of tbe 1Rofc, 1Rifle t anfc (Bun 



my angle [hook] and my rods, and whatever they 

 catch I take. 



M. What if the fish be unclean ? P. I throw the 

 unclean away, and take the clean for food. 



M. Where do you sell your fish ? P. In the town. 



M. Who buys them ? P. The townspeople. I can- 

 not catch as many as I could sell. 



M. What fishes do you catch? P. Eels, and luces, 

 and minnows, and eel-pouts, trout and lampreys, and 

 whatever else swim in the river. 



M. Why do you not fish in the sea? P. I do so 

 sometimes, but seldom, because rowing in the sea is 

 troublesome to me. 



M. What do you catch in the sea ? P. Herrings and 

 salmon, dolphins and sturgeon, oysters and crabs, 

 mussels, periwinkles, sea-cockles, plaice and flounders 

 and lobsters, and many more. 



M. Do you not wish to catch a whale ? P. I do not. 



M. Why not? P. Because it is a perilous thing to 

 catch a whale. It is safer for me to go to the river 

 with my boat than to go with many ships a whale- 

 hunting. 



M. Why so ? P. Because I had rather catch a fish 

 I can kill, than one that can, with one stroke, sink and 

 kill both me and my comrades. 



M. Nevertheless, many do catch whales, and escape 

 the dangers, and get a good sum of money by it. P. 

 You say sooth ; but I dare not do so, on account of 

 my sluggishness of spirit." 



It is interesting to note that the very first piece of 

 angling literature in the English language takes the 



