ANGLING. 277 



men, and, I suppose, would apply to them 

 only, the observation of Dr. Johnson, which 

 on a former occasion you would not allow to 

 be just: " Angling is an amusement with a 

 stick and a string ; a worm at one end, and a 

 fool at the other." And to yourself you would 

 apply it with this change : " A fly at one end, 

 and a philosopher at the other." Yet the 

 pleasure of the Cockney Angler appears to me 

 of much the same kind, and perhaps more con- 

 tinuous than yours ; and he has the happiness 

 of constant occupation and perpetual pursuit 

 in as high a degree as you have ; and if we 

 were to look at the real foundations of your 

 pleasure, we should find them, like most of 

 the foundations of human happiness — vanity 

 or folly. I shall never forget the impression 

 made upon me some years ago, when I was 

 standing on the pier at Donegal, watching the 

 flowing of the tide : I saw a lame boy of four- 

 teen or fifteen years old very slightly clad, 

 that some persons were attempting to stop in 

 his progress along the pier ; but he resisted 

 them with his crutches, and, halting along, 

 threw himself from an elevation of five or six 

 T 3 



