A Red Letter Day 201 



was, and how glad that I had, for a wonder, 

 brought a landing net ; he was a truly 

 beautiful fish a handsome patriarch and 

 weighed over two pounds. I fished no more 

 until I came on the road by the quaint little 

 mill, below which there is some open water 

 (fishing from the right bank) for about half 

 a mile. In this stretch four more keepable 

 fish were creeled, and then I joined my 

 friend and lunch at the stone bridge ; and 

 upon my conscience, I was glad, for the 

 exertion of catching several fine oak, ash, 

 and other trees as well as the fish had 

 induced a most excellent appetite : 



" Verum sen pisces sen porrum et caepe 

 Utere temperato alimento sed poculis magnis." 



So might Horace have written if he had 

 been a-trouting, and if the words had not 

 shocked his metrical fastidiousness. How- 

 ever, we did enjoy the welcome viands, 



