of tbe TCofc, IRffle, anb (Bun 



good man at his ease by those winning manners which 

 charmed all with whom he came in contact, and 

 gradually led the conversation up to the point at 

 issue, until quite naturally the question came : 



" By-the-bye, how is it that I don't see you at 

 church ? You know it's my duty as a bishop to 

 look after these things. Surely you don't find any- 

 thing in the Bible against going to church." 



" No, my lord," returned the sturdy Dissenter ; 

 "neither do I find anything in the Bible to warrant 

 a preacher of the Gospel in going out shooting. The 

 Apostles never did." 



" No," said the Bishop sweetly ; " true, they did not. 

 You see, there were neither guns nor game in Palestine. 

 They went out fishing instead. It is the older and, 

 some think, the more exciting sport." 



As disciples of the "older sport," then, I am bound 

 to give the " Fathers of Angling " the first place among 

 " Kings of the Rod, Rifle, and Gun." But where shall 

 I begin ? Who was the first Father of Angling ? 

 Who first discovered the delights of the gentle craft ? 

 Learned mediaeval writers tell us that the honour 

 belongs to Seth, the third son of Adam. The curious 

 in such matters will find this and other fantastic 

 theories on the origin of angling gravely set forth 

 by Piscator in " The Compleat Angler," and as that 

 classic work is within the reach of every reader, I 

 will say no more on the point. 



It is odd that some of the most enthusiastic anglers 

 that have ever wielded rod have been soldiers. Ulysses 

 was an angler, Mark Antony was an angler, and, 



