ENGLISH POETS ON FISHING. 145 



" Just there, where the water dark and cool 

 Lingers a moment in yonder pool, 



The dainty trout are at play ; 

 And now and then one leaps in sight, 

 With sides aglow in the golden light 



Of the long sweet summer day. 



" Oh, back to their shelves those books consign. 

 And look to your rod and reel and line. 



Make fast the feather'd hook ! 

 Then away from the town, with its hum of life. 

 Where the air with worry and work is rife, 

 To the charms of the meadow brook ! " 



As regards the poetical literature of angling which we 

 have reviewed, it would be mere affectation to say that we 

 should be satisfied with it as a whole. It is true that there 

 is considerable interest in it from a bibliographical point of 

 view, and that the contributions of several writers are good 

 examples of true poetic feeling and diction ; but at the 

 same time there is a plethora of what is mere doggerel, 

 stiltedness, and affectation. Anglers themselves, however, 

 who form no inconsiderable portion of the community, may 

 be congratulated on the high testimony the poets have 

 borne to their favourite recreation ; and it is not likely that 

 a vates sacer will ever be wanting to their ranks. As time 

 passes on, and prose works on angling multiply, in like 

 manner we may expect the stream of poetic literature to 

 flow on, as the contemplative man's recreation is in its 

 surroundings and associations conducive to the develop- 

 ment of poetic temperament and feeling. 



In this and the two previous chapters the majority of — 

 and, indeed, almost all — the authors mentioned were them- 

 selves anglers, as might naturally be expected. By way 

 of a note, we may here give the names of a few more or 

 less eminent literary men who, though not authors on 

 angling, have pursued the gentle craft. For instance, 



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