i66 THE SCARUS—" FISHING PROHIBITED" 



If we cannot absolutely claim for Martial the first mention 

 of the jointed Fishing Rod and the natural or artificial Fly, we 

 are safe in acclaiming him the author of the first notice, 

 " Fishing strictly prohibited," or " Chasse def endue," in his 



" Baiano procul a lacu recede, 

 Piscator : fuge, ne nocens recedas." 



(IV. 30.) 



This epigram furnishes Bunsmann with one of the only 

 three acts of Impietas which he can allege against the blameless 

 race of fishermen. Martial here solemnl}^ warns a fellow 

 craftsman against fishing in the lake of Baiae, because (i) the 

 fish there are sacred to the Emperor Domitian, (2) a previous 

 intruder was smitten blind in the very act of landing his fish, 

 so that — and here comes a touch of the true angler — " he could 

 not see his spoil." 



The pretty compliment, veiled in the words " sacred fish," 

 ranks Domitian as a god, because, as at many temples of the 

 gods fish were held sacred, so at his Baian abode the fish had 

 been shown by divine action to be sacred. But the fulsome 

 bluntness of " than whom in the whole world there is none 

 mightier " mars the effect. Lest, however, his friend might 

 think that " Not twice in this world shall the Gods do thus," 

 or deem the superhuman sanction played out. Martial adjures 

 him to throw to the fish some plain bookless food, and " dum 

 potes, innocens recede." 



These Baian fish were evidently not as sophisticated or as 

 discriminating as their neighbours, the Melanuri, which greedily 

 snatch food thrown into the sea, but to any bit whatsoever 

 containing a hook they approach neither delicately, nor at all. ^ 



In case some reader, fired by the fame of Theocritus or 

 Martial, imagine an easy affluence by writing Fisher Eclogues 

 or Fisher Epigrams, I refer him to Martial's other warning, 

 where he states that a written copy of one of his books could 

 be bought for about fourpence halfpenny (considerably cheaper 

 than a printed one now) and that with a profit to the book- 

 seller ! 2 



1 Pliny. XXXII. 8. ' Ep., 3, 13. 



