Carp. 
Barbell. 
Tench. 
Roach. 
Gudgeon. 
Dace. 
Eeles. 
102 ON THE PLACE OF FISH IN 
becometh delectable to the taste, and grateful to the 
stomach. The spawn of perch is of delicate and whole- 
some nourishment, very good for the weak, or of cold temper 
of body. ‘The lesser perch are best. But if the great ones 
are kept a day or two, specially if transported from the place 
where they are taken, their substance becomes more tender 
—very good for every condition of body, age, and con- 
stitution. 
Carp is of sweet exquisite taste, but the nourishment 
doth not answer to the taste; if it were, it would be 
numbered amongst fishes of primest note. It giveth slimy, 
phlegmatic, excremental nourishment, and quickly satiateth 
the stomach. Let all who are of weak stomach eschew it. 
The head and spawn of the carp are the pleasantest and 
wholesomest ; to be preferred before the rest of the fish. 
The barbell is soft and moist, of easy concoction, and 
very pleasant taste; of good nourishment, but somewhat 
muddy and excremental. The greater excel the lesser for 
meat, because their superfluous moisture is amended by age. 
The spawn of them is to be objected to as most offensive 
to the belly and stomach. 
The tench is unwholesome. Hard of concoction, un- 
pleasant of taste, noisome to the stomach, and filleth the 
body with gross slimey humour. Notwithstanding, it is 
meat fit for labouring men. 
The roach is of easy concoction, of light and meetly 
nourishment ; not hurtful to any age or constitution of 
body, so long as the stomach desire it. 
The gudgeon, though but a small fish, yet for goodness 
may challenge the prime place of freshwater fish. It is 
delightsome to taste, easy of concoction, and good nourish- — 
ment for all ages and constitutions. The dace is much the 
same, but of lesser nourishment. 
Eeles are pleasant to taste, but they are hard of digestion, 
slimey, gross, phlegmatic, and soon noisome to the stomach. 
They breed obstructions, because they make a gross and 
glutinous nourishment, and are most hurtful to those subject 
