NORTHERN MEMOIRS. 177 



she happily arrives at, possibly she may leave 

 the spawn behind her, which my Compleat An- 

 gler no sooner deliberated, but drop'd his argu- 

 ment, and leaves Gesner to defend it ; so hufFd 

 away : which rendred him rather a formal opi- 

 nionist, than a reform'd and practical artist, be- 

 cause to celebrate such antiquated records, where- 

 by to maintain such an improbable assertion. 



Theoph. This was to the point, I confess ; 

 pray, go on. 



Am. In his book, intituled the Compleat 

 Angler, you may read there of various and di- 

 versified colours, as also the forms and propor- 

 tions of flies. Where, poor man, he perplexes 

 himself to rally and scrape together such a par- 

 cel of fragments, which he fancies arguments 

 convincing enough to instruct the adult and 

 minority of youth, into the slender margin of 

 his uncultivated art, never made practicable by 

 himself I'm convinced. Where note, the true 

 character of an industrious angler, more deser- 

 vedly falls upon Merril and Faulkner, or rather 

 upon Isaac Owldham, a man that fish'd salmon 

 but with three hairs at hook, whose collections 

 and experiments were lost with himself. 



Theoph. That was pity. 



Arn. So it was, but to thee, Theophilus, so 

 well improved, if salmon or trout be your re- 

 in 



