steevens gives an example from ,florio3 ,a tisty-tosty wag-feather1 more haire than wit4 ,excessive fear has been said to cause the hair to stand on end3 an instance of which ,shakespeare records in ,hamlet 7iii4 #d71 in that celebrated passage where the ,queen1 being at a loss to understand her son's strange appearance during his conversation with the ,ghost1 which is invisible to her1 says3 ,and1 as the sleeping soldiers in the alarm1 ,your bedded hair1 like life in excrements1 ,starts up1 and stands on end4 ,a further instance occurs in ,the ,tempest 7i4 #b71 where ,ariel1 describing the shipwreck1 graphically relates how ,all1 but mariners1 ,plunged in the foaming brine1 and quit the vessel1 ,then all a-fire with me3 the king's son1 ,ferdinand1 ,with hair up-staring--then like reeds1 not hair-- ,was the first man that leap'd4 ,again1 ,macbeth says 7i4 #c73 why do ,i yield to that suggestion ,whose horrid image doth unfix my hair8 ,and further on he says 7v4 #e73 ,the time has been1 my senses would have cool'd ,to hear a night-shriek2 and my fell of hair ,would at a dismal treatise rouse1 and stir ,as life were in't4 ,in #b ,henry ,,vi4 7iii4 #b7 it is referred to by ,suffolk as a sign of madness3 ,my hair be fix'd on end1 as one distract4 ,and1 once more1 in ,richard ,,iii4 7i4 #c71 ,hastings declares3 ,my hair doth stand on end to hear her curses4 ,another popular notion mentioned by ,shakespeare is1 that sudden fright or great sorrow will cause the hair to turn white4 ,in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7ii4 #d71 ,falstaff1 in his speech to ,prince ,henry1 tells him3 thy father's beard is turned white with the news4 ,among the many instances recorded to establish the truth of this idea1 it is said that the hair and beard of the ,duke of ,brunswick whitened in twenty-four hours upon his hearing that his father had been mortally wounded in the battle of ,auerstadt4 ,marie ,antoinette1 the unfortunate queen of ,louis ,,xvi41 found her hair suddenly changed by her troubles2 and a similar change happened to ,charles ,i41 when he attempted to escape from ,carisbrooke ,castle4 ,mr4 ,timbs1 in his ,doctors and ,patients 7#ahgf1 p4 #bja71 says that chemists have discovered that hair contains an oil1 a mucous substance1 iron1 oxide of manganese1 phosphate and carbonate of iron1 flint1 and a large proportion of sulphur4 ,white hair contains also phosphate of magnesia1 and its oil is nearly colourless4 ,when hair becomes suddenly white from terror1 it is probably owing to the sulphur absorbing the oil1 as in the operation of whitening woollen cloths4 ,hair was formerly used metaphorically for the color1 complexion1 or nature of a thing4 ,in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7iv4 #a71 ,worcester says3 ,i would your father had been here1 ,the quality and hair of our attempt ,brooks no division4 ,in ,beaumont and ,fletcher's ,nice ,valour it is so used3 ,a lady of my hair cannot want pitying4 ,hands4 ,various superstitions have1 at different times1 clustered round the hand4 ,thus1 in palmistry1 a moist one is said to denote an amorous constitution4 ,in ,othello 7iii4 #d7 we have the following allusion to this popular notion3 ,othello4 ,give me your hand4 ,this hand is moist1 my lady4 ,desdemona4 ,it yet has felt no age1 nor known no sorrow4 ,othello4 ,this argues fruitfulness1 and liberal heart4 ,again1 in ,antony and ,cleopatra 7i4 #b71 ,iras says3 ,there's a palm presages chastity2 whereupon ,charmian adds3 ,if an oily palm be not a fruitful prognostication1 ,i cannot scratch mine ear4 ,and1 in the ,comedy of ,errors 7iii4 #b71 ,dromio of ,syracuse speaks of barrenness as hard in the palm of the hand4 ,a dry hand1 however1 has been supposed to denote age and debility4 ,in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7i4 #b7 the ,lord ,chief ,justice enumerates this among the characteristics of such a constitution4#iag #iag ,see ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 iii4 p4 #agi4 ,in the ,merchant of ,venice 7ii4 #b71 ,launcelot1 referring to the language of palmistry1 calls the hand the table1 meaning thereby the whole collection of lines on the skin within the hand3 ,well1 if any man in ,italy have a fairer table1 which doth offer to swear upon a book1 ,i shall have good fortune4 ,he then alludes to one of the lines in the hand1 known as the line of life3 ,go to1 here's a simple line of life4 ,in the ,two ,noble ,kinsmen 7iii4 #e7 palmistry is further mentioned3 ,gaoler's ,daughter4 ,give me your hand4 ,gerrold4 ,why8 ,gaoler's ,daughter4 ,i can tell your fortune4 ,it was once supposed that little worms were bred in the fingers of idle servants4 ,to this notion ,mercutio refers in ,romeo and ,juliet 7i4 #d71 where1 in his description of ,queen ,mab1 he says3 ,her waggoner1 a small grey-coated gnat1 ,not half so big as a round little worm ,prick'd from the lazy finger of a maid4 ,this notion is alluded to by ,john ,banister1 a famous surgeon in ,shakespeare's day1 in his ,compendious ,chyrurgerie 7#aehe1 p4 #dfe73 ,we commonly call them worms1 which many women1 sitting in the sunshine1 can cunningly picke out with needles1 and are most common in the handes4 ,a popular term formerly in use for the nails on the ten fingers was the ten commandments1 which1 says ,nares1#iah doubtless led to the swearing by them1 as by the real commandments4 ,thus1 in #b ,henry ,,vi4 7i4 #c71 the ,duchess of ,gloster says to the queen3 ,could ,i come near your beauty with my nails ,i'd set my ten commandments in your face4 #iah ,glossary1 vol4 ii4 p4 #hga4 ,in the same way the fingers were also called the ten bones1 as a little further on in the same play1 where ,peter swears by these ten bones4 ,the phrase of his hands was equivalent to of his inches1 or of his size1 a hand being the measure of four inches4 ,so1 in the ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7i4 #d71 ,simple says3 ,ay1 forsooth3 but he is as tall a man of his hands as any is between this and his head1 the expression being used probably for the sake of a jocular equivocation in the word tall1 which meant either bold or high4#iai #iai ,ibid4 vol4 i4 p4 #djb4 ,again1 in the ,winter's ,tale 7v4 #b71 the ,clown tells the ,shepherd3 ,i'll swear to the prince1 thou art a tall fellow of thy hands1 and that thou wilt not be drunk2 but ,i know thou art no tall fellow of thy hands1 and that thou wilt be drunk2 but ,i'll swear it1 and ,i would thou wouldst be a tall fellow of thy hands4 ,a proverbial phrase for being tall from necessity was to blow the nail4 ,in #c ,henry ,,vi4 7ii4 #e7 the king says3 ,when dying clouds contend with growing light1 ,what time the shepherd1 blowing of his nails1 ,can neither call it perfect day1 nor night4 ,it occurs in the song at the end of ,love's ,labour's ,lost3 ,and ,dick the shepherd blows his nail4 ,to bite the thumb at a person implied an insult2 hence1 in ,romeo and ,juliet 7i4 #a71 ,sampson says3 ,i will bite my thumb at them2 which is a disgrace to them1 if they bear it4 ,the thumb1 in this action1 we are told1 represented a fig1 and the whole was equivalent to a fig for you4#ibj ,decker1 in his ,dead ,term 7#afjh71 speaking of the various groups that daily frequented ,st4 ,paul's ,church1 says3 ,what swearing is there1 what shouldering1 what justling1 what jeering1 what byting of thumbs1 to beget quarrels8 #ibj ,see page #bah4 ,hare-lip4 ,a cleft lip1 so called from its supposed resemblance to the upper lip of a hare4 ,it was popularly believed to be the mischievous act of an elf or malicious fairy4 ,so1 in ,king ,lear 7iii4 #d71 ,edgar says of ,gloster3 ,this is the foul fiend ,flibbertigibbet3 he 444 squints the eye1 and makes the hare-lip4 ,in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7v4 #b71 ,oberon1 in blessing the bridal-bed of ,theseus and ,hippolyta1 says3 ,never mole1 hare-lip1 nor scar1 99 99 99 99 99 ,shall upon their children be4 ,the expression hang the lip meant to drop the lip in sullenness or contempt4 ,thus1 in ,troilus and ,cressida 7iii4 #a71 ,helen explains why her brother ,troilus is not abroad by saying3 ,he hangs the lip at something4 ,we may compare1 too1 the words in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7ii4 #d73 a foolish hanging of thy nether lip4 ,head4 ,according to the old writers on physiognomy1 a round head denoted foolishness1 a notion to which reference is made in ,antony and ,cleopatra 7iii4 #c71 in the following dialogue1 where ,cleopatra1 inquiring about ,octavia1 says to the ,messenger3 ,bear'st thou her face in mind8 ,is't long1 or round8 ,messenger4 ,round1 even to faultiness4 ,cleopatra4 ,for the most part1 too1 they are foolish that are so4 ,in ,hill's ,pleasant ,history1 etc4 7#afac71 we read3 ,the head very round1 to be forgetful and foolish4 ,again3 ,the head long1 to be prudent and wary4 ,heart4 ,the term broken heart1 as commonly applied to death from excessive grief1 is not a vulgar error1 but may arise from violent muscular exertion or strong mental emotions4 ,in ,macbeth 7iv4 #c71 ,malcolm says3 ,the grief1 that does not speak1 ,whispers the o'er-fraught heart1 and bids it break4 ,we may compare1 too1 ,queen ,margaret's words to ,buckingham1 in ,richard ,,iii4 7i4 #c71 where she prophesies how ,gloster ,shall split thy very heart with sorrow4 ,mr4 ,timbs1 in his ,mysteries of ,life1 ,death1 and ,futurity 7#ahfa1 p4 #adi71 has given the following note on the subject3 ,this affection was1 it is believed1 first described by ,harvey2 but since his day several cases have been observed4 ,morgagni has recorded a few examples3 among them1 that of ,george ,,ii41 who died suddenly of this disease in #agfj2 and1 what is very curious1 ,morgagni himself fell a victim to the same malady4 ,dr4 ,elliotson1 in his ,lumleyan ,lectures on ,diseases of the ,heart1 in #ahci1 stated that he had only seen one instance2 but in the ',cyclopdia of ,practical ,medicine' ,dr4 ,townsend gives a table of twenty-five cases1 collected from various authors4 ,in olden times the heart was esteemed the seat of the understanding4 ,hence1 in ,coriolanus 7i4 #a71 the ,citizen speaks of the counsellor heart4 ,with the ancients1 also1 the heart was considered the seat of courage1 to which ,shakespeare refers in ,julius ,csar 7ii4 #b73 ,servant4 ,plucking the entrails of an offering forth1 ,they could not find a heart within the beast4 ,csar4 ,the gods do this in shame of cowardice3 ,csar should be a beast without a heart1 ,if he should stay at home to-day for fear4 ,liver4 ,by a popular notion1 the liver was anciently supposed to be the seat of love1 a superstition to which ,shakespeare frequently alludes4 ,thus1 in ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7iv4 #c71 ,biron1 after listening to ,longaville's sonnet1 remarks3 ,this is the liver vein1 which makes flesh a deity1 ,a green goose1 a goddess2 pure1 pure idolatry4 ,in ,much ,ado ,about ,nothing 7iv4 #a71 ,friar ,francis says3 ,if ever love had interest in his liver4 ,again1 in ,as ,you ,like ,it 7iii4 #b71 ,rosalind1 professing to be able to cure love1 which1 he says1 is merely a madness1 says to ,orlando1 will ,i take upon me to wash your liver as clean as a sound sheep's heart1 that there shall not be one spot of love in't4 ,in ,twelfth ,night 7ii4 #d71 the ,duke1 speaking of women's love1 says3 ,their love may be call'd appetite1 ,no motion of the liver1 but the palate1 etc4 ,and ,fabian 7ii4 #e71 alluding to ,olivia's supposed letter to ,malvolio1 says3 ,this wins him1 liver and all4 ,once more1 in ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7ii4 #a71 ,pistol alludes to the liver as being the inspirer of amorous passions1 for1 speaking of ,falstaff1 he refers to his loving ,ford's wife with liver burning hot4#iba ,douce says1 there is some reason for thinking that this superstition was borrowed from the ,arabian physicians1 or at least adopted by them2 for1 in the ,turkish tales1 an amorous tailor is made to address his wife by the titles of 'thou corner of my liver1 and soul of my love2' and1 in another place1 the ,king of ,syria1 who had sustained a temporary privation of his mistress1 is said to have had 'his liver1 which had been burnt up by the loss of her1 cooled and refreshed at the sight of her4'#ibb ,according to an old ,latin distich3 ,cor sapit1 pulmo loquitur1 fel commoret iras ,splen ridere facit1 cogit amare jecur4 #iba ,cf4 ,antony and ,cleopatra 7i4 #b73 ,soothsayer4 ,you shall be more beloving1 than belov'd4 ,charmian4 ,i had rather heat my liver with drinking4 #ibb ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 #ahci1 pp4 #ch1 #ci4 ,bartholomus1 in his ,de ,proprietatibus ,rerum 7lib4 v4 #ci71 informs us that the liver is the place of voluptuousness and lyking of the flesh4 ,moles4 ,these have1 from time immemorial1 been regarded as ominous1 and special attention has been paid by the superstitious to their position on the body4#ibc ,in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7v4 #a71 a mole on a child is spoken of by ,oberon as a bad omen1 who1 speaking of the three couples who had lately been married1 says3 ,and the blots of ,nature's hand ,shall not in their issue stand2 ,never mole1 hare-lip1 nor scar1 ,nor mark prodigious1 such as are ,despised in nativity1 ,shall upon their children be4 #ibc ,see ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 iii4 pp4 #beb-bee4 ,iachimo 7,cymbeline1 ii4 #b7 represents ,imogen as having ,on her left breast ,a mole cinque-spotted1 like the crimson drops ,i' the bottom of a cowslip4 ,and we may also compare the words of ,cymbeline 7v4 #e73 ,guiderius had ,upon his neck a mole1 a sanguine star2 ,it was a mark of wonder4 ,spleen4 ,this was once supposed to be the cause of laughter1 a notion probably referred to by ,isabella in ,measure for ,measure 7ii4 #b71 where1 telling how the angels weep over the follies of men1 she adds3 who1 with our spleens1 ,would all themselves laugh mortal4 ,in ,taming of the ,shrew 7,induction1 sc4 i471 the ,lord says3 haply my presence ,may well abate the over-merry spleen1 ,which otherwise would grow into extremes4 ,and ,maria says to ,sir ,toby1 in ,twelfth ,night 7iii4 #b73 ,if you desire the spleen1 and will laugh yourselves into stitches1 follow me4 ,wits4 ,with our early writers1 the five senses were usually called the five wits4 ,so1 in ,much ,ado ,about ,nothing 7i4 #a71 ,beatrice says3 ,in our last conflict four of his five wits went halting off1 and now is the whole man governed with one4 ,in ,sonnet cxli41 ,shakespeare makes a distinction between wits and senses3 ,but my five wits1 nor my five senses can ,dissuade one foolish heart from serving thee4 ,the five wits1 says ,staunton1 are common wit1 imagination1 fantasy1 estimation1 memory4 ,johnson says1 the wits seem to have been reckoned five1 by analogy to the five senses1 or the five inlets of ideas4 ,in ,king ,lear 7iii4 #d7 we find the expression1 ,bless thy five wits4 ,according to a curious fancy1 eating beef was supposed to impair the intellect1 to which notion ,shakespeare has several allusions4 ,thus1 in ,twelfth ,night 7i4 #c71 ,sir ,andrew says3 ,methinks sometimes ,i have no more wit than a ,christian1 or an ordinary man has3 but ,i am a great eater of beef1 and ,i believe that does harm to my wit4 ,in ,troilus and ,cressida 7ii4 #a71 ,thersites says to ,ajax3 ,the plague of ,greece upon thee1 thou mongrel beef-witted lord6 ,,chapter ,,xxi4 ,,fishes4 ,although it has been suggested that ,shakespeare found but little recreation in fishing1#ibd rather considering1 as he makes ,ursula say1 in ,much ,ado ,about ,nothing 7iii4 #a73 ,the pleasant'st angling is to see the fish ,cut with her golden oars the silver stream1 ,and greedily devour the treacherous bait1 and that it would be difficult to illustrate a work on angling with quotations from his writings1 the ,rev4 ,h4 ,n4 ,ellacombe1 in his interesting papers#ibe on ,shakespeare as an ,angler1 has not only shown the strong probability that he was a lover of this sport1 but further adds1 that he may be claimed as the first ,english poet that wrote of angling with any freedom2 and there can be little doubt that he would not have done so if the subject had not been very familiar to him--so familiar1 that he could scarcely write without dropping the little hints and unconscious expressions which prove that the subject was not only familiar1 but full of pleasant memories to him4 ,his allusions1 however1 to the folk-lore associated with fishes are very few2 but the two or three popular notions and proverbial sayings which he has quoted in connection with them help to embellish this part of our subject4 #ibd ,see ,harting's ,ornithology of ,shakespeare1 #ahga1 p4 #c4 #ibe ,the ,antiquary1 #ahha1 vol4 iv4 p4 #aic4 ,carp4 ,this fish was1 proverbially1 the most cunning of fishes1 and so ,polonius's comparison of his own worldly-wise deceit to the craft required for catching a carp is most apt 7,hamlet1 ii4 #a73ibf ,see you now2 ,your bait of falsehood takes this carp of truth4 #ibf ,ibid4 ,this notion is founded on fact1 the brain of the carp being six times as large as the average brain of other fishes4 ,cockle4 ,the badge of a pilgrim was1 formerly1 a cockle-shell1 which was worn usually in the front of the hat4 ,the habit1 we are told1#ibg being sacred1 this served as a protection1 and therefore was often assumed as a disguise4 ,the escalop was sometimes used1 and either of them was considered as an emblem of the pilgrim's intention to go beyond the sea4 ,thus1 in ,ophelia's ballad 7,hamlet1 iv4 #e1 song71 the lover is to be known3 ,by his cockle hat and staff1 ,and his sandal shoon4 #ibg ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 i4 p4 #age4 ,in ,peele's ,old ,wives' ,tale1 #aeie1 we read1 ,i will give thee a palmer's staff of ivory1 and a scallop-shell of beaten gold4 ,nares1 too1 quotes from ,green's ,never ,too ,late an account of the pilgrim's dress3 ,a hat of straw1 like to a swain1 ,shelter for the sun and rain1 ,with a scallop-shell before4 ,cuttle4 ,a foul-mouthed fellow was so called1 says ,mr4 ,halliwell-,phillipps1#ibh because this fish is said to throw out of its mouth1 upon certain occasions1 an inky and black juice that fouls the water2 and1 as an illustration of its use in this sense1 he quotes ,doll ,tearsheet's words to ,pistol1 #b ,henry ,,iv4 ii4 #d3 ,by this wine1 ,i'll thrust my knife in your mouldy chaps1 an you play the saucy cuttle with me4 ,dyce says that the context would seem to imply that the term is equivalent to culter1 swaggerer1 bully4#ibi #ibh ,handbook ,index to the ,works of ,shakespeare1 #ahff1 p4 #aai4 #ibi ,see a note in ,dyce's ,glossary1 p4 #aab4 ,gudgeon4 ,this being the bait for many of the larger fish1 to swallow a gudgeon was sometimes used for to be caught or deceived4 ,more commonly1 however1 the allusion is to the ease with which the gudgeon itself is caught1 as in the ,merchant of ,venice 7i4 #a71 where ,gratiano says3 ,but fish not1 with this melancholy bait1 ,for this fool-gudgeon4 ,gurnet4 ,the phrase soused gurnet was formerly a well-known term of reproach1 in allusion to which ,falstaff1 in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7iv4 #b71 says1 ,if ,i be not ashamed of my soldiers1 ,i am a soused gurnet4 ,the gurnet1 of which there are several species1 was probably thought a very coarse and vulgar dish when soused or pickled4 ,loach4 ,a small fish1 known also as the groundling4 ,the allusion to it by one of the carriers1 in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7ii4 #a71 who says1 ,your chamber-lie breeds fleas like a loach1 has much puzzled the commentators4 ,it appears1 however1 from a passage in ,holland's translation of ,pliny's ,natural ,history 7bk4 ix4 c4 xlvii471 that anciently fishes were supposed to be infested with fleas3 ,last of all some fishes there be which of themselves are given to breed fleas and lice2 among which the chalcis1 a kind of turgot1 is one4 ,malone suggests that the passage may mean1 breeds fleas as fast as a loach breeds loaches2 this fish being reckoned a peculiarly prolific one4 ,it seems probable1 however1 that the carrier alludes to one of those fanciful notions which make up a great part of natural history among the common people4#icj ,at the present day there is a fisherman's fancy on the ,norfolk coast that fish and fleas come together4 ,lawk1 sir6 said an old fellow1 near ,cromer1 to a correspondent of ,notes and ,queries 7,oct4 #gth1 #ahfe71 times is as you may look in my flannel-shirt1 and scarce see a flea1 and then there ain't but a very few herrin's2 but times that'll be right alive with 'em1 and then there's sartin to be a sight o' fish4 #icj ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 ii4 p4 #eah4 ,mr4 ,houghton1 writing in the ,academy 7,may #bgth1 #ahhb7 thinks that in the above passage the small river loach 7,cobitis barbatula7 is the fish intended4 ,he says1 ,at certain times of the year1 chiefly during the summer months1 almost all fresh-water fish are liable to be infested with some kind of ,epizoa4 ,there are two kinds of parasitic creatures which are most commonly seen on various fish caught in the rivers and ponds of this country2 and these are the ,argulus foliaccus1 a crustacean1 and the ,piscicola piscium1 a small1 cylindrical kind of leech4 ,mermaids4 ,from the earliest ages mermaids have had a legendary existence--the sirens of the ancients evidently belonging to the same remarkable family4 ,the orthodox mermaid is half woman1 half fish1 the fishy half being sometimes depicted as doubly-tailed4 ,shakespeare frequently makes his characters talk about mermaids1 as in the ,comedy of ,errors 7iii4 #b71 where ,antipholus of ,syracuse says3 ,o1 train me not1 sweet mermaid1 with thy note1 ,to drown me in thy sister's flood of tears2 ,sing1 siren1 for thyself1 and ,i will dote3 ,spread o'er the silver waves thy golden hairs1 ,and as a bed ,i'll take them and there lie1 ,and1 in that glorious supposition1 think ,he gains by death1 that hath such means to die4 ,and1 again1 further on1 he adds3 ,i'll stop mine ears against the mermaid's song4 ,staunton considers that in these passages the allusion is obviously to the long-current opinion that the siren1 or mermaid1 decoyed mortals to destruction by the witchery of her songs4 ,this superstition has been charmingly illustrated by ,leyden1 in his poem1 ,the ,mermaid 7see ,scott's ,minstrelsy of the ,scottish ,border1 vol4 iv4 p4 #bid73 ,thus1 all to soothe the chieftain's woe1 ,far from the maid he loved so dear1 ,the song arose1 so soft and slow1 ,he seem'd her parting sigh to hear4 99 99 99 99 99 ,that sea-maid's form of pearly light ,was whiter than the downy spray1 ,and round her bosom1 heaving bright1 ,her glossy1 yellow ringlets play4 ,borne on a foaming1 crested wave1 ,she reached amain the bounding prow1 ,then1 clasping fast the chieftain brave1 ,she1 plunging1 sought the deep below4 ,this tradition gave rise to a curious custom in the ,isle of ,man1 which1 in ,waldron's time1 was observed on the #bdth of ,december1 though afterwards on ,st4 ,stephen's ,day4 ,it is said that1 once upon a time1 a fairy of uncommon beauty exerted such undue influence over the male population that she induced1 by the enchantment of her sweet voice1 numbers to follow her footsteps1 till1 by degrees1 she led them into the sea1 where they perished4 ,this barbarous exercise of power had continued for a great length of time1 till it was apprehended that the island would be exhausted of its defenders4 ,fortunately1 however1 a knight-errant sprang up1 who discovered a means of counteracting the charms used by this siren--even laying a plot for her destruction1 which she only escaped by taking the form of a wren4 ,although she evaded instant annihilation1 a spell was cast upon her1 by which she was condemned1 on every succeeding ,new ,year's ,day1 to reanimate the same form1 with the definite sentence that she must ultimately perish by human hand4 ,hence1 on the specified anniversary1 every effort was made to extirpate the fairy2 and the poor wrens were pursued1 pelted1 fired at1 and destroyed without mercy1 their feathers being preserved as a charm against shipwreck for one year4 ,at the present day there is no particular time for pursuing the wren2 it is captured by boys alone1 who keep up the old custom chiefly for amusement4 ,on ,st4 ,stephen's ,day1 a band of boys go from door to door with a wren suspended by the legs1 in the centre of two hoops crossing each other at right angles1 decorated with evergreens and ribbons1 singing lines called ,hunt the ,wren4#ica #ica ,see ,british ,popular ,customs1 pp4 #did1 #die4 ,in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7ii4 #a71 ,oberon speaks of hearing a mermaid on a dolphin's back2 and in ,hamlet1 the ,queen1 referring to ,ophelia's death1 says 7iv4 #g73 ,her clothes spread wide2 ,and1 mermaid-like1 awhile they bore her up4 ,in two other passages ,shakespeare alludes to this legendary creature4 ,thus1 in #c ,henry ,,vi4 7iii4 #b7 ,gloster boasts that he will drown more sailors than the mermaid shall1 and in ,antony and ,cleopatra 7ii4 #b71 ,enobarbus relates how ,her gentlewomen1 like the ,nereides1 ,so many mermaids1 tended her i' the eyes1 ,and made their bends adornings3 at the helm ,a seeming mermaid steers4 ,in all these cases ,shakespeare1#icb as was his wont1 made his characters say what they were likely to think1 in their several positions and periods of life4 ,it has been suggested1#icc however1 that the idea of the mermaid1 in some of the passages just quoted1 seems more applicable to the siren1 especially in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream1 where the mermaid on a dolphin's back could not easily have been so placed1 had she had a fish-like tail instead of legs4 #icb ,see ,book of ,days1 vol4 ii4 pp4 #fab-fad4 #icc ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 ii4 p4 #efe2 see ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 iii4 pp4 #daa-dad4 ,notices of mermaids are scattered abundantly in books of bygone times4 ,mermen and mermaids1 men of the sea1 and women of the sea1 having been as stoutly believed in as the great sea-serpent1 and on very much the same kind of evidence4 ,holinshed gives a detailed account of a merman caught at ,orford1 in ,suffolk1 in the reign of ,king ,john4 ,he was kept alive on raw meal and fish for six months1 but at last gledde secretelye to the sea1 and was neuer after seene nor heard off4 ,even in modern times we are told how1 every now and then1 a mermaid has made her appearance4 ,thus1 in the ,gentleman's ,magazine 7,jan41 #agdg71 we read3 ,it is reported from the north of ,scotland that some time this month a sea creature1 known by the name of mermaid1 which has the shape of a human body from the trunk upwards1 but below is wholly fish1 was carried some miles up the water of ,dvron4 ,in #ahbd a mermaid or merman made its appearance1 when1 as the papers of that day inform us1 upwards of #aej distinguished fashionables went to see it4 ,the ,mermaid was a famous tavern1 situated in ,bread ,street4#icd ,as early as the fifteenth century1 we are told it was one of the haunts of the pleasure-seeking ,sir ,john ,howard1 whose trusty steward records1 anno #adfd3 ,paid for wyn at the ,mermayd in ,bred ,street1 for my mastyr and ,syr ,nicholas ,latimer1 xd4 ob4 ,in #afjc ,sir ,walter ,raleigh established a ,literary ,club in this house1 among its members being ,shakespeare1 ,ben ,jonson1 ,beaumont and ,fletcher1 ,selden1 ,carew1 ,martin1 ,donne1 etc4 ,it is often alluded to by ,beaumont and ,fletcher4 #icd ,history of ,sign-boards1 #ahff1 p4 #bbf4 ,minnow4 ,this little fish1 from its insignificant character1 is used by ,coriolanus 7iii4 #a7 as a term of contempt3 ,hear you this ,triton of the minnows8 and1 again1 in ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7i4 #a71 it occurs3 'that base minnow of thy mirth4' ,pike4 ,an old name for this fish was luce4 ,in the ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7i4 #a7 we are told that ,the luce is the fresh fish4 ,there can be no doubt1 too1 that there is in this passage an allusion to the armorial bearings of ,shakespeare's old enemy1 ,sir ,thomas ,lucy4 ,among the various instances of the use of this term we may quote ,isaac ,walton1 who says3 ,the mighty luce or pike is taken to be the tyrant1 as the salmon is the king1 of the fresh waters4 ,stow1 in his ,survey of ,london1 describes a procession of the ,fishmongers' ,company in #abih1 as having horses painted like sea-luce3 ,then four salmons of silver on foure horses1 and after them sixe and fortie armed knightes riding on horses made like luces of the sea4 ,porpoise4 ,according to sailors1 the playing of porpoises round a ship is a certain prognostic of a violent gale of wind2 hence the allusion in ,pericles 7ii4 #a71 where one of the fishermen says1 speaking of the storm3 ,nay1 master1 said not ,i as much1 when ,i saw the porpus1 how he bounced and tumbled8 ,thus1 too1 in the ,canterbury ,guests1 or a ,bargain ,broken1 by ,ravenscroft1 we read3 ,my heart begins to leap and play1 like a porpice before a storm4 ,and a further reference occurs in ,wilsford's ,nature's ,secrets3 ,porpoises1 or sea-hogs1 when observed to sport and chase one another about ships1 expect then some stormy weather4 ,sea-monster4 ,the reference in ,king ,lear 7i4 #d71 to the sea-monster-- ,ingratitude1 thou marble-hearted fiend1 ,more hideous1 when thou show'st thee in a child1 ,than the sea-monster6-- is generally supposed to be the hippopotamus1 which1 according to ,upton1 was the hieroglyphical symbol of impiety and ingratitude4#ice ,sandys#icf gives a picture said to be portrayed in the porch of the temple of ,minerva1 at ,sais1 in which is the figure of a river-horse1 denoting murder1 impudence1 violence1 and injustice2 for they say that he killeth his sire and ravisheth his own dam4 ,his account is1 no doubt1 taken from ,plutarch's ,isis and ,osiris2 and ,shakespeare may have read it in ,holland's translation 7p4 #acjj71 but why he should call the river-horse a sea-monster is not very clear4 ,it is more likely1 however1 that the whale is meant4#icg #ice ,wright's ,notes to ,king ,lear1 #ahgg1 p4 #acc4 #icf ,travels1 #afgc1 p4 #aje4 #icg ,cf4 ,king ,lear1 iv4 #b2 ,troilus and ,cressida1 v4 #e2 ,all's ,well that ,end's ,well1 iv4 #c4 ,,chapter ,,xxii4 ,,sundry ,,superstitions4 ,almanacs4 ,in ,shakespeare's day these were published under this title3 ,an ,almanack and ,prognostication made for the year of our ,lord ,god1 #aeie4 ,so1 in the ,winter's ,tale 7iv4 #c71 ,autolycus says3 the hottest day prognostication proclaims2 that is1 the hottest day foretold in the almanac4 ,in ,sonnet xiv4 the prognostications in almanacs are also noticed3 ,not from the stars do ,i my judgment pluck2 ,and yet methinks ,i have astronomy1 ,but not to tell of good or evil luck1 ,of plagues1 of dearths1 or season's quality2 ,nor can ,i fortune to brief minutes tell1 ,pointing to each his thunder1 rain1 and wind3 ,or say with princes if it shall go well1 ,by oft predict that ,i in heaven find4 ,in ,antony and ,cleopatra 7i4 #b7 ,enobarbus says3 ,they are greater storms and tempests than almanacs can report2 and in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7ii4 #d71 ,prince ,henry says3 ,saturn and ,venus this year in conjunction6 what says the almanac to that8 ,amulets4 ,a belief in the efficacy of an amulet or charm to ward off diseases and to avert contagion has prevailed from a very early period4 ,the use of amulets was common among the ,greeks and ,romans1 whose amulets were principally formed of gems1 crowns of pearls1 necklaces of coral1 shells1 etc4 ,the amulet of modern times has been of the most varied kinds2 objects being selected either from the animal1 vegetable1 or mineral kingdom1 pieces of old rags or garments1 scraps of writing in legible or illegible characters1 in fact1 of anything to which any superstitious property has been considered to belong4#ich ,this form of superstition is noticed in #a ,henry ,,vi4 7v4 #c71 in the scene laid at ,angiers1 where ,la ,pucelle exclaims3 ,the regent conquers1 and the ,frenchmen fly4 ,now help1 ye charming spells and periapts --periapts being charms which were worn as preservatives against diseases or mischief4 ,thus ,cotgrave#ici explains the word as a medicine hanged about any part of the bodie4 #ich ,pettigrew's ,medical ,superstitions1 p4 #dh4 #ici ,french and ,english ,dictionary2 see ,dyce's ,glossary to ,shakespeare1 p4 #caf2 ,nares describes it as a bandage1 tied on for magical purposes1 from ,greek3 periapt2 see ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 iii4 pp4 #cbd-cbf2 ,douce's ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 #ahci1 pp4 #cje-cjg4 ,ceremonies4 ,these1 says ,malone1 were omens or signs deduced from sacrifices or other ceremonial rites4 ,thus1 in ,julius ,csar 7ii4 #a71 ,cassius says of ,csar1 that-- he is superstitious grown of late1 ,quite from the main opinion he held once ,of fantasy1 of dreams1 and ceremonies4 ,and in the next scene ,calpurnia adds3 ,csar1 ,i never stood on ceremonies1 ,yet now they fright me4 ,charms4 ,these1 as ,mr4 ,pettigrew#idj has pointed out1 differ little from amulets1 the difference consisting in the manner in which they are used rather than in their nature4 ,thus1 whereas the amulet was to be suspended on the person when employed1 the charm was not necessarily subjected to such a method of application4 ,in days gone by1 and even at the present day1 in country districts1 so universal has been the use of this source of supposed magical power that there is scarcely a disease for which a charm has not been given4 ,it is not only to diseases of body and mind that the superstitious practice has been directed2 having been in popular request to avert evil1 and to counteract supposed malignant influences4 ,as might be expected1 ,shakespeare has given various allusions to this usage1 as1 for example1 in ,cymbeline 7v4 #c71 where ,posthumus says3 ,to day1 how many would have given their honours ,to have sav'd their carcases6 took heel to do't1 ,and yet died too6 ,i1 in mine own woe charm'd1 ,could not find death where ,i did hear him groan1 ,nor feel him where he struck --this passage referring to the notion of certain charms being powerful enough to keep men unhurt in battle4 #idj ,medical ,superstitions1 p4 #ee4 ,othello 7iii4 #d71 speaking of the handkerchief which he had given to ,desdemona1 relates3 ,that handkerchief ,did an ,egyptian to my mother give2 ,she was a charmer1 and could almost read ,the thoughts of people4 ,and in the same play 7i4 #a71 ,brabantio asks3 ,is there not charms1 ,by which the property of youth and maidhood ,may be abus'd8 ,again1 in ,much ,ado ,about ,nothing 7iii4 #b71 ,benedick1 who is represented as having the toothache1 after listening to the banter of his comrades1 replies3 ,yet is this no charm for the toothache4 ,perfect silence seems to have been regarded as indispensable for the success of any charm2 and ,pliny informs us that favete linguis was the usual exclamation employed on such an occasion4 ,from this circumstance it has been suggested that the well-known phrase to charm a tongue may have originated4 ,thus we have the following dialogue in ,othello 7v4 #b73 ,iago4 ,go to1 charm your tongue4 ,emilia4 ,i will not charm my tongue2 ,i am bound to speak4 ,thus1 on the appearance1 amid thunder1 of the first apparition to ,macbeth1 after the witches have performed certain charms 7iv4 #a71 ,shakespeare introduces the following dialogue3 ,macbeth4 ,tell me1 thou unknown power-- ,first ,witch4 ,he knows thy thought3 ,hear his speech1 but say thou nought4 ,again1 in ,the ,tempest 7iv4 #a71 ,prospero says3 hush1 and be mute1 ,or else our spell is marr'd4 ,metrical ,charms4 ,there was a superstition long prevalent that life might be taken away by metrical charms4#ida ,reginald ,scot1 in his ,discovery of ,witchcraft 7#aehd71 says3 ,the ,irishmen addict themselves1 etc42 yea1 they will not sticke to affirme that they can rime a man to death4 ,in #a ,henry ,,vi4 7i4 #a71 the ,duke of ,exeter1 referring to the lamented death of ,henry ,v41 says3 ,shall we think the subtle-witted ,french ,conjurers and sorcerers1 that1 afraid of him1 ,by magic verses have contrived his end8 #ida ,see1 under ,rat1 a similar superstition noticed4 ,these magic verses1 to which the death of ,henry ,v4 is here attributed1 were not required to be uttered in his presence2 their deadly energy existing solely in the words of the imprecation and the malevolence of the reciter1 which were supposed to render them effectual at any distance4 ,again1 the alphabet was called the ,christ-cross-row2 either because a cross was prefixed to the alphabet in the old primers1 or1 more probably1 from a superstitious custom of writing the alphabet in the form of a cross by way of a charm4 ,in ,richard ,,iii4 7i4 #a71 ,clarence relates how ,king ,edward-- ,hearkens after prophecies and dreams2 ,and from the cross-row plucks the letter ,g4 ,dreams4 ,these1 considered as prognostics of good or evil1 are frequently introduced by ,shakespeare4 ,in ,troilus and ,cressida 7v4 #c71 ,andromache exclaims3 ,my dreams will1 sure1 prove ominous to the day4 ,while ,romeo 7,romeo and ,juliet1 v4 #a7 declares3 ,my dreams presage some joyful news at hand4 ,it is chiefly as precursors of misfortune that the poet has availed himself of their supposed influence as omens of future fate4 ,thus1 there are few passages in his dramas more terrific than the dreams of ,richard ,,iii4 and ,clarence2 the latter especially1 as ,mr4 ,drake says1#idb is replete with the most fearful imagery1 and makes the blood run chill with horror4 #idb ,shakespeare and his ,times1 p4 #cee4 ,dreaming of certain things has generally been supposed to be ominous either of good or ill luck2#idc and at the present day the credulous pay oftentimes no small attention to their dreams1 should these happen to have referred to what they consider unlucky things4 ,in the same way ,shylock1 in the ,merchant of ,venice 7ii4 #e71 is a victim to much superstitious dread3 ,jessica1 my girl1 ,look to my house4 ,i am right loath to go3 ,there is some ill a brewing towards my rest1 ,for ,i did dream of money-bags to-night4 #idc ,see ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 iii4 pp4 #abg-ada4 ,in ,julius ,csar1 dreaming of banquet is supposed to presage misfortune4 ,it was also supposed that malicious spirits took advantage of sleep to torment their victims2#idd hence ,macbeth 7ii4 #a7 exclaims3 ,merciful powers1 ,restrain in me the cursed thoughts that nature ,gives way to in repose6#ide #idd ,see p4 #bhc4 #ide ,see ,malone's ,variorum ,shakespeare1 #ahba1 vol4 ii4 p4 #ij4 ,duels4 ,the death of the vanquished person was always considered a certain evidence of his guilt4 ,thus1 in #b ,henry ,,vi4 7ii4 #c71 ,king ,henry1 speaking of the death of ,horner in the duel with ,peter1 says3#idf ,go1 take hence that traitor from our sight2 ,for1 by his death1 we do perceive his guilt3 ,and ,god in justice hath reveal'd to us ,the truth and innocence of this poor fellow1 ,which he had thought to have murder'd wrongfully4-- ,come1 fellow1 follow us for thy reward4 #idf ,see ,singer's ,shakespeare1 vol4 vi4 p4 #afg4 ,we may also compare what ,arcite says to ,palamon in the ,two ,noble ,kinsmen 7iii4 #f73 ,if ,i fall1 curse me1 and say ,i was a coward2 ,for none but such dare die in these just trials4 ,among the customs connected with duelling1 it appears that1 according to an old law1 knights were to fight with the lance and the sword1 as those of inferior rank fought with an ebon staff or baton1 to the farther end of which was fixed a bag crammed hard with sand4#idg ,thus ,shakespeare1 in #b ,henry ,,vi4 7ii4 #c71 represents ,horner entering bearing his staff with a sand-bag fastened to it4 ,butler1 in his ,hudibras1 alludes to this custom3 ,engag'd with money-bags1 as bold ,as men with sand-bags did of old4 #idg ,see ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 ii4 p4 #gfe4 ,steevens adds that a passage in ,st4 ,chrysostom very clearly proves the great antiquity of this practice4 ,fortune-tellers4 ,a common method of fortune-tellers1 in pretending to tell future events1 was by means of a beryl or glass4 ,in an extract from the ,penal ,laws against ,witches1 it is said1 they do answer either by voice1 or else set before their eyes1 in glasses1 chrystal stones1 etc41 the pictures or images of the persons or things sought for4 ,it is to this kind of juggling prophecy that ,angelo1 in ,measure for ,measure 7ii4 #b71 refers1 when he tells how the law-- like a prophet1 ,looks in a glass1 that shows what future evils1 ,either new1 or by remissness new-conceiv'd4 ,again1 ,macbeth 7iv4 #a71 when a show of eight kings is presented to him1 exclaims1 after witnessing the seventh3 ,i'll see no more3-- ,and yet the eighth appears1 who bears a glass1 ,which shows me many more4 ,spenser#idh has given a circumstantial account of the glass which ,merlin made for ,king ,ryence4 ,a mirror of the same kind was presented to ,cambuscan1 in the ,squier's ,tale of ,chaucer2 and we are also told how a certain philosopher did the like to ,pompey1 the which showed him in a glass the order of his enemies' march4#idi ,brand1 in his ,popular ,antiquities1#iej gives several interesting accounts of this method of fortune-telling2 and quotes the following from ,vallancey's ,collectanea de ,rebus ,hibernicis3 ,in the ,highlands of ,scotland1 a large chrystal1 of a figure somewhat oval1 was kept by the priests to work charms by2 water poured upon it at this day is given to cattle against diseases2 these stones are now preserved by the oldest and most superstitious in the country2 they were once common in ,ireland4 #idh ,fairy ,queen1 bk4 iii4 c4 #b2 see ,singer's ,shakespeare1 vol4 ix4 p4 #hb4 #idi ,boisteau's ,theatrum ,mundi1 translated by ,john ,alday 7#aegd74 #iej #ahdi1 vol4 iii4 pp4 #fj1 #fa4 ,further allusions to fortune-tellers occur in ,comedy of ,errors 7v4 #a71 and ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7iv4 #b74 ,it appears1 too1 that the trade of fortune-telling was1 in ,shakespeare's day1 as now1 exercised by the wandering hordes of gypsies4 ,in ,antony and ,cleopatra 7iv4 #ab71 the ,roman complains that ,cleopatra ,like a right gipsy1 hath1 at fast and loose1 ,beguil'd me to the very heart of loss4 ,giants4 ,the belief in giants and other monsters was much credited in olden times1 and1 among the legends of nearly every race or tribe1 few are more universal than those relating to giants or men of colossal size and superhuman power4#iea ,that such stories were current in ,shakespeare's day1 is attested by the fact that the poet makes ,othello 7i4 #c71 in his eloquent defence before the ,senate of ,venice1 when explaining his method of courtship1 allude to the ,cannibals that each other eat1 ,the ,anthropophagi1 and men whose heads ,do grow beneath their shoulders4 #iea ,see ,hardwick's ,traditions1 ,superstitions1 and ,folk-,lore1 #ahgb1 pp4 #aig1 #bbd4 ,in ,the ,tempest 7iii4 #c71 ,gonzalo relates how-- ,when we were boys1 ,who would believe that there were mountaineers ,dew-lapp'd like bulls1 whose throats had hanging at 'em ,wallets of flesh8 or that there were such men1 ,whose heads stood in their breasts8 ,and after the appearance of ,prospero's magic repast1 ,sebastian says3 ,now ,i will believe ,that there are unicorns2 that in ,arabia ,there is one tree1 the phoenix' throne2 one phoenix ,at this hour reigning there4 ,among the numerous references to giants by ,shakespeare1 we may quote the following4 ,in #b ,henry ,,vi4 7ii4 #c71 ,horner says3 ,peter1 have at thee with a downright blow as ,bevis of ,southampton fell upon ,ascapart4#ieb #ieb ,the addition in brackets is rejected by the editors of the ,globe edition4 ,ascapart1 according to the legend1 was ful thyrty fote longe1 and was conquered by ,sir ,bevis of ,southampton4 ,in ,cymbeline 7iii #c71 ,belarius says3 the gates of monarchs ,are arch'd so high1 that giants may jet through ,and keep their impious turbans on1 without ,good morrow to the sun4 ,in the ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7ii4 #a71 ,mrs4 ,page says3 ,i had rather be a giantess1 and lie under ,mount ,pelion4#iec #iec ,cf4 ,measure for ,measure1 ii4 #b1 iii4 #a2 ,much ,ado ,about ,nothing1 v4 #a2 ,loves ,labour's ,lost1 iii4 #a4 ,lucky ,days4 ,from the most remote period certain days have been supposed to be just as lucky as others are the reverse1 a notion which is not confined to any one country4 ,in ,shakespeare's day great attention was paid to this superstitious fancy1 which is probably alluded to in the ,winter's ,tale 7iii4 #c71 where the ,shepherd says to the ,clown1 ',tis a lucky day1 boy2 and we'll do good deeds on't4 ,in ,king ,john 7iii4 #a7 ,constance exclaims3 ,what hath this day deserv'd8 what hath it done1 ,that it in golden letters should be set ,among the high tides in the calendar8 ,nay1 rather turn this day out of the week1 ,this day of shame1 oppression1 perjury3 ,or1 if it must stand still1 let wives with child ,pray that their burthens may not fall this day1 ,lest that their hopes prodigiously be cross'd3 ,but on this day let seamen fear no wreck2 ,no bargains break that are not this day made3 ,this day1 all things begun come to ill end1 ,yea1 faith itself to hollow falsehood change6 ,again1 ,macbeth 7iv4 #a7 says3 ,let this pernicious hour ,stand aye accursed in the calendar6 ,in the old almanacs the days supposed to be favorable or unfavorable are enumerated1 allusion to which occurs in ,webster's ,duchess of ,malfy1 #afbc3 ,by the almanack1 ,i think1 ,to choose good days and shun the critical4 ,at the present day this superstition still retains its hold on the popular mind1 and in the transactions of life exerts an important influence4#ied #ied ,see ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahgi1 vol4 i4 pp4 #dd-ea2 ,jones's ,credulities ,past and ,present1 pp4 #dic-ejg2 ,hampson's ,o,evi ,medii ,kalendarium1 vol4 i4 p4 #baj2 see an article on ,day ,fatality in ,john ,aubrey's ,miscellanies4 ,magic4 ,the system of magic1 which holds such a prominent place in ,the ,tempest1 was formerly an article in the popular creed1 and as such is frequently noticed by the writers of ,shakespeare's time4 ,thus1 in describing ,prospero1 ,shakespeare has given him several of the adjuncts1 besides the costume1 of the popular magician1 much virtue being inherent in his very garments4 ,so ,prospero1 when addressing his daughter 7i4 #b71 says3 ,lend thy hand1 ,and pluck my magic garment from me4--,so2 ,lie there1 my art4 ,a similar importance is assigned to his staff1 for he tells ,ferdinand 7i4 #b73 ,i can here disarm thee with this stick1 ,and make thy weapon drop4 ,and when he abjures the practice of magic1 one of the requisites is to break his staff1 and to 7v4 #a7 ,bury it certain fathoms in the earth4 ,the more immediate instruments of power were books1 by means of which spells were usually performed4 ,hence1 in the old romances1 the sorcerer is always furnished with a book1 by reading certain parts of which he is enabled to summon to his aid what demons or spirits he has occasion to employ4 ,when he is deprived of his book his power ceases4 ,malone quotes1 in illustration of this notion1 ,caliban's words in ,the ,tempest 7iii4 #b73 ,remember1 ,first to possess his books2 for without them ,he's but a sot1 as ,i am1 nor hath not ,one spirit to command4 ,prospero1 too1 declares 7iii4 #a73 ,i'll to my book2 ,for yet1 ere supper time1 must ,i perform ,much business appertaining4 ,and on his relinquishing his art he says that3 ,deeper than did ever plummet sound ,i'll drown my book4 ,those who practise nocturnal sorcery are styled1 in ,troilus and ,cressida 7iv4 #b71 venomous wights4 ,merlin's ,prophecies4 ,in ,shakespeare's day there was an extensive belief in strange and absurd prophecies1 which were eagerly caught up and repeated by one person to another4 ,this form of superstition is alluded to in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7iii4 #a71 where1 after ,owen ,glendower has been descanting on the omens and portents dire which heralded his nativity1 and ,hotspur's unbelieving and taunting replies to the chieftain's assertions1 the poet makes ,hotspur1 on ,mortimer's saying1 ,fie1 cousin ,percy6 how you cross my father6 thus reply3 ,i cannot choose3 sometime he angers me1 ,with telling me of the moldwarp and the ant1 ,of the dreamer ,merlin and his prophecies2 ,and of a dragon and a finless fish4 ,in ,king ,lear 7iii4 #b7 the ,fool says ,i'll speak a prophecy ere ,i go3 ,when priests are more in word than matter2 ,when brewers mar their malt with water2 ,when nobles are their tailors' tutors2 ,no heretics burn'd1 but wenches' suitors2 ,when every case in law is right2 ,no squire in debt1 nor no poor knight2 ,when slanders do not live in tongues4 ,nor cutpurses come not to throngs2 ,when usurers tell their gold i' the field2 ,and bawds and whores do churches build2-- ,then shall the realm of ,albion ,come to great confusion3 ,then comes the time1 who lives to see't1 ,that going shall be us'd with feet4 ,this prophecy ,merlin shall make2 for ,i live before his time4 ,this witty satire was probably against the prophecies attributed to ,merlin1 which were then prevalent among the people4#iee #iee ,see ,kelly's ,notices ,illustrative of the ,drama and ,other ,amusements at ,leicester1 #ahfe1 pp4 #aaf1 #aah4 ,formerly1 too1 prophecies of apparent impossibilities were common in ,scotland2 such as the removal of one place to another4 ,so in ,macbeth 7iv4 #a71 the apparition says3 ,macbeth shall never vanquish'd be1 until ,great ,birnam wood to high ,dunsinane hill ,shall come against him4 ,portents and ,prodigies4 ,in years gone the belief in supernatural occurrences was a common article of faith2 and our ancestors made use of every opportunity to prove the truth of this superstitious belief4 ,the most usual monitions of this kind were1 lamentings heard in the air2 shakings and tremblings of the earth2 sudden gloom at noon-day2 the appearance of meteors2 the shooting of stars2 eclipses of the sun and moon2 the moon of a bloody hue2 the shrieking of owls2 the croaking of ravens2 the shrilling of crickets2 night-howlings of dogs2 the death-watch2 the chattering of pies2 wild neighing of horses2 blood dropping from the nose2 winding-sheets2 strange and fearful noises1 etc41 many of which ,shakespeare has used1 introducing them as the precursors of murder1 sudden death1 disasters1 and superhuman events4#ief ,thus in ,richard ,,ii4 7ii4 #d71 the following prodigies are selected as the forerunners of the death or fall of kings3 ',tis thought1 the king is dead3 we will not stay4 ,the bay-trees in our country are all wither'd1 ,and meteors fright the fixed stars of heaven2 ,the pale-fac'd moon looks bloody on the earth1 ,and lean-look'd prophets whisper fearful change2 ,rich men look sad1 and ruffians dance and leap1 ,the one in fear to lose what they enjoy1 ,the other to enjoy by rage and war3 ,these signs forerun the death or fall of kings4 #ief ,drake's ,shakespeare and his ,times1 p4 #ceb4 ,previous to the assassination of ,julius ,csar1 we are told1 in ,hamlet 7i4 #a71 how3 ,in the most high and palmy state of ,rome1 ,a little ere the mightiest ,julius fell1 ,the graves stood tenantless1 and the sheeted dead ,did squeak and gibber in the ,roman streets2 ,as stars with trains of fire and dews of blood1 ,disasters in the sun2 and the moist star1 ,upon whose influence ,neptune's empire stands1 ,was sick almost to doomsday with eclipse4 ,more appalling still are the circumstances which preceded and accompanied the murder of ,duncan 7,macbeth1 ii4 #c74 ,we may also compare the omens which marked the births of ,owen ,glendower and ,richard ,,iii4 ,indeed1 the supposed sympathy of the elements with human joy or sorrow or suffering is evidently a very ancient superstition2 and this presumed sensitiveness1 not only of the elements1 but of animated nature1 to the perpetration of deeds of darkness and blood by perverted nature1 has in all ages been extensively believed4 ,it is again beautifully illustrated in the lines where ,shakespeare makes ,lenox1 on the morning following the murder of ,duncan by his host 7,macbeth1 ii4 #c71 give the following narrative3 ,the night has been unruly2 where we lay1 ,our chimneys were blown down2 and1 as they say1 ,lamentings heard i' the air2 strange screams of death2 ,and prophesying with accents terrible ,of dire combustion1 and confus'd events1 ,new hatch'd to the woeful time3 the obscure bird ,clamour'd the livelong night3 some say1 the earth ,was feverous and did shake4 ,this idea is further illustrated in the dialogue which follows1 between ,ross and an old man3 ,old ,man4 ,threescore and ten ,i can remember well3 ,within the volume of which time ,i have seen ,hours dreadful1 and things strange3 but this sore night ,hath trifled former knowings4 ,ross4 ,ah1 good father1 ,thou seest1 the heavens1 as troubled with man's act1 ,threaten his bloody stage3 by the clock1 'tis day1 ,and yet dark night strangles the travelling lamp3 ,is't night's predominance1 or the day's shame1 ,that darkness does the face of earth entomb1 ,when living light should kiss it8 ,supernatural ,authority of ,kings4 ,the belief in the supernatural authority of monarchs is but a remnant of the long-supposed divine right of kings to govern1 which resulted from a conviction that they could trace their pedigrees back to the deities themselves4#ieg ,thus ,shakespeare even puts into the mouth of the murderer and usurper ,claudius1 ,king of ,denmark1 the following sentence3 ,let him go1 ,gertrude3 do not fear our person3 ,there's such divinity doth hedge a king1 ,that treason can but peep to what it would1 ,acts little of his will4 #ieg ,traditions1 ,superstitions1 and ,folk-,lore1 p4 #ha4 ,this notion is by no means confined to either civilized or semi-civilized nations4 ,it is1 says ,mr4 ,hardwick1 a universal feeling among savage tribes4 ,the ignorant serf of ,russia believed1 and1 indeed1 yet believes1 that if the deity were to die the emperor would succeed to his power and authority4 ,sympathetic ,indications4 ,according to a very old tradition the wounds of a murdered person were supposed to bleed afresh at the approach or touch of the murderer4 ,this effect1 though impossible1 remarks ,nares1#ieh except it were by miracle1 was firmly believed1 and almost universally1 for a very long period4 ,poets1 therefore1 were fully justified in their use of it4 ,thus ,shakespeare1 in ,richard ,,iii4 7i4 #b7 makes ,lady ,anne1 speaking of ,richard1 ,duke of ,gloster1 say3 ,o1 gentlemen1 see1 see6 dead ,henry's wounds ,open their congeal'd mouths1 and bleed afresh6-- ,blush1 blush1 thou lump of foul deformity2 ,for 'tis thy presence that exhales this blood ,from cold and empty veins1 where no blood dwells2 ,thy deed1 inhuman and unnatural1 ,provokes this deluge most unnatural4 #ieh ,glossary1 vol4 ii4 p4 #igd4 ,stow alludes to this circumstance in his ,annals 7p4 #dbd74 ,he says the king's body was brought to ,st4 ,paul's in an open coffin1 barefaced1 where he bled2 thence he was carried to the ,blackfriars1 and there bled4 ,matthew ,paris also states that after ,henry ,,ii4's death his son ,richard came to view the body--,quo superveniente1 confestim erupit sanguis ex naribus regis mortui2 ac si indignaretur spiritus in adventue ejus1 qui ejusdem mortis causa esse credebatur1 ut videretur sanguis clamare ad ,deum4#iei ,in the ,athenian ,oracle 7i4 #ajf71 this supposed phenomenon is thus accounted for3 ,the blood is congealed in the body for two or three days1 and then becomes liquid again1 in its tendency to corruption4 ,the air being heated by many persons coming about the body1 is the same thing to it as motion is4 ',tis observed that dead bodies will bleed in a concourse of people1 when murderers are absent1 as well as present1 yet legislators have thought fit to authorize it1 and use this trial as an argument1 at least to frighten1 though 'tis no conclusive one to condemn them4 ,among other allusions to this superstition may be mentioned one by ,king ,james in his ,dmonology1 where we read3 ,in a secret murder1 if the dead carkasse be at any time thereafter handled by the murderer1 it will gush out of blood1 as if the blood were crying to heaven for revenge of the murderer4 ,it is spoken of also in a note to chapter v4 of the ,fair ,maid of ,perth1 that this bleeding of a corpse was urged as an evidence of guilt in the ,high ,court of ,justiciary at ,edinburgh as late as the year #affh4 ,an interesting survival of this curious notion exists in ,durham1 where1 says ,mr4 ,henderson1#ifj touching of the corpse by those who come to look at it is still expected by the poor on the part of those who come to their house while a dead body is lying in it1 in token that they wished no ill to the departed1 and were in peace and amity with him4 #iei ,see ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 iii4 pp4 #bbi-bca4 #ifj ,folk-,lore of ,northern ,counties1 #ahdi1 p4 #eg4 ,we may also compare the following passage1 where ,macbeth 7iii4 #d71 speaking of the ,ghost1 says3 ,it will have blood2 they say1 blood will have blood3 ,stones have been known to move1 and trees to speak2 ,augurs and understood relations have ,by magot-pies and choughs and rooks brought forth ,the secret'st man of blood4 ,shakespeare perhaps alludes to some story in which the stones covering the corpse of a murdered man were said to have moved of themselves1 and so revealed the secret4 ,the idea of trees speaking probably refers to the story of the tree which revealed to neas the murder of ,polydorus 7,verg41 neid1 iii4 #bb1 #eii74 ,indeed1 in days gone by1 this superstition was carried to such an extent that we are told1 in ,d',israeli's ,curiosities of ,literature1 by the side of the bier1 if the slightest change was observable in the eyes1 the mouth1 feet1 or hands of the corpse1 the murderer was conjectured to be present1 and many an innocent spectator must have suffered death4 ,this practice forms a rich picture in the imagination of our old writers2 and their histories and ballads are labored into pathos by dwelling on this phenomenon4 ,,chapter ,,xxiii4 ,,miscellaneous ,,customs1 ,,etc4 ,badge of ,poverty4 ,in the reign of ,william ,,iii41 those who received parish relief had to wear a badge4 ,it was the letter ,p1 with the initial of the parish to which they belonged1 in red or blue cloth1 on the shoulder of the right sleeve4 ,in #b ,henry ,,vi4 7v4 #a7 ,clifford says3 ,might ,i but know thee by thy household badge4 ,bedfellow4 ,a proof of the simplicity of manners in olden times is evidenced by the fact that it was customary for men1 even of the highest rank1 to sleep together4 ,in ,henry ,v4 7ii4 #b7 ,exeter says3 ,nay1 but the man that was his bedfellow1 ,whom he hath dull'd and cloy'd with gracious favours4 ,this unseemly custom1 says ,malone1 continued common till the middle of the last century1 if not later4 ,beaumont and ,fletcher1 in the ,coxcomb 7i4 #a71 thus refer to it3 ,must we1 that have so long time been as one1 ,seen cities1 countries1 kingdoms1 and their wonders1 ,been bedfellows1 and in our various journey ,mixt all our observations4 ,in the same way1 letters from noblemen to each other often began with the appellation bedfellow4#ifa #ifa ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 i4 p4 #fh4 ,curfew ,bell1 which is generally supposed to be of ,norman origin1 is still rung in some of our old country villages1 although it has long lost its significance4 ,it seems to have been as important to ghosts as to living men1 it being their signal for walking1 a license which apparently lasted till the first cock4 ,fairies1 too1 and other spirits1 were under the same regulations2 and hence ,prospero1 in ,the ,tempest 7v4 #a71 says of his elves that they rejoice ,to hear the solemn curfew4 ,in ,king ,lear 7iii4 #d7 we find the fiend ,flibbertigibbet obeying the same rule1 for ,edgar says3 ,this is the foul fiend ,flibbertigibbet2 he begins at curfew1 and walks till the first cock4 ,in ,measure for ,measure 7iv4 #b7 we find another allusion3 ,duke4 ,the best and wholesom'st spirits of the night ,envelope you1 good provost6 ,who call'd here of late8 ,provost4 ,none1 since the curfew rung4 ,and1 once more1 in ,romeo and ,juliet 7iv4 #d71 ,capulet says3 ,come1 stir1 stir1 stir6 the second cock hath crow'd1 ,the curfew bell hath rung1 'tis three o'clock4#ifb #ifb ,see ,brand's ,pop4 ,antiq41 #ahdi1 vol4 iii4 pp4 #bbj-bbe2 also1 ,harland and ,wilkinson's ,lancashire ,folk-,lore1 #ahfg1 p4 #dd4 ,sacring ,bell4 ,this was a bell which rang for processions and other holy ceremonies4#ifc ,it is mentioned in ,henry ,,viii4 7iii4 #b71 by the ,earl of ,surrey3 ,i'll startle you ,worse than the sacring bell4 #ifc ,dyce's ,glossary1 p4 #cgi4 ,it is rung in the ,romish ,church to give notice that the ,host is approaching1 and is now called ,sanctus bell1 from the words ,sanctus1 ,sanctus1 ,sanctus ,dominus ,deus ,sabaoth1 pronounced by the priest4 ,on the graphic passage where ,macbeth 7ii4 #a7 says3 ,the bell invites me4 ,hear it not1 ,duncan2 for it is a knell ,that summons thee to heaven or to hell-- ,malone has this note3 ,thus ,raleigh1 speaking of love1 in ,england's ',helicon' 7#afjj73 ',it is perhaps that sauncing bell ,that toules all into heaven or hell4' ,sauncing being probably a mistake for sacring or saint's bell1 originally1 perhaps1 written saintis bell4 ,in ,hudibras we find3 ,the old saintis bell that rings all in4 ,carpet-knights4 ,these were knights dubbed at court by mere favor1 and not on the field of battle1 for their military exploits4 ,in ,twelfth ,night 7iii4 #d71 ,sir ,toby defines one of them thus3 ,he is knight1 dubbed with unhatched rapier1 and on carpet consideration4 ,a trencher knight was probably synonymous1 as in ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7v4 #b73 ,some mumble-news1 some trencher-knight1 some ,dick4 ,these carpet-knights were sometimes called knights of the green cloth4#ifd #ifd ,see ,douce's ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 pp4 #fe1 #ff4 ,chair ,days4 ,days of old age and infirmity4 ,so1 in #b ,henry ,,vi4 7v4 #b71 young ,clifford1 on seeing his dead father1 says3 ,wast thou ordain'd1 dear father1 ,to lose thy youth in peace1 and to achieve ,the silver livery of advised age1 ,and1 in thy reverence1 and thy chair-days1 thus ,to die in ruffian battle8 ,chivalry4 ,the expression sworn brothers1 which ,shakespeare several times employs1 refers to the fratres jurati1 who1 in the days of chivalry1 mutually bound themselves by oath to share each other's fortune4 ,thus1 ,falstaff says of ,shallow1 in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7iii4 #b73 ,he talks as familiarly of ,john o' ,gaunt as if he had been sworn brother to him4 ,in ,henry ,v4 7ii4 #a71 ,bardolph says3 we'll be all three sworn brothers to ,france4 ,in course of time it was used in a laxer sense1 to denote intimacy1 as in ,much ,ado ,about ,nothing 7i4 #a71 where ,beatrice says of ,benedick1 that ,he hath every month a new sworn brother4#ife #ife ,we may compare1 too1 what ,coriolanus says 7ii4 #c73 ,i will1 sir1 flatter my sworn brother1 the people4 ,according to the laws of chivalry1 a person of superior birth might not be challenged by an inferior2 or1 if challenged1 might refuse combat1 a reference to which seems to be made by ,cleopatra 7,antony and ,cleopatra1 ii4 #d73 ,i will not hurt him4-- ,these hands do lack nobility1 that they strike ,a meaner than myself4 ,again1 in ,troilus and ,cressida 7v4 #d71 the same practice is alluded to by ,hector1 who asks ,thersites3 ,what art thou1 ,greek8 art thou for ,hector's match8 ,art thou of blood and honour8 ,singer quotes from ,melville's ,memoirs 7#agce1 p4 #afe73 ,the ,laird of ,grange offered to fight ,bothwell1 who answered that he was not his equal4 ,the like answer made he to ,tullibardine4 ,then my ,lord ,lindsay offered to fight him1 which he could not well refuse2 but his heart failed him1 and he grew cold on the business4 ,clubs4 ,according to ,malone1 it was once a common custom1 on the breaking-out of a fray1 to call out ,clubs1 clubs6 to part the combatants4 ,thus1 in #a ,henry ,,vi4 7i4 #c71 the ,mayor declares3 ,i'll call for clubs1 if you will not away4 ,in ,titus ,andronicus 7ii4 #a71 ,aaron says3 ,clubs1 clubs6 these lovers will not keep the peace4 ,clubs1 too1 was originally the popular cry to call forth the ,london apprentices1 who employed their clubs for the preservation of the public peace4 ,sometimes1 however1 they used those weapons to raise a disturbance1 as they are described doing in the following passage in ',henry ,,viii4' 7v4 #d73 ',i miss'd the meteor once1 and hit that woman2 who cried out ',clubs6' when ,i might see from far some forty truncheoners draw to her succour1 which were the hope o' the ,strand1 where she was quartered4'#iff #iff ,cf4 ,romeo and ,juliet1 i4 #a2 ,as ,you ,like ,it1 v4 #b4 ,color-,lore4 ,green eyes have been praised by poets of nearly every land1#ifg and1 according to ,armado1 in ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7i4 #b71 ,green1 indeed1 is the colour of lovers4 #ifg ,see ,singer's ,shakespeare1 vol4 viii4 p4 #bjd4 ,in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7v4 #a71 ,thisbe laments3 ,lovers1 make moan3 ,his eyes were green as leeks4 ,the ,nurse1 in her description of ,romeo's rival 7,romeo and ,juliet1 iii4 #e71 says3 ,an eagle1 madam1 ,hath not so green1 so quick1 so fair an eye ,as ,paris hath4 ,in the ,two ,noble ,kinsmen 7v4 #a71 ,emilia1 praying to ,diana1 says3 ,o vouchsafe1 ,with that thy rare green eye--which never yet ,beheld thing maculate--look on thy virgin4 ,the words of ,armado have been variously explained as alluding to green eyes--,spanish writers being peculiarly enthusiastic in this praise--to the willow worn by unsuccessful lovers1 and to their melancholy4#ifh ,it has also been suggested#ifi that1 as green is the color most suggestive of freshness and spring-time1 it may have been considered the most appropriate lover's badge4 ,at the same time1 however1 it is curious that1 as green has been regarded as an ominous color1 it should be connected with lovers1 for1 as an old couplet remarks3 ,those dressed in blue ,have lovers true2 ,in green and white1 ,forsaken quite4#igj #ifh ,see ,douce's ,illustrations of ,shakespeare1 p4 #acc4 #ifi ,see an article by ,mr4 ,black1 in ,antiquary1 #ahha1 vol4 iii4 #igj ,see ,henderson's ,folk-,lore of the ,northern ,counties1 pp4 #cd1 #ce4 ,in ,merchant of ,venice 7iii4 #b71 green-eyed jealousy1 and in ,othello 7iii4 #c71 its equivalent1 green-eyed monster1 are expressions used by ,shakespeare4 ,yellow is an epithet often1 too1 applied to jealousy1 by the old writers4 ,in the ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7i4 #c71 ,nym says he will possess ,ford with yellowness4 ,in ,much ,ado ,about ,nothing 7ii4 #a7 ,beatrice describes the ,count as civil as an orange1 and something of that jealous complexion4 ,in ,twelfth ,night 7ii4 #d71 ,viola tells the ,duke how her father's daughter loved a man1 but never told her love3 ,she pin'd in thought1 ,and with a green and yellow melancholy ,she sat like patience on a monument4 ,dinner ,customs4 ,in days gone by there was but one salt-cellar on the table1 which was a large piece of plate1 generally much ornamented4 ,the tables being long1 the salt was commonly placed about the middle1 and served as a kind of boundary to the different quality of the guests invited4 ,those of distinction were ranked above2 the space below being assigned to the dependants1 inferior relations of the master of the house1 etc4#iga ,shakespeare would seem to allude to this custom in the ,winter's ,tale 7i4 #b71 where ,leontes says3 lower messes1 ,perchance1 are to this business purblind8 #iga ,gifford's note on ,massinger's ,works1 #ahac1 vol4 i4 p4 #agj2 see ,dyce's ,glossary to ,shakespeare1 pp4 #bfi1 #chj4 ,upon which passage ,steevens adds1 ,leontes comprehends inferiority of understanding in the idea of inferiority of rank4 ,ben ,jonson1 speaking of the characteristics of an insolent coxcomb1 remarks3 ,his fashion is not to take knowledge of him that is beneath him in clothes4 ,he never drinks below the salt4 ,ordinary4 ,this was a public dinner1 where each paid his share1 an allusion to which custom is made by ,enobarbus1 in ,antony and ,cleopatra 7ii4 #b71 who1 speaking of ,antony1 says3 ,being barber'd ten times o'er1 goes to the feast1 ,and1 for his ordinary1 pays his heart ,for what his eyes eat only4 ,again1 in ,all's ,well that ,ends ,well 7ii4 #c71 ,lafeu says3 ,i did think thee1 for two ordinaries1 to be a pretty wise fellow2 thou didst make tolerable vent of thy travel4 ,the ordinary also denoted the lounging-place of the men of the town1 and the fantastic gallants who herded together4 ,they were1 says the author of ,curiosities of ,literature 7vol4 iii4 p4 #hb71 the exchange for news1 the echoing-places for all sorts of town talk2 there they might hear of the last new play and poem1 and the last fresh widow sighing for some knight to make her a lady2 these resorts were attended also to save charges of housekeeping4 ,drinking ,customs4 ,shakespeare has given several allusions to the old customs associated with drinking1 which have always varied in different countries4 ,at the present day many of the drinking customs still observed are very curious1 especially those kept up at the universities and inns-of-court4 ,alms-drink was a phrase in use1 says ,warburton1 among good fellows1 to signify that liquor of another's share which his companion drank to ease him4 ,so1 in ,antony and ,cleopatra 7ii4 #g7 one of the servants says of ,lepidus3 ,they have made him drink alms-drink4 ,by-drinkings4 ,this was a phrase for drinkings between meals1 and is used by the ,hostess in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7iii4 #c71 who says to ,falstaff3 ,you owe money here besides1 ,sir ,john1 for your diet1 and by-drinkings4 ,hooped ,pots4 ,in olden times drinking-pots were made with hoops1 so that1 when two or more drank from the same tankard1 no one should drink more than his share4 ,there were generally three hoops to the pots3 hence1 in #b ,henry ,,vi4 7iv4 #b71 ,cade says3 ,the three-hooped pot shall have ten hoops4 ,in ,nash's ,pierce ,pennilesse we read3 ,i believe hoopes on quart pots were invented that every man should take his hoope1 and no more4 ,the phrases to do a man right and to do him reason were1 in years gone by1 the common expressions in pledging healths2 he who drank a bumper expected that a bumper should be drunk to his toast4 ,to this practice alludes the scrap of a song which ,silence sings in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7v4 #c73 ,do me right1 ,and dub me knight3 ,samingo4 ,he who drank1 too1 a bumper on his knee to the health of his mistress was dubbed a knight for the evening4 ,the word ,samingo is either a corruption of1 or an intended blunder for1 ,san ,domingo1 but why this saint should be the patron of topers is uncertain4 ,rouse4 ,according to ,gifford1#igb a rouse was a large glass in which a health was given1 the drinking of which1 by the rest of the company1 formed a carouse4 ,hamlet 7i4 #d7 says3 ,the king doth wake to-night1 and takes his rouse4 #igb ,see ,dyce1 vol4 iv4 p4 #cie4 ,the word occurs again in the following act 7#a71 where ,polonius uses the phrase o'ertook in's rouse2 and in the sense of a bumper1 or glass of liquor1 in ,othello 7ii4 #c71 they have given me a rouse already4 ,sheer ,ale4 ,this term1 which is used in the ,taming of the ,shrew 7,induction1 sc4 #b71 by ,sly--,ask ,marian ,hacket1 the fat ale-wife of ,wincot1 if she know me not3 if she say ,i am not fourteen pence on the score for sheer ale--according to some expositors1 means ale alone1 nothing but ale1 rather than unmixed ale4 ,sneak-cup4 ,this phrase1 which is used by ,falstaff in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7iii4 #c7--the prince is a ,jack1 a sneak-cup--was used to denote one who balked his glass4 ,earnest ,money4 ,it was1 in olden times1 customary to ratify an agreement by a bent coin4 ,in ,henry ,,viii4 7ii4 #c71 the old lady remarks3 ,tis strange3 a three-pence bow'd would hire me1 ,old as ,i am1 to queen it4 ,there were1 however1 no threepences so early as the reign of ,henry ,,viii4 ,exclamations4 ,charity1 for the ,lord's sake6 was the form of ejaculatory supplication used by imprisoned debtors to the passers-by4 ,so1 in ,davies's ,epigrams 7#afaa73 ,good1 gentle writers1 'for the ,lord's sake1 for the ,lord's sake1' ,like ,ludgate prisoner1 lo1 ,i1 begging1 make ,my mone4 ,in ,measure for ,measure 7iv4 #c71 the phrase is alluded to by ,pompey3 all great doers in our trade1 and are now 'for the ,lord's sake4' ,cry ,budget4 ,a watchword4 ,thus ,slender says to ,shallow1 in the ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7v4 #b72 ,we have a nay-word1 how to know one another3 ,i come to her in white1 and cry 'mum2' she cries 'budget2' and by that we know one another4 ,god save the mark4 ,romeo and ,juliet 7iii4 #b74 ,this exclamation has hitherto baffled the research of every commentator4 ,it occurs again in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7i4 #c72 and in the ,merchant of ,venice 7ii4 #b7 and in ,othello 7i4 #a71 we have ,god bless the mark4 ,in the quarto1 #aeig1 instead of ,god save the mark in the first passage quoted1 we have ,god save the sample1 an expression equally obscure4#igc #igc ,staunton's ,shakespeare1 vol i4 p4 #beg4 ,halidom4 ,this exclamation was used1 says ,minsheu1#igd by old countrymen1 by manner of swearing4 ,in ,two ,gentlemen of ,verona 7iv4 #b71 the ,hostess says3 ,by my halidom1 ,i was fast asleep2 the probable derivation being holy1 with the termination dome4 #igd ,guide into ,tongues1 #afjg4 ,hall6 ,hall6 ,an exclamation formerly used1 to make a clear space in a crowd1 for any particular purpose1 was ,a hall1 a hall4 ,so1 in ,romeo and ,juliet 7i4 #e71 ,capulet says3 ,come1 musicians1 play4-- ,a hall1 a hall6 give room6 and foot it1 girls4 ,hay4 ,this is equivalent to you have it1 an exclamation in fencing1 when a thrust or hit is received by the antagonist4 ,in ,romeo and ,juliet 7ii4 #d71 ,mercutio speaks of the punto reverso6 the hay6 ,hold4 ,to cry hold6 when persons were fighting1 was an authoritative way of separating them1 according to the old military law4 ,so ,macbeth1 in his struggle with ,macduff1 says3 ,and damn'd be he that first cries1 ',hold1 enough6' ,we may compare ,lady ,macbeth's words 7i4 #e73 ,nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark1 ,to cry1 ',hold1 hold6' ,i' the name of me4 ,a vulgar exclamation formerly in use4 ,so in the ,winter's ,tale 7iv4 #b7 it is used by the ,clown4 ,o ho1 ,o ho6 ,this savage exclamation was1 says ,steevens1 constantly appropriated by the writers of our ancient mysteries and moralities to the devil4 ,in ,the ,tempest 7i4 #b71 ,caliban1 when rebuked by ,prospero for seeking to violate the honor of my child1 replies3 ,o ho1 ,o ho6 would it had been done6 ,thou didst prevent me2 ,i had peopled else ,this isle with ,calibans4 ,push4 ,an exclamation equivalent to pish4#ige ,it is used by ,leonato in ,much ,ado ,about ,nothing 7v4 #a73 ,and made a push at chance and sufferance2 and again1 in ,timon of ,athens 7iii4 #f71 where one of the lords says3 ,push6 did you see my cap8 #ige ,see ,dyce's ,glossary1 p4 #cdc4 ,rivo was an exclamation often used in ,bacchanalian revels1 but its origin is uncertain4 ,it occurs in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7ii4 #d73 ',rivo6' says the drunkard4 ,gifford suggests that it is corrupted1 perhaps1 from the ,spanish rio1 which is figuratively used for a large quantity of liquor1 a derivation1 however1 which ,mr4 ,dyce does not think probable4 ,sneck-up4 ,this was an exclamation of contempt1 equivalent to go and hang yourself4#igf ,it is used by ,sir ,toby in ,twelfth ,night 7ii4 #c71 in reply to ,malvolio's rebuke3 ,we did keep time1 sir1 in our catches4 ,sneck up6 #igf ,dyce's ,glossary1 p4 #djb4 ,so-ho4 ,this is the cry of sportsmen when the hare is found in her seat4 ,spy4 ,i spy is the usual exclamation at a well-known childish game called ,hie spy1 hie6#igg #igg ,ibid41 vol4 vi4 p4 #de4 ,tailor4 ,johnson explains the following words of ,puck in ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream 7ii4 #a7 thus3 ,the wisest aunt1 telling the saddest tale1 ,sometime for three-foot stool mistaketh me2 ,then slip ,i from her bum1 down topples she1 ,and 'tailor' cries1 and falls into a cough4 ,the custom of crying tailor at a sudden fall backwards1 ,i think ,i remember to have observed4 ,he that slips beside his chair1 falls as a tailor squats upon his board4 ,mr4 ,dyce1#igh however1 adds1 it may be doubted if this explains the text4 #igh ,ibid41 p4 #dc4 ,tilly-vally4 ,an exclamation of contempt1 the etymology of which is uncertain4 ,according to ,douce it is a hunting phrase borrowed from the ,french4 ,singer says it is equivalent to fiddle-faddle4 ,it occurs in ,twelfth ,night 7ii4 #c71 being used by ,sir ,toby3 ,am not ,i consanguineous8 am ,i not of her blood8 ,tilly-vally1 lady6 ,in #b ,henry ,,iv4 7ii4 #d71 the ,hostess corrupts it to tilly-fally3 ,tilly-fally1 ,sir ,john1 ne'er tell me3 your ancient swaggerer comes not in my doors4 ,as a further illustration of the use of this word1 ,singer quotes a conversation between ,sir ,thomas ,more and his wife1 given in ,roper's ,life3 ,is not this house1 quoth he1 as nigh heaven as my own8 ,to whom she1 after her accustomed homely fashion1 not liking such talk1 answered1 ,tylle-valle1 ,tylle-valle4 ,westward1 ho4 ,this was one of the exclamations of the watermen who plied on the ,thames1 and is used by ,viola in ,twelfth ,night 7iii4 #a74 ,dyce#igi quotes from ,peel's ,edward ,i4 to illustrate the use of this word3 ,queen ,elinor4 ,ay1 good woman1 conduct me to the court1 ,that there ,i may bewail my sinful life1 ,and call to ,god to save my wretched soul4 ,a cry of ',westward1 ho6' ,woman1 what noise is this ,i hear8 ,potter's ,wife4 ,an like your grace1 it is the watermen that call for passengers to go westward now4 #igi ,glossary1 p4 #dig2 see ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 ii4 p4 #ieb4 ,dekker took the exclamation ,westward1 ho6 for the title of a comedy2 and ,jonson1 ,chapman1 and ,marston adopted that of ,eastward1 ho6 for one jointly written by them a few years afterwards4 ,fools4 ,mr4 ,douce1 in his essay ,on the ,clowns and ,fools of ,shakespeare1 has made a ninefold division of ,english fools1 according to quality or place of employment1 as the domestic fool1 the city or corporation fool1 the tavern fool1 the fool of the mysteries and moralities4 ,the last is generally called the vice1 and is the original of the stage clowns so common among the dramatists of the time of ,elizabeth1 and who embody so much of the wit of ,shakespeare4 ,a very palpable distinction is that which distinguishes between such creatures as were chosen to excite to laughter from some deformity of mind or body1 and such as were chosen for a certain alertness of mind and power of repartee--or1 briefly1 butts and wits4 ,the dress of the regular court fool of the middle ages was not altogether a rigid uniform1 but seems to have changed from time to time4 ,the head was shaved1 the coat was motley1 and the breeches tight1 with1 generally1 one leg different in color from the other4 ,the head was covered with a garment resembling a monk's cowl1 which fell over the breast and shoulders1 and often bore asses' ears1 and was crested with a coxcomb1 while bells hung from various parts of the attire4 ,the fool's bauble was a short staff bearing a ridiculous head1 to which was sometimes attached an inflated bladder1 by which sham castigations were inflicted2 a long petticoat was also occasionally worn1 but seems to have belonged rather to the idiots than the wits4 ,the fool's business was to amuse his master1 to excite his laughter by sharp contrast1 to prevent the over-oppression of state affairs1 and1 in harmony with a well-known physiological precept1 by his liveliness at meals to assist his lord's digestion4#ihj #ihj ,encyclopdia ,britannica1 #ahgi1 vol4 ix4 p4 #cff2 see ,doran's ,history of ,court ,fools1 #aheh4 ,the custom of shaving and nicking the head of a fool is very old4 ,there is a penalty of ten shillings1 in one of ,alfred's ,ecclesiastical ,laws1 if one opprobriously shave a common man like a fool2 and ,malone cites a passage from ,the ,choice of ,change1 etc41 by ,s4 ,r4 ,gent1 #dto1 #aeih--,three things used by monks1 which provoke other men to laugh at their follies3 #a4 ,they are shaven and notched on the head like fooles4 ,in the ,comedy of ,errors 7v4 #a71 the servant says3 ,my master preaches patience to him1 and the while ,his man with scissors nicks him like a fool4 ,forfeits4 ,in order to enforce some kind of regularity in barbers' shops1 which were once places of great resort for the idle1 certain laws were usually made1 the breaking of which was to be punished by forfeits4 ,rules of this kind1 however1 were as often laughed at as obeyed4 ,so1 in ,measure for ,measure 7v4 #a73 laws for all faults1 ,but faults so countenanc'd1 that the strong statutes ,stand like the forfeits in a barber's shop1 ,as much in mock as mark4 ,gambling4 ,it was once customary for a person when going abroad to put out a sum of money on condition of receiving good interest for it on his return home2 if he never returned the deposit was forfeited4 ,hence such a one was called a putter-out4 ,it is to this practice that reference is made in the following passage 7,the ,tempest1 iii4 #c73 or that there were such men ,whose heads stood in their breasts8 which now we find ,each putter-out of five for one will bring us ,good warrant of4 ,malone quotes from ,moryson's ,itinerary 7#afag1 pt4 i4 p4 #aih73 ,this custom of giving out money upon these adventures was first used in court and noblemen2 a practice which banker-outs1 stage-players1 and men of base condition had drawn into contempt1 by undertaking journeys merely for gain upon their return4 ,in ,ben ,jonson's ,every ,man ,out of ,his ,humour 7ii4 #c7 the custom is thus alluded to3 ,i do intend1 this year of jubilee coming on1 to travel2 and because ,i will not altogether go upon expence1 ,i am determined to put forth some five thousand pound1 to be paid me five for one1 upon the return of my wife1 myself1 and my dog1 from the ,turk's court at ,constantinople4 ,if all1 or either of us1 miscarry in the journey1 'tis gone2 if we be successful1 why then there will be five and twenty thousand pound to entertain time with4 ,garters4 ,it was the regular amorous etiquette in the reign of ,elizabeth1#iha for a man1 professing himself deeply in love1 to assume certain outward marks of negligence in his dress1 as if too much occupied by his passion to attend to such trifles1 or driven by despondency to a forgetfulness of all outward appearance4 ,his garters1 in particular1 were not to be tied up4 ,in ,as ,you ,like ,it 7iii4 #b71 this custom is described by ,rosalind1 who tells ,orlando3 ,there is none of my uncle's marks upon you3 he taught me how to know a man in love2 444 your hose should be ungarter'd1 your bonnet unbanded1 your sleeve unbuttoned1 your shoe untied1 and every thing about you demonstrating a careless desolation4 ,another fashion which seems to have been common among the beaux of ,queen ,elizabeth's reign1 was that of wearing garters across about the knees1 an allusion to which we find in ,twelfth ,night 7ii4 #e71 in the letter which ,malvolio reads3 ,remember who commended thy yellow stockings1 and wished to see thee ever cross-gartered4 ,douce quotes from the old comedy of ,the ,two ,angrie ,women of ,abingdon 7#aeii71 where a servingman is thus described3 ,hee's a fine neate fellow1 ,a spruce slave1 ,i warrant ye1 he'ele have ,his cruell garters crosse about the knee4 #iha ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 i4 p4 #cej4 ,in days gone by1 when garters were worn in sight1 the upper classes wore very expensive ones1 but the lower orders worsted galloon ones4 ,prince ,henry calls ,poins 7#a ,henry ,,iv41 ii4 #d7 a caddis garter1 meaning a man of mean rank4 ,gaudy ,days4 ,feast-days in the colleges of our universities are so called1 as they were formerly at the inns-of-court4 ,in ,antony and ,cleopatra 7iii4 #ac71 ,antony says3 come1 ,let's have one other gaudy night3 call to me ,all my sad captains2 fill our bowls once more2 ,let's mock the midnight bell4 ,they were so called1 says ,blount1 from gaudium1 because1 to say truth1 they are days of joy1 as bringing good cheer to the hungry students4 ,glove4 ,as an article of dress the glove held a conspicuous place in many of our old customs and ceremonies4 ,thus1 it was often worn in the hat as a favor1 and as a mark to be challenged by an enemy1 as is illustrated by the following dialogue in ,henry ,v4 7iv4 #a73 ,king ,henry4 ,give me any gage of thine1 and ,i will wear it in my bonnet3 then1 if ever thou darest acknowledge it1 ,i will make it my quarrel4 ,williams4 ,here's my glove3 give me another of thine4 ,king ,henry4 ,there4 ,williams4 ,this will ,i also wear in my cap3 if ever thou come to me and say1 after to-morrow1 ',this is my glove1' by this hand1 ,i will take thee a box on the ear4 ,king ,henry4 ,if ever ,i live to see it1 ,i will challenge it4 ,williams4 ,thou darest as well be hanged4 ,again1 in ,troilus and ,cressida 7v4 #b71 ,diomedes1 taking the glove from ,cressida1 says3 ,to-morrow will ,i wear it on my helm1 ,and grieve his spirit that dares not challenge it4 ,and in ,richard ,,ii4 7v4 #c71 ,percy narrates how ,prince ,henry boasted that-- he would unto the stews1 ,and from the common'st creature pluck a glove1 ,and wear it as a favour2 and with that ,he would unhorse the lustiest challenger4 ,the glove was also worn in the hat as the memorial of a friend1 and in the ,merchant of ,venice 7iv4 #a71 ,portia1 in her assumed character1 asks ,bassanio for his gloves1 which she says she will wear for his sake3 ,give me your gloves1 ,i'll wear them for your sake4 ,when the fashion of thus wearing gloves declined1 it fell into the hands of coxcombical and dissolute servants4#ihb ,thus ,edgar1 in ,king ,lear 7iii4 #d71 being asked by ,lear what he had been1 replies3 ,a serving-man1 proud in heart and mind2 that curled my hair2 wore gloves in my cap4 #ihb ,nares's ,glossary1 vol4 i4 p4 #cga4 ,to throw the glove1 as the signal of a challenge1 is alluded to by ,troilus 7iv4 #d71 who tells ,cressida3 ,for ,i will throw my glove to ,death himself1 ,that's there's no maculation in thy heart --the meaning being1 says ,johnson3 ,i will challenge ,death himself in defence of thy fidelity4 ,the glove then thrown down was popularly called a gage1#ihc from the ,french1 signifying a pledge1 and in ,richard ,,ii4 7iv4 #a71 it is so termed by ,aumerle3 ,there is my gage1 the manual seal of death1 ,that marks thee out for hell4 #ihc ,the verb to gage1 or to pledge1 occurs in ,merchant of ,venice1 i4 #a3 but my chief care ,is1 to come fairly off from the great debts ,wherein my time1 something too prodigal1 ,hath left me gaged4 ,cf4 #a ,henry ,,iv41 i4 #c4 ,in the same play it is also called honor's pawn4 ,thus ,bolingbroke 7i4 #a7 says to ,mowbray3 ,pale trembling coward1 there ,i throw my gage1 ,disclaiming here the kindred of the king2 ,and lay aside my high blood's royalty1 ,which fear1 not reverence1 makes thee to except4 ,if guilty dread hath left thee so much strength ,as to take up mine honour's pawn1 then stoop4 ,and further on 7iv4 #a71 one of the lords employs the same phrase3 ,there is my honour's pawn2 ,engage it to the trial1 if thou dar'st4 ,it is difficult to discover why the glove was recognized as the sign of defiance4 ,brand#ihd suggests that the custom of dropping or sending the glove1 as the signal of a challenge1 may have been derived from the circumstance of its being the cover of the hand1 and therefore put for the hand itself4 ,the giving of the hand is well known to intimate that the person who does so will not deceive1 but stand to his agreement4 ,to shake hands upon it would not be very delicate in an agreement to fight1 and1 therefore1 gloves may possibly have been deputed as substitutes4 #ihd ,pop4 ,antiq41 vol4 ii4 p4 #abg4 ,again1 the glove was often thrown down as a pledge1 as in ,timon of ,athens 7v4 #d71 where the senator says to ,alcibiades3 ,throw thy glove1 ,or any token of thine honour else1 ,that thou wilt use the wars as thy redress1 ,and not as our confusion4 ,whereupon ,alcibiades answers3 ,then there's my glove4 ,in ,king ,lear 7v4 #b71 ,albany thus speaks3 ,thou art arm'd1 ,gloster3--let the trumpet sound3 ,if none appear to prove1 upon thy person1 ,thy heinous1 manifest1 and many treasons1 ,there is my pledge2 ,throwing down a glove ,i'll prove it on thy heart4 ,in ,troilus and ,cressida 7iv4 #e71 ,hector further alludes to this practice3 ,your quondam wife swears still by ,venus' glove3 ,she's well1 but bade me not commend her to you4 ,scented gloves were formerly given away as presents4 ,in ,winter's ,tale the custom is referred to by ,mopsa1 who says to the ,clown 7iv4 #d73 ,come1 you promised me a tawdry lace1 and a pair of sweet gloves2 and ,autolycus is introduced singing3 ,gloves as sweet as damask roses4 ,in ,much ,ado ,about ,nothing 7iii4 #d71 ,hero says3 ,these gloves the count sent me2 they are an excellent perfume4 ,trinity ,college1 ,oxford1 not ungrateful to its founder and his spouse1 has many entries1 after the date of #aeef1 in the ,bursar's books1 pro fumigatis chirothecis1 for perfumed gloves4 ,kiss4 ,in years past1 a kiss was the recognized fee of a lady's partner1 and as such is noticed in ,henry ,,viii4 7i4 #d73 ,i were unmannerly to take you out1 ,and not to kiss you4 ,in ,the ,tempest 7i4 #b7 it is alluded to in ,ariel's song3 ,come unto these yellow sands1 ,and then take hands3 ,court'sied when you have1 and kiss'd1 ,the wild waves whist1 ,foot it featly here and there1 ,and1 sweet sprites1 the burthen bear4 ,there is probably a veiled allusion to the same ceremony in ,winter's ,tale 7iv4 #d71 where1 at the dance of shepherds and shepherdesses1 the following dialogue occurs3 ,clown4 ,come on1 strike up6 ,dorcas4 ,mopsa must be your mistress3 marry1 garlic1 ,to mend her kissing with4 ,mopsa4 ,now1 in good time6 ,clown4 ,not a word1 a word2 we stand upon our manners4 ,come1 strike up6 ,in an old treatise entitled the ,use and ,abuse of ,dancing and ,minstrelsie we read3 ,but some reply1 what fools will daunce1 ,if that when daunce is doon1 ,he may not have at ladyes lips1 ,that which in daunce he doon4 ,the practice of saluting ladies with a kiss was once very general1 and in the ,merry ,wives of ,windsor to kiss the hostess is indirectly spoken of as a common courtesy of the day4 ,in ,romeo and ,juliet 7i4 #e7 a further instance occurs1 where ,romeo kisses ,juliet at ,capulet's entertainment2 and1 in ,henry ,,viii4 7i4 #d71 ,lord ,sands is represented as kissing ,anne ,bullen1 next to whom he sits at supper4 ,the celebrated kissing comfits were sugar-plums1 once extensively used by fashionable persons to make the breath sweet4 ,falstaff1 in the ,merry ,wives of ,windsor 7v4 #e71 when embracing ,mrs4 ,ford1 says3 ,let it thunder to the tune of ',green ,sleeves1' hail kissing comfits1 and snow eringoes4 ,in ,measure for ,measure 7iv4 #a1 song7 kisses are referred to as seals of love4 ,a ,judas kiss was a kiss of treachery4 ,thus1 in #c ,henry ,,vi4 7v4 #g71 ,gloster says3 so ,judas kiss'd his master1 ,and cried ',all hail6' when-as he meant all harm4 ,lace ,songs4 ,these were jingling rhymes1 sung by young girls while engaged at their lace-pillows4 ,a practice alluded to by the ,duke in ,twelfth ,night 7ii4 #d73 ,o1 fellow1 come1 the song we had last night4-- ,mark it1 ,cesario2 it is old and plain2 ,the spinsters and the knitters in the sun1 ,and the free maids that weave their thread with bones ,do use to chant it4 ,miss ,baker1 in her ,northamptonshire ,glossary 7#ahed1 vol4 i4 p4 #cgh74 says1 ,the movement of the bobbins is timed by the modulation of the tune1 which excites them to regularity and cheerfulness2 and it is a pleasing sight to see them1 in warm1 sunny weather1 seated outside their cottage doors1 or seeking the shade of a neighboring tree2 where1 in cheerful groups1 they unite in singing their rude and simple rhymes4 ,the following is a specimen of one of these ditties1 most descriptive of the occupation3 ',nineteen long lines1 bring over my down1 ,the faster ,i work it1 ,i'll shorten my score1 ,but if ,i do play1 it'll stick to a stay1 ,so heigh ho6 little fingers1 and twank it away4' ,letters4 ,the word ,emmanuel was formerly prefixed1 probably from feelings of piety1 to letters and public deeds4 ,so in #b ,henry ,,vi4 7iv4 #b7 there is the following allusion to it3 ,cade4 ,what is thy name8 ,clerk4 ,emmanuel4 ,dick4 ,they use to write it on the top of letters4 ,staunton says3 ,we can refer to one ,,ms4 alone1 in the ,british ,museum 7,ad4 ,,mss4 #ai1 #djj71 which contains no less than fourteen private epistles headed ',emanewell1' or ',jesus ,immanuel4' ,another superscription of a letter in years gone by was to the bosom of a lady4 ,thus ,hamlet 7ii4 #b7 says in his letter to ,ophelia3 ,in her excellent white bosom1 these4 ,and in the ,two ,gentlemen of ,verona 7iii4 #a71 ,proteus says3 ,thy letters may be here1 though thou art hence2 ,which1 being writ to me1 shall be deliver'd ,even in the milk-white bosom of thy love4 ,this custom seems to have originated in the circumstance of women having a pocket in the forepart of their stays1 in which1 according to ,steevens1 they carried not only love-letters and love-tokens1 but even their money and materials for needlework4 ,livery4 ,the phrase sue my livery1 which occurs in the following speech of ,bolingbroke 7,richard ,,ii4 ii4 #c71 ,i am denied to sue my livery here1 ,and yet my letters-patents give me leave2 ,my father's goods are all distrain'd1 and sold1 ,and these1 and all1 are all amiss employ'd1 is thus explained by ,malone3 ,on the death of every person who held by knight's service1 the escheator of the court in which he died summoned a jury1 who inquired what estate he died seized of1 and of what age his next heir was4 ,if he was under age1 he became a ward of the king's2 but if he was found to be of full age1 he then had a right to sue out a writ of ouster le main1 that is1 his livery1 that the king's hand might be taken off1 and the land delivered to him4 ,york 7,richard ,,ii41 ii4 #a7 also says3 ,if you do wrongfully seize ,hereford's rights1 ,call in the letters-patents that he hath ,by his attorneys-general to sue ,his livery4 ,love-,day4 ,this denoted a day of amity or reconciliation2 an expression which is used by ,saturninus in ,titus ,andronicus 7i4 #a73 ,you are my guest1 ,lavinia1 and your friends4-- ,this day shall be a love-day1 ,tamora4 ,,military ,,lore4 ,fleshment4 ,this is a military term2 a young soldier being said to flesh his sword the first time he draws blood with it4 ,in ,king ,lear 7ii4 #b71 ,oswald relates how ,kent in the fleshment of this dread exploit1 ,drew on me here again1 upon which passage ,singer 7vol4 ix4 p4 #cgg7 has this note3 ,fleshment1 therefore1 is here metaphorically applied to the first act which ,kent1 in his new capacity1 had performed for his master2 and1 at the same time1 in a sarcastic sense1 as though he had esteemed it an heroic exploit to trip a man behind1 who was actually falling4 ,the phrase occurs again in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7v4 #d71 where ,prince ,henry tells his brother3 ,come1 brother ,john1 full bravely hast thou flesh'd ,thy maiden sword4 ,swearing by the ,sword4 ,according to ,nares1#ihe the singular mixture of religious and military fanaticism which arose from the ,crusades gave rise to the custom of taking a solemn oath upon a sword4 ,in a plain1 unenriched sword1 the separation between the blade and the hilt was usually a straight transverse bar1 which1 suggesting the idea of a cross1 added to the devotion which every true knight felt for his favorite weapon1 and evidently led to this practice4 ,hamlet makes ,horatio swear that he will never divulge having seen the ,ghost 7i4 #e73 ,never to speak of this that you have seen1 ,swear by my sword4 #ihe ,glossary1 vol4 ii4 p4 #heh2 see ,dyce's ,glossary1 p4 #dca4 ,in the ,winter's ,tale 7ii4 #c71 ,leonato says3 ,swear by this sword ,thou wilt perform my bidding4 ,the cross of the sword is also mentioned to illustrate the true bearing of the oath4 ,hence1 in #a ,henry ,,iv4 7ii4 #d71 ,falstaff says jestingly of ,glendower1 that he swore the devil his true liegeman upon the cross of a ,welsh hook4#ihf ,on account of the practice of swearing by a sword1 or1 rather1 by the cross or upper end of it1 the name of ,jesus was sometimes inscribed on the handle or some other part4 #ihf ,a ,welsh hook was a sort of bill1 hooked at the end1 and with a long handle4 ,see ,dyce's ,glossary1 p4 #dig2 and ,singer's ,shakespeare1 vol4 ix4 p4 #afh4 ,mining ,terms4 ,according to ,mr4 ,collier1 the phrase truepenny is a mining term current in the north of ,england1 signifying a particular indication in the soil1 of the direction in which ore is to be found4 ,thus ,hamlet 7i4 #e7 says ,ah1 ha1 boy6 say'st thou so8 art thou there1 truepenny8 when making ,horatio and ,marcellus again swear that they will not divulge having seen the ghost4 ,patrons4 ,the custom of clergymen praying for their patrons1 in what is called the bidding prayer1 seems alluded to by ,kent in ,king ,lear 7i4 #a73 ,royal ,lear1 ,whom ,i have ever honour'd as my king1 ,lov'd as my father1 as my master follow'd1 ,as my great patron thought on in my prayers4 ,sagittary4 ,this was a monster1 half man1 half beast1 described as a terrible archer2 neighing like a horse1 and with its eyes of fire striking men dead as if with lightning4 ,in ,troilus and ,cressida 7v4 #e71 ,agamemnon says3 ,the dreadful ,sagittary ,appals our numbers4 ,hence any deadly shot was called a sagittary4 ,in ,othello 7i4 ,i7 the barrack is so named from the figure of an archer over the door4 ,salad ,days4 ,days of green youth and inexperience4 ,cleopatra says 7i4 #e73 ,my salad days1 ,when ,i was green in judgment3--cold in blood4 ,salt4 ,the salt of youth is that vigor and strong passion which then predominates4 ,the term is several times used by ,shakespeare for strong amorous passion4 ,iago1 in ,othello 7iii4 #c71 refers to it as hot as monkeys1 as salt as wolves in pride4 ,in ,measure for ,measure 7v4 ,i71 the ,duke calls ,angelo's base passion his salt imagination1 because he supposed his victim to be ,isabella1 and not his betrothed wife1 whom he was forced by the ,duke to marry4#ihg #ihg ,brewer's ,dictionary of ,phrase and ,fable1 p4 #ghb4 ,salutations4 ,god-den was used by our forefathers as soon as noon was past1 after which time good-morrow or good-day was esteemed improper2 the phrase ,god ye good den being a contraction of ,god give you a good evening4 ,this fully appears from the following passage in ,romeo and ,juliet 7ii4 #d73 ,nurse4 ,god ye good morrow1 gentlemen4 ,mercutio4 ,god ye good den1 fair gentlewoman4 ,upon being thus corrected1 the ,nurse asks1 ,is it good den8 to which ,mercutio replies1 ',tis no less1 ,i tell you1 for the bawdy hand of the dial is now upon the prick of noon4 ,a further corruption of the same phrase was ,god dig-you-den1 as used by ,costard in ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7iv4 #a73 ,god dig-you-den all6 ,shakespeare uses it several times1 as in ,titus ,andronicus 7iv4 #d71 where the ,clown says3 ,god and ,saint ,stephen give you good den2 and in ,king ,john 7i4 #a7 we have ,good-den1 ,sir ,richard6 ,another old popular salutation was good even and twenty 7,merry ,wives of ,windsor1 ii4 #a71 equivalent to twenty good-evenings4 ,mr4 ,halliwell-,phillipps quotes a similar phrase from ,elliot's ,fruits of the ,french 7#aeic71 ,god night1 and a thousand to everybody4 ,we may also compare the phrase good deed in ,winter's ,tale 7i4 #b7--;a species of asseveration1 as in very deed4 ,servants ,customs4 ,the old custom of the servants of great families taking an oath of fidelity on their entrance into office--as is still the case with those of the sovereign--is alluded to by ,posthumus in ,cymbeline 7ii4 #d71 where1 speaking of ,imogen's servants1 he says3 ,her attendants are ,all sworn and honourable4#ihh #ihh ,see ,percy's ,northumberland ,household ,book1 p4 #di4 ,gold chains were formerly worn by persons of rank and dignity1 and by rich merchants--a fashion which descended to upper servants in great houses--and by stewards as badges of office4 ,these chains were usually cleaned by being rubbed with crumbs4 ,hence1 in ,twelfth ,night 7ii4 #c71 ,sir ,toby says to the ,clown3 ,go1 sir1 rub your chain with crumbs4 ,in days gone by1 too1 it was customary for the servants of the nobility1 particularly the gentleman-usher1 to attend bare-headed4 ,in the procession to the trial in ,henry ,,viii4 7ii4 #d71 one of the persons enumerated is a gentleman-usher bare-headed4 ,on grand occasions1 coachmen1 also1 drove bare-headed1 a practice alluded to in ,beaumont and ,fletcher's ,woman-,hater 7iii4 #b73 ,or a pleated lock1 or a bareheaded coachman1 ,this sits like a sign where great ladies are ,to be sold within4 ,sheriffs' ,post4 ,at the doors of sheriffs were usually set up ornamental posts1 on which royal and civic proclamations were fixed4 ,so1 in ,twelfth ,night 7i4 #e71 ,malvolio says3 ,he'll stand at your door like a sheriff's post4 ,a pair of mayors' posts1 says ,staunton1 are still standing in ,norwich1 which1 from the initials ,t4 ,p41 and the date #aei1 are conjectured to have belonged to ,thomas ,pettys1 who was mayor of that city in #aeib4 ,shoeing-,horn4 ,this1 from its convenient use in drawing on a tight shoe1 was applied in a jocular metaphor to other subservient and tractable assistants4 ,thus ,thersites1 in ,troilus and ,cressida 7v4 #a71 in his railing mood gives this name to ,menelaus1 whom he calls a thrifty shoeing-horn in a chain1 hanging at his brother's ,agamemnon leg4 ,it was also employed as a contemptuous name for danglers on young women4 ,in the same way shoe-tye became a characteristic name for a traveller1 a term used by ,shakespeare in ,measure for ,measure 7iv4 #c71 ,master ,forthright the tilter1 and brave ,master ,shoe-tie1 the great traveller4 ,a ,solemn ,supper4 ,in ,shakespeare's day this was a phrase for a feast or banquet given on any important occasion1 such as a birth1 marriage1 etc4 ,macbeth says 7iii4 #a73 ,to-night we hold a solemn supper1 sir1 ,and ,i'll request your presence4 ,howel1 in a letter to ,sir ,t4 ,hawke1 #afcf1 says3 ,i was invited yesternight to a solemne supper by ,b4 ,j4 ,ben ,jonson1 where you were deeply remembered4 ,so1 in ,romeo and ,juliet 7i4 #e71 ,tybalt says3 ,what6 dares the slave ,come hither1 cover'd with an antic face1 ,to fleer and scorn at our solemnity8 ,and in ,all's ,well that ,ends ,well 7ii4 #c71 the ,king1 on the conclusion of the contract between ,helena and ,bertram1 says3 ,the solemn feast ,shall more attend upon the coming space1 ,expecting absent friends4 ,statute ,caps4 ,these were woollen caps enforced by ,statute #ac ,elizabeth1 which1 says ,strype1 in his ,annals 7vol4 ii4 p4 #gd71 was for continuance of making and wearing woollen caps in behalf of the trade of cappers2 providing that all above the age of six years 7excepting the nobility and some others7 should on ,sabbath-days and holy-days wear caps of wool1 knit thicked1 and drest in ,england1 upon penalty of ten groats4 ,thus1 in ,love's ,labour's ,lost 7v4 #b71 ,rosaline says3 ,well1 better wits have worn plain statute-caps4 ,jonson considered that the statute caps alluded to were those worn by the members of the universities4 ,theatrical ,lore4 ,at the conclusion of a play1 or of the epilogue1 it was formerly customary for the actors to kneel down on the stage1 and pray for the sovereign1 nobility1 clergy1 and sometimes for the commons4 ,so1 in the epilogue to #b ,henry ,,iv41 the dancer says3 ,my tongue is weary2 when my legs are too1 ,i will bid you good night2 and so kneel down before you3--but1 indeed1 to pray for the queen4 ,collier1 in his ,history of ,english ,dramatic ,poetry 7vol4 iii4 p4 #dde71 tells us that this practice continued in the commencement of the #agth century4 ,tournaments4 ,in ,coriolanus 7ii4 #a7 ,shakespeare attributes some of the customs of his own times to a people who were wholly unacquainted with them4 ,in the following passage we have an exact description of what occurred at tiltings and tournaments when a combatant had distinguished himself3 ,matrons flung gloves1 ,ladies and maids their scarfs and handkerchers1 ,upon him as he pass'd3 the nobles bended1 ,as to ,jove's statue2 and the commons made ,a shower and thunder with their caps and shouts3 never saw the like4#ihi #ihi ,see ,singer's ,shakespeare1 vol4 vii4 p4 #cej4 ,an allusion to the mock tournaments1 in which the combatants were armed with rushes in place of spears1 is used in ,othello 7v4 #b73 ,man but a rush against ,othello's breast4 ,trumpet4 ,in olden times it was the fashion for persons of distinction1 when visiting1 to be accompanied by a trumpeter1 who announced their approach by a flourish of his trumpet4 ,it is to this custom1 ,staunton#iij thinks1 that ,lorenzo refers in the ,merchant of ,venice 7v4 #a71 where he tells ,portia3 ,your husband is at hand2 ,i hear his trumpet4 #iij ,shakespeare1 #ahfd1 vol4 i4 p4 #fa4 ,,war-,,cry4 ,god and ,saint ,george6--the common cry of the ,english soldier when he charged the enemy4 ,richard ,,iii4 7v4 #c74 ,the author of the ,old ,arte of ,warre1 printed in the latter end of ,queen ,elizabeth's reign1 formally enjoins the use of this cry among his military laws 7p4 #hd73 ,item4 ,that all souldiers entring into battaile1 assaulte1 skirmishe1 or other faction of armes1 shall have for their common cry-word1 ',saint ,george1 forward1 or upon them1 ,saint ,george6' whereby the souldier is much comforted to minde the ancient valour of ,england1 which with that name has been so often victorious2 and therefore he who upon any sinister zeale shall maliciously omit so fortunate a name1 shall be severely punished for his obstinate1 erroneous heart and perverse mind4 ,havoc6 ,to cry havoc appears to have been a signal for indiscriminate slaughter4 ,the expression occurs in ,king ,john 7ii4 #a73 ,cry havoc1 kings6 ,in ,coriolanus ,menenius says 7iii4 #a73 ,do not cry havoc1 where you should but hunt ,with modest warrant4 ,and in ,julius ,csar 7iii4 #a73 ,cry ',havoc6' and let slip the dogs of war4 ,kill1 kill1 kill1 kill1 kill him6 ,this was the ancient cry of the ,english troops when they charged the enemy4 ,it occurs where the conspirators kill ,coriolanus 7v4 #f74 ,leet-,ale4 ,this was the dinner provided for the jury and customary tenants at the court-leet of a manor1 or view of frank-pledge1 formerly held once or twice a year1 before the steward of the leet4#iia ,to this court ,shakespeare alludes in the ,taming of the ,shrew 7i4 #b71 where the servant tells ,sly that in his dream he would rail upon the hostess of the house1 and threaten to present her at the leet4 #iia ,see page #cab4 ,aubrey1 in his ,,ms4 ,history of ,wiltshire1 #afgh1 tells us1 too1 how in the ,easter holidays was the ,clerk's ale for his private benefit1 and the solace of the neighbourhood4 ,,index4 ,aconite1 its deadly poison1 #bja4 ,adonis horti1 #dfi4 ,agate1 applied to a diminutive person1 #ab1 #cij4 ,ague1 spider a cure for1 #beh4 ,air1 drizzling dew1 #ij4 ,all hid1 all hid1 children's game1 #cie4 ,all-,saints' ,day1 #cbf4 ,all-,souls' ,day1 #cbg4 ,almanacs1 #eje4 ,alms-drink1 #ebg4 ,alphabet1 called ,christ-cross-row1 #ejh4 ,amaimon1 name of evil spirit1 #fj4 ,amulets1 #eje4 ,anemone1 legend relating to1 #bjc4 ,ant1 #bej4 ,antic1 a dance1 #dbd4 ,ape1 term of contempt or endearment1 #afa2 leading of1 in hell1 #afa4 ,apostle-spoons1 #ccf1 #ccg4 ,apple1 #bjc1 #bjd4 ,apple-,john1 name of apple1 #bjd4 ,apple-squire1 #bjd1 note4 ,apricock or apricot1 #bjh4 ,archery1 #cid4 ,ariel1 fairy so called1 #hc1 #afb4 ,aroint thee1 meaning of1 #da4 ,aspen1 supplied wood of ,cross1 #bjh2 trembling of1 #bji4 ,ass1 #afa4 ,astrology1 #hj-hb4 ,audry's 7,st47 ,day1 #cbd2 lace1 #cbe4 ,baby-in-the-eye1 #dhc4 ,bachelor's buttons1 #bji4 ,backgammon1 #cif4 ,badge of ,poverty1 #eba4 ,baffle1 old punishment1 #dcd4 ,bagatelle1 #dbb4 ,bakie bird1 name of bat1 #afc4 ,balm1 curative properties of1 #baj2 as oil of consecration1 #baa4 ,bandy1 term at tennis1 #dbj4 ,barbason1 evil spirit1 #fj4 ,barbers' forfeits1 #ecc4 ,barefoot1 dancing1 #ced4 ,barla-breikis1 #cif4 ,barley-break1 #cif4 ,barley broth1 #baa4 ,barnacle goose1 #ig4 ,bartholomew's 7,st47 ,day1 #cba4 ,bartholomew ,fair1 #cba2 pigs #cba4 ,base1 old game1 #cig4 ,basilisk1 #agd4 ,basins1 burning1 held before the eyes1 #dcc4 ,bat1 superstitions relating to1 #afb4 ,bat-fowling1 #cih4 ,bate1 term in falconry1 #abe1 note4 ,bay-tree1 ominous1 #baa4 ,bear1 folk-lore of1 #afc2 caught by mirrors1 #afd2 baiting1 #afd4 ,beard1 characteristic of a witch1 #bi2 customs associated with1 #dhf2 mutilation of1 considered an outrage1 #dhf2 stroking of1 preparatory to a favor1 #dhf2 swearing by1 #dhg2 shape of1 #dhg4 ,beauty1 characteristic of fairies1 #aj4 ,bedfellow1 custom of having1 #eba4 ,beef1 supposed to impair intellect1 #dif4 ,beetle1 old name for1 #ajj4 ,belemnite1 #ib4 ,bell1 tolling of1 at funerals1 #cha2 curfew1 #he1 #eba4 ,belly-blind1 old game1 #dji4 ,bergomask1 dance1 #dbd4 ,betrothing customs1 #cdb-cej4 ,bid the base1 #cih4 ,bilboes1 punishment1 #dce4 ,billiards1 #cii4 ,bird-batting1 #cih1 note4 ,birding1 term of hawking1 #abh4 ,birth and baptism1 #ccb-cda4 ,biting of thumb1 as an insult1 #dib4 ,bitter-sweeting1 apple so called1 #bje4 ,blackbird1 #ajj4 ,black ,monday1 #cjb1 #cjc4 ,bleeding1 custom of1 in spring1 #bff2 cures for1 #bfd1 #bfe4 ,blessed thistle1 #bbb4 ,blindness1 #bff4 ,blind-worm1 #bee4 ,blister1 superstition relating to1 #bff4 ,blood1 thickened by emotional influences1 #dgg2 phrases connected with1 #dgf1 #dgg4 ,blood-drinking sighs1 #bhi4 ,blood-sucker1 name for leech1 #bha4 ,blue-bottle1 insect so called1 #bej4 ,boar-hunting1 #aff4 ,body1 trembling of1 #dge4 ,boiling to death1 old punishment1 #dcc4 ,bone-ace1 old game1 #cii4 ,bone-ache1 #bfg4 ,boots1 to give the1 harvest custom1 #cbb4 ,bots1 #bea4 ,brain1 notions relating to1 #dgh4 ,brain-pan1 name for skull1 #dgi4 ,brand1 old punishment1 #dcf4 ,brawl1 old dance1 #dbe4 ,breech1 term for whipping1 #dcf4 ,breese1 #beb4 ,bridal-bed1 blessing of1 #cee2 decorating with flowers1 #cee4 ,bridal couple serenaded1 #ceg4 ,bride-ale1 #cab4 ,bride's veil1 #cec2 hair loose at wedding ceremony1 #ceb4 ,brine1 soaking in1 old punishment1 #dcd4 ,bruise1 remedies for1 #bfh4 ,bubukle1 name for pimple1 #bfh4 ,bull-baiting1 #afh4 ,bullfinch1 #aja1 note4 ,bully-rook1 term of reproach1 #aec4 ,burn1 remedy for1 #bfh4 ,buzzard1 #ajj4 ,by-drinkings1 #ebg4 ,cakes and ale at festivals1 #cca4 ,camomile1 #bab4 ,canary1 old dance1 #dbe4 ,candles of the night1 stars so called1 #hc4 ,carbuncle1 supernatural qualities of1 #cij4 ,cards1 playing1 #dja4 ,carnations1 #bbj4 ,carp1 most cunning of fishes1 #dig4 ,carraways1 #bjg4 ,castor and ,pollux1 meteors so called1 #hc4 ,cat1 familiar of witches1 #afh-aga2 said to have nine lives1 #agb2 used as a term of contempt1 #agc4 ,cataract1 #bfh1 #bfi4 ,cattle1 destroyed by witches1 #ci4 ,ceremonies1 omens from sacrifices1 #ejf4 ,chaffinch1 #ajj4 ,challenge1 glove sent as a1 #ecg4 ,chameleon1 said to feed on air1 #agc2 changes color1 #agd4 ,changelings1 #aa1 #bd1 #ccc1 #ccd4 ,charity1 ,st41 #cbj4 ,charles's wain1 #hj4 ,charms1 #ejf4 ,check1 term in hawking1 #abc4 ,cherry-pit1 old game1 #dja4 ,cherry-tree1 in connection with cuckoo-rhyme1 #aaa4 ,chess1 #djb4 ,chester mysteries1 #caa4 ,chewet1 meaning of term1 #aja4 ,chilblains1 #bfi4 ,children of the revels1 #big4 ,christ-cross-row1 name for alphabet1 #ejh4 ,christening day1 #cch4 ,christenings1 entertainments at1 #cch4 ,christmas1 customs at1 #cbi2 carol1 #cbi2 eve1 cock-crow on1 #ajc2 gambol1 #cbi2 wassail-bowl at1 #ccj2 candle1 #ccj2 mummers1 #cca2 nutmeg1 gift at1 #bcc4 ,christom child1 #cdj4 ,chrysolite1 supernatural virtues of1 #cia4 ,cicely1 ,st41 #cba1 note4 ,cinders of the elements1 stars so called1 #hc4 ,cinque-pace1 old dance1 #dbe4 ,clacking at ,easter1 #cjb4 ,clare's 7,st47 fire1 meteor so called1 #hc4 ,closing eye of the dead1 #cgb4 ,clouds1 weather-lore of1 #if4 ,cloud-in-the-face1 term applied to a horse1 #aia4 ,clover-flowers1 #bab4 ,cobwebs1 used for stanching blood1 #bfe4 ,cock1 crows on ,christmas ,eve1 #ajc2 spirits disappear at cock-crow1 #dh4 ,cock-a-hoop1 applied to a reckless person1 #ajg4 ,cockatrice1 superstitions relating to1 #agd1 #age2 applied to a loose woman1 #age4 ,cock-boat1 #ajh1 note4 ,cock-chafer1 old name for1 #ajj4 ,cock-fighting1 #aje4 ,cockle1 badge of pilgrims1 #dih4 ,cock-light1 #afj4 ,cock's-body1 #ajf4 ,cock-shut time1 name for twilight1 #aei4 ,cock's-passion1 #ajf4 ,coddling1 apple so called1 #bjf4 ,cold palsies1 #bhd4 ,colt1 its metaphorical use1 #age2 pixey1 #f4 ,columbine1 a thankless flower1 #bab4 ,comets1 considered ominous1 #hi4 ,cony-catch1 term for cheating1 #aif4 ,cooling-card1 #dae4 ,coranto1 old dance1 #dbf4 ,cormorant1 #ajh4 ,corpse1 unlucky to keep on board1 #cgj4 ,cotswold games1 #caf4 ,couch-glass1 #bdc4 ,coventry ,mysteries1 #cac4 ,crab1 name of apple1 #bje4 ,crants1 name for garlands1 #cgd4 ,cricket1 a good omen2 #bea2 unlucky1 #eaf4 ,crispin's 7,st47 ,day1 #cbe4 ,crocodile1 tears of1 #agf2 said to be deceitful1 #agf4 ,cross1 wood of1 #bjh4 ,cross-bow1 shooting with1 #agh4 ,cross-road1 ghosts of suicides haunt1 #chb4 ,crow1 bird of ill-omen1 #ajh4 ,crow-flowers1 #bab4 ,crowfoot1 #bac4 ,crow-keeper1 #aji4 ,crown1 burning1 placed on criminals1 #dcf1 #dcg4 ,cry1 applied to pack of hounds1 #agi4 ,cry ,budget1 a watchword1 #ebi4 ,crystal1 old term for the eye1 #dhc4 ,cuckold1 #aac4 ,cuckoo1 superstitions connected with1 #aaj-aac4 ,cuckoo-buds1 #bac4 ,cuckoo-flowers1 #bac4 ,cuerpo-,santo1 meteor so called1 #hd4 ,curfew-bell1 #he4 ,curtal dog1 #ahc4 ,cut1 name for a horse1 #aib4 ,cuttle1 a foul-mouthed person so called1 #dih4 ,cypress1 #bac1 #bad4 ,daffodil1 weather-lore of1 #bad4 ,dances1 #dbd-dcb4 ,dancing1 ascribed to fairies1 #ah4 ,dark-house1 term for a mad-house1 #ej1 #bgh4 ,darnel1 #bae4 ,date1 #bae4 ,david's 7,st47 ,day1 #bbf1 #cjc4 ,dead1 burying of1 in their ordinary dress1 #cge1 #cgf2 feasts of the1 #cgh2 tombs of1 ornamented1 #cgg2 cannot die on pigeons' feathers1 #cfg2 closing eyes of1 #cgb2 decorated with flowers1 #cgc4 ,dead men's fingers1 orchis so called1 #bbg4 ,death and burial customs1 #cfb-che4 ,death1 prophecy at point of1 #cfb2 high spirits presage impending1 #cfc2 warnings at time of1 #cfd1 #cfe2 watch1 #eaf2 delayed until ebb of tide1 #cgj2 devil seizes soul at1 #cfe4 ,death's-head rings1 #chh4 ,deer1 hunting customs relating to1 #agg-aha2 shooting with cross-bow1 #agh2 tears of1 #ahj4 ,deformed children1 #gh4 ,deformity1 superstitions connected with1 #bfi1 #bgj4 ,demoniacal possession1 #dge4 ,demonology1 #eb-fa4 ,dennis1 ,st41 patron saint of ,france1 #cbf4 ,devil1 cloven foot of1 #eg4 ,devil's ,dyke1 myth of1 #ahi4 ,dew1 its supposed virtues1 #ij2 curious notions respecting1 #fc4 ,dice1 #djb4 ,disedge1 term in falconry1 #abg4 ,divine right of kings1 #eab4 ,dog1 its howl ominous1 #aha1 #eaf2 rides with ghosts1 #di2 days1 #ahc1 #cai2 killer1 #ahc4 ,domestic fowl1 #aac4 ,dove1 customs associated with1 #aac-aae2 ,mahomet's1 #aae2 of ,venus1 #aae4 ,dragon1 type of evil1 #ahd2 draws chariot of night1 #ahd2 folk-lore of1 #ahe4 ,dreams1 prognostics of good and evil1 #ejh2 malicious spirits torment their victims in1 #eji4 ,dribble1 term in archery1 #daa4 ,drowning1 dangerous to save a person from1 #bga4 ,duck1 to swim like a1 #aaf4 ,duck-hunting1 #aae4 ,duels1 #eji4 ,dun is in the mire1 ,christmas game1 #djc4 ,dwarf elder1 superstition connected with1 #baf4 ,eagle1 gazes on the sun1 #aaf2 its great age1 #aag2 bird of good omen1 #aah2 selected for ,roman standard1 #aah4 ,ear1 tingling of1 #dhj2 biting of1 expression of endearment1 #dha2 want of1 for music1 #dha4 ,earnest-money1 #ebh4 ,earthquakes1 cause of1 #ic2 ominous1 #ic1 #eaf4 ,easter morning1 dancing of sun on1 #fc2 clacking at1 #cjb2 new clothes worn on1 #cjb2 ,monday1 #cjb1 #cjc4 ,ebb of tide1 death delayed until1 #cgj4 ,ebony1 emblem of darkness1 #bae4 ,eclipses1 savage notions respecting1 #ga2 unlucky1 #gb1 #eaf2 a bad omen1 #fe4 ,eels1 roused by thunder1 #ic4 ,eggs in moonshine1 #gh2 witches sail in1 #ce4 ,eisel1 name for vinegar1 #bib4 ,elberich1 #ad4 ,elbow1 itching of1 #dha4 ,elder1 tree on which ,judas hanged himself1 #baf2 plant of bad omen1 #baf4 ,elements1 the four1 #dge4 ,elephant1 said to have no joints1 #ahf2 capture of1 #ahf4 ,elf-fire1 #hg1 note2 elf-locks1 #aij4 ,elfin-grey1 #ag4 ,elmo's 7,st47 stars1 #hd4 ,elves1 #i4 ,embossed1 applied to deer1 #agi4 ,emmew1 a term in falconry1 #abh4 ,engine1 name for the rack1 #dci4 ,epilepsy1 #bga1 #bhc4 ,equinox1 weather-lore of1 #ic4 ,eringoes1 #bag4 ,etheldreda's 7,st47 ,day1 #cbd4 ,evil spirits1 assume various forms1 #ec2 a dead friend1 #ee4 ,exclamations1 #ebi-eca4 ,exorcism of spirits1 #dd4 ,eyas-musket1 name for a young sparrow-hawk1 #aed4 ,eye1 closing of1 at death1 #cgb2 bitten1 #cce2 blueness of1 #dhb2 the evil1 #cce1 #dhb4 ,face1 to play the hypocrite1 #dhd4 ,fading1 a dance1 #dbf4 ,fairies1 assume various forms1 #ab2 attentive to youthful dead1 #bb2 beauty of1 #aj2 fond of cleanliness1 #ah2 diminutiveness of1 #ab2 dislike irreligious people1 #ah2 dress of1 #ag2 enrich their favorites1 #ba2 exchange children1 #bd2 expeditious in their actions1 #ba2 fatal to speak to1 #ba2 fond of dancing and music1 #ag1 #ah2 haunts of1 #ae2 immortality of1 #aa2 kind to mortals1 #bj2 malignant1 #bb2 mischievous1 #bc2 perpetual youth of1 #aa2 vanish at will1 #ab4 ,fairy revels1 #ah4 ,fairy-rings1 #ae1 #af1 #bcb4 ,falcon-gentle1 species of hawk1 #aeh4 ,falling-sickness1 #bga4 ,fast and loose1 a cheating game1 #djc4 ,feet1 stumbling of1 unlucky1 #ded4 ,fencing1 #djd4 ,fennel1 an inflammatory herb1 #bag4 ,fern-seed1 renders invisible1 #bag1 #bah4 ,feux follets1 name for will-o'-the-wisp1 #hh4 ,fever1 spider a cure for1 #beh4 ,fiery dragon1 #he4 ,fiery ,trigon1 #gi4 ,fig1 phrases connected with1 #bah1 #bai4 ,filliping the toad1 game of boys1 #djf4 ,finch-egg1 #aja4 ,finger1 itching of1 #dhb4 ,finger-stone1 #ib4 ,fire-drake1 #hd1 #he4 ,fistula1 #bga1 #bgb4 ,fit1 #bgb1 #bgc4 ,fitchew1 #aif4 ,flagellation1 treatment for persons possessed1 #ef4 ,flap-dragon1 #djf4 ,flap-jacks1 name for pancakes1 #bii4 ,flaws1 sudden gusts of wind1 #ie4 ,fleas1 loach said to breed1 #dii4 ,fleshment1 military term1 #eda4 ,fleur-de-lys1 #bai4 ,flibbertigibbet1 a fiend1 name also for ignis fatuus1 #f1 #fa1 #he1 #bfi4 ,flitter-mouse1 term for the bat1 #afc4 ,flower-de-luce1 #bai4 ,flowers1 carried on a maiden's coffin1 #cgd2 for decorating corpses1 #cgd2 on graves1 #cgc2 at weddings1 #cee4 ,flowering ,sunday1 #cgd4 ,fly1 form of an evil spirit1 #ed4 ,folk-medicine1 #bfd-bie4 ,fools1 #ecb4 ,football1 #djg4 ,forelooked1 term for evil eye1 #cce4 ,forfeits1 #ecc4 ,fortune-tellers1 #eaj4 ,fox1 hunting of1 #ahg2 a weapon so called1 #ahf4 ,frateretto1 fiend so called1 #fa4 ,friar's lantern1 name for ignis fatuus1 #hg1 note4 ,frogs used for divination1 #beb4 ,fullams1 false dice1 #djc4 ,funeral rites1 supposed necessity for1 #df1 #chb4 ,gad-fly1 #beb4 ,gage1 a glove so called1 #ecf1 note4 ,gall of goat1 used by witches1 #ahg4 ,galliard1 dance1 #dbe1 note4 ,gambling1 #ecc4 ,game laws1 #ahj4 ,garters1 #ecd4 ,gaudy days1 #ece4 ,george 7,st47 and dragon1 myth of1 #ahd4 ,george's 7,st47 ,day1 #cjd4 ,giants1 belief in1 #eab4 ,gib cat1 #agc4 ,gillyflower1 #bba4 ,gimmal-ring1 #cdg4 ,gleek1 old game1 #djh4 ,glove1 worn as a favor1 #ecf2 memorial of a friend1 #ecf2 signal of a challenge1 #ecf2 a pledge1 #ecg2 scented1 #ech4 ,glow-worm1 superstition relating to1 #ach4 ,goat1 superstition relating to1 #ahg4 ,god save the mark1 exclamation1 #ebi4 ,god's tokens1 plague-spots1 #bhe4 ,gold1 melted1 poured down the throat1 #cfi2 chains1 worn by persons of rank1 #edd2 medicinal virtues of1 #bgc4 ,golden-russeting1 name of an apple1 #bjf4 ,goldfinch1 #aai4 ,good ,friday1 #cja4 ,good ,lubber1 name of a spirit1 #h4 ,good year1 corruption of goujre1 #bgd4 ,goose1 emblem of cowardice1 #aai2 terms connected with1 #aah1 #aai4 ,gossamer1 notions relating to1 #bei4 ,gossip's bowl1 #bje4 ,gourds1 false dice1 #djb4 ,gout1 #bhh4 ,grand liquor1 the aurum potabile of alchemists1 #bgd4 ,grave1 position of1 #chb2 yards1 haunted by spectres1 #cha1 #chb4 ,gudgeon1 #dih4 ,guinea-hen1 #aac4 ,gull1 term for a fool1 #abj2 used for a trick or imposition1 #abj4 ,gull-catcher1 applied to sharpers1 #abj2 groper1 #abj4 ,gurnet1 term of reproach1 #dii4 ,habundia1 ,mab1 perhaps1 a contraction of1 #d4 ,hack1 punishment of knight1 #dcd4 ,hag-seed1 #dj4 ,haggard1 term in hawking1 #abb4 ,hair1 antipathy to red and yellow1 #dhe2 much1 denotes want of intellect1 #dfb1 #dhh2 stands on end through fear1 #dhh2 turns white through sorrow and fear1 #dhi2 used metaphorically1 #dij2 bride's1 dishevelled at wedding1 ceremony1 #ceb1 #cec4 ,halcyon days1 #aca4 ,halidom1 meaning of1 #ebi4 ,hallowmas1 #cbf4 ,hand1 palmistry of1 #dij2 worms bred in fingers of idle servants1 #dia2 terms associated with1 #dia1 #dib4 ,hare1 a melancholy animal1 #ahg2 proverb relating to1 #dfb4 ,harebell1 #bba4 ,hare-lip1 supposed to be work of fairy1 #dib4 ,hairie-racket1 old game1 #cif4 ,hart royal1 #agh4 ,havoc1 to cry1 #ead4 ,hawk1 catching game with1 #aba-abf2 to seel a1 #abg2 training of1 #abf2 to imp a1 #abh4 ,hay1 old dance1 #dbg2 exclamation1 #ebi4 ,head1 shape of1 #dic4 ,heart1 seat of understanding1 #dic1 #did2 courage1 #did2 death from broken1 #dic4 ,heart's-ease1 nickname of1 #bbg2 used for love-philtres1 #bbg4 ,hecate1 #ce4 ,hedgehog1 said to suck udders of cows1 #ahh2 familiar of witches1 #ahi2 legends connected with1 #ahh1 #ahi2 a term of reproach1 #ahi4 ,helen's 7,st47 fire1 meteor so called1 #hc4 ,helme's 7,st47 the1 #hc4 ,hemlock1 its poisonous character1 #bba2 supposed to be death-drink of ,greeks1 #bba2 nickname for1 #bbc4 ,henbane1 #bbc4 ,herb of ,grace1 #bba1 #bbb4 ,herm's 7,st47 the1 meteor1 #hc4 ,herne's oak1 #bcc1 #bcd4 ,heron1 used in hawking1 #abi4 ,hid1 or hide fox1 game so called1 #djh4 ,high spirits a bad omen1 #cfc4 ,hippopotamus1 #ejd4 ,hob-and-his-lanthorn1 #hg1 note4 ,hobany's lanthorn1 #hg1 note4 ,hobbididance1 evil spirit so called1 #fa4 ,hobgoblin1 #g4 ,hobby-horse1 character in morris-dance1 #cji2 applied to a loose woman1 #caj4 ,hock cart1 at harvest-home1 #cbc4 ,hold1 term in fighting1 #ecj4 ,holy-,cross ,day1 #cbd4 ,holyrood ,day1 #cbd4 ,holy thistle1 #bbb4 ,honey-dew1 #ia4 ,honey-stalks1 name for clover-flowers1 #bab4 ,hoodman-blind1 #djh1 #dji4 ,horn-mad1 #bgh4 ,horses1 fairies play pranks with1 #aij2 witches harass1 #aij2 terms connected with1 #aia2 forehorse of a team decorated1 #aib2 hair1 notion respecting1 #aij2 racing1 #dji4 ,hum-buz1 name for cockchafer1 #ajj4 ,hunting customs1 #agh1 #agi4 ,hunt's-up1 morning song to a newly-married couple1 #agi1 #ceg4 ,hysteria1 #bge4 ,idiots1 said to be fairies' children1 #ccd4 ,imp1 to1 term in falconry1 #abh4 ,incubi1 class of devils1 #gh4 ,infection1 notions respecting1 #bgf4 ,iniquity1 character in old miracle-plays1 #cad4 ,insane root1 #bbc4 ,insanity1 influenced by moon1 #gc1 #bgg4 ,irreligious persons1 fairies dislike1 #ah4 ,ivy1 hung at door of a vintner1 #bbc4 ,jack-a-lantern1 #hg4 ,jack-a-,lent1 #bii4 ,jackdaw1 #ajb4 ,jacket-a-wad1 #hg1 note4 ,jane ,shore1 #bg1 #cg4 ,jaundice1 spider a cure for1 #beh4 ,jay1 applied to loose woman1 #acj4 ,jesses1 trappings of hawks1 #abf4 ,jesus1 inscribed on letters1 #edj4 ,jews1 torturing of1 #dgd4 ,jew's eye1 #dgc4 ,jig1 an old dance1 #dbg4 ,joan of ,arc1 #bf4 ,joan in-the wad1 #hg1 note4 ,john 7,st47 ,baptist's night1 #cai4 ,john's 7,st47 wort1 divination by1 #cah4 ,judas1 hanged himself on an elder1 #baf2 kiss1 #eci4 ,justice ,jarvis1 old pastime1 #dah4 ,kecksies1 stalks of hemlock1 #bbd4 ,kestrel1 applied to hawk1 #acj4 ,key cold1 meaning of1 #bfe4 ,kid fox1 game1 #djh4 ,kingfisher1 weather lore of1 #aca2 hung up in cottages1 #aca4 ,kings1 supernatural authority of1 #eag4 ,king's evil1 #bgi4 ,kiss1 at betrothal1 #cdf2 at marriage ceremony1 #cea2 fee of lady's partner1 #ech2 saluting ladies with1 #eci4 ,kissing comfits1 #eci4 ,kit-with-the-candle-stick1 #hg4 ,kite1 bird of ill-omen1 #aca2 curious notion respecting1 #acb4 ,knotgrass1 hinders growth1 #bbe4 ,lace songs1 #eci4 ,lachrymatory vials1 #cgi4 ,lady-bird1 term of endearment1 #bec4 ,lady-smocks1 #bbe4 ,lamb ale1 #cab4 ,lamb-mass1 #cbj4 ,lambert's 7,st47 ,day1 #cbd4 ,lamb's-wool1 #bje4 ,lammas ,day1 #cbj4 ,lamps1 perpetual1 #chc4 ,lapwing1 an eccentric bird1 #acb2 symbol of insincerity1 #acc2 draws pursuers from its nest1 #acc4 ,lark1 changes eyes with toad1 #acd2 song of1 #ace2 mode of capturing1 #acd4 ,laudatory verses1 affixed to tomb1 #cgg4 ,laugh-and-lie-down1 game at cards1 #daj4 ,laurel1 symbol of victory1 #bbe4 ,lavolta1 ,french dance1 #dbh4 ,leap-frog1 #dji4 ,leather-coat1 name of apple1 #bjf4 ,leech1 #bha4 ,leek1 on ,st4 ,david's ,day1 #bbf1 #cjc4 ,leet ale1 #cab1 #edh4 ,lent1 ,jack-a-lent made at1 #bii2 fleshmeat not sold during1 #cjj4 ,leprosy1 #bhj4 ,lethargy1 confounded with apoplexy1 #bhj4 ,letters1 ,emmanuel prefixed to1 #edj4 ,light-o'-love1 tune of dance1 #dbi4 ,lightning1 persons struck by1 accounted holy1 #ib4 ,lily1 #bbf4 ,lion1 supposed generosity of1 #aic2 will not injure a royal prince1 #aid2 kept without food1 #aid4 ,liver1 seat of love1 #did2 absence of blood in1 #dgh4 ,livery1 to sue one's1 #eda ,lizard1 said to be venomous1 #bec2 used by witches1 #bed4 ,loach breeds fleas1 #dii4 ,loaf mass1 #cbj4 ,lob of spirit1 #a1 #e1 #h4 ,lob's pound1 #h4 ,loggat1 game so called1 #daj4 ,long purples1 name of orchis1 #bbf4 ,loose1 term in archery1 #cie4 ,lord ,mayor's ,day1 #cbg2 show1 #cae2 fool1 #cbg4 ,love 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#cjg4 ,may-pole1 #cjg4 ,meadow cress1 #bac4 ,measles1 #bha4 ,medlar1 applied to woman of loose character1 #bca4 ,merlin1 #eaa2 prophecies of1 #eae4 ,mermaid1 #ejj-ejc4 ,meteors1 regarded as ominous1 #hh1 #eaf2 names for1 #hc4 ,metrical charms1 #ejh4 ,michaelmas1 #cbd4 ,midsummer ,eve1 #bah1 #cah2 man1 #cah2 watch1 #cae4 ,military lore1 #eda4 ,mill1 name for nine-men's-morris1 #dac4 ,mines1 guarded by evil spirits1 #ei2 truepenny1 mining term1 #edb4 ,minnow1 term of contempt1 #ejc4 ,miracle-plays1 #cac4 ,mirror1 bears surprised by1 #afd4 ,mistletoe1 notions respecting1 #bca1 #bcb4 ,mock-water1 #bie4 ,moist star1 name for moon1 #gd4 ,moldwarp1 term for mole1 #aie4 ,mole said to be blind1 #aid4 ,moles on body ominous1 #die4 ,moon1 adoration of1 #fi2 eclipse of1 #ga2 man in the1 #fh1 #fi1 #bdd2 sanguine color of1 #gc1 #eaf2 paleness of1 #gc2 weather-lore of1 #gf-gh2 insane persons affected by1 #gc2 swearing by1 #gj2 enchantment of1 #ga2 invocation of1 #gj2 inconstancy of1 #gj2 horns of1 #gg2 moisture of1 #gd2 influence over agricultural affairs1 #ge2 waxing and waning of1 #gf2 affected by witchcraft1 #ga4 ,moon-calf1 #gg4 ,moralities1 #cad4 ,morris-dance1 #ahf1 note1 #cjh1 #caa1 #dca4 ,moth1 a fairy1 #i2 insect1 #bed4 ,mother1 name for hysteria1 #bge4 ,mother of all humors1 the moon1 #gd4 ,mouse1 term of endearment1 #aie4 ,mouse-hunt1 #aie4 ,mummy1 #bhb4 ,murdered persons bleed at approach of murderer1 #dhf4 ,mushroom1 superstitions relating to1 #bcb4 ,music1 ascribed to fairies1 #ag2 as a medical agency1 #bgh2 cure for madness1 #bgg2 at funerals1 #cha2 weddings1 #ceb2 of the spheres1 #hj4 ,muss1 a scramble1 #daa4 ,mustard1 #bcb2 mustard-seed1 a fairy1 #i4 ,narcissus1 legend concerning1 #bcc4 ,negro1 form of evil spirit1 #ec4 ,nicholas's 7,st47 ,day1 #cbh2 patron of children1 #cbh2 clerks1 cant term for highwaymen1 #cbi4 ,night crow1 #aej2 heron1 #aej2 raven1 #aej4 ,nightingale1 sings with breast on thorn1 #acg2 evil spirits assume form of1 #ed2 story of1 and 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name for pilgrims1 #bce4 ,palmistry1 #dge1 #dij4 ,paralysis1 #bhd4 ,parish-top1 #dac4 ,parrot1 restless before rain1 #adc2 taught unlucky words1 #adc4 ,partridge1 #acc4 ,passing-bell1 #cff4 ,patrick 7,st47 drives reptiles from ,ireland1 #beg2 his festival1 #cjd2 purgatory1 #cjd1 #cfh4 ,patrons1 praying for1 #edc4 ,pavan1 a dance1 #dbi4 ,peacock1 its proverbial use1 #adc4 ,peajock1 peacock so called1 #add4 ,pear1 #bce4 ,pearls1 swallowing of1 #cib2 powdered1 thrown over sovereigns1 #cia2 medicinal properties of1 #cib2 legendary origin of1 #cib4 ,peas-blossom1 name of fairy1 #i4 ,peascod wooing1 #bce4 ,peg-a-lantern1 #hg1 note4 ,peg-morris1 game so called1 #dab4 ,pelican1 feeds young ones with her blood1 #add2 hatched dead1 #ade4 ,periapts1 #ejf4 ,pheasant1 #ade4 ,philip1 name for sparrow1 #aed4 ,philomel1 term for nightingale1 #ach4 ,philosopher's stone1 #bhd4 ,phoenix1 rises from its own ashes1 #ade4 ,pigeon1 feathers of1 unlucky1 #cfg2 used as carrier1 #adf2 constancy of1 #adg4 ,pike1 old name for1 #ejc4 ,pilgrims1 #bce4 ,pillory1 mode of punishment1 #dcg4 ,piskey1 ,devonshire name for fairy1 #f4 ,pismire1 name for ant1 #bej4 ,pixy1 name for fairy1 #f4 ,pixy-led1 misled by fairies1 #h4 ,planets1 #gh2 influence of1 #gi2 irregular motion of1 #gh4 ,plantain1 its medicinal use1 #gf1 #bcf2 water1 #bfh4 ,pleurisy1 #bha4 ,plica ,polonica1 #aij4 ,pluck a crow1 #aaj4 ,plucking geese1 a boy's sport1 #aai4 ,poake-ledden1 #h4 ,poison1 vulgar error relating to1 #bhf4 ,polecat1 #aif4 ,pomander1 #bhg4 ,pomewater1 name of apple1 #bjg4 ,pooka1 #f4 ,poor man's parmacetti1 #bfg4 ,poperin1 name for pear1 #bce4 ,popinjay1 name for parrot1 #adc4 ,poppy1 deadly qualities of1 #bcg4 ,porcupine darts his quills1 #aif4 ,porpoise1 weather-lore of1 #ejc4 ,portents1 belief in1 #eaf4 ,posy rings1 #chh1 #chi4 ,potato1 #bcg4 ,poverty1 badge of1 #eba4 ,prayers1 of ,church1 morbific influence of1 #cgb2 witches say backwards1 #dj1 #da4 ,press1 old torture1 #dch4 ,primavista1 game at cards1 #dad4 ,primero1 #dad4 ,primrose1 #bcg4 ,priser1 term for a wrestler1 #dbc4 ,prison bars or base1 rustic game1 #cig4 ,prophecy1 at death1 #cfb4 ,proud tailor1 name for goldfinch1 #aai4 ,proverbs1 #ddd-dgd4 ,puck1 name of fairy1 #e-h1 #aa1 #hg4 ,punishments1 #dcc-ddc4 ,push1 exclamation1 #dih2 pin1 game1 #dae4 ,puttock1 name for kite1 #acb4 ,quails1 #adh2 fighting1 #adh4 ,quarry1 term in falconry1 #abd4 ,quintam1 #dae4 ,quoits1 #daf4 ,rabbit1 #aif2 suckers1 #aif4 ,race of horses1 term for a stud1 #aic4 ,rack1 torture of1 #dch4 ,racking clouds1 #if4 ,ragged-robin1 #bac4 ,rainbow1 #ia4 ,rapture1 name for trance1 #bgb1 #bgc4 ,rat1 rhymed to death1 #aig2 leaving a ship1 ominous1 #aih4 ,raven1 bird of ill-omen1 #adi2 supposed longevity of1 #adi2 deserts its young1 #aea2 feathers1 used by witches1 #aea4 ,red blood1 sign of courage1 #dgg4 ,red pestilence1 #bhe4 ,reed1 for shepherds' pipes1 #bch4 ,rere-mouse1 name for bat1 #afb4 ,rheumatism1 #bhh4 ,rhyne toll1 old manorial custom1 #afg4 ,rings1 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#edc4 ,saliva1 medical notion respecting1 #bhi4 ,salt1 used metaphorically1 #edc2 sitting below the1 #ebf4 ,salutations1 #edd4 ,sampson1 ,agnes1 reputed witch1 #cc4 ,satyrs' dance1 #dcj4 ,scale of dragon1 used by witches1 #ahe4 ,scambling days1 #cja4 ,scammell or scamel1 #aba4 ,scare-crow1 #aji4 ,scrofula1 cure for1 #bgi4 ,sea1 source of dew1 #ij2 persons drowned in1 #chb2 eagle1 name for osprey1 #ach2 gull1 #aba2 mell or mew1 #aba2 monster1 #ejd4 ,secondary rainbow1 #ia4 ,see-saw1 game1 #dag4 ,seel1 term in falconry1 #abg4 ,serpent1 called a worm1 #bed2 its forked tongue supposed to injure1 #bee2 said to cause death without pain1 #bee1 #bef2 used by witches1 #bee2 emblem of ingratitude1 #bef2 cures for bite of1 #bef2 driven out of ,ireland by ,st4 ,patrick1 #beg2 casting of its slough1 #beg4 ,serpigo1 name for skin disease1 #bhh4 ,servants1 taking oath of fidelity1 #edd2 gold chains worn by1 #edd2 attend bare-headed1 #ede4 ,sheep-shearing customs1 #cag4 ,sheer ale1 #ebh4 ,shepherd's1 mill1 #dac2 purse1 #bfh4 ,shepherd-queen1 #cah4 ,sheriffs' post1 #ede4 ,shoe-tye1 name for a traveller1 #ede4 ,shoeing-horn1 #ede4 ,shooting stars1 #eaf4 ,shore1 ,jane1 #bg1 #cg4 ,shove-groat1 #dag2 shove-halfpenny1 #dah4 ,shrouding-sheet1 #chj4 ,shrove ,tuesday1 #bii4 ,sickness1 #bhh4 ,sieve1 used by witches1 #cd2 toss in a1 punishment so called1 #dda4 ,sigh1 notions respecting1 #bhi4 ,signatures1 doctrine of1 #bah4 ,silence before thunder1 #ic4 ,six ,worthies1 #caf4 ,skimmington1 old ceremony of1 #ddc4 ,slide1 board1 or groat1 #dah1 note2 thrift1 #dah1 note4 ,slip-thrift1 #dah1 note4 ,slough of snake1 #beg4 ,slow-worm1 #bee4 ,smulkin1 evil spirit1 #fa4 ,smithfield fair1 #cba4 ,snails1 charming of1 #aih2 omens of fine weather1 #aii4 ,sneak-cup1 #ebh4 ,sneck-up1 exclamation1 #eca4 ,snipe1 applied to foolish man1 #aed4 ,snowballs1 #dah4 ,solemn supper1 #ede4 ,sop o' the moonshine1 #gh4 ,souls1 transmigration of1 #ej4 ,soul-bell1 #cfg2 mass cakes1 #cgi4 ,souling1 going a1 #cbf4 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mining term1 #edb4 ,trump1 old game1 #dbb4 ,trumpet1 for announcing visitors1 #edg4 ,tub-fast1 #bib4 ,turkey1 #aeh4 ,turquoise1 supposed virtues of1 #cic4 ,tutelary guardians1 #eg4 ,twelfth ,day1 #big4 ,tybert or ,tybalt1 cat so called1 #agb4 ,unicorn1 mode of betraying1 #aii4 ,up-spring1 ,german dance1 #dca1 #dcb4 ,urchin1 name for fairy1 #i1 #ag4 ,urchins' dance1 #i4 ,valentine's 7,st47 ,day1 #bih2 birds choose their mates on1 #bih2 selecting valentines on1 #bih2 customs in ,france on1 #bih4 ,vervain1 divination by1 #cah4 ,vice1 character in old miracle-plays1 #cad4 ,violet1 associated with early death1 #bdd2 superstition relating to1 #bdd4 ,virus lunare1 #ge4 ,vitalis 7,st47 invoked in case of nightmare1 #bhc4 ,vulture1 #aeh4 ,wagtail1 used in opprobrious sense1 #aeh4 ,wakes1 #cca4 ,walking fire1 name for ignis fatuus1 #hf4 ,wandering1 knight1 name of sun1 #fc2 stars1 #gh1 #gi4 ,war-cry1 #edg4 ,warden1 name of pear1 #bce4 ,wasp1 #bfb4 ,wassail1 bowl1 #bje2 candle1 #ccj4 ,wat1 name for hare1 #ahh4 ,water1 casting1 #bic2 galls1 name for rainbow1 #ia4 ,waxen images1 used by witches1 #cg4 ,weasel1 considered ominous1 #bjj2 kept in houses1 #bjj2 said to be quarrelsome1 #bjj4 ,weathercocks1 #ajh4 ,web-and-pin1 name for cataract1 #bfi4 ,wedding-torch1 #ceg4 ,were-wolf1 mark of1 #ca4 ,westward1 ho1 exclamation1 #eca4 ,whale1 #ejd4 ,wheel1 punishment of1 #dda4 ,whipping1 #ddb4 ,whistling of swan1 #aeg4 ,white dog-rose1 #bdj4 ,whitsun1 ale1 #cab2 mysteries1 #caa4 ,whitsuntide1 #caj4 ,wild-goose chase1 #aah4 ,will-o'-the-wisp1 #h1 #he4 ,will-with-a-wisp1 #hg4 ,willow1 symbol of sadness1 #bde2 garlands made of1 #bde4 ,winchester1 college1 custom at1 #chg2 goose1 #aai4 ,wind1 weather-lore of1 #id2 sale of1 #cd4 ,winding-sheet1 #chj1 #eaf4 ,wisp1 punishment for a scold1 #ddb4 ,witches1 in ,macbeth1 #bg2 create storms1 #cb2 drawing blood from1 #cb2 propitiation of1 #cb2 powers limited1 #ca2 harass horses1 #aij2 offspring of1 #dj2 say their prayers backwards1 #dj2 sell or give winds1 #cd2 ointment1 #cf2 intercourse between1 and demons1 #dj2 protection from1 #cb2 vanish at will1 #ce2 destroy cattle1 #ci2 look into futurity1 #cf2 beard1 characteristic of1 #bi2 trials1 #cf4 ,witch of ,brentford1 #bg4 ,wits1 the five1 #dif4 ,woodcock1 applied to a foolish person1 #aei4 ,worm1 a poor creature1 #bef2 name for serpent1 #bed2 toothache1 said to be caused by1 #bij4 ,wormwood used in weaning1 #bdf4 ,wren1 its diminutiveness1 #afj4 ,wrestling1 #dbb4 ,yew1 planted in churchyards1 #bdg2 stuck in shroud1 #bgd1 #chj2 poisonous qualities1 #bdh4 ,,the ,,end4 ,,english ,,classics4 ,,edited ,,by ,,wm4 ,j4 ,,rolfe1 ,a4,m4 ,illustrated4 #afmo1 ,cloth1 #ef cents per vol42 ,paper1 #dj cents per vol4 ,this work has been done so well that it could hardly have been done better4 ,it shows throughout knowledge1 taste1 discriminating judgment1 and1 what is rarer and of yet higher value1 a sympathetic appreciation of the poet's moods and purposes4 99 99 99 ,the peculiarities of ,shakespeare's style are pointed out and elucidated2 his allusions are explained2 his singular use of words1 and moods and tenses and cases1 is remarked upon2 and the archaic and transitional phraseology which is found in many passages of his plays are made the occasion of instructive but unpedantic comment4--,n4 ,y4 ,times4 ,,shakespeare',s ,,works4 ,,othello4 ,,julius ,c,,sar4 ,,the ,,merchant ,,of ,,venice4 ,,midsummer-,,night',s ,,dream4 ,,macbeth4 ,,hamlet4 ,,much ,,ado ,,about ,,nothing4 ,,romeo ,,and ,,juliet4 ,,as ,,you ,,like ,,it4 ,,the ,,tempest4 ,,twelfth ,,night4 ,,the ,,winter',s ,,tale4 ,,king ,,john4 ,,richard ,,ii4 ,,henry ,,iv4 ,,part ,i4 ,,henry ,,iv4 ,,part ,,ii4 ,,henry ,v4 ,,richard ,,iii4 ,,henry ,,viii4 ,,king ,,lear4 ,,the ,,taming ,,of ,,the ,,shrew4 ,,all',s ,,well ,,that ,,ends ,,well4 ,,coriolanus4 ,,the ,,comedy ,,of ,,errors4 ,,cymbeline4 ,,antony ,,and ,,cleopatra4 ,,measure ,,for ,,measure4 ,,merry ,,wives ,,of ,,windsor4 ,,love',s ,,labour',s ,,lost4 ,,two ,,gentlemen ,,of ,,verona4 ,,timon ,,of ,,athens4 ,,troilus ,,and ,,cressida4 ,,henry ,,vi4 ,,part ,i4 ,,henry ,,vi4 ,,part ,,ii4 ,,henry ,,vi4 ,,part ,,iii4 ,,pericles1 ,,prince ,,of ,,tyre4 ,,the ,,two ,,noble ,,kinsmen4 ,,poems4 ,,sonnets4 ,,titus ,,andronicus4 ,,goldsmith',s ,,select ,,poems4 ,,gray',s ,,select ,,poems4 ,,english ,,men ,,of ,,letters4 ,,edited ,,by ,,john ,,morley4 #abmo1 ,cloth1 #ge cents per volume4 ,,samuel ,,johnson ,by ,,leslie ,,stephen4 ,,edward ,,gibbon ,by ,j4 ,c4 ,,morison4 ,,sir ,,walter ,,scott ,by ,r4 ,h4 ,,hutton4 ,,percy ,,bysshe ,,shelley ,by ,j4 ,a4 ,,symonds4 ,,david ,,hume ,by ,t4 ,h4 ,,huxley4 ,,oliver ,,goldsmith ,by ,,william ,,black4 ,,daniel ,,defoe ,by ,,william ,,minto4 ,,robert ,,burns ,by ,j4 ,c4 ,,shairp4 ,,edmund ,,spenser ,by ,r4 ,w4 ,,church4 ,,william ,m4 ,,thackeray ,by ,,anthony ,,trollope4 ,,edmund ,,burke ,by ,,john ,,morley4 ,,john ,,milton ,by ,,mark ,,pattison4 ,,nathaniel ,,hawthorne ,by ,,henry ,,james1 ,,jr4 ,,robert ,,southey ,by ,e4 ,,dowden4 ,,geoffrey ,,chaucer ,by ,a4 ,w4 ,,ward4 ,,john ,,bunyan ,by ,j4 ,a4 ,,froude4 ,,william ,,cowper ,by ,,goldwin ,,smith4 ,,alexander ,,pope ,by ,,leslie ,,stephen4 ,,lord ,,byron ,by ,,john ,,nichol4 ,,john ,,locke ,by ,,thomas ,,fowler4 ,,william ,,wordsworth ,by ,f4 ,w4 ,h4 ,,myers4 ,,john ,,dryden ,by ,g4 ,,saintsbury4 ,,walter ,,savage ,,landor ,by ,,sidney ,,colvin4 ,,thomas ,,de ,,quincey ,by ,,david ,,masson4 ,,charles ,,lamb ,by ,,alfred ,,ainger4 ,,richard ,,bentley ,by ,r4 ,c4 ,,jebb4 ,,charles ,,dickens ,by ,a4 ,w4 ,,ward4 ,,thomas ,,gray ,by ,e4 ,w4 ,,gosse4 ,,jonathan ,,swift ,by ,,leslie ,,stephen4 ,,laurence ,,sterne ,by ,h4 ,d4 ,,traill4 ,,thomas ,b4 ,,macaulay ,by ,j4 ,,cotter ,,morison4 ,,henry ,,fielding ,by ,,austin ,,dobson4 ,,richard ,,brinsley ,,sheridan ,by ,,mrs4 ,,oliphant4 ,others to follow4 ,,books ,,for ,,students ,,of ,,english ,,literature4 ,,dowden',s ,,shakspere4 ,shakspere4 ,a ,critical ,study of his ,mind and ,art4 ,by ,,edward ,,dowden4 #abmo1 ,cloth1 #a4ge4 ,,guizot',s ,,shakspeare4 ,shakspeare and his ,times4 ,by ,m4 ,,guizot4 #abmo1 ,cloth1 #a4ej4 ,,perry',s ,,english ,,literature4 ,english ,literature in the ,eighteenth ,century4 ,by ,,thomas ,,sergeant ,,perry4 #abmo1 ,cloth1 #b4jj4 ,,swinton',s ,,studies ,,in ,,english ,,literature1 ,being ,typical ,selections of ,british and ,american ,authorship1 from ,shakespeare to the ,present ,time2 together with ,definitions1 ,notes1 ,analyses1 and ,glossary1 as an aid to ,systematic ,literary ,study4 ,by ,,william ,,swinton4 ,with ,portraits4 ,crown #hvo1 ,cloth1 #a4ej4 ,,bayne',s ,,lessons ,,from ,,my ,,masters3 ,carlyle1 ,tennyson1 and ,ruskin4 ,by ,,peter ,,bayne1 ,m4,a41 ,,ll4,d4 #abmo1 ,cloth1 #a4ge4 ,,deshler',s ,,afternoons ,,with ,,the ,,poets4 ,afternoons with the ,poets4 ,by ,c4 ,d4 ,,deshler4 ,post #hvo1 ,cloth1 #a4ge4 ,,howitt',s ,,homes ,,and ,,haunts ,,of ,,the ,,british ,,poets4 ,by ,,william ,,howitt4 ,illustrated4 #b vols41 #abmo1 ,cloth1 #c4ej4 ,d',,israeli',s ,,amenities ,,of ,,literature4 ,consisting of ,sketches and ,characters of ,english ,literature4 ,by ,j4 ,d',,israeli1 ,d4,c4,l41 ,f4,s4,a4 #b vols41 #abmo1 ,cloth1 #b4ej4 ,,tennyson',s ,,poetical ,,works4 ,complete ,edition1 with ,the ,idyls of the ,king arranged in order4 ,with numerous ,illustrations and ,three ,characteristic ,portraits4 #hvo1 ,paper1 #a1jj2 ,cloth1 #a4ej4 ,,primers ,,of ,,english ,,literature3 ,the ,romance ,period4--,the ,classical ,period4--,modern ,period4 ,by ,,eugene ,,lawrence4 #c vols41 #cbmo1 ,paper1 #be cents each2 ,cloth1 #dj cents each4 ,,miss ,,mitford',s ,,recollections4 ,recollections of a ,literary ,life2 or1 ,books1 ,places1 and ,people4 ,by ,,mary ,,russell ,,mitford4 #abmo1 ,cloth1 #a4ej4 ,,the ,,friendships ,,of ,,miss ,,mitford1 as ,recorded in ,letters from her ,literary ,correspondents4 ,edited by the ,rev4 ,a4 ,g4 ,l',,estrange4 #abmo1 ,cloth1 #b4jj2 #dto1 ,paper1 #be cents4 ,,lambs' ,,tales ,,from ,,shakespeare4 ,in #b vols4 ,vol4 ,i4 ,comedies4 ,vol4 ,,ii4 ,tragedies4 ,by ,,charles and ,,mary ,,lamb4 #cbmo1 ,paper1 #be cents each2 ,cloth1 #dj cents each4 ,,macaulay',s ,,life ,,and ,,letters4 ,by his ,nephew1 ,,george ,,otto ,,trevelyan1 ,m4,p4 ,with ,portrait on ,steel4 ,complete in #b vols41 #hvo1 ,cloth4 ,uncut ,edges and ,gilt ,tops1 #e4jj2 ,sheep1 #f4jj2 ,half ,calf1 #i4ej4 ,popular ,edition1 #a vol41 #abmo1 ,cloth1 #a4ge4 ,,froude',s ,,carlyle4 ,thomas ,carlyle4 ,a ,history of the ,first ,forty ,years of his ,life 7#agie-ahce74 ,by ,,james ,,anthony ,,froude1 ,m4,a4 ,with ,portraits and ,illustrations4 #b volumes in one1 #abmo1 ,cloth1 #a4jj4 ,also1 in #b vols41 #dto1 ,paper1 #ae cents per volume4 ,harper's ,cyclopdia of ,british and ,american ,poetry4 ,cyclopdia of ,british and ,american ,poetry4 ,edited by ,,epes ,,sargent4 ,large #hvo1 nearly #ajjj pages2 ,containing nearly #bjjj ,selections from over #gej ,authors2 ,arranged ,chronologically3 with a ,biographical ,sketch1 and a ,critical ,estimate of each ,author4 ,illuminated ,cloth1 with ,colored ,edges1 #d4ej2 ,half ,leather1 #e4jj4 ,mr4 ,sargent has shown the knowledge and the skill that might have been expected from so well-read and so accomplished a writer2 he has shown a catholicity as well as a sureness of taste2 he has proceeded on what seems to me the true principle of arrangement1 that of chronology2 he has made his selections as full as he could consistently with the multitude to be selected from1 neither rejecting old ones because they were old1 nor accepting new ones because they were new1 but earnestly aiming in both cases to represent the great body of ,british and ,american poets at their best1 and their best only2 and he has felt the natural demand of its readers for information concerning it and its authors--an imperative demand which he has fulfilled with a thoroughness that is honorable to his scholarship1 and with a modesty that is honorable to his genius4 ,that such a work as this might have been done differently ,i can see2 that it could have been done better ,i do not see at all4--,r4 ,h4 ,,stoddard1 in ,the ,critic1 ,n4 ,y4 ,the special value of this collection is in the fact that it expresses the taste and feeling of one of the most cultured men of this generation1 who1 with a poet's sensibility1 spent his whole life in the companionship and atmosphere of books and authors4 ,his judgment could be trusted4 ,his taste was almost unerring in literary matters4 ,his criticism was as keen as it was genial1 and seemed to detect the faulty and the false almost by instinct4 ,it is a great privilege to have such a man's selection of the poems in the ,english language worth preserving4 ,mr4 ,sargent's work deserves special commendation for the exquisite justice it does to living writers but little known4 ,it is a volume of rare and precious flowers1 culled because of their intrinsic value1 without regard to the writers' fame4--,evening ,express1 ,n4 ,y4 ,mr4 ,sargent was eminently fitted for the preparation of a work of this kind4 ,few men possessed a wider or more profound knowledge of ,english literature2 and his judgment was clear1 acute1 and discriminating4 99 99 99 ,the beautiful typography and other exterior charms broadly hint at the rich feast of instruction and enjoyment which the superb volume is eminently fitted to furnish4--,n4 ,y4 ,times4 ,we commend it highly4 ,it contains so many of the notable poems of our language1 and so much that is sound poetry1 if not notable1 that it will make itself a pleasure wherever it is found4--,n4 ,y4 ,herald4 ,a handsome volume1 which will give the purest pleasure to great numbers of hearts and households4 99 99 99 ,most readers will find their favorite poems1 and selections from their favorite poets4 99 99 99 ,as a cyclopdia for reference1 and a volume for general reading1 it is both useful and delightful4--,observer1 ,n4 ,y4 ,we consider ,mr4 ,sargent's ,cyclopdia of ,british and ,american ,poetry the best of all such cyclopdias in existence4--,buffalo ,express4 ,a poet himself of no mean reputation1 and a man of large experience and excellent taste in literature1 he possessed just the qualities requisite for the difficult task of sifting the great mass of ,british and ,american poetry1 and selecting not only the poems which were good in themselves1 but those which most fairly represent the genius and style of the several authors1 and still keep the book down to reasonable proportions4 ,his biographical sketches of the poets are admirable1 giving just the information a reader cares for4 ,we think ,mr4 ,sargent's work is even better than ,mr4 ,bryant's1 and that is of itself no small praise4--,troy ,press4 ,we have in this volume the choicest from what would fill many library shelves1 and also1 at hand here1 many fragmentary pieces1 familiar favorites1 but such as otherwise we should not know where to find when wanted4--,the ,advance1 ,chicago4 ,the selections are so judiciously made and so handsomely clothed that the public cannot fail to be grateful1 both for the skill of the editor and the taste of the publishers4--,christian ,advocate1 ,n4 ,y4 ,,published ,,by ,,harper ,,brothers1 ,,new ,,york4 ,,harper ,,brothers will send the above work by mail1 postage prepaid1 to any part of the ,united ,states1 on receipt of the price4 ,,transcriber',s ,,notes ,obvious punctuation and printer's errors have been corrected4 ,see below for the detailed list4 page #f--typo fixed3 changed 'feeche' to 'fecche' page #dg--spelling normalized3 changed 'wide-spread' to 'widespread' page #ed--typo fixed3 changed ',london' to ',loudun' page #ib--spelling normalized3 changed 'thunderbolt' to 'thunder-bolt' page #abi--spelling normalized3 'sparrowhawk' changed to 'sparrow-hawk' page #ach--spelling normalized3 changed 'glowworm' to 'glow-worm' page #ahb--typo fixed3 changed ',georgic' to ',georgics' page #ahi--spelling normalized3 changed 'hedgepig' to 'hedge-pig' page #bja--typo fixed3 changed ',biesly' to ',beisly' page #bjb--typo fixed3 changed ',georgic' to ',georgics' page #bac--typo fixed3 changed ',biesly' to ',beisly' page #caf--spelling normalized3 changed 'merrymakings' to 'merry-makings' page #cbg--spelling normalized3 changed ',lord-,mayor's ,day' to ',lord ,mayor's ,day' page #cec--typo fixed3 changed ',jeafferson' to ',jeaffreson' page #cid--typo fixed3 changed ',skakespeare' to ',shakespeare' page #cii--spelling normalized3 changed ',one-and ,thirty' to ',one-and-,thirty' page #dhf--typo fixed3 changed ',ceila' to ',celia' page #edb--typo fixed3 changed ',shakepeare' to ',shakespeare' page #edh--spelling normalized3 changed ',leet-,ale' to ',leet ,ale' page #edi--typo fixed3 changed ',belemite' to ',belemnite' page #edi--spelling normalized3 changed ',blindworm' to ',blind-worm' page #eeb--spelling normalized3 changed ',foot-ball' to ',football' page #eeb--spelling normalized3 changed ',gadfly' to ',gad-fly' page #eed--spelling normalized3 changed ',maypole' to ',may-pole'