THE COMPLETE ANGLER 257 



and now, Sir, if I am not mistaken, I have half overcome 

 you ; and that I may wholly conquer that modesty of 

 yours, I will take upon me to be so familiar as to say, you 

 must accept my invitation, which, that you may the more 

 easily be persuaded to do, I will tell you that my house 

 stands upon the margin of one of the finest rivers for 

 trout and grayling in England ; that I have lately built 

 a little fishing-house upon it, dedicated to anglers, over 

 the door of which you will see the two first letters of my 

 father Walton's name and mine twisted in cipher ; that 

 you shall He in the same bed he has sometimes been 

 contented with, and have such country entertainment 

 as my friends sometimes accept, and be as welcome, 

 too, as the best friend of them all. 



VIAT. No doubt, Sir, but my master Walton found 

 good reason to be satisfied with his entertainment in your 

 house ; for you who are so friendly to a mere stranger, 

 who deserves so little, must needs be exceeding kind and 

 free to him who deserves so much. 



Pise. Believe me, no : and such as are intimately 

 acquainted with that gentleman know him to be a man 

 who will not endure to be treated like a stranger. So 

 that his acceptation of my poor entertainment has ever 

 been a pure effect of his own humility and good-nature, 

 and nothing else. But, Sir, we are now going down the 

 Spittle Hill into the town ; and therefore let me importune 

 you suddenly to resolve, and (most earnestly) not to deny 

 me. 



VIAT. In truth, Sir, I am so overcome by your bounty, 

 that I find I cannot, but must render myself wholly to be 

 disposed of by you. 



Pise. Why that's heartily and kindly spoken, and I 

 as heartily thank you. And, being [seeing] you have 

 abandoned yourself to my conduct, we will only call 

 and drink a glass on horseback at the Talbot, and 

 away. 

 100 i 



