MUTE SWAN. 225 



town-clerk sends a note from the Town-hall to the public 

 swanherd, the corporation, and others, who have Swans 

 and Swan rights. On the second Monday in August, 

 when collected in a small stew or pond, the number an- 

 nually varying from fifty to seventy, and many of them 

 belonging to private individuals,* they begin to feed 

 immediately, being provided with as much barley as they 

 can eat, and are usually ready for killing early in No- 

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

 eight pounds. They are all cygnets. If kept beyond 

 November 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. 

 N.B. The Swan must not be skinned. 



In former times the Swan was served up at every 



* Bloomfield's History of Norfolk contains representations of numerous 

 swan-marks. 



VOL. III. Q 



