28 THE COMMON TROUT. 



under the consideration of the first classes of fish. 

 For that end, I must signalise his vivacity and 

 vigour, his activity and courage, how natural they 

 spring from the nature of this fish, till age or ac- 

 cident indispose and deprive him, not only of activity 

 but of natural ability, who struggles with himself 

 to outdo motion, and outlive if possible the law of 

 his life. So that to prohibit him travel, you totally 

 destroy him ; since he is a fish that can't live under 

 confinement, and thus it happens to the race of 

 salmon, for nature's laws are alike to both. In the 

 summer's solstice he accosts the fords, making in- 

 spection and inquisition, after the variety of emmets 

 and insects ; hovering his fins in every murmuring 

 purling stream in rivers and rivulets, which not only 

 puts a spur to the angler's exercise, but his expect- 

 ations also : and this, if any thing, is the angler's Ely- 

 sium, which I shall not insist upon here, because 

 having enlarged upon it sufficiently already. In this 

 place I shall only treat of the ground bait, which 

 most commonly is a knotted or budded dew worm ; 

 much of the nature and kind of the former, but not 

 usually so large, as we procure for the salmon. 



Now, as every angler concludes the trout to be a 

 delicatefish for diversion, so others, as artists, consult 

 him as a delicious entertainment. But the trout to 

 entertain himself, as eagerly sucks in a well scoured 

 red worm, as the wide mouthed Humber swallows up 

 a full spring tide. For that end, grudge him not 

 what he loves, and give him time to digest it. Your 

 business is only to stand sentinel, and to keep a vi- 



