THE SWAN. 299 



in the wild swan, so much resembling a musical instru- 

 ment, inclined his belief still more strongly. In aid of this 

 also, came the testimony of Pendasius, who affirmed, that 

 he had often heard Swans sweetly singing in the, lake of 

 Mantua, as he was rowed up and down in a boat ; as also 

 of Olaus Wormius, who professed that many of his friends 

 and scholars had heard them singing. " There was," says 

 he, "in my family, a very honest young man, John Ros- 

 torph, a student in divinity, and a Norwegian by nation. 

 This man did, upn his credit, and with the interposition 

 of an oath, solemnly affirm, that once, in the territory of 

 Dronten, as he was standing on the sea-shore, early in the 

 morning, he heard an unusual and sweet murmur, com- 

 posed of the most pleasant whistlings and sounds ; he 

 knew not at first whence they came, or how they were 

 made, for he saw no man near to produce them ; but, 

 looking round about him, and climbing to the top of a cer- 

 tain promontory, he there espied an infinite number of 

 Swans gathered together in a bay, and making the most 

 delightful harmony ; a sweeter in all his life-time he had 

 never heard." These were accounts sufficient at least to 



*. 



keep opinion in suspense, though in contradiction to our 

 own experience : but Aldrovandus, to put, as he supposed, 

 the question past all doubt, gives us the testimony of a 

 countryman of our own, from whom he had the relation. 

 This honest man's name was Mr. George Braun, who as- 

 sured him, that nothing was more common in England, 

 than to hear Swans sing ; that they were bred in great 

 numbers in the sea near London ; and that every fleet of 

 ships that returned from their voyages from distant coun- 

 tries, were met by Swans, that came joyfully out to wel- 

 come their return, and salute them with a loud and cheer- 

 ful singing ! It was in this manner that Aldrovandus, that 

 great and good man, was frequently imposed upon by the 

 designing and the needy : his unbounded curiosity drew 

 round him people of every kind, and his generosity was as 





