THE COMPLETE ANGLER 41 



men to contemplate, and fools to pass by without con- 

 sideration." And though I will not rank myself in the 

 number of the first, yet give me leave to free myself from 

 the last, by offering to you a short contemplation, first of 

 rivers and then of fish ; concerning which I doubt not 

 but to give you many observations that will appear very 

 considerable: I am sure they have appeared so to me, 

 and made many an hour to pass away more pleasantly, 

 as I have sat quietly on a flowery bank by a calm river, 

 and contemplated what I shall now relate to you. 



And first, concerning rivers : there be so many wonders 

 reported and written of them, and of the several creatures 

 that be bred and live in them ; and those by authors of 

 so good credit, that we need not to deny them an historical 

 faith. 



As namely of a river in Epirus, that puts out any lighted 

 torch, and kindles any torch that was not lighted. Some 

 waters being drank cause madness, some drunkenness, 

 and some laughter to death. The River Selarus in a few 

 hours turns a rod or wand to stone ; and our Camden 

 mentions the like in England, and the like in Lochmere 

 in Ireland. There is also a river in Arabia, of which all 

 the sheep that drink thereof have their wool turned into 

 a vermilion colour. And one of no less credit than 

 Aristotle, tells us of a merry river, the River Elusina, that 

 dances at the noise of music, for with music it bubbles, 

 dances, and grows sandy, and so continues till the music 

 ceases, but then it presently returns to its wonted calm- 

 ness and clearness. And Camden tells us of a well near 

 to Kirby in Westmoreland, that ebbs and flows several 

 times every day : and he tells us of a river in Surrey, 

 it is called Mole, that after it has run several miles, being 

 opposed by hills, finds or makes itself a way under ground, 

 and breaks out again so far off, that the inhabitants 

 thereabout boast, as the Spaniards do of their River 

 Anus, that they feed divers flocks of sheep upon a bridge. 



100 B* 



