SIXTEENTH CENTURY 115 
The other illustration represents three ancient swan-marks 
figured in Thomas Martin’s *‘ History of Thetford ”’ (1779), and 
known as the Canon’s mark, Binknorth’s mark, and the Prioress's 
mark, which are not without interest for Norfolk antiquaries. 
The Swan-pit at Norwich.—There has been for a very 
great number of years a pit for fattening Swans at the back 
of some ancient almshouses in St. Helen’s Parish at Norwich. 
The useful researches of Mr. J. C. Tingey among the muniments 
of the city of Norwich have proved that this pit or pond was 
in existence in 1487, in which year a payment was ordered to 
be made to one William Bylney “ pro custodia cignorum”’ at St. 
Giles’s Hospital, which was the name of these almshouses.* 
Although there is little demand for Swans now, this pit 
is still supphed nearly every season by means of an August 
swan-upping expedition on the Yare, in which several boats 
sometimes take part, their object being to drive the cygnets 
into dykes and ditches, where they can be caught. The 
phrase ‘“‘swan-upping,”’ which sounds rather puzzling to the 
uninitiated, means the taking up of the young Swans; thus, 
of the swan-herds of a certain river, it is fixed by an old 
ordinance that they “ shall up no Swannes.” 
The ancient belief that Swans hatch best when there 
is thunder about has long held its own in Norfolk, and is 
probably not without some foundation. Dixon thought that 
the sultry weather which precedes a tempest would hasten 
the hatching of the eggs, and that may be so.f 
Shakespeare's Swans.—The Swan is many times named 
in Shakespeare’s plays, and the cygnet comes in for mention 
also. Mr. Harting has treated the subject very pleasantly 
in “The Ornitholegy of Shakespeare,”t showing how appo- 
site are some of the poet’s allusions. 
For instance, to take a passage in “‘ King Henry VI.,” 
where Shakespeare’s powers of observation are indicated in 
the lines: 
“So doth the swan her downy cygnets save, 
Keeping them prisoner underneath her wings.’ § 
* « Norw. Naturalists’ Tr.,” VI., p. 388. 
+ ‘Ornamental and Domestic Poultry,” by the Rev. E. 8. Dixon, p. 28. 
t T.c., pp. 201-208. 
§ Henry VI., Part 1, Act V., Se, 3. 
