with unlimited ones, and might lead to the pre- 

 vention of both y by the public enforcing the ex- 

 isting laws against all offenders, whether rich 

 or poor. 



The publication, therefore, appeared to me 

 to be the lesser evil of the two ; yet it must be 

 admitted, both are evils, particularly as against 

 the angler; and it is exceedingly probable, 

 that from this " halting between two opinions," 

 (that is to publish, or not to publish,) the fol- 

 lowing Observations would never have been in- 

 truded on the public attention, had not a re- 

 cent circumstance occurred, in which a gen- 

 tleman (who has held a high military com- 

 mand in a foreign service,) while angling from 

 a boat in the Thames, was, upon two different 

 occasions, disturbed in his amusement by a 

 clergyman and his servant, in a manner the 

 most offensive and insulting, and which was 

 followed up by conduct replete with acrimony 

 and hostility, very generally considered, not 

 only impolittlp but widely different from what 



