The Blossoming Rod

, it is that which includes the birds of song. Shakespeare, as a naturalist, could not have overlooked them. Nor has he done so. These "light-wing'd Dryads of the t

IGHTI

"The nightingale breathes such sweet loud music out of her little instrumental throat, that it might make mankind to think miracles are not ceased. He that at midnight, when the very labourer sleeps securely, should hear, as I have very often, the clear airs, the sweet descants, th

sweetly as any

he Shrew, A

the following passage is given

ID

nly is the songster, yet

ghtingale, and

e fearful hollo

ngs on yon pom

ve, it was the

uliet, Act

ich tells us of the transformation of Philomela, daughter of Pandion, King of

ING PH

el, which is often applied

el, wit

r sweet

Night's Dream

menting Phil

warble of her n

cr

must lose her

onicus, Ac

line, Act ii. Sc. 2, and elsewhere; and "the tragic tale of Phil

AGAINST

ch formerly existed to the effect that the mournful notes of the ni

ing did b

nightinga

bird, as a

breast up-t

ng the dolef

ar it was

fie,' now w

tereu' b

ear her so

uld from te

iefs, so l

ink upon m

onate Pil

her distress, invok

nst a thorn thou

harp woes wak

ously expressed by other poets th

bird

th her breast a

ards the close of the se

usic of the

Philomel's h

ief in charming

le pricks her

elody she spe

nce compassion

r nest amongst brambles on the ground. He inquires "whether it be any more than that she placeth some prickles on the outside of her nest, or roosteth in thorny, prickly places, where serpents may least approach her?"70 In an article upon this subject, published in "The Zoologist," for 1862, p. 8,029, the Rev A. C. Smith has narrated "the discovery, on two occasions, of a strong thorn p

Y DAY AND

eve, when nearly every other bird is hushed and gone to roost. We are thus enabled to pay more attent

t shunn'st the

al, most m

ress, oft th

ear thy eve

e Merchant of Veni

thi

e, if she shou

e is cackling,

musician tha

ngstress left, she in reality sings in the day often as sweetly and as powerfully as at night, but,

by Sylvia i

music in the

of Verona, A

late

h breed a ha

desert, unfre

than flourishin

it alone, un

htingale's com

esses and rec

ct v.

, and, according to Douce, is derived from the recorde

ORD

en their song. I am convinced, however, that this exercise is less a study than an endeavour to bring the organs of voice into proper flexibility, what they utter being properly only a sort of warble, the notes of which have scarcely any resemblance to the perfect song; and by a little attention we may perceive how the throat is gradually brought to emit the notes of the usual song. This view, then, lea

LA

, Spenser, Milton, Shelley, and Wordsworth have all sung the praises of this famed songster; whi

nightingale he

our att

hat tirra-li

Tale, Act

r notes of the bird is well illu

alouette avec

lire, et ti

ciel, puis son

dire adieu Die

ALD OF

the lark been named the "bird of dawn." Shakespeare has

r the mor

ht's Dream, A

rk, the herald

uliet, Act

bus

k, hath rous'd t

Cressida, Ac

gentle lark,

t cabinet mou

orning, from wh

iseth in h

and

early singing of this bir

e lark begi

, startle th

tch-tower i

ppled dawn

lle

ng in Cymbeline, adapted to music since S

e lark at heave

bus 'gi

o water at t

d flowers

ng Mary-b

heir gol

thing that

sweet,

e, a

e, Act i

AT HEAVE

gate" has been again introduced by

ark, at break

h, sings hymns a

n of Ph?bus, has been expressed by earlier p

arke, messa

ire song the

bus ryseth u

ient laugheth

r, in his "Epit

erefull birds do

ll of lov

ke hir mattin

yes, the mavis

lls, the ruddoc

agree with s

dayes me

he "Paradise Los

bi

up to heaven'

ous with "morn" and "eve," (Henry V. Act iii. Sc. 7); and he that would ri

UGHMAN'

early dawn, the lark is always an especial favourite; and Shake

rds pipe on

ks are plough

e's Labo

ai

appy

e-stars, and your

than lark to s

een, when hawtho

ght's Dream,

OF TH

it was because she wished the night prolonged, and

k that sings s

discords, and un

··

rk and loathed

they had chan

arm that voice

uliet, Act

ed eyes. Juliet wished they had changed voices too; for then, as Heath has suggested, the croak of the t

G AND

ning dew-drop and gently falls to earth, the lark, warmed by its soft touch, mounts high in air, and joyfully proclaims to all the advent of a new day. What gle

still an

arth thou

cloud o

deep thou

dost soar, and soa

u art we

most l

w clouds th

o brigh

ence showers a r

eed noteworthy, and that poets in all ages have singled it

er those beautiful

nightingale

glorious li

st pour upon t

with instinc

se, who soar b

dred points of

he passages in which it is mentioned, would probably only weary the reader. In addition to those already named, "the shrill-gorg'd lark" is

ct ii. Sc. 3, and Act iii. Sc. 1); in Cymbeline (Ac

These were made to move at a little distance from the fowler by means of a string, and when the birds, impelled by

grace g

with his cap

I. Act ii

h it was intended to use as a piece of red cloth. It seems pro

MMON B

za miliaria). In some parts of the country it is known as the Bunting-Lark, and, from its size and general colouring, a c

s lark for

at Ends Well,

THRO

y Shakespeare. We have failed to discover more than three passages in the entire works of our great poet in which this well-known bird is mentioned. It is

e, with his

a, speaking of the French Lord Le Bon, and alluding to his national

ng, he falls stra

, that the notes of this bird, although not so varied, nor so liquid, so to say, as those of Philomel, are yet of a clear, rich tone, and have something indescribably sweet about them.

, dea

rocky

far away

unts o

l we dwel

lark and

and cor

the ban

nd gil

the cry

adown

r to

with glee

heer up, ch

arm us, then

v'd ones whose

qui, kwe

tiurru,

too-tee,

chirri

qui,

far as words can express notes. The first four lines, lines 7, 13, and 14, and the last five lines in particular, approach remar

shrubberies, they remind us of their presence, when we do not see them, by their sweet, clear notes, and when the co

OU

rd was not overlooked by Shakespeare, wh

cock, so bl

nge-tawn

ht's Dream, A

of Justice Silence, "And how d

ck ouzel, Co

. Part II. Ac

bably equivalent to the mod

REDB

vulgaris). These two birds have for centuries, from some unexplained cause, been always associated together. The country people,

redbreast a

ighty's coc

it will be hardly necessary to observe that the two birds thus associated toget

of which is illustrated in the word "ruddy;" and the bi

med it in one of his mo

airest

asts, and I liv

y sad grave: th

like thy face, p

-bell, like thy

lantine, whom

t thy breath: th

e bill,-O, bil

heirs that let t

ument!-bring

oss besides, when

ground thy

e, Act i

HE DEAD WI

d bodies general before the writing of that ballad?" Mr. Knight says, "There is no doubt that it was an old popular

robin-redbreas

shady grove

ves and flow

s bodies of u

t loves mankind, both alive and dead." Possibly Shakespeare intended only to

ne asks Speed, "How know you that I am in love?" he gives, amongst other reasons, that he had

llowing dialogue does

r. Come

y. I will

way to turn tailor or

art I. Act

to the vocal powers of Lady Percy by insinuating that her voice would excel the recorder; and as the bird most frequently taught

WITH LITT

ith the robin, as we ha

with litt

Night's

wonderfully loud song. There is not much variety or tone in it, but the notes at once att

TY OF T

high opinion of the wren

sing as sweet

is attended;

e, if she shou

e is cackling,

musician tha

Venice, Ac

of the wren when bewailing

s flight wa

You kn

as his wisdo

leave his wife, t

and his title

self does fly?

tural touch: fo

nutive of bir

in her nest, ag

, Act i

ds, which is evidently an oversight. Secondly, that the wren has sufficient courage to fight against a bird of prey in defence of i

mention of the w

ll with fear:

aven as small

e, fear'd gods

e, Act i

Act iii. Sc. 2; Richard III. Act i. Sc. 3; King Lear, Act iv. Sc.

lus are abusing each other (Act v. Sc. 1), the former calls the latter "finch-egg." But what species of Finch the poet had in view, it is not easy to dete

SPAR

sages throughout the Plays mention is made of "the sparrow" without the prefix "hedge" or "house." Occasionally we are enabled, from the context, t

P SPA

nown by the name of "Philip," perhaps fr

liens, modo h

minum usque

s "Mothe

C

the sparrows

poem entitled "Phylyppe Sparrow," on the death of a pet bird of th

od leave, g

Philip!

a, when getting ready

eath so short as a

Cressida, Ac

gelo, the severe Deput

ontinency; sparrows must not build in his house, because

ls us th

oot no more, but p

boy rig

, Act i

L OF A

, are passages in which it is evident the poe

thing? And one of them shall not fal

is pia mater is not worth the ninth part of

providence in the

Act v.

evident allusion to Psalm cxlvii. 9 ("He fe

t doth the

tly caters fo

ort to

e It, Act

DGE-SP

1), the sparrow is mentioned; and the following passage in Henry IV

t of Scots, Douglas, that runs o'

high speed, and with his pi

. You ha

r the sparrow."-Henry IV

n the hedge-sparrow's nest that the Cuckoo (C

the cuckoo so long, that it had its head bi

s, formerly it was sometimes used for its. So in the passage just quoted we have 'For you know,' &c., 'that its had it head bit off by

rinted in two words, evidently under the impression that it was a possessive of

Athens (Act v.

ublic

ling in

on's aid, hat

own

ter's Tale (A

t own pro

n

ilk in it most

ale, Act

-SPARROW

the poet in King Lear, is again me

fed by us, y

le gull, the c

rrow; did opp

eeding to so

ve durst not com

of swal

Part I. Ac

e young of its foster parent as soon as it is sufficiently strong

led. Here it must either mean the "guller," or it must have a special application to

victims rabbit-suckers, or conies. At other times their confederates were called bird-catchers, and their prey gulls

, a fool!"-Henry

us other passages in which the word gull is thus employed. But t

e worm intrude

hatch in sparrows

his parasitical habit is not common to all species of the genus cuckoo.

CU

must always be as much a marvel

the blind man k

bad v

Venice, Ac

n song cu

ull many a m

s not an

rd? who would give a bird the lie, though he cry 'cuck

se beautiful lines which Wordsworth addressed "To

a fourth, then a fifth, after which its voice breaks, without attaining a minor sixth. It may, therefore, be said to have done much for musical science, because from this b

ID

c of Nature" it is

oo, C

ID

ut Selborne Wood he found they were mostly in D. He heard two sing together, the one in D, the other in D sha

s B natural and G sharp. Dr. Arne, in his music to the cucko

ed in praise of the owl and the cuckoo? This side is Hiems, Winter; this

, be

pied,82 and

cks83 fall s

-buds84 of

e meadows w

then, on

d men, for t

ck

ckoo, O wo

g to a ma

I

ds pipe on o

ks are plough

tread, and ro

leach their s

then, on

d men, for t

ck

ckoo, O wo

g to a ma

st lines of the first stanza a

s pied, and

-buds of y

ocks all si

e meadows w

this was most probably an error of the compositor. The tran

e countries of which the modern language is derived from the Latin. We are not aware that it existed originally amongst the Teutonic race, and we have doubtless received it from the Normans. The opinion that the cuc

nd Cleopatra (

count me of my

cuckoo builds

't as th

the part of the cuckoo. They gave the name of the bird in whose nest the cuckoo's eggs were usually deposited-"curruca"-to the husband. It is not quite clear how,

ballad wi

full true

age comes

oo sings

at Ends Well,

version of an old proverb, for in "

ourself as

n rule yo

es come by

es sing b

OO S

ved, marriage is not the only

t saying is

wiving goes

Venice, Ac

lluding to his pr

had occasion

s the cuckoo

not reg

art I. Act

nd is therefore less noticed than on its first arrival

s about the latter part of the reign of Henry III., and it affords a curious example of the alterations which our language has und

is ic

sing

ed and bl

ngeth th

g c

teth af

after c

rteth, buc

sing

u, c

ges thu

thu na

is co

sing

weth and the

wood sho

cuc

eats after

ows after

starts, th

y sing

o, cu

gest tho

hou neve

and is remarkable for being accompanied with musical note

of song, but as the latter are chiefly small birds, and as Shakespeare has only

would doubtless denote a pert, flippant fell

rey beard,

, speaking of the various kinds of animals and birds whose flesh is proper for hawks to feed on, says (p. 137),-"The flesh of these flesh-crowes (i.e. car

-CAT

ce at the methods which were formerly practised for catching them. These methods were many and various in ki

on the Woodcock, for which bird these snares were usually employed. The ancient prac

and then go

FOWL

s directions on this subject, which afford a very good id

ng, it may be used either wi

r foure (according to the greatness of your company), and these shall have poales bound with dry round wispes of hay, straw, or such like stuffe, or else bound with pieces of linkes or hurdes dipt in pitch, rosen, grease, or any such like matter

the lights and flames of the fier, for it is their nature through their amazednesse and affright at the strangenes of the light and the extreame darknesse round about it, not to depart from it, but, as it were, almost to scorch their wings in the same: so that those whice haue the rough bushye poales may (at their pleasures) beat them down with the same and so take them. Thus you may spend as much of the night

art, the rookes, ring-doues, blackbirdes, throstles, feldyfares, linnets, bulfinche

sense that it is used in the last quotation. It was a slang word for a particular mode of cheating, just as other modes,

the door of some well-furnished shop, and, going in, asked the apprentice of the house to light his ca

t the candle again." While the boy was away the rogue plundered the

D-L

he bark of the holly, has long been in use for taking

t hath been l

wings misdoub

less mate to o

e fatal obj

g was lim'd, was c

art III. Ac

a will be fou

im'd, no secre

ai

ith the twigs tha

t ends Well, A

n

med, I wa

, Act ii

ueen Margaret of Duke

f have lim'd

uire of such e

light to liste

unt to troub

Part II. A

cester, addressing her

pious Beaufort,

bushes to bet

thou cans't, the

art II. Act

e will be found in Othello (Act ii. Sc.

live call-bird in a small dark cage at the foot of the tree to attract the attention of the wild birds. These latter, on hearing the notes of the captive, fly towards the spot, and deceived by the

D-T

tive bird-trap was

ed on one side with wire net

the frame, to form a hoop. Cut a straight stick

aising hoop about two inches, insert the other end of the twig, so as to rest against the hoop, and press outwards. This will hold the hoop up. A bird, on approaching the trap, hops on the hoop to get

D-B

t from the cross-bow, or "stone-bow," Twelfth Night (Act ii. Sc. 5). The latter was simply a cross-bow made for propelling stones or bullets, in contradistinction to a bow that shot arrows. Sir John Bramston, in his Autobiography (p.

xtremity, and then drawing the cord upward with the hands; the latter were chiefly used for sporting purposes. They were bent with the hand, by means of a small steel lever, called the

se of the long-bow, but also bolts (bolzen, German; quarreaux, or carrieaux, French; quadrelli,

Oberon's poetical story of the wild pansy

where the bolt

a little we

te, now purple w

all it 'Love-

ht's Dream, A

NG-PI

lways "discharged" up the chimney, were no doubt the old-

nto use by marauders, whom the Dutch called snap-haans, or poultry stealers. The light from the burning match, which necessarily accompanied the match-lock, exposed them to detection; and the wheel-lock was an article too expensive for them to purchase, as well as being liable to get out of order; so this lock was devised, and was suggested, no doubt, by the wheel-l

d furnishes a good illustration of the form of gun in use in Shakespeare's day. It is engraved both on lock and barrel. The butt is remarkably thin; the length

NG

ms, or in museums, one cannot help thinking that the person who pulled the