Bacon, Francis, Sylva sylvarum : or, a natural history in ten centuries

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          <pb o="10" file="0288" n="288" rhead="The Hiſtory of Life and Death."/>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9639" xml:space="preserve">The motion of Birds in their flying is a mixt motion, conſiſting of a moving
              <lb/>
              <note position="left" xlink:label="note-0288-01" xlink:href="note-0288-01a" xml:space="preserve">20.</note>
            of the limbs, and of a kind of carriage; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9640" xml:space="preserve">which is the moſt wholſome kind of Ex-
              <lb/>
            erciſe.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9641" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9642" xml:space="preserve">Ariſtotle noted well touching the generation of Birds, (but he transferred it ill to
              <lb/>
              <note position="left" xlink:label="note-0288-02" xlink:href="note-0288-02a" xml:space="preserve">21.</note>
            other living Creatures) that the ſeed of the Male confers leſs to generation than the
              <lb/>
            Female, but that it rather affords Activity than Matter; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9643" xml:space="preserve">ſo that fruitful Eggs and un-
              <lb/>
            fruitful Eggs are hardly diſtinguiſhed.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9644" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9645" xml:space="preserve">Birds (almoſt all of them) come to their full growth the firſt year, or a little after.
              <lb/>
            </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9646" xml:space="preserve">
              <note position="left" xlink:label="note-0288-03" xlink:href="note-0288-03a" xml:space="preserve">22.</note>
            It is true, that their Feathers in ſome kinds, and their Bills in others, ſhew their years,
              <lb/>
            but for the growth of their Bodies it is not ſo.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9647" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9648" xml:space="preserve">The Eagle is accounted a long liver, yet his years are not ſet down; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9649" xml:space="preserve">and it is alledged
              <lb/>
              <note position="left" xlink:label="note-0288-04" xlink:href="note-0288-04a" xml:space="preserve">23.</note>
            as a ſign of his long life, that he caſts his Bill, whereby he grows young again: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9650" xml:space="preserve">from
              <lb/>
            whence comes that old Proverb, The old age of an Eagle. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9651" xml:space="preserve">Notwithſtanding perchance
              <lb/>
            the matter may be thus, That the renewing of the Eagle doth not caſt his bill, but the
              <lb/>
            caſting of his bill is the renewing ofthe Eagle, for after that his bill is grown to a great
              <lb/>
            crookedneſs, the Eagle feeds with much difficulty.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9652" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9653" xml:space="preserve">Vultures are alſo affirmed to be long livers, inſomuch that they extend their life
              <lb/>
              <note position="left" xlink:label="note-0288-05" xlink:href="note-0288-05a" xml:space="preserve">24.</note>
            well near to an hundred years. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9654" xml:space="preserve">Kites likewiſe, and ſo all Birds that feed upon fleſh,
              <lb/>
            and Birds of prey live long. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9655" xml:space="preserve">As for Hawks, becauſe they lead a degenerate and ſervile
              <lb/>
            life for the delight of men, the term of their natural life is not certainly known: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9656" xml:space="preserve">not-
              <lb/>
            withſtanding amongſt Mewed Hawks ſome have been found to have lived thirty years, and
              <lb/>
            amongſt u
              <unsure/>
            ild Hawks forty years.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9657" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9658" xml:space="preserve">The Raven likewiſe is reported to live long, ſometimes to an hundred years: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9659" xml:space="preserve">he
              <lb/>
              <note position="left" xlink:label="note-0288-06" xlink:href="note-0288-06a" xml:space="preserve">25.</note>
            feeds on Carrion, and flies not often, but rather is a ſedentry and malanchollick Bird,
              <lb/>
            and hath very black fleſh. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9660" xml:space="preserve">But the crow, like unto him in moſt things, (except in
              <lb/>
            greatneſs and voice) lives not altogether ſolong, and yet is reckoned amongſt the long
              <lb/>
            livers.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9661" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9662" xml:space="preserve">The Swan is certainly found to be a long liver, and exceeds not unfrequently an
              <lb/>
              <note position="left" xlink:label="note-0288-07" xlink:href="note-0288-07a" xml:space="preserve">26.</note>
            hundred years. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9663" xml:space="preserve">Hc is a Bird excellently plumed, a feeder upon fiſh, and is always car-
              <lb/>
            ried, and that in running waters.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9664" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9665" xml:space="preserve">The Gooſe alſo may paſs amongſt the long livers, though his food be commonly
              <lb/>
              <note position="left" xlink:label="note-0288-08" xlink:href="note-0288-08a" xml:space="preserve">27.</note>
            graſs, and ſuch kind of nouriſhment; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9666" xml:space="preserve">eſpecially the Wild-Gooſe; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9667" xml:space="preserve">whereupon this
              <lb/>
            Proverb grew amongſt the Germans, Magis ſenex quam Anſer nivalis, Older than a
              <lb/>
            Wild Gooſe.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9668" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9669" xml:space="preserve">Storks muſt needs be long livers, if that be true which was anciently obſerved of
              <lb/>
              <note position="left" xlink:label="note-0288-09" xlink:href="note-0288-09a" xml:space="preserve">28.</note>
            them, that they never came to Thebes, becauſe that City was often ſacked. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9670" xml:space="preserve">This if it
              <lb/>
            were ſo, then either they muſt have the knowledge of more ages than one, or elſe
              <lb/>
            the old ones muſt tell their young the Hiſtory. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9671" xml:space="preserve">But there is nothing more frequent than
              <lb/>
            Fables.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9672" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9673" xml:space="preserve">For Fables do ſo abound touching the Phœnix, that the truth is utterly loſt if
              <lb/>
              <note position="left" xlink:label="note-0288-10" xlink:href="note-0288-10a" xml:space="preserve">29.</note>
            any ſuch Bird there be. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9674" xml:space="preserve">As for that which was ſo much admired, That ſhe was
              <lb/>
            ever ſeen abroad with a great troop of Birds about her, it is no ſuch wonder; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9675" xml:space="preserve">for
              <lb/>
            the ſame is uſually ſeen about an Owl flying in the day-time, or a Parrot let out of a
              <lb/>
            Cage.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9676" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9677" xml:space="preserve">The Parro hath been certainly known to have lived threeſcore years in England,
              <lb/>
              <note position="left" xlink:label="note-0288-11" xlink:href="note-0288-11a" xml:space="preserve">30.</note>
            how old ſoever he was before he was brought over: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9678" xml:space="preserve">a Bird eating almoſt all kind of
              <lb/>
            meats, chewing his meat, and renewing his bill; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9679" xml:space="preserve">likewiſe curſt and miſchievous, and of
              <lb/>
            a black fleſh.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9680" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9681" xml:space="preserve">The Peacock lives twenty years; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9682" xml:space="preserve">but he comes not forth with his Argus Eyes before
              <lb/>
              <note position="left" xlink:label="note-0288-12" xlink:href="note-0288-12a" xml:space="preserve">31.</note>
            he be three years old; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9683" xml:space="preserve">a Bird ſlow of pace, having whitiſh flew.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9684" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9685" xml:space="preserve">The Dunghill-Cock is venerious, martial, and but of a ſhort life; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9686" xml:space="preserve">a crank Bird,
              <lb/>
              <note position="left" xlink:label="note-0288-13" xlink:href="note-0288-13a" xml:space="preserve">32.</note>
            having alſo white fleſh.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9687" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9688" xml:space="preserve">The Indian-Cock, commonly called the Turkey-Cock, lives not much longer than
              <lb/>
              <note position="left" xlink:label="note-0288-14" xlink:href="note-0288-14a" xml:space="preserve">33.</note>
            the Dunghill-Cock: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9689" xml:space="preserve">an angry Bird, and hath exceeding white fleſh.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9690" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9691" xml:space="preserve">The Ring-Doves are of the longeſt ſort of livers, inſomuch that they attain ſome-
              <lb/>
              <note position="left" xlink:label="note-0288-15" xlink:href="note-0288-15a" xml:space="preserve">34.</note>
            times to fifty years of age: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9692" xml:space="preserve">an aiery Bird, and both builds and ſits on high. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9693" xml:space="preserve">But Doves
              <lb/>
            and Turtles are but ſhort-liv’d, not exceeding eight years.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9694" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9695" xml:space="preserve">But Pheaſants and Partiges may live to ſix
              <unsure/>
            teen years. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9696" xml:space="preserve">They are great breeders, but
              <lb/>
              <note position="left" xlink:label="note-0288-16" xlink:href="note-0288-16a" xml:space="preserve">35.</note>
            not ſo white of fleſh as the ordinary Pullen.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s9697" xml:space="preserve"/>
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