OF A SALMON. 29 



July ana Barnes. Prioress of the Nunnery of 

 Sopewell, near St. Albans, a lady of noble family, 

 and celebrated for her learning and accomplish- 

 ments.* Her remarks are throughout very quaint. 

 Should the angler's sport fail him 



u he, atte the least, hath his holsome walk, and merry 

 at his ease a sweete ayre of the sweete savoure of the 

 meede floures that makyth him hungry * * * and 

 if the angler take fyshe, surely there is noo man merier 

 than he is in his spyryte. * * * The Barbel is a 

 swete fyshe ; but it is a quasy meete, and a perellous 

 for mannys body, and if he be eten rawe (!) he may 

 be cause of manny's dethe, which hath oft be seen 

 * * * * The Carpe is a deyntous fyshe, but there 

 ben but fewe in Englande, and therefore I wryte the 

 lesse of hym." 



It is amusing how all writers on angling, from 

 Dame Berners up to the present time, write of 



* Besides this work of Dame Berners and its reprint 

 by Wynkyn de Worde, only three other publications 

 were issued in this country between the introduction of 

 printing and the publication of Isaac Walton, viz : 

 " A booke of fishing with hook and line, and of all other 

 instruments thereunto belonging ; made by L.M. ; 4to 

 London, 1590, 1596, 1600." The initials stood for 

 "Leonard Mascall." " Approved Experiments touching 

 Fishing and Fruit, to be regarded by the Lovers of 

 Angling," by Mr. John Turner ; in quarto, 1600. 

 " Barkers Art of Angling;" printed in 12mo., in 1651, 

 and again, in quarto, 1653. 



