xlvi 



TO MY HONOUR'D FRIEND, 



CAPTAIN R. F. 



AUTHOR OF THE 



Contemplative 3n0Iet% 



I KNOW, ingenious sir, that Sol's bright rays 

 Make tapers useless ; so will be my praise 

 Of this your Angler, for what I express 

 Can nothing add to that illustrious dress : 

 Except in this, as colours dark, we know, 

 Cause brighter colours far more bright to show. 

 The garb it's clothed in, indeed is rich ; 

 Made up of neatest ornaments of speech ; 

 Graced with most pleasant fancy, and the flowVs 

 Of purest elegance, picked at such hours 

 When you have sat to hear the Muses sing 

 On the sweet banks of the Castalian spring : 

 Adorn'd with most curious observations, 

 Joined with most sober contemplations : 

 Things both divine and moral, and withal 

 Pleasant descriptions geographical : 

 Full of ingenious variety, 

 Mixt here and there with dainty poesy. 

 So that there's scarce a line throughout the book 

 That is not furnished with its line and hook, 

 With which the reader will be caught, wheii's eye 

 Is searching how to cheat the scaly fry. 

 Ladies will make it their companion, 



