152 best's art of angling. 



1. 



The flood's Qlieen Thames, for ships and swans is^ 

 crown'd, 



And stately Severn for her shore is prais'd ; 

 The chrystal Trent for fords and fish renown'd,. 



And Avon's fame to Albion's cliffs is rais'd :. 



9. 



Carlegion Chester vaunts her holy Dee : 

 York many wonders of her Ouse can tell: 



The Peak her Dove, v/hose banks so fertile be,. 

 And Kent will say, her Medway doth excel.. 



3: 



Cotswold commands her Isis to the Tame : 



Our northern borders boast of Tweed's fair flood':. 



Our western parts extol their Willy's fame, 

 And the old Lea brags of the Danish blood. 



But let me return to the Thames, of which, and, 

 the rivers that fall into it, I shall treat somewhat 

 paiticularl}^, as they are more the seat for the 

 diversion of angling than any others. The 

 higher an angler goes up the 1 hames, if within 

 about forty miles, the more sport, and the greater 

 variety offish he will meet with; but as few 

 Londoners goes far from home, I shall mention 

 the best places for Thames angling from London 

 Bridge to Chelsea. 



But before I proceed any farther on this sub- 

 ject, it will be necessary to lay down some rules 

 which the angler mu^t attend to. 



If the air is cold and raw, the v/ind high, the 

 w^ater rough, or if the weather is wet, it is totally 

 useless to ano-le in the Thames. 



But when the sky is serene, the air temperate;, 

 and the water smooth success will attend you. 



