chap, i.] THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 3 



Ven. Sir, mine is a mixture of both, a little 

 business and more pleasure : for I intend this day to 

 do all my business, and then bestow another day or 

 two in hunting the Otter, which a friend, that I go 

 to meet, tells me, is much pleasanter than any other 

 chase whatsoever : howsoever I mean to try it ; for 

 to-morrow morning we shall meet a pack of Otter- 

 dogs of noble Mr. Sadler's, upon Amwell-hill, who 

 will be there so early, that they intend to prevent 

 the sun-rising. 



Pise. Sir, my fortune has answered my desires : 

 and my purpose is to bestow a day or two in help- 

 ing to destroy some of those villainous vermin ; for 

 I hate them perfectly, because they love fish so well, 

 or rather, because they destroy so much ; indeed so 

 much, that, in my judgment, all men that keep otter- 

 dogs ought to have pensions from the King to en- 

 courage them to destroy the very breed of those 

 base otters, they do so much mischief. 



Ven. But what say you to the foxes of the nation ? 

 Would not you as willingly have them destroyed ? 

 for doubtless they do as much mischief as otters do. 



Pise. Oh Sir, if they do, it is not so much to 

 me and my fraternity as those base vermin the 

 otters do. 



Auc. Why, Sir, I pray, of what fraternity are 

 you, that you are so angry with the poor otters ? 



Pise. I am, Sir, a Brother of the Angle, and 

 therefore an enemy to the otter : for, you are to 

 note that, we Anglers all love one another, and, 



