446 TAME SWAN. Clafs II. 



fold chara&er of the poet, Fates and Poeta, which the 

 fable of the tranfmigration continue to the bird, or 

 they might be fuppofed to derive that faculty from 

 Apollo * their patron deity, the god of prophecy and 

 divination. 



As to their being fuppofed to fing more fweetly at 

 the approach of death, the caufe is beautifully explained 

 by Plato, who attributes that unufual melody, to the 

 fame fort of Ecjlafy that good men are fometimes faid 

 to enjoy at that awful hour, forefeeing the joys that 

 are preparing for them on putting off mortality, 



MctvllHOt TZ ilJl, K&l TTfOZiiPoTif TO. iV Ae/^tf dL,y&&&, tl^Xffl TS, 



X.CU TtpTroi'Ta.i iKitvnv 7W nyiif&v ftaipifovTos w, iy ra <7§oa5tv 

 Xfovco f. 



This notion tho' accounted for by Plato, feems to 

 have been a popular one long before his time, for 

 ALfchylus alludes to it in his Agamemnon-, Clytemnejlra 

 fpeaking of Cajfandra, fays, 



« o A e TOt, KVKV* <PlKVV, 



Tov uraTCj/ \xzk-\asa $a,va.crt[Aov yooy, 



KilTO.1. 



* Platonis Pbado, ed. Cantab. 1683. p. 124. 

 f Ibid. " They become prophetic, and forefeeing the happi- 

 nefs which they fhall enjoy in anocher ftate, are in greater ex- 

 ifacy than they have before experienced." 



\ She like the Swan 



Exfpiring, dies in melody. 



III. The 



