2o8 The Complete Angler 



trouble himself and family to be removing from one 

 house to another : and being asked by a friend why 

 he removed so often from one house to another, 

 replied, " It was to find content in some one of 

 them". But his friend, knowing his temper, told 

 him, " If he would find content in any of his houses, 

 he must leave himself behind him ; for content will 

 never dwell but in a meek and quiet soul ". And 

 this may appear, if we read and consider what our 

 Saviour says in St. Matthew's Gospel ; for He there 

 says ** Blessed be the merciful, for they shall obtain 

 mercy. Blessed be the pure in heart, for they shall 

 see God. Blessed be the poor in spirit, for theirs 

 is the kingdom of heaven. And, Blessed be the 

 meek, for they shall possess the earth." Not that 

 the meek shall not also obtun mercy, and see God, 

 and be comforted, and at last come to the kingdom 

 of heaven : but in the mea .time, he, and he only, 

 possesses the earth, as he go js towards that kingdom 

 of heaven, by being humble and cheerful, and con- 

 tent with what his good God had allotted him?) He 

 has no turbulent, repining, vexatious thoughts that 

 he deserves better ; nor is vext when he see others 

 possest of more honour or more riches than his wise 

 God has allotted for his share: but he possesses 

 what he has with a meek and contented quietness, 

 such a quietness as makes his very dreams pleasing, 

 both to God and himself. 



My honest Scholar, all this is told to incline you 

 to thankfulness; and -to incline you the more, let 

 me tell you, and though the prophet David was 

 guilty of murder and adultery, and many other of 

 the most deadly sins, yet he was said to be a man 

 after God's own heart, because he abounded more 

 with thankfulness that any other that is mentioned 

 in holy scripture, as may appear in his book of 

 Psalms ; where there is such a commixture, of his 



