THE LAWS OF ANGLING. 193 



royalties, or owners of lands adjoining to rivers ; 

 and these do, by some apted clownish nature and 

 education for the purpose, insult and domineer 

 over the innocent angler, beating him, breaking 

 his rod, or at least taking it from him, and 

 sometimes imprisoning his person as if he were 

 a felon. [There is no reading this passage 

 without figuring to one's imagination the poor, 

 humble, patient angler, standing still and de- 

 fenceless, while the merciless lord of the manor 

 is laying on him with a stick, perhaps the butt 

 of his own rod, or a worse weapon. I will 

 not dispute with the author, whether the meek- 

 ness and submission of the poor fisher upon this 

 occasion are very becoming or not : but this 

 sort of passive valour is rather to be admired 

 than imitated. Yet has the angler his remedy, 

 as the reader will see a few lines below.] 

 Whereas a true bred gentleman scorns those 

 spider-like attempts, and will rather refresh 

 a civil stranger at his table, than warn him from 

 coming on his ground upon so innocent an oc- 

 casion. It would therefore be considered how 

 far such furious drivers are warranted by the 

 kw, and what the angler may in case of such 



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