THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 159 



For these are sacred fishes that swim here, 

 Who know their sovereign, and will lick his hand, 

 Than which none 's greater in the world's command ; 

 Nay more, they 've names, and when they called are, 

 Do to their several owners' call repair." 



All the further use that I shall make of this 

 shall be to advise anglers to be patient and for- 

 bear swearing, lest they be heard and catch no 

 fish. 



And so I shall proceed next to tell you it is 

 certain that certain fields near Leominster, a town 

 in Herefordshire, are observed to make the sheep 

 that graze upon them more fat than the next, and 

 also to bear finer wool ; that is to say, that that 

 year in which they feed in such a particular pas- 

 ture they shall yield finer wool than they did that 

 year before they came to feed in it, and coarser 

 again if they shall return to their former pas- 

 ture ; and, again, return to a finer wool, being fed 

 in the fine wool ground. Which I tell you that 

 you may the better believe that I am certain if I 

 catch a trout in one meadow he shall be white and 

 faint, and very like to be lousy, and, as certainly, 

 if I catch a trout in the next meadow, he shall 

 be strong and red and lusty, and much better 

 meat. Trust me, scholar, I have caught many a 

 trout in a particular meadow, that the very shape 

 and enamelled color of him hath been such as 

 hath joyed me to look on him ; and I have then 

 with much pleasure concluded with Solomon, 

 " Everything is beautiful in his season." 



