NORTHERN MEMOIRS. 1 1 1 



Arn. Thanks, dear Aquilla, thus friendly to 

 salute us ; we are come to see you, and have de- 

 serted the beautiful tracts of Albion, to trample 

 the solitary fields in Scotland. Behold these evi- 

 dences ; we have brought our rods, where note 

 you may easily guess our design. 



Aquil. Above all men you are fortunate ; for 

 had you studied an age to time your business for 

 a day's diversion, the heavens could not shine 

 stars more propitious. Do but see how the 

 ground is chap'd and parch'd, and the streams 

 so lean and barren of soil, as well they may, for 

 no moisture has fallen to refresh the earth, nor 

 drive down soil to recruit the rivers and feast the 

 fish, this month or more, till yesterday ; and then 

 the clouds began to dapple, the face of the fir- 

 mament to lowre, the sky to discolour, the air 

 to moisten, and the spouts of heaven seemingly 

 to drop : yet when all came to all, it came to 

 nothing ; for the tears of this storm converted 

 into a calm ; so exhal'd into meteors, for ought 

 I know : for when we expected a deluge of rain, 

 there fell by chance but some few extravagant 

 drops; which, for greediness, made the fish al- 

 most forsake the water ; the complexion where- 

 of being but a little changed, you may fancy, if 

 you please, to fish under a colour. 



Am. Notwithstanding all this I'm for the fly. 



