Nature and Elements

Springes to catch woodcocks.

In the dead vast and middle of the night.

But, look, the morn in russet mantle clad, Walks o’er the dew of yon high eastern hill.

Whether in sea or fire, in earth or air, The extravagant and erring spirit hies To his confine.

It faded on the crowing of the cock. Some say that ever ’gainst that season comes Wherein our Savior’s birth is celebrated, The bird of dawning singeth all night long; And then, they say, no spirit can walk abroad; The nights are wholesome; then no planets strike, No fairy takes, nor witch hath power to charm, So hallow’d and so gracious is the time.

It was a lover and his lass, With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino, That o’er the green corn-field did pass, In the spring time, the only pretty ring time, When birds do sing, hey ding a ding, ding; Sweet lovers love the spring.

Blow, blow, thou winter wind, Thou art not so unkind As man’s ingratitude.

I must have liberty Withal, as large a charter as the wind, To blow on whom I please.

Under the greenwood tree Who loves to lie with me, And turn his merry note Unto the sweet bird’s throat, Come hither, come hither, come hither: Here shall he see No enemy But winter and rough weather.

Sweet are the uses of adversity, Which, like the toad, ugly and venomous, Wears yet a precious jewel in his head; And this our life exempt from public haunt, Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, Sermons in stones, and good in everything.

The deep of night is crept upon our talk, And nature must obey necessity.

Yesterday the bird of night did sit, Even at noonday, upon the marketplace, Hooting and shrieking.

The hum of either army stilly sounds, That the fix’d sentinels almost receive The secret whispers of each other’s watch: Fire answers fire, and through their paly flames Each battle sees the other’s umber’d face: Steed threatens steed, in high and boastful neighs Piercing the night’s dull ear; and from the tents The armorers, accomplishing the knights, With busy hammers closing rivets up, Give dreadful note of preparation.

Therefore doth heaven divide The state of man in divers functions, Setting endeavor in continual motion; To which is fixed, as an aim or butt, Obedience: for so work the honeybees, Creatures that by a rule in nature teach The act of order to a peopled kingdom.

These blessed candles of the night.

These blessed candles of the night.

This night methinks is but the daylight sick.

How many things by season season’d are To their right praise and true perfection!

To hold opinion with Pythagoras, That souls of animals infuse themselves Into the trunks of men. 18

A harmless necessary cat.

Bassanio: Do all men kill the things they do not love? Shylock: Hates any man the thing he would not kill?

Thou call’dst me dog before thou hadst a cause, But, since I am a dog, beware my fangs.

Some men there are love not a gaping pig; Some, that are mad if they behold a cat.

Nature hath fram’d strange fellows in her time.