ON THE SINGING OF THE SWAN. 



99 



the god of music by the Greeks ; and an hieroglyphic of music among 

 the Egyptians, from whom the Greeks derived the conception — hath 

 been the affirmation of many Latines, and hath not wanted asserters 

 almost from every nation. 



All which notwithstanding, we find this relation doubtfully received 

 by iElian, as an hearsay account by Bellonius, as a false one by Pliny, 

 expressly refuted by Myndius* in Athenaeus, and severely rejected by 

 Scalig-er ; whose words unto Cardan are these, " You are a goose to 

 throw a light upon the true sweet song- of the swan, which of the story 

 tellers I appoint, with their parent Greece, a tribunal to Lucian about 

 which you will say something new." Authors also that countenance it 

 speak not satisfactorily of it. Some affirming they sing not till they 

 die; some that they sing, yet die not. Some speak generally, as though 

 this note were in all ; some but particularly, as though it were only in 

 some ; some in places remote, and where we can have no trial of it, 

 others in places where every experience can refute it; as Aldrovandus, 

 upon relation, delivered concerning the music of the swans on the river 

 Thames near London. 



Now that which countenanceth, and probably confirmeth this opinion, 

 is the strange and unusual conformation of the windpipe, or vocal organ 

 in this animal ; a. figuration to be found in elks, and not in common 

 swans, observed first by Aldrovandus, and conceived by some contrived 

 for this intention. For in its length it far exceedeth the gullet ; and 

 hath in the chest a famous revolution ; that is, when it ariseth from the 

 lungs, it ascendeth out directly unto the throat, but descending first 

 into a capsulary reception of the breast bone, by a serpentine and 

 trumpet recurvation it ascendeth again into the neck ; and so by length 

 thereof, a great quantity of ayr is received, and by the figure thereof a 

 musical modulation effected. But to speak indifferently, this formation 

 of the weazen is not peculiar unto the swan, but common also unto 

 the platea or shovelard, a bird of no musical throat ; and, as Aldrovandus 

 confesseth, may thus be contrived in the swan to contain a larger stock 

 of ayr, whereby being to feed on weeds at the bottom, they might the 

 longer space detain their heads under water. But were this formation 

 peculiar, or had they unto this effect an advantage from this part, yet 

 have a known and open disadvantage from another, that is, a flat bill. 

 For no latirostrous animals, (whereof nevertheless there are no slender 

 numbers,) were ever commended for their note, or accounted among 

 those animals which have been instructed tospeak. 



When, therefore, we consider the dissension of authors, the falsity of 



