The Pirst Day 39 



the midst of their wonderful glory, used Angling as 

 a principal recreation. And let me tell you, that in 

 the Scripture, Angling is always taken in the best 

 sense ; and that though hunting may .be sometimes 

 so taken, yet it is but seldom to be so understood. 

 And let me add this more: he that views the 

 ancient Ecclesiastical Canons, shall find hunting to 

 be forbidden to Churchmen, as being a turbulent, 

 toilsome, perplexing recreation ; and shall find 

 Angling allowed to clergymen, as being a harmless 

 recreation, a recreation that invites them to con- 

 templation and quietness. 



I might here enlarge myself, by telling you what 

 commendations our learned Perkins bestows on 

 Angling : and how dear a lover, and great a practiser 

 of it, our learned Dr. Whitaker was ; as indeed many 

 others of great learning have been. But I will con- 

 tent myself with two memorable men, that lived 

 near to our own time, whom I also take to have 

 been ornaments to the art of Angling. 



The first is Dr. Nowel, sometime dean of the 

 cathedral church of St. Paul, in London, where his 

 monument stands yet undefaced ; a man that, in 

 the reformation of Queen Elizabeth, not that of 

 Henry VIII., was so noted for his meek spirit, deep 

 learning, prudence, and piety, that the then Parlia- 

 ment and Convocation, both, chose, enjoined, and 

 trusted him to be the man to make a Catechism for 

 public use, such a one as should stand as a rule for 

 faith and manners to their posterity. And the 

 good old man, though he was very learned, yet 

 knowing that God leads us not to heaven by many, 

 nor by hard questions, like an honest Angler, made 

 that good, plain, unperplexed Catechism which is 

 printed with our good old Service-book. I say, this 

 good man was a dear lover and constant practiser 

 of Angling, as any age can produce : and his 



