78 SHAKESPEARE'S [CROW-FLOWERS. 



IF a Crow chance to eat of the rest of the flesh whereof 

 a wolf hath eaten before : the same Crow will die soon after. 

 Lupton, "A Thousand Notable Things," bk. vi. 49. 



Crow-flowers. 



HAMLET, iv. 7, 170. 



BESIDES these kinds of Pinks before described, there is a 

 certain other kind either of the gilly-flowers or else of the 

 Sweet Williams, altogether and every where wild. I do 

 hold it for a degenerate kind of wild gilly-flower. These 

 grow all about in meadows and pastures and darkish places. 

 They begin to flower in May and end in June. The 

 Crow-flower is called wild Williams, marsh gilly-flowers, 

 and cuckoo gilly-flowers. These are not used in medicine 

 or in nourishment ; but they serve for garlands and crowns, 

 and to deck up gardens. Gerard's " Herbal/' s.v. 



Crown imperial. 



WINTER'S TALE, iv. 4, 126. 



THIS plant hath been brought from Constantinople 

 amongst other bulbous roots, and made denizens in our 

 London gardens, whereof I have great plenty. 



Gerard's "Herbal," s.v. 



Crystal. 



LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST, ii. I, 243. 



CRYSTAL is a bright stone and clear with watery colour. 

 Men trow that it is of snow or ice made hard in space 

 of many years. This stone set in the sun taketh fire, 

 insomuch if dry tow be put thereto, it setteth the tow 

 on fire. Bartholomew (Berthelet], bk. xvi. 31. 



Cuckoo. 



MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, iii. I, 134. 



THE Cuckoo is a dishonest bird, and is very slow, and 

 does not stay in a place. In winter it is said to lose its 



