40 LITERATURE OF SEA AND RIVER FISHING. 



the nets, and labouring as much as any fisherman of them all : 

 and when some belike objected to him the baseness of his office, 

 he excused himself, that if other men might hunt hares, why should 

 not he hunt carpes ? Many gentlemen in like sort, with us, will 

 wade up to the armholes, upon such occasions, and voluntarily 

 undertake that to satisfie their pleasure, which a poor man for a 

 good stipend would scare be hired to undergo. Plutarch, in his 

 book De Soler. Animal.^ speaks against all fishing as a filthy, base, 

 illiberall imployment, having neither wit nor perspicacity in it, 

 nor worth the labour. But he that shall consider the variety of 

 baits, for all seasons, and pretty devices which our anglers have 

 invented, peculiar lines, false flies, severall sleights, &c., will say, 

 that it deserves like commendation, requires as much study and 

 perspicacity as the rest, and is to be preferred before many of 

 them ; because hawking and hunting are very laborious, much 

 riding, and many dangers accompany them ; but this is still and 

 quiet ; and if so be the angler catch no fish, yet he hath a whole- 

 some walk to the brook side, pleasant shade, by the sweet 

 silver streams ; he hath good air, and sweet smels of fine fresh 

 meadow flowers ; he hears the melodious harmony of birds ; he 

 sees the swans, herns, ducks, water hens, cootes, &c., and many 

 other fowle with their brood, which he thinketh better than the 

 noise of hounds, or blast of horns, and all the sport that they can 

 make." 



But to return to our authoress — she is very minute in 

 her instructions as to baits and tackle, " roddes," and 

 " harnays " generally, and the " instrumentes " for making 

 them. Among several curious woodcuts is one of hooks of 

 eighteen sizes (of something like the " Limerick " bend), 

 with thick shanks and beards, which she says are *' the 

 most subtle and hardest craft in the making of your 

 harness ; " and these are her directions for their production, 

 given (as a specimen) in the old spelling : — 



" For smalle fysshe ye shall make your hokes of the smalest 

 quarell nedlye that ye can fynd of stele, and in this wise. Ye 



