This is one of the more questionable elements found in Perceval de Boulainvilliers' letter to the Duke of Milan (see footnote 137); but since this letter has given us a precise date of birth and is therefore considered important by historians, and since the business about the roosters has become a picturesque part of the subject, I have cited it here without further comment. The full sentence reads: "The roosters, as if heralds of a new joy, broke out in songs never before heard, contrary to their custom; and beating their wings for nearly two hours they seemed to predict the occurrence of a new thing." (for a transcription of the original language, see Quicherat's "Procès...", Vol V, p. 116.)
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