FISHES AND FISHING. 277 



with the sound of his money ;" the gentleman then 

 walked away a along Gerrard Street. M. B. called 

 one of his waiters to give the poor man some cold 

 meat, but before it could be brought, a person came 

 in haste to M. B., describing the gentleman who had 

 acted as judge ; and being informed the route he took, 

 followed, arrested his further progress, and brought 

 him back past the cafe. He proved to be a lunatic 

 who had escaped from his private keeper.* 



I was walking in the meadow by the Horse and 

 Groom, Lea Bridge, on the Essex side, one Sunday 

 afternoon, having gone thither merely for the advan 

 tage of the fresh air, but not to angle. On the oppo 

 site side sat an angler, patiently watching the motion 

 of his float ; a person who appeared to be an acquaint 

 ance, and who was near me, called to the angler, and 

 asked how long he had been there ; the angler replied, 

 "Ever since one this morning ; I came down last night 

 to bait this place, and I was here so early for fear any 

 one else should take it." On being asked by his friend 

 what sport he had had, he stooped down, pulled up 

 a piece of twine, attached to which was a carp, ap 

 parently about five pounds weight, by one end of the 

 twine being passed through the fish's mouth and 

 brought out at his gills, in order to keep it alive ; 



* There have been several versions of this occurrence pub 

 lished, but this I believe to be the true one. 



