292 SHAKESPEARE'S [SPARROW. 



Sparrow. 



TROILUS AND CRESSIDA, ii. I, 77. 

 KING JOHN, i. 1, 231. 



THE Sparrow is an unsteadfast bird with voice and 

 jangling, and is a full hot bird and lecherous, and the flesh 

 of them oft taken in meat exciteth to carnal lust. Sparrows 

 lay many eggs, and are full busy to bring up their birds, 

 and to feed them. And she keepeth her nest clean with- 

 out dirt, and therefore she throweth the dirt of her birds 

 out of the nest, and compelleth her birds to throw their 

 dirt out of the nest ; and they feed their birds with atter- 

 cops, worms and flies ; and they eat venomous seeds, as of 

 henbane without hurt ; and they have sometime leprosy 

 and the falling-evil. And the Sparrow dreadeth the weasel, 

 and hateth her, and crieth and warneth if the weasel 

 cometh. And waileth, and biteth, and billeth for to have 

 the nests of swallows. And birds [i.e., young birds], that 

 other Sparrows leave by some hap, they gather and feed 

 and nourish, as they were their own. And if it happeth 

 that one of them is taken in a gin, or in other manner 

 of wise, she crieth for help and a multitude of Sparrows 

 be gathered together to deliver that that is taken, and 

 speed and haste with all their might. 



Bartholomew (Berthelet], bk. xii. 32. 



Merchant's Wife: What's your cock-sparrows a dozen? 

 Seller: A penny, mistress. 



" Histriomastrix," ii. I, 77. 



[But this was during the reign of Plenty, when corn was 

 2s. 6d. a quarter. 



Sparrows, especially cock-sparrows, as aphrodisiacs were a 

 constant ingredient of cullises ; so were Sparrows' eggs.] 



IF any will make their hands white, let them mix the 

 dung of Sparrows in warm water, and wash them there- 

 with ; or let them seethe the roots of nettles in that water,, 

 and therewith wash their hands. 



Lupton, "Notable Things," bk. ii. 69. 



