35 



Now that your stew-ponds may with ease afford 

 Supplies offish, well-fatted for your board, 

 With a slight wall a narrow place enclose, 

 Where the full river from its channel flows 5 

 The tinkling of the stream, or sav'ry bait, 

 Will tempt the fish to try the sweet deceit 5 

 The wickers opening readily admit 

 The breed, but never their return permit: 

 Here to your captives plenteous dainties throw, 

 Which soon will thrive and fit for table grow. 



Some few years past, as all good Christians feed 

 In spring-time only on the scaly breed; * 



Let 



* *' Fishes are like their element, and place 



/ Wherein they live, both cold and moist, a race 



Of flegmatic creatures, yet they are meat 



Which dry and choleric tempers may well eat j 



And those who would look smug, or else snout-fair, 



May take this liver-cooling dish for fare. 



In fervid seasons, and in climates hot 



Use them : but if the Beare the helm hath got, 



Or under Charles his seven-starr'd heavy wane, 



From this dull nourishment let them refraine. 



Sweet river-fishes slimy, and gross diejt, 



Are glibbery, and make egression quiet, 



More nourishing than sea-fish, and of these, 



Those (which the current streams and gravel please, 



And do abhorre annoyances of sinks, 



Which spoil their channels with their loathsome stinks) 



Are most delicious, such as pearch and trout j 



Your mud-fish all incline you to the gout. 



But those delighting in sweet scowres, refine 



Their squamy sides, and clarifie their line." 



Gayton's Longevity. 



" Another remedy against the dearth of things, especially victuals, is to 

 restore the vse of fish to the ancient credit and estimation : and hereupon 

 Bodine taketh occasion to commend our custome of England for obieruing 

 fish dayes in the weeke. And for effecting of the like in Fraunce, he pro- 



poundcth 



