chap, xxi.] THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 253 



the most deadly sins : yet he was said to be a man 

 after God's own heart, because he abounded more 

 with thankfulness than any other that is mentioned 

 in Holy Scripture, as may appear in his book of 

 Psalms ; where there is such a commixture of his 

 confessing of his sins and unworthiness, and such 

 thankfulness for God's pardon and mercies, as 

 did make him to be accounted, even by God him- 

 self, to be a man after his own heart : and let us 

 in that, labour to be as like him as we can ; let not 

 the blessings we receive daily from God, make us 

 not to value, or not praise Him because they be 

 common : let not us forget to praise Him for the 

 innocent mirth and pleasure we have met with 

 since we met together. What would a blind man 

 give to see the pleasant rivers, and meadows, and 

 flowers, and fountains, that we have met with since 

 we met together ? I have been told, that if a man 

 that was born blind, could obtain to have his sight 

 for but only one hour during his whole life, and 

 should, at the first opening of his eyes, fix his sight 

 upon the Sun when it was in his full glory, either 

 at the rising or setting of it, he would be so trans- 

 ported and amazed, and so admire the glory of it, 

 that he would not willingly turn his eyes from that 

 first ravishing object, to behold all the other various 

 beauties this world could present to him. And this, 

 and many other like blessings, we enjoy daily. And 

 for most of them, because they be so common, 

 most men forget to pay their praises ; but let not 



