Natural history in Shakespeare's time : being extracts illustrative of the subject as he knew it / Made by H. W. Seager, M. B., &c. Also pictures thereunto belonging.

  • Seager, H. W. (Herbert West), 1848-
Date:
1896
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Natural history in Shakespeare's time : being extracts illustrative of the subject as he knew it / Made by H. W. Seager, M. B., &c. Also pictures thereunto belonging. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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    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 (^Bert/:elet), 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 25. 6d. a quarter. Sparrows, especially cock-sparrows, as aphrodisiacs were a constant ingredient of cuUises ; 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.