50 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. [PART r. 



but this observation, that he that shall read the humble, lowly, 

 plain style of that prophet, and compare it with the high, glorious, 

 eloquent style of the prophet Isaiah, though they be both equally 

 true, may easily believe Amos to be, not only a shepherd, but a 

 good-natured plain fisherman. Which I do the rather believe, 

 by comparing the affectionate, loving, lowly, humble Epistles of 

 St Peter, St James, and St John, whom we know were all fishers, 

 with the 7 glorious language and high metaphors of St Paul, who 

 we may believe was not. 



And for the lawfulness of fishing : it may very well be main- 

 tained by our Saviour's bidding St Peter cast his hook into the 

 water and catch a fish, for money to pay tribute to Caesar. And 

 let me tell you that Angling is of high esteem, and of much use 

 in other nations. He that reads the Voyages of Ferdinand Men- 

 dez Pinto * shall find that there he declares to have found a king 

 and several priests a-fishing. And he that reads Plutarch shall 

 find that Angling was not contemptible in the days of Mark 

 Antony and Cleopatra, and that they, in the midst of their won- 

 derful glory, used Angling as a principal recreation. f And let 

 me tell you, that in the Scripture Angling is always taken in the 

 best sense ; and that though hunting may be sometimes so taken, 

 yet it is but seldom to be so understood. And let me add this 

 more : he that views the ancient Ecclesiastical Canons, shall 

 find hunting to be forbidden to Churchmen, as being a turbulent, 

 toilsome, perplexing recreation ; and shall find Angling allowed 

 to clergymen, as being a harmless recreation, a recreation that 

 invites them to contemplation and quietness. 



VARIATION. 



7 the glorious language and high metaphors of St Paul, whom we know was not. 



* A traveller whose veracity is much questioned. H. He was born about 1510, 

 and for one-and-twenty years travelled in the East. During that time he was five times 

 shipwrecked, seventeen times sold, and thirteen times made a slave : he returned to 

 Lisbon zzd September 1558. The passage alluded to by Walton occurs in " The 

 Voyages and Adventures of Ferdinand Mendez Pinto, done into English by H[enry] 

 C[ogan], Gent., London, 1633," fol. chap. Ixxix. p. 319. T. 



The fact related by Plutarch is the following : " It would be very tedious and 

 trifling to recount all his follies ; but hi.s fishing must not be forgot. He went out one 

 day to angle with Cleopatra ; and being so unfortunate as to catch nothing in the 

 presence of his mistress, he was very much vexed, and gave secret orders to the fisher- 

 man to dive under water, and put fishes that had been fresh taken upon his hook. After 

 he had drawn up two or three, Cleopatra perceived the trick : she pretended, however, 

 to be surprised at his good fortune and dexterity ; told it to all her friends, and invited 

 them to come and see him fish the next day. Accordingly, a very large company went 

 out in the fishing-vessels ; and as soon as Antony had let down his line, she commanded 

 one of her servants to be beforehand with Antony's, and, divin? into the water, to fix 

 upon his hook a salted fish, one of those which were brought from the Euxine Sea." 

 H. 



