30 The Secrets of Angling. 



Yet must you liaue a little Rip beside 

 Of Willow twigs, the finest you can wish ; 

 Which shall be made so handsome and so wide 

 As may containe good store of sundry Fish : 

 And yet with ease be hanged by your side, 

 To bring them home the better to your dish, 

 A little Net that on a Pole shall stand, 

 The mighty Pike or heauy Carpe to Land. 



HIS SEUERALL TOOLES, AND WHAT GARMENT IS FITTEST. 



And let your garments Russet be or gray, 



Of colour darke, and hardest to descry : 



That with the Raine or weather will away, 



And least offend the fearefuU Fishes eye : 



For neither Skarlet nor rich cloth of ray 



Nor colours dipt in fresh Assyrian dye, 



Nor tender silkes, of Purple, Paule, or golde, 

 Will serue so well to keepe off wet or cold. 



In this aray the Angler good shall goe 

 Vnto the Brooke, to finde his wished game ; 

 Like old Menaki's wandring to and fro, 

 Vntil he chance to light vpon the same. 

 And there his art and cunning shall bestow. 

 For euery Fish his bayte so well to frame. 



That long ere Phcclnts set in Westerne fome, 

 He shall returne well loaden to his home. 



OBJECTION 



Some youthfull Gallant here perhaps will say 

 This is no pastime for a gentleman. 

 It were more fit at cardes and dice to play. 

 To use both fence and dauncing now and than. 

 Or walke the streetes in nice and strange Aray, 

 Or with coy phrases court his Mistris fan, 



A poore delight with toyle and painfull watch, 

 With losse of time a siliy Fish to catch. 



