. The birds of Shakespeare . 0. - Venus and Adonis, 529. 55 The ^irds of Shakespeare The time chosen by Bolingbroke for the in-cantation scene in Gloucesters garden was Deep night, dark night, the silent of the night, The time when screech-owls cry, and ban-dogs howl. And spirits walk, and ghosts break up their graves.^ In a view of winter the owl is made toplay its part : When icicles hang by the wall, And Dick the shepherd blows his nail. And Tom bears logs into the milk comes frozen home in pail, When blood is nippd and ways be foul. Then nightly sings the staring owl,Tu-whit; Tu-w
. The birds of Shakespeare . 0. - Venus and Adonis, 529. 55 The ^irds of Shakespeare The time chosen by Bolingbroke for the in-cantation scene in Gloucesters garden was Deep night, dark night, the silent of the night, The time when screech-owls cry, and ban-dogs howl. And spirits walk, and ghosts break up their graves.^ In a view of winter the owl is made toplay its part : When icicles hang by the wall, And Dick the shepherd blows his nail. And Tom bears logs into the milk comes frozen home in pail, When blood is nippd and ways be foul. Then nightly sings the staring owl,Tu-whit; Tu-who, a merry note. While greasy Joan doth keel the pot.^ The poet has noted the night owls lazyflight, and the predatory habits of themousing owl.* He has increased theglamour of the night-scenes in the tragedyof Macbeth by the introduction of thisbird. When Lady Macbeth, alone andon the alert for the perpetration of the 1 2 Henr^ VI. i. iv. i6. ^Loves Labours Lost, v. ii. 3 Henry VI. 11. i. 130. ^Macbeth, 11. iv. The Barn-Owl The Owl murder, hears a sound, she exclaims inanxious suspense : Hark !—Peace !It was the owl that shriekd, the fatal bellmanWhich gives the sternst good-night.^ Her husband, too, after he has done thedeed, emerges to her with the eager ques-tion Didst thou not hear a noise ? ; towhich she repHes, I heard the owl screamand the crickets cry. Next morning beforethe fatal news had become known it was re-ported that, through the midst of a storm, The obscure birdClamoured the livelong night.^ The appearance of the owl by day wasunusual enough to be considered an evilomen. Among the portents that pre-ceded the assassination of Julius Caesar itwas reported that The bird of night did sit,Even at noon-day, upon the market-placeHooting and shrieking.^ 1 Macbeth, ii. ii. 2-4. ^Ibld. 11. iii. 57. 2 Julius Caesar^ i. iii. 26. H 57 The ^irds of Shakespeare When Richard 11. reaHses the machin-ations of his enemies, and is asked to comedown to the base-cou
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectshakespearewilliam15
