FALOO PEREGRINUS. 109 



birds of prey have in discovering their food at almost incredible 

 altitudes is due to their piercing eyesight. There may be some 

 other faculty or instinct which enables vultures or buzzards to 

 detect their carrion prey ; but whoever has seen a falcon or 

 a golden eagle from a speck in the clouds, fall like a thunder- 

 bolt to within thirty yards of the ground, then hover for a few 

 seconds above their quarry before the final plunge, cannot doubt 

 it was their eyes that impelled their actions. 



The peregrine was the typical bird of falconry, from which 

 the sport derived its name. The female, being largest and most 

 powerful, was called the Falcon; the male, the Tercel. The 

 one was flown at herons, geese, ducks, and the larger game ; the 

 other at grouse, partridges, quails, teals, woodcocks, pigeons, and 

 the smaller birds. They were the most noted of all the " noble " 

 or high-soaring birds of prey, from which their nobility was 

 derived, which Shakespeare shows in the dispute between the 

 Earls of Suffolk and Somerset, upon some nice point of law, in 

 " Henry VI."— 



Suf. " 'Faith, I have been a truant in the law; 



And never yet could frame my will to it, 



And, therefore, frame the law unto my will. 

 Som. Judge you, my lord of Warwick, then, between us. 

 War. Between two haivks, which Jlies the higher pitch ; 



Between two dogs, which hath the deeper mouth ; 



Between two horses, which doth bear him best ; 



Between two girls, which hath the merriest eye. 



I have, perhaps, some shallow spirit of judgment, 



But in thRse sharp quillets of the law, 



Good faith, I am no wiser than a daw." 



In "Taming of the Shrew " he also says — 



" Dost thou love hawking? Thou hast hawks will soar 

 Above the morning lark." 



And in " Triolus and Cressida," when old Pandarus brings them 

 together to kiss each other, he shows the distinction in name of 

 the male and female — 



Pan. "Alas the day, how loath you are to offend daylight ! an' 

 'twere dark, you'd close sooner. So, so ; rub on ; 

 and kiss the mistress. How now, a kiss in fee-farm ! 

 build there, carpenter ; the air is sweet. Nay, you 

 shall fight your hearts out, ere I part you. The 

 Falcon as the Tercel, for all the ducks i' the river: 

 go to, go to." 



Flying at wild ducks was a favourite sport with falconers, 

 and Shakespeare means to show that at kissing the falcon was 

 as good as the tercel. 



