PIGEON. 627 



ffiaany countries as the most expeditious courier ; the letters are 

 tied under its wing, it is let loose, arid in a very short space 

 returns to the home it was brought from, with its advices. This 

 practice was much in vogue in the East; and at Scanderoon, till 

 late years, used on the arrival of a ship, to give the merchants at 

 Aleppo a more expeditious notice than could be done by any other 

 means* In our own country, these aerial messengers have been 

 employed for a very singular purpose, being let loose at Tyburn 

 at the moment the fatal cart is drawn away, to notify to distant 

 friends the departure of the unhappy criminal. 



In the East, the use of these birds seems to have been improved 

 greatly, by having, if we may Use the expression, relays of them 

 ready to spread intelligence to all parts of the country. Thus the 

 governor of Damiata circulated the news of the death of Orrilo : 



Tosto che'l Castellan di Damiata 

 Certificossi, ch'era morto Orrilo, 

 La Colomba lascio, ch'avea legata 

 Sotto l'ala al lattera col fila. 

 Quelle andd al Cairo, ed indi fu lasciata 

 Un'altra altrove, come quivi e stilo : 

 Sil, che in pochissime ore andd l'avviso 

 Per tutto Egitto, ch'era Orrilo ucciso*. 



But the simple use of them was known in very early times : 

 Anacreon tells us, he conveyed his billet-doux to his beautiful 

 Bathyllus by a dove. 



Eyto 5' 'AvoMpsovn 

 Aidxoiui ro ravta' 

 Koci vvv oia; sKsivs 

 'EtfurroXas xqim%w +. 



I am now Anacreon's slave, 

 And to me entrusted have 



* " As soon as the commandant of Damiata beard that Orrilo was dead, he 

 let loose a pigeon, under whose wing he had tied a letter: this fled to Cairo, 

 from whence a second was dispatched to another place, as is usual: so that in 

 a very few hours all Egypt wa9 acquainted with the death of Orrilo." Ariosto ? 

 canto 15. 



t Anacreon, ode 9, %U m?wfAt 



2s3 



