THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 279 



ter ; nor is vexed when he sees others possessed 

 of more honor or more riches than his wise God 

 has allotted for his share ; but he possesses what 

 he has with a meek and contented quietness, 

 such a quietness as makes his very dreams pleasing 

 both to God and himself. 



My honest scholar, all this is told to incline you 

 to thankfulness and to incline you the more, let 

 me tell you that though the prophet David was 

 guilty of murder and adultery, and many other of 

 the most deadly sins, yet he was said to be a man 

 after God's own heart, because he abounded more 

 with thankfulness then any other that is mentioned 

 in Holy Scripture, as may appear in his book of 

 Psalms, where there is such a commixture of his 

 confessing of his sins and unworthiness, and such 

 thankfulness for God's pardon and mercies, as did 

 make him to be accounted, even by God himself, 

 to be a man after his own heart; and let us in 

 that labor to be as like him as we can. Let not 

 the blessings we receive daily from God make us 

 not to value or not praise him because they be 

 common ; let not us forget to praise him for the 

 innocent mirth and pleasure we have met with 

 since we met together. What would a blind man 

 give to see the pleasant rivers and meadows and 

 flowers and fountains that we have met with since 

 we met together ? I have been told that if a man 

 that was born blind could obtain to have his sight 

 for but only one hour during his whole life, and 

 should at the first opening of his eyes fix his sight 



