38 SHAKESPEARE'S [BIRD-LIME. 



Bird-lime. 



My invention 

 Comes from my pate as bird-lime does from frize. 



OTHELLO, ii. I, 126-7. 



The glue which is made of the berries of mistletoe is 

 called Bird-lime. Gerard's "Herbal." 



THRUSHES eat the berries, and roost all night on the 

 mistletoe-tree, and by their sitting and [cacando] the 

 mistletoe beareth Bird-lime, the bane of the bird. 



Minsheu's Dictionary, s.v. " Mistletoe" 



Bitch, y. Dog. 



MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR, iii. 5, 11. 



Bitter-sweeting. 



Thy wit is a very bitter-sweeting ; it is a most sharp sauce. 



ROMEO AND JULIET, ii. 4. 



[The commentators will have " Bitter-sweeting " to be an apple, 

 and quote in proof instances of the word " Bitter-sweet," which 

 Gerard in his "Herbal" identifies with the woody nightshade. 

 " Bitter-sweet " or " Bitter-scale " is mentioned as a Dorsetshire 

 apple in John Newburgh's " Observations concerning Cider," 

 quoted in Evelyn's " Pomona."] 



Blackberry. 



If reasons were as plentiful as blackberries, I would give no man a 

 reason upon compulsion. 



i. KING HENRY IV., ii. 4, 264-6. 



Shall the blessed sun of heaven prove a micher and eat blackberries ? 



i. KING HENRY IV., ii. 4, 449-50 ; also 

 TROILUS AND CRESSIDA, v. 4, 12. 



[Gerard in his " Herbal " classes the raspberry and the knot- 

 berry (or cloud-berry) with the bramble or Blackberry. He 

 says :] 



THE bramble groweth for the most part in every hedge 

 and bush. Bk. iii. ch. 4. 



ON Michaelmas-day the devil puts his foot upon the 

 Blackberries. Notes and Queries. 



