40 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. [part i. 



for faith and manners to their posterity. And the 

 good old man, though he was very learned, yet 

 knowing that God leads us not to heaven by many 

 nor by hard questions, like an honest Angler, made 

 that good, plain, unperplexed Catechism which is 

 printed with our good old Service-book. I say, 



this good man was a dear lover, and constant prac- 

 tiser of Angling, as any age can produce ; and his 

 custom was to spend besides his fixed hours of 

 prayer, those hours which by command of the Church 

 were enjoined the clergy, and voluntarily dedicated 

 to devotion by many primitive Christians : I say, 

 besides those hours, this good man was observed to 

 spend a tenth part of his time in Angling ; and also, 

 for I have conversed with those which have con- 

 versed with him, to bestow a tenth part of his re- 

 venue, and usually all his fish, amongst the poor 

 that inhabited near to those rivers in which it was 

 caught ; saying often, " That Charity gave life to 

 Religion : " and at his return to his house, would 

 praise God he had spent that day free from worldly 



