'The ousel-cock, so black of hue,
With orange-tawny bill,132
The throstle with his note so true,
The wren with little quill.'
Tita. [Awaking.] What angel wakes me from
my flowery bed?136
Bot.'The finch, the sparrow, and the lark,
The plain-song cuckoo gray,
Whose note full many a man doth mark,
And dares not answer, nay;'140
for indeed, who would set his wit to so foolish a
bird? who would give a bird the lie, though he
cry 'cuckoo' never so?
Tita. I pray thee, gentle mortal, sing again:
Mine ear is much enamour'd of thy note;145
So is mine eye enthralled to thy shape;
And thy fair virtue's force, perforce, doth move me,
On the first view, to say, to swear, I love thee.
Bot. Methinks, mistress, you should have149
little reason for that: and yet, to say the truth,
reason and love keep little company together
now-a-days. The more the pity, that some
honest neighbours will not make them friends.
Nay, I can gleek upon occasion.154
Tita. Thou art as wise as thou art beautiful.
Bot. Not so, neither; but if I had wit enough
to get out of this wood, I have enough to serve
mine own turn.
Tita. Out of this wood do not desire to go:
Thou shalt remain here, whether thou wilt or no.
I am a spirit of no common rate;161
131 ousel-cock: male blackbird
134 quill: note
138 plain-song; cf. n.
154 gleek: jest
