THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 59 



maintain their opinion of the first, by saying that 

 the nearer we mortals come to God by way of 

 imitation, the more happy we are. And they say 

 that God enjoys himself only by a contemplation 

 of his own infiniteness, eternity, power, and good- 

 ness, and the like. And upon this ground, many 

 cloisteral men of great learning and devotion pre- 

 fer contemplation before action. And many of 

 the fathers seem to approve this opinion, as may 

 appear in their commentaries upon the words of 

 our Saviour to Martha (Luke x. 41, 42). 



And, on the contrary, there want not men of 

 equal authority and credit, that prefer action to be 

 the more excellent, as namely experiments in 

 physic, and the application of it, both for the ease 

 and prolongation of man's life, by which each 

 man is enabled to act and do good to others, 

 either to serve his country, or do good to particu- 

 lar persons ; and they say, also, that action is doc- 

 trinal, and teaches both art and virtue, and is a main- 

 tainer of human society ; and for these, and other 

 like reasons, to be preferred before contemplation. 



Concerning which two opinions I shall forbear 

 to add a third by declaring my own ; and rest 

 myself contented in telling you, my very worthy 

 friend, that both these meet together, and do most 

 properly belong to the most honest, ingenuous, 

 quiet, and harmless art of angling. 



And first, I shall tell you what some have ob- 

 served, and I have found to be a real truth, that 

 the very sitting by the river's side is not only the 



