thus comments: "The eyes of Juno were as
remarkable as those of Pallas, and

'Of a beauty never yet
Equalled in height of tincture.'"

[559] "Shakespeare," vol. iv. p. 76.

The beauties of Greece and other Asiatic nations tinged their eyes of an
obscure violet color, by means of some unguent, which was doubtless
perfumed, like those for the hair, etc., mentioned by Athenaeus.

_Willow._ From time immemorial the willow has been regarded as the
symbol of sadness. Hence it was customary for those who were forsaken in
love to wear willow garlands, a practice to which Shakespeare makes
several allusions. In "Othello" (iv. 3), Desdemona, anticipating her
death, says:

"My mother had a maid call'd Barbara;
She was in love; and he she lov'd prov'd mad,
And did forsake her: she had a song of--Willow;
An old thing 'twas, but it express'd her fortune,
And she died singing it: that song, to-night,
Will not go from my mind."

The following is the song:[560]

"The poor soul sat sighing by a sycamore tree,
Sing all a green willow:
Her hand on her bosom, her head on her knee,
Sing willow, willow, willow:
The fresh streams ran by her, and murmur'd her moans,
Sing willow, willow, willow:
Her salt tears fell from her, and soften'd the stones,
Sing willow, willow, willow:
Sing all a green willow must be my garland."

[560] "The old ballad on which Shakespeare formed this song is
given in Percy's 'Reliques of Ancient Poetry' (1794, vol. i. p.
208), from a copy in the Pepysian collection. A different
version of it may be seen in Chappell's 'Popular Music of the
Olden Time' (2d edition, vol. i. p. 207). The original ditty is
the lamentation of a lover for the inconstancy of his
mistress."--Dyce's "Shakespeare," vol. vii. p. 450.

And further on Emilia says (v. 2):

"I will play the swan,
And die in music.--[_Singing_] 'Willow, willow, willow.'"

And, again, Lorenzo, in "Merchant of Venice" (v. 1), narrates:

"In such a night
Stood Dido, with a willow in her hand,
Upon the wild sea-banks."

It was, too, in reference to this custom that Shakespeare, in "Hamlet"
(iv. 7), represented poor Ophelia hanging her flowers on the "willow
aslant a brook." "This tree," says Douce,[561] "might have been chosen
as the symbol of sadness from the cxxxvi