" Treaty se " as an Angling Idyl. 29 



y sayd parable of Salomon. Dowteles 

 therie folowyth it that it must nedes be 

 the dysporte of fysshynge wyth an angle. 

 For all other manere of fysshynge is also 

 laborous and grevous : often makynge 

 folkes ful wete and colde, whych many tymes 

 hath be seen cause of grete Infirmytees. 

 But the angler may have no colde nor no 

 dysease nor angre, but yf he be causer 

 hymself. For he maye not lese at the 

 moost but a lyne or an hoke ; of whiche 

 he maye have store plentee of his owne 

 makynge, as this symple treatyse shall 

 teche hym. Soo thenne his losse is not 

 grevous, and other greyffes maye he not 

 have, savynge but yf ony fisshe breke 

 away after that he is take on the hoke ; 

 or elles that he catche nought : whyche 

 ben not grevous. For yf he faylle of one 

 he maye not faylle of a nother, yf he 

 dooth as this treatyse teechyth ; but yf 

 there be nought in the water. And yette 

 atte the leest he hath his holsom walk 

 and mery at his ease, a swete ayre of the 

 swete savoure of the meede floures : that 

 makyth hym hungry. He hereth the 

 melodyous armony of fowles. He seeth 

 the yonge swannes : heerons : duckes : 

 cotes and many other foules wyth their 

 brodes, whyche me semyth better than 

 alle the noyse of honndys : the blastes of 



