The Third Day 49 



months for the preservation of fish, will, in time, 

 prove the destruction of all rivers. And those 

 very few that are left, that make conscience of the 

 laws of the nation, and of keeping days of absti- 

 nence, will be forced to eat flesh, or suffer more in- 

 conveniences than are yet foreseen. 



VENATOR. Why, Sir, what be those that you 

 call the fence-months ? 



PlSCATOR. Sir, they be principally three, namely, 

 March, April, and May : for these be the usual 

 months that Salmon come out of the sea to spawn 

 in most fresh rivers. And their fry would, about a 

 certain time, return back to the salt water, if they 

 were not hindered by weirs and unlawful gins, which 

 the greedy fishermen set, and so destroy them by 

 thousands; as they would, being so taught by na- 

 ture, change the fresh for salt water. He that shall 

 view the wise Statutes made in the I3th of Edward 

 the First, and the like in Richard the Second, may 

 see several provisions made against the destruction 

 of fish : and though I profess no knowledge of the 

 law, yet I am sure the regulation of these defects 

 might be easily mended. But I remember that a 

 wise friend of mine did usually say, " that which is 

 everybody's business is nobody's business" : if it 

 were otherwise, there could not be so many nets and 

 fish, that are under the statute size, Sold daily amongst 

 us; and of which the conservators of the waters 

 should be ashamed. 



But, above all, the taking fish in spawning-time 

 may be said to be against nature : it is like taking 

 the dam on the nest when she hatches her young, a 

 sin so against nature, that Almighty God hath in 

 the Levitical law made a law against it. 



But the poor fish have enemies enough besides 

 such unnatural fishermen; as namely, the Otters 

 that I spake of, the Cormorant, the Bittern, the 

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