1. Last lines of King Henry IV. Part II., and Steevens's note.
2. The "pious lie" of Mahomet's pigeon. See Gibbon, Decline and Fall, chap. 1. Marg. lemma—"His character," the note beginning—"The Christians, rashly enough," &c. And—"Life of Mahomet" [Library of Useful Knowledge] note on p. 19. For line from—Dunciad— 3. From the Greek? See Potter's Gr. Antiquities, book ii. chap. xv.—or Robinson's Antiq. Greece, book iii. chap. xv. ad init. as both refer to Aristoph. Aves. [600. 601. Bekker.] 4. Ecclesiastes, chap. x. 20. To these I may add the origin assigned to the saying by Mr. Bellenden Ker, in his Essay on the Archæology of our Popular Phrases and Nursery Rhymes, 1837, vol. i. p. 63., viz.:— "A LITTLE BIRD. "A good humoured way of replying to, who told you this story? And imparting you don't mean to inform him, that you have a good reason for not letting him know. Er lij t'el baerd; q. e. by so doing [telling] I should betray [do wrong to] another," &c. C. FORBES. —May not this originate in the Hebrew Keri, used for the same purpose, and of nearly the same shape?Mark of Reference in Bible (Vol. iv., p. 57.).