The extent to which falconry and its language had taken hold of the society of Elizabeth’s time is well illustrated in the scene in Capulet’s garden where Romeo and Juliet make their declaration of mutual attachment. She has twice retired, but again returns to the window for one last word. He has slowly and reluctantly crept back into the darkness, but a voice from above recalls him: Hist! Romeo, hist! O, for a falconer’s voice To lure this tassel-gentle back again! Bondage is hoarse and may not speak aloud.[62] The actual array of hawking is brought before us in the gay scene in the second part of _King Henry VI._ where the King and Queen, with their company and falconers halloing, appear on the stage after a morning’s sport. _Queen._ Believe me, lords, for flying at the brook, I saw not better sport these seven years’ day: Yet, by your leave, the wind was very high; And, ten to one, old Joan had not gone out. _King._ But what a point, my lord, your falcon made, And what a pitch she flew above the rest! To see how God in all His creatures works! Yea, man and birds are fain of climbing high. _Suffolk._ No marvel, an it like your majesty, My lord Protector’s hawks do tower so well; They know their master loves to be aloft, And bears his thoughts above his falcon’s pitch. _Gloucester._ My lord, ’tis but a base ignoble mind That mounts no higher than a bird can soar. _Cardinal._ … Believe me, cousin Gloucester, Had not your man put up the fowl so suddenly We had had more sport.[63] Under the general designation of HAWKS most of our larger birds of prey were employed for purposes of sport, and it is mainly with reference to this use of them that they are mentioned by Shakespeare. FALCON, the name most frequently used by him, may include several distinct species.[64] He evidently admired their flight. He speaks of A falcon towering in her pride of place.[65] Again, he makes Bolingbroke boast that he would fight Mowbray As confident as is the falcon’s flight Against a bird.[66] He notes how A falcon towering in the skies, Coucheth the fowl below with his wings’ shade, Whose crooked beak threats if he mount he dies.[67] The falcon generally employed in hawking was the female Peregrine, which was held to be more adapted for the purposes of sport than the male. The KESTREL is referred to by Shakespeare, under the local name of _Staniel_ in the scene in _Twelfth Night_, where Malvolio, gulled by Maria, picks up and begins to guess at the meaning of the clever letter, Sir Toby and Fabian watching in concealment: [Illustration: THE PEREGRINE FALCON] _Malvolio._ ‘M. O. A. I. doth sway my life.’ Nay but first, let me see, let me see, let me see.