THE COMPLETE ANGLER 33 



than when it was first rooted and weighed ; and you 

 shall find this augment of the tree to be without the 

 diminution of one drachm weight of the earth. Hence 

 they infer this increase of wood to be from water of rain, 

 or from dew, and not to be from any other element. 

 And they affirm they can reduce this wood back again 

 to water ; and they affirm also the same may be done 

 in any animal or vegetable. And this I take to be a 

 fair testimony of the excellency of my element of water. 



The water is more productive than the earth. Nay, 

 the earth hath no fruitfulness without showers or dews ; 

 for all the herbs and flowers and fruit are produced, 

 and thrive by the water ; and the very minerals are fed 

 by streams that run under ground, whose natural course 

 carries them to the tops of many high mountains, as 

 we see by several springs breaking forth on the tops 

 of the highest hills ; and this is also witnessed by the 

 daily trial and testimony of several miners. 



Nay, the increase of those creatures that are bred and 

 fed in the water is not only more and more miraculous, 

 but more advantageous to man, not only for the lengthen- 

 ing of his life, but for preventing of sickness ; for it is 

 observ.ed by the most learned physicians, that the casting 

 off of Lent and other fish days, which hath not only given 

 the lie to so many learned, pious, wise founders of colleges, 

 for which we should be ashamed, hath doubtless been 

 the chief cause of those many putrid, shaking, inter- 

 mitting agues, unto which this nation of ours is now 

 more subject than those wiser countries that feed on 

 herbs, sallads, and plenty of fish ; of which it is observed 

 in story, that the greatest part of the world now do. 

 And it may be fit to remember that Moses appointed 

 fish to be the chief diet for the best commonwealth that 

 ever yet was.* 



* Moses did not appoint fish to be the " chief diet." He merely 

 tells the members of the " best commonwealth " what fish it is 

 100 u 



