. The birds of Shakespeare . a torch-bearer,And light thee on thy way to Mantua :Therefore stay yet; thou needst not to be gone. Rom. Let me be taen, let me be put to death ;I am content, so thou wilt have it say yon grey is not the mornings eye,Tis but the pale reflex of Cynthias that is not the lark, whose notes do beatThe vaulty heaven so high above our heads :How ist my soul ? lets talk : it is not day. Jul, It is, it is : hie hence, be gone, away !It is the lark that sings so out of tune. Some say the lark and loathed toad change eyes ;O, now I would they had changed voice
. The birds of Shakespeare . a torch-bearer,And light thee on thy way to Mantua :Therefore stay yet; thou needst not to be gone. Rom. Let me be taen, let me be put to death ;I am content, so thou wilt have it say yon grey is not the mornings eye,Tis but the pale reflex of Cynthias that is not the lark, whose notes do beatThe vaulty heaven so high above our heads :How ist my soul ? lets talk : it is not day. Jul, It is, it is : hie hence, be gone, away !It is the lark that sings so out of tune. Some say the lark and loathed toad change eyes ;O, now I would they had changed voices too ! ^ The BLACKBIRD OF OUZEL, depicted inBottoms song as so black of hue, withorange-tawny bill, though one of ourmost melodious songsters, receives nocommendation from Shakespeare. It isonly once again mentioned by him, whenits name is used with a rather uncompli-mentary meaning. When Justice Shallowenquires of his brother magistrate regardinghis god-daughter. Silence replies, Alas, a ^ Romeo and Juliet^ in. v. 1-32. 96. The Song-Thrush P. 97 The Ouzel and Throstle black ousel, cousin Shallow. ^ It is a pity-that the old and distinctive name ouzel forthis bird has become obsolete, though itmay still be heard in use in Scotland. Onthe other side of the Tweed, also, where somany linguistic relics of the old alliance withFrance still remain, the blackbird is like-wise known by its French name of merle,while the common name of the thrush ismavis^ likewise from the French mauvis. The THRUSH or throstle, another ofour most musical warblers, is citedthrice by Shakespeare without any furthercomment on his voice than the compli-ment in Bottoms song— with his noteso true. The bird comes into one ofAutolycus songs : The lark, that tirra-lyra chants, With heigh ! with heigh ! the thrush and the jay,Are summer songs for me and my aunts, While we lie tumbling in the ^ 2 Henry IF. in. ii. 7. I have heard in East Lothian aremarkably dark-complexioned child called a blacket
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