THE COMPLETE ANGLER. $? 



is somewhat like poetry, men are to be born so, 

 I mean with inclinations to it, though both may be 

 heightened by discourse and practice ; but he that 

 hopes to be a good angler must not only bring an 

 inquiring, searching, observing wit, but he must 

 bring a large measure of hope and patience, and a 

 love and propensity to the art itself; but having 

 once got and practised it, then doubt not but an- 

 gling will prove to be so pleasant that it will prove 

 to be, like virtue, a reward to itself. 



Ven. Sir, I am now become so full of expecta- 

 tion that I long much to have you proceed, and 

 in the order that you propose. 



Pise. Then, first, for the antiquity of angling, of 

 which I shall not say much, but only this : some 

 say it is as ancient as Deucalion's flood ; others, 

 that Belus, who was the first inventor of godly and 

 virtuous recreations, was the first inventor of an- 

 gling ; and some others say, for former times have 

 had their disquisitions about the antiquity of it, 

 that Seth, one of the sons of Adam, taught it to 

 his sons, and that by them it was derived to pos- 

 terity ; others say that he left it engraven on those 

 pillars which he erected, and trusted to preserve 

 the knowledge of the mathematics, music, and the 

 rest of that precious knowledge and those useful 

 arts, which by God's appointment or allowance 

 and his noble industry were thereby preserved 

 from perishing in Noah's flood. 



These, sir, have been the opinions of several 

 men, that have possibly endeavored to make an- 



