212 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. [parti. 



water-side, and considered what you had told me 

 of the owner of that pleasant meadow in which you 

 then left me : that he had a plentiful estate, and 

 not a heart to think so ; that he had at this time 

 many law- suits depending, and that they both 

 damped his mirth, and took up so much of his time 

 and thoughts, that he himself had not leisure to 

 take the sweet content that I, who pretended no 

 title to them, took in his fields : for I could there 

 sit quietly ; and, looking on the water, see some 

 fishes sport themselves in the silver streams, others, 

 leaping at flies of several shapes and colours ; look- 

 ing on the hills, I could behold them spotted with 

 woods and groves ; looking down the meadows, 

 could see here a boy gathering lilies and lady- 

 smocks, and there a. girl cropping culverkeyes and 

 cowslips, all to make garlands suitable to this pre- 

 sent month of May. These, and many other field- 

 flowers, so perfumed the air, that I thought that 

 very meadow like that field in Sicily, of which 

 Diodorus speaks, where the perfumes arising from 

 the place make all dogs that hunt in it to fall off, 

 and to lose their hottest scent. I say, as I thus sat, 

 joying in my own happy condition, and pitying this 

 poor rich man that owned this and many other plea- 

 sant groves and meadows about me, I did thank- 

 fully remember what my Saviour said, that the Meek 

 possess the earth ; or rather, they enjoy what the other 

 possess and enjoy not : for Anglers, and meek, quiet- 

 spirited men, are free from those high, those rest- 



