8 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. [part i. 



weight, an element that doubtless exceeds both the 

 earth and water ; for though I sometimes deal in 

 both, yet the air is most properly mine, I and my 

 hawks use that most, and it yields us most recrea- 

 tion. It stops not the high soaring of my noble ge- 

 nerous falcon : in it she ascends to such an height, as 

 the dull eyes of beasts and fish are not able to reach 

 to ; their bodies are too gross for such high eleva- 

 tions : in the air my troops of hawks soar up on 

 high, and when they are lost in the sight of men, 

 then they attend upon and converse with the Gods ; 

 therefore I think my eagle is so justly styled Jove's 

 servant in ordinary : and that very Falcon, that I 

 am now going to see, deserves no meaner a title, for 

 she usually in her flight endangers herself, like the 

 son of D&dalus, to have her wings scorched by 

 the sun's heat, she flies so near it, but her mettle 

 makes her careless of danger ; for she then heeds 

 nothing, but makes her nimble pinions cut the fluid 

 air, and so makes her high wav over the steepest 

 mountains and deepest rivers, and in her glorious 

 career looks with contempt upon those high steeples 

 and magnificent palaces which we adore and wonder 

 at ; from which height I can make her to descend by 

 a word from my mouth, which she both knows and 

 obeys, to accept of meat from my hand, to own me 

 for her master, to go home with me, and be willing 

 the next day to afford me the like recreation. 



And more : this element of air which I profess to 

 trade in, the worth of it is such, and it is of such 



