NORTHERN MEMOIRS. 325 



order of such as study rather to gratify their 

 voracious appetites, than the curious methods 

 of the art of angling. However, Isaac Walton 

 has provided a cook, that, in his opinion, can 

 dress him well enough, whose arguments be- 

 yond dispute, had indubitably miscarried, had 

 not his wife had a finger in the pie. Thus he, 

 and some others, dress fish before they catch 

 them ; but I approve it requisite to catch them 

 first, and then at your leisure dress them after- 

 wards. 



The barbie, so named from his barbs or wat- 

 tles, most passionately admires the depth of the 

 river, at the tale of a stream : where you shall 

 usually find him sucking of soil, and lying pur- 

 due for worms and insects, or any thing else 

 that is sweet and edible. And by how much 

 the stronger you observe the stream, by so much 

 the more strength has the fish that inhabits 

 therein. And if there be rubbish, or any sort 

 of lumber, for his part he likes it never the 

 worse ; and if ruinous decays, or great stones 

 in the bottom, so much the better for his secu- 

 rity, whose provision is rarely any thing else, 

 save only what nature daily provides him. Nor 

 is he numbred among the fish of prey ; nor is 

 he a glutton, yet he knows how to eat ; nor is 

 he over-curious to court for varieties, though 

 some feed him with paste, and their liberality 



