27 



St. Albans, emprynted at Westmystre, by 

 Wynkyn de Word," in small folio, and con- 

 tains, among other curious matter, " A Trea- 

 tyse of Fyshynge with an Angle."* It was 

 written by Dame Juliana Barnes, Prioress of 

 the Nunnery of Sopwell, near St. Alban's. 



It clearly proves that the art of angling was 

 then used, well known, and practised through- 

 out the kingdom, without any legal impedi- 

 ment, in all public rivers ; and particularly the 

 reason she gives for publishing this book con- 

 firms the right of angling being then held and 

 esteemed common to all ; for she says, " And 

 for by cause that this present treatyse sholde 

 not come to the handys of eche ydle persone 

 whych wolde desire it, yf it were emprynted 

 alone by itself, and put in a lytyll plamflet," 

 she has therefore compiled it together with 

 divers books interesting to gentlemen and no- 

 blemen. 



So that, though the good lady was desirous 

 of keeping the exercise of this diversion to 

 " gentlemen and noblemen," yet she fairly ac- 



* Some account of this book may be seen in the Biographia 

 Hriiannicii. Article, Caxton. NoteL. 



