236 THE COMPLETE ANGLER 



ful. Let not us repine, or so much as think the gifts of 

 God unequally dealt, if we see another abound with riches, 

 when, as God knows, the cares that are the keys that keep 

 those riches hang often so heavily at the rich man's girdle, 

 that they clog him with weary days and restless nights, 

 even when others sleep quietly. We see but the outside 

 of the rich man's happiness : few consider him to be 

 like the silkworm, that, when she seems to play, is, at the 

 very same time, spinning her own bowels, and consuming 

 herself ; and this many rich men do, loading themselves 

 with corroding cares, to keep what they have, probably, 

 unconscionably got. Let us, therefore, be thankful for 

 health and a competence ; and above all, for a quiet 

 conscience. 



Let me tell you, scholar, that Diogenes walked on a day, 

 with his friend, to see a country fair ; where he saw ribbons 

 and looking-glasses, and nut-crackers and fiddles and 

 hobby-horses and many other gimcracks ; and, having 

 observed them, and all the other fmnimbruns that make 

 a complete country fair, he said to his friend, " Lord, 

 how many things are there in this world of which Diogenes 

 hath no need ! " And truly it is so, or might be so, with 

 very many who vex and toil themselves to get what 

 they have no need of. Can any man charge God that 

 He hath not given him enough to make his life happy ? 

 No, doubtless ; for nature is content with a little. 

 And yet you shall hardly meet with a man that complains 

 not of some want ; though he, indeed, wants nothing 

 but his will ; it may be, nothing but his will of his poor 

 neighbour, for not worshipping or not flattering him : and 

 thus, when we might be happy and quiet, we create trouble 

 to ourselves. I have heard of a man that was angry with 

 himself because he was no taller ; and of a woman that 

 broke her looking-glass because it would not show her 

 face to be as young and handsome as her next neighbour's 

 was. And I knew another to whom God had given 



