ORIGIN OF THE WORD " MEW." 65 



A question presently solved by Tranio, who says :- 



" And therefore has he closely mew'd her up, 

 Because she will not be annoy'd with suitors." 



The word " mew," derived from the old French " mue" 

 signifies a change, or moult, when birds and other animals 

 cast their feathers, hair, or horns. Hence Latham 

 observes that " the mew is that place, whether it be 

 abroad or in the house, where you set down your 

 hawk during the time she raiseth or reproduceth her 

 feathers." 



It was necessary to take great care of a hawk in her 

 mewing time. In " The Gentleman's Academic," edited 

 by Gervase Markham, 1595, there are several sections on 

 the mewing of hawks, from one of which it may be learnt 

 that the best time to commence is in the beginning of 

 Lent ; and if well kept, the bird will be mewed, that is, 

 moulted, by the beginning of August. 



" Forthcoming from her darksome mew." 



Faerie Queene, Book I. Canto v. 20. 



The Royal hawks were kept at the mews at Charing 

 Cross during many reigns (according to Stowe, from the 

 time of Richard II., in 1377), but they were removed by 

 Henry VIII., who converted the place into stables. The 

 name, however, confirmed by the usage of so long a period, 

 remained to the building, although, after the hawks were 



K 



