THE SWAN. 51 



son of Sthenelus, and closely related to Phaeton, who was, 

 after Phaeton's death, transformed into a swan : 



" His hair transformed to down, his fingers meet 

 In shining films, and shape his oary feet 

 From both his sides the wings and feathers break, 

 And from his mouth proceeds a blunted beak. 

 All Cycnus now unto a swan was turned, 

 Who, still remembering how his kinsman burned, 

 In solitary pools and lakes retires, 

 And loves the waters as opposed to fires." 



In poetry the tradition that the swan sings as he dies 



FIG. I. HEAD OF THE MUTE SWAN. 



FIG. 2. HEAD OF THE WILD SWAN. 



continues to the present time. Spenser, in his " Ruins of 

 Time : Fall of Rome," says : 



" There he most sweetly sung his prophecie 

 Of his owne death in doleful elegie." 



Sir Christopher Hatton says : 



" The silver swan, who living has no note, 

 When death approach'd unlocked her silent throat ; 

 Leaning her breast against the reedy shore, 

 Thus sang her first and last and sang no more : 

 Farewell all joys ! O Death, come close my eyes ! 

 More geese than swans now live, more fools than wise ! " 



This was set to music as a madrigal by Orlando Gibbons 

 in 1612. 



