88 ANGLING REMINISCENCES. 



grave to many a breathing mariner ? Good-night, 

 thou hag of mischief! What are horrors to thee, 

 before whom stalk our feud and pestilence our out- 

 rage and calamity ? Lift not thou the angler's curtain ; 

 'tis no blessing to have thy prostituted light shed on 

 his slumbering forehead. Away ! he provokes thee 

 not ; get thee homage from the bandit and jackal. 

 Good-night good-night ! 



[After this extraordinary effusion, Mr. May-fly thought 

 proper to follow the example of Tim Gaff, leaving the 

 remainder of our worthy anglers still busily engaged 

 in framing and counter-framing such enactments as 

 were necessary, they severally opined, to preserve the 

 balance of the competition. The result of their labours 

 was as follows. It is unnecessary to add, that on sub- 

 mitting the regulations next morning to the contend- 

 ing party, they received a cordial and unanimous ap- 

 proval, and a vote of thanks was immediately tendered 

 to the industrious projectors.] 



LAWS OF COMPETITION, 



AS SUBMITTED DURING BREAKFAST ON THE FOLLOWING MORN- 

 ING TO THE PARTY OF ANGLERS AT H N INN. 



I. That the arrangements already settled in previous com- 

 munications betwixt parties shall be held as binding. 



II. That umpires shall be appointed, one by each party, to 

 overlook the observance of regulations by the competitors, and 

 decide the contest. 



