223 TAME SWAN. Class II. 



legs dusky ; but Dr. Plott mentions a variety 

 found on the Trent near Riigely, with red legs. 

 The swan lays seven or eight eggs, and is near 

 two months in hatching ; it feeds on water plants, 

 insects, and shells. No bird perhaps makes so 

 inelegant a figure out of the water, or has the 

 command of such beautiful attitudes in that ele- 

 ment, as the swan : almost every poet has taken 

 notice of it, but none with that justice of de- 

 scription, and in so picturesque a manner, as 

 our Milton. 



The swan with arched neck 

 Between her white wings mantling, proudly rows 

 Her state with oary feet Par. Lost, B. VII. 



But we cannot help thinking that he had here an 

 eye to that beautiful passage in Silius ItaUcus 

 on the same subject, though the English poet 

 has greatly improved on it. 



Hand secus Eridani stagnis, ripave Caystri 

 Innatat albus olor, pronoque immobile corpus 

 ^ Dat fluvio, et pedibus tacitas eremigat undas. Lib. XIV. 



In former times it was served up at every 

 great feast, when the elegance of the table was 

 measured by the size and quantity of the good 

 cheer. Cygnets are to this day fattened at Nor- 

 wich about Christmas, and are sold for a guinea 

 a piece. 



Swans were formerly held in such great esteem 



