Class IV, PORPESSE. 71 



which yields a great quantity of excellent oil : from 

 this lard, or from their rooting like fwine, they 

 are called in many places fea hogs \ the Germans 

 call them meerfchwein -, the Swedes^ marfuin ^ and 

 the Englijh^ porpejfe^ from the Italian^ porco pefce. 



It would be curious to trace the revolutions of 

 falhion in the article of eatables; what epicure firfL 

 rejedted the Sea-GuU and Heron ; and what deli- 

 cate flomach firft naufeated the greafy flefh of the 

 Porpeffe. This latter was once a royal difh, even 

 fo late as the reign of Henry VIII. and from its 

 magnitude mud have held a very refpedable flation 

 at the table ; for in a houlliold book of that prince, 

 extrads of which are publiihed in the third volume 

 of the Archaelogia^ it is ordered that if a PorpefTe 

 Ihould be too big for a horfe-load, allowance 

 ihould be made to the purveyor. I find that this 

 fifh continued in vogue even in the reign of Eliza- 

 hethy for Dodtor Caius * on mentioning a Dolphin 

 (that was taken at Shoreham^ and brought to Thor/ias 

 Duke of Norfolk^ who divided, and fent it as a pre- 

 fent to his friends) fays, that it eat beil v/ith 

 Porpejfe fauce^ which was made of vinegar, cruais 

 of fine bread, and fugar. 



* Opiifcula, 116. 



F 4. . Orca 



