The First Day 25 



the very sepulchre of our Lord Jesus ! How may 

 it beget and heighten the zeal of a Christian, to see 

 the devotions that are daily paid to him at that 

 place ! Gentlemen, lest I forget myself, I will stop 

 here, and remember you, that but for my element 

 of water, the inhabitants of this poor island must 

 remain ignorant that such things ever were, or that 

 any of them have yet a being. 



Gentlemen, I might both enlarge and lose myself 



in such like arguments. I might tell you that 



Almighty God is said to have spoken to a fish, but 



never to a beast ; that he hath made a whale a ship, 



to carry and set his prophet, Jonah, safe on the 



appointed shore. Of these I might speak, but I 



must in manners break off, for I see Theobald's 



-House. I cry you mercy for being so long, and 



s- thank you for your patience. 



AUCEPS. Sir, my pardon is easily granted you: 

 I except against nothing that you have said : 

 nevertheless, I must part with you at this park- 

 wall, for which I am very sorry ; but I assure you, 

 Mr. Piscator, I now part with you full of good 

 thoughts, not only of yourself, but your recreation. 

 And so, Gentlemen, God keep you both. 



PISCATOR. Well, now, Mr. Venator, you shall 

 neither want time, nor my attention to hear you 

 enlarge your discourse concerning hunting. 



VENATOR. Not I, Sir : I remember you said that 

 Angling itself was of great antiquity, arid a perfect 

 art, and an art not easily attained to ; and you have 

 so won upon me in your former discourse, that I am 

 very desirous to hear what you can say further con- 

 cerning those particulars. 



PISCATOR. Sir, I did say so : and I doubt not 

 but if you and I did converse together but a few 

 hours, to leave you possessed with the same high 

 and happy thoughts that now possess me of it ; not 



