The Ornithology of Shakespeare Part 30

Again--

"As true as steel, as plantage to the moon, As sun to day, as turtle to her mate."

_Troilus and Cressida_, Act iii. Sc. 2.

[Sidenote: PLANTAGE.]

An inquiry into the meaning of the word _plantage_ leads to some curious information. Archdeacon Nares observes[110] that "plantage" is probably for anything that is planted. Plants were supposed to improve as the moon increased, and from an old book ent.i.tled "The Profitable Art of Gardening," by Thos. Hill, the third edition of which was printed in 1579, we learn that neither sowing, planting, nor grafting was ever undertaken without a scrupulous attention to the increase or waning of the moon. Dryden does not appear to have understood the above pa.s.sage, and has accordingly altered it to "As true as _flowing tides_ are to the moon." But the meaning of the original words seem sufficiently clear, and may be fully ill.u.s.trated by the following quotation from Scott's "Discoverie of Witchcraft":--"The poore husband man perceiveth that the increase of the moone maketh plants frutiful, so as in the full moone they are in the best strength; decaieing in the wane, and in the conjunction do utterlie wither and vade."

The following lines from _Pericles_ are somewhat to the point:--

"How dare the plants look up to heaven, from whence They have their nourishment?"

_Pericles_, Act i. Sc. 2.

[Sidenote: MAHOMED'S DOVE.]

It is possible that particular reference may be had to the plant "Honesty," or "Lunary" (_Lunaria_), which was so named from the circular shape of its pod, which was thought to resemble the moon (_Luna_), not only in its form, but in its silvery brightness. The t.i.tle of "Honesty"

appears to have been given it from the transparent nature of the pod, which discovers those seed-vessels that contain seed from such as are barren or have shed their seed. We learn from Chaucer that "Honesty"

(_Lunaria_), was one of the plants used in incantations. Drayton calls it "Lunary":--

"Then sprinkles she the juice of rue, With nine drops of the midnight dew From _Lunary_ distilling."

_Nymphid._

[Sidenote: EMBLEMS.]

But to return to our doves. It is related that Mahomed had a dove which he used to feed with wheat out of his ear, which dove, when it was hungry, lighted on Mahomed's shoulder and thrust its bill in to find its breakfast, Mahomed persuading the rude and simple Arabians that it was the Holy Ghost that gave him advice.[111] Hence Shakespeare's query--

"Was Mahomed inspired with a dove?"

_Henry VI._ Part I. Act i. Sc. 2.

As the crow has been held the type of blackness, so has the dove been considered the emblem of the opposite colour:--

"So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows, As yonder lady o'er her fellows shows."

_Romeo and Juliet_, Act i. Sc. 5.

"As soft as dove's down, and as white as it."

_Winter's Tale_, Act iv. Sc. 4.

In the very humorous Interlude which is introduced by the clowns in _Midsummer Night's Dream_, we have the gentle voice of the dove contrasted with the mighty roar of the lion:--

"_Bottom._ Let me play the lion too: I will roar, that I will do any man's heart good to hear me; I will roar, that I will make the Duke say, 'Let him roar again, let him roar again.'

_Quince._ An you should do it too terribly, you would fright the d.u.c.h.ess and the ladies, that they would shriek; and that were enough to hang us all.

_All._ That would hang us, every mother's son.

_Bottom._ I grant you, friends, if that you should fright the ladies out of their wits, they would have no more discretion but to hang us; but I will aggravate my voice so, that I will roar you as gently as any sucking dove; I will roar you an't were any nightingale."--_Midsummer Night's Dream_, Act i. Sc. 2.

[Sidenote: TIMIDITY OF THE DOVE.]

We have before drawn attention to the fact that birds which are by nature weak and timid, flying at the approach of man, will nevertheless show fight in defence of their young. Shakespeare has noticed this in the case of the wren,[112] and the dove:--

"And doves will peck in safeguard of their brood."

_Henry VI._ Part III. Act ii. Sc. 2.

And in the same play--

"So doves do peck the falcon's piercing talons."

_Henry VI._ Part III. Act i. Sc. 4.

Again--

"To be furious, Is to be frighted out of fear; and in that mood The dove will peck the ostrich."

_Antony and Cleopatra_, Act iii. Sc. 13.

And yet there can scarcely be a more timid bird than the dove, as Falstaff well knew, when he said ironically:--

"Thou wilt be as valiant as the wrathful dove, or most magnanimous mouse."--_Henry IV._ Part II. Act iii. Sc. 2.

[Sidenote: A DISH OF DOVES.]

The custom of bestowing a pair of doves as a present or peace-offering has been before alluded to (_t.i.tus Andronicus_, Act iv. Sc. 4).

Izaak Walton tells us that "for the sacrifice of the Law a pair of turtle-doves or young pigeons were as well accepted as costly bulls and rams." When Gobbo wished to curry favour with Ba.s.sanio he began by saying:--

"I have here a dish of doves, that I would bestow on your worship."--_Merchant of Venice_, Act ii. Sc. 2.

These were no doubt intended to be eaten. Paris, speaking to Helen of Pandarus, says,--

"He eats nothing but doves, love."--_Troilus and Cressida_, Act iii.

Sc. 1.

A weakness which he deprecates as being heating to the blood. Justice Shallow, when ordering dinner, showed his appreciation of pigeons as well as of other good cheer. He says:--

"Some pigeons, Davy; a couple of short-legged hens; a joint of mutton, and any pretty little tiny kickshaws, tell William cook."--_Henry IV._ Part II. Act v. Sc. 1.

The price of a pigeon at this time, as we learn from "The Northumberland Household Book," was "iij for a penny," while hens could be bought "at ijd. a pece."

"Item, it is thoughte goode to by PIDGIONS for my Lords Meas, Maister Chambreleyne, ande the Stewardes Meas, so they be boughte after iij for a penny.

"Item, it is thoughte goode HENNES be boughte from Cristynmas to Shroftide, so they be good and at ijd. a pece. Ande my Lorde Maister Chambreleyne and the Stewardes Meas to be syrved with theym and noon outher."