SALMONIA. 31 



bottle of the vin ordinaire ycleped claret, that one meets with 

 in a country inn ! For God's sake, ring the bell ! Here, 

 John, some wine ! Nothing but a fresh bottle can allay my 

 indignation, and restore my tranquillity." 



" Well, we must admit that Sir Humphry would not be 

 exactly the man to fill the chair at an Irish ' symposium ;' but, 

 his Bacchanalian antipathies apart, he really is an agreeable 

 and instructive writer." 



" Why, ye-es ; still there is a dash of milk-and-water 

 throughout Salmonia, that nothing but its ingenious account 

 of the affinities and natural history of fishes could compensate. 

 Take, for example, the introduction of the Fishing- Party, and 

 remark the colloquy between Halieus and Poietes : 



" Hal. ' I am delighted to see you, my worthy friends, on 

 the banks of the Colne ; and am happy to be able to say, that 

 my excellent host has not only made you free of the river for 

 this day's angling, but insists upon your dining with him 

 wishes you to try the evening fishing, and the fishing to-morrow 

 morning and proposes to you, in short, to give up twenty- 

 four hours to the delights of an angler's May-day/ 



" Poiet. ' We are deeply indebted to him ; and I hardly 

 know how we can accept his offer, without laying ourselves 

 under too great an obligation/ 



" Hal. ' Fear not : he is as noble-minded a man as ever 

 delighted in good offices : and so benevolent, that I am sure 

 he will be almost as happy in knowing you are amused, as you 

 can be in your sport : and hopes for an additional satisfaction 

 in the pleasure of your conversation/ 



" Poiet.' So let it be/ 



" Hal. ' I will take you to the house ; you shall make your 

 bow, and then you will be all free to follow your own fancies. 

 Remember, the dinner-hour is five ; the dressing-bell rings at 

 half-past four; be punctual to this engagement, from which 

 you will be free at seven/ 



" Now, because a country gentleman takes heart, and 

 invites four philosophers to dinner, Hal can scarcely find 

 words to communicate the hospitable message, and Poietes 

 opines that the obligation shall be eternal. After the worthy 

 host is lauded for this generous act to the very skies, it 

 appears that he bundles off the company at seven o'clock, and, 

 before they had time to look around the table, quoits them 

 out, 'like a shove- "roat shillin"*!' But hark; the niner is in 



