THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 2?$ 



how many do, even at this very time, lie under 

 the torment of the stone, the gout, and tooth- 

 ache ; and this we are free from. And every 

 misery that I miss is a new mercy, and therefore 

 let us be thankful. There have been, since we 

 met, others that have met disasters of broken 

 limbs ; some have been blasted, others thunder- 

 strucken ; and we have been freed from these, 

 and all those many other miseries that threaten 

 human nature ; let us therefore rejoice and be 

 thankful. Nay, which is a far greater mercy, we 

 are free from the unsupportable burden of an ac- 

 cusing, tormenting conscience, a misery that 

 none can bear, and therefore let us praise Him 

 for his preventing grace, and say, Every misery 

 that I miss is a new mercy. Nay, let me tell you, 

 there be many that have forty times our estates, 

 that would give the greatest part of it to be health- 

 ful and cheerful like us, who, with the expense of 

 a little money, have eat, and drank, and laughed, 

 and angled, and sung, and slept securely, and 

 rose next day, and cast away care, and sung, and 

 laughed, and angled again ; which are blessings 

 rich men cannot purchase with all their money. 

 Let me tell you, scholar, I have a rich neighbor, 

 that is always so busy that he has no leisure to 

 laugh ; the whole business of his life is to get 

 money, and more money, that he may still get 

 more and more money ; he is still drudging on, 

 and says, that Solomon says, " The diligent hand 

 maketh rich ; " and it is true indeed : but he con- 



