THE COMPLETE ANGLER 119 



merriment, and this song, which was well humoured by 

 the maker, and well remembered by you. 



Pise. But, I pray, forget not the catch which you 

 promised to make against night ; for our countryman, 

 honest Coridon, will expect your catch, and my song, 

 which I must be forced to patch up, for it is so long since 

 I learnt it, that I have forgotten a part of it. But, come, 

 now it hath done raining, let's stretch our legs a little in a 

 gentle walk to the river, and try what interest our angles 

 will pay us for lending them so long to be used by the 

 trouts ; lent them, indeed, like usurers, for our profit and 

 their destruction. 



VEN. Oh me ! look you, master, a fish ! a fish ! Oh, 

 alas, master, I have lost her I 



Pise. Ay, many, sir, that was a good fish indeed : 

 if I had had the luck to have taken up that rod, then 'tis 

 twenty to one he should not have broke my line by running 

 to the rod's end, as you suffered him. I would have held 

 him within the bent of my rod (unless he had been fellow 

 to the great trout that is near an ell long, which was of 

 such a length and depth that he had his picture drawn, 

 and now is to be seen at mine host Rickabie's, at the 

 " George," in Ware), and it may be by giving that very great 

 trout the rod, that is, by casting it to him into the water, 

 I might have caught him at the long run ; for so I use 

 always to do when I meet with an overgrown fish ; and 

 you will learn to do so too hereafter : for I tell you, 

 scholar, fishing is an art ; or, at least, it is an art to catch 

 fish. 



VEN. But, master, I have heard that the great trout 

 you speak of is a salmon. 



Pise. Trust me, scholar, I know not what to say to 

 it. There are many country people that believe hares 

 change sexes every year : and there be very many learned 

 men think so too, for in their dissecting them they find 

 many reasons to incline them to that belief. And to 



