38 SHAKESPEARE’S [ BIRD-LIME, 
1 
Bird-lime. 
My invention 
Comes from my pate as bird-lime does from frize. 
OTHELLO, ii. 1, 126-7. 
The glue which is made of the berries of mistletoe is 
called Bird-lime. Gerara’s “Herbal.” 
Turusues 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. V. Dog. 
Merry Wives or Winpsor, iii. 5, II. 
Bitter-sweeting. 
Thy wit is a very bitter-sweeting ; it is a most sharp sauce. 
Romeo anp JuLIET, ll. 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. Kinc Henry IV.,, ii. 4, 264-0. 
Shall the blessed sun of heaven prove a micher and eat blackberries? 
i. Kinc Henry IV., ii. 4, 449-50; also 
Troitus anp Cressipa, v. 4, 12. 
[Gerard in his “ Herbal” classes the raspberry and the knot- 
berry (or cloud-berry) with the bramble or Blackberry. He 
says :] 
Tue 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. 
