ClafsII. TAME SWAN. 443 



their eggs was imprifonment for a year and a day, 

 and a fine at the king's will. Though at prefent 

 they are not fo highly valued as a delicacy, yet great 

 numbers are preferved for their beauty ; we fee 

 multitudes on the Thames and Trent, but no where 

 greater numbers than on the fait water inlet of the 

 fea, near Abbotjbury in Borfetjhire. 



Thefe birds were by the ancients confecrated to 

 Apollo and the Mufes ; 



- «*•&« kvuvoi; ^iKuoof 



Mei><7«; §e%oc7rsvu. Eurip. Iphig. hi Taur. lin. 1 104, 



And Callimachus in his hymn upon the ifland of Delos 

 k ftill more particular, 



■ Kuxm 3s §tov lAihTroiils} acid 1 * 



MtJOKOV TTCSJtTwAot' tH.VK?\UJC70il/TO AlTTOllTEf 



Movatxuv o^»i9 , »j , aotooTciTcu irertrtvw. 



«« « / \ » » v d 



Oyooov 8X £T «Etcr«y, d v ExSo£Sj'. 



11 .. when from Patlolus' golden banks 



Apollo's tuneful fongfters, fnowy fvvans 



Steering their flight, feven times their circling courfe 



Wheel round the ifland, caroling mean time 



Soft melody, the favourites of the Nine, 



Thus ufhering to birth with dulcet founds 



The God of harmony, and hence fev'n llrings 



Hereafter to his golden lyre he gave 



For ere the eighth foft concert was begun 



He fprung to birth. ZWV Callimachus, p. 115. 



Upon this idea of their being peculiarly confecrated to 

 Apollo and tht Mufes, (the deities of harmony) feems 



Ff to 



