MUTE SWAN. 127 



they begin to feed immediately, being provided with as much 

 barley as they can eat, and are usually ready for killing early 

 in November. They vary in weight, some reaching to twenty- 

 eight pounds. They are all cygnets. If kept beyond No- 

 vember they begin to fall off, losing both flesh and fat, and 

 the meat becomes darker in colour and stronger in flavour. 

 A printed copy of the following lines is usually sent with 

 each bird. 



TO ROAST A SWAN. 



Take three pounds of beef, beat fine in a mortar. 



Put it into the Swan — that is, when you 've caught her. 



Some pepper, salt, mace, some nutmeg, an onion, 



Will heighten the flavour in Gourmand's opinion. 



Then tie it up tight with a small piece of tape, 



That the gravy and other things may not escape. 



A meal paste, rather stiff, should be laid on the breast, 



And some whited brown paper should cover the rest. 



Fifteen minutes at least ere the Swan you take down. 



Pull the paste off the bird, that the breast may get brown. 



THE GRAVY. 



To a gravy of beef, good and strong, I opine. 

 You '11 be right if you add half a pint of port wine ; 

 Pour this through the Swan, yes, quite through the belly, 

 Then serve the whole up with some hot currant jelly. 

 NB. The Swan must not be skinned. 



In former times the Swan was served up at every great 

 feast ; and I have occasionally seen a cygnet exposed for sale 

 in the poulterers' shops of London, but not very lately. 



No. 11. Eton College has the privilege of keeping Swans 

 on the Thames, and this is the College swan mark. It is 

 intended to represent the armed point, and the feathered end 

 of an arrow, and is represented by nail heads on the door of 

 one of the inner rooms in the College. 



Nos. 12 and 13 are derived from Mr. Kempe's interesting 

 publication of the Loseley Manuscripts, and represent the 

 swan marks of the Dyers'" and Vintners'' Companies of the 



