“So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows,
As yonder lady o’er her fellows shows.”
Romeo and Juliet, Act i. Sc. 5.
“As soft as dove’s down, and as white as it.”
Winter’s Tale, Act iv. Sc. 4.
In the very humorous Interlude which is introduced by the clowns in Midsummer Night’s Dream, we have the gentle voice of the dove contrasted with the mighty roar of the lion:—
“Bottom. Let me play the lion too: I will roar, that I will do any man’s heart good to hear me; I will roar, that I will make the Duke say, ‘Let him roar again, let him roar again.’
Quince. An you should do it too terribly, you would fright the Duchess and the ladies, that they would shriek; and that were enough to hang us all.
All. That would hang us, every mother’s son.
Bottom. I grant you, friends, if that you should fright the ladies out of their wits, they would have no more discretion but to hang us; but I will aggravate my voice so, that I will roar you as gently as any sucking dove; I will roar you an’t were any nightingale.”—Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act i. Sc. 2.
TIMIDITY OF THE DOVE.
We have before drawn attention to the fact that birds which are by nature weak and timid, flying at the approach of man, will nevertheless show fight in defence of their young. Shakespeare has noticed this in the case of the wren,[112] and the dove:—
“And doves will peck in safeguard of their brood.”