288 



PHEASANTS AND PEACOCKS. 



together with the Peacocks, they were, nevertheless, pro- 

 bably on account of their beauty, not only highly esteemed 

 in ancient times, but viewed with a sort of superstitious 

 respect ; so much so, that, by the heathen Romans, those 

 who first served them up at entertainments were deemed 

 guilty of a sort of impiety to their idol-gods ; and even when 

 they were afterwards introduced as food, they were never 

 used, even by the emperors, except on the most solemn occa- 

 sions. In after-times, the Christians, who too often adopted 

 the customs of their heathenish predecessors, paid an almost 

 equal respect to these birds. Thus we find so serious a 

 writer as St. Jerome giving directions for boiling a Pheasant, 

 so that the form of the bird might be completely preserved. 

 From the table, Pheasants and Peacocks became most 

 fashionable and honoured additions to the toilet ; historians 

 telling us, that the most splendid present one of the Popes 

 sent to Pepin, one of the earliest kings of France, was a 

 mantle, embroidered with the feathers of the latter ; and the 

 richest furniture in the apartments of the nobles in the 

 middle ages, was painted or inlaid in such a manner as to 

 represent a Peacock's tail, spread out and studded with eyes. 



Peacock. 



