134 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 



bite. Come, scholar, come lay down your rod, 

 and help me to land this as you did the other. 

 So now we shall be sure to have a good dish of 

 fish for supper. 



Ven. I am glad of that ; but I have no fortune : 

 sure, master, yours is a better rod and better 

 tackling. 



Pise. Nay, then, take mine, and I will fish with 

 yours. Look you, scholar, I have another. Come, 

 do as you did before. And now I have a bite at 

 another. Oh me ! he has broke all ; there 's half 

 a line and a good hook lost. 



Ven. Ay, and a good trout too. 



Pise. Nay, the trout is not lost ; for, pray take 

 notice, no man can lose what he never had. 



Ven. Master, I can neither catch with the first 

 nor second angle : I have no fortune. 



Pise. Look you, scholar, I have yet another. 

 And now, having caught three brace of trouts, I 

 will tell you a short tale as we walk towards our 

 breakfast. A scholar, a preacher I should say, 

 that was to preach to procure the approbation of a 

 parish that he might be their lecturer, had got 

 from his fellow-pupil the copy of a sermon that 

 was first preached with great commendation by 

 him that composed it ; and though the borrower 

 of it preached it word for word as it was at first, 

 yet it was utterly disliked as it was preached by 

 the second to his congregation, which the ser- 

 mon-borrower complained of to the lender of it, 

 and was thus answered : " I lent you, indeed, my 



