The STORK now is of frequent occurrence, although it does not occur among the older English signs. Coryatt thus speaks of these birds:-- “There, [at Fontainebleau] I saw two or three birds that I never saw before; yet I have much read of admirable things of them, in Aelianus the Polyhistor, and other historians, even _Storckes_, which do much haunt many cities and towns of the Netherlands, especially in the sommer. For in Flushing, a towne of Zeland, I saw some of them, those men esteeming themselves happy in [on] whose houses they harbour, and those most unhappy whom they forsake. It is written of them that when the old one is become so old that it is not able to helpe itselfe, the young one purveyeth foode for it, and sometime carryeth it about on his backe, and if it seeth it so destitute of meate, that it knoweth not where to get any sustenance, it casteth out that which it hath eaten the day before, to the end to feede his damme. This bird is called in Greeke πελαργος where hence cometh the Greeke word αντιπελαργειν which signifieth to imitate the stork in cherishing our parents.”[285] This fabled virtue of the stork suggested the sign to many Continental booksellers and printers. The TWO STORKS was the sign of Martin Nutius of Antwerp, 1550, and his son, Philip Nutius. Their colophons, which were varied continually, all represent a young stork feeding an old one, sometimes carrying him on his back, with the motto: “PIETAS HOMINI . TUTISSIMA . VIRTUS.” A similar sign was used, _circa_ 1682, by Franciscus Canisius; and, in 1651, by Joan. Bapt. Verdussen, both of Antwerp. The Parisian booksellers adopted it as well, for we find it on the titlepages of Sebastien Nivelle, and of Sebastien Cramoisy, the king’s printer, of the Rue St Jacques, 1636. He used a Scripture motto with it: “HONORA PATREM TUUM ET MATREM TUAM UT SIS LONGAEVUS SUPER TERRAM, _Ecc._ XX.” In the Banks’ Collection of Bills there is one of the STORK HOTEL at Basle, of the end of the last century. It gives the address in four languages. The English stands thus:--Christophe Imhoff, “a the Seigne off the Storgk at Basel.” The THREE CRANES was formerly a favourite London sign. With the usual jocularity of our forefathers, an opportunity for punning could not be passed, so instead of the three cranes, which in the vintry used to lift the barrels of wine, three birds were represented. The Three Cranes in Thames Street, or in the vicinity, was a famous tavern as early as the reign of James I. It was one of the taverns frequented by the wits in Ben Jonson’s time. In one of his plays he says:-- “A pox o’ these pretenders to wit, your _Three Cranes_, Mitre and Mermaid men! not a corn of true salt, not a grain of right mustard among them all!”--_Bartholomew Fair_, a. i. s. 1.