176 The Complete Angler 



time many law-suits depending ; and that they both 

 damped his mirth, and took up so much of his time 

 and thoughts, that he himself had not leisure to 

 take the sweet content that I, who pretended no 

 title to them, took in his fields : for I could there 

 sit quietly ; and looking on the water, see some 

 fishes sport themselves in the silver streams, others 

 x leaping at flies of several shapes and colours ; look- 

 ' ing on the hills, I could behold them spotted with 

 woods and groves; looking down the meadows, could 

 see, here a boy gathering lilies and lady-smocks, and 

 there a girl cropping culverkeys and cowslips, all 

 to make garlands suitable to this present month of 

 May : these, and many other field flowers, so per- 

 fumed the air, that I thought that very meadow like 

 that field in Sicily of which Diodorus speaks, where 

 the perfumes arising from the place make all dogs 

 that hunt in it to fall off, and to lose their hottest 

 scent. I say, as I thus sat, joying in my own happy 

 condition, and pitying this poor rich man that owned 

 this and many other pleasant proves and meadows 

 about me, I did thankfully remember what my 

 Saviour said, that the meek possess the earth; or 

 rather, they enjoy what the others possess, and enjoy 

 not; for anglers and meek quiet-spirited men are 

 free from those high, those restless thoughts, which 

 corrode the sweets of life ; and they, and they only, 

 can say, as the poet has happily exprest it, 



Hail ! blest estate of lowliness ; 



Happy enjoyments of such minds 

 As, rich in self-contentedness, 

 v v Can, like the reeds, in roughest winds, 

 By yielding make that blow but small 

 At which proud oaks and cedars fall. 



There came also into my mind at that time, 

 certain verses in praise of a mean estate and humble 

 mind; they were written by Phineas Fletcher, an 



