60 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. [PART i. 



VENATOR. Marry ! so he does ; for, look ! he vents in that 

 corner. Now, now, Ringwood has him : now, he is gone again, 

 and has bit the poor dog. Now Sweetlips has her ; hold her, 

 Sweetlips ! now all the dogs have her ; some above and some 

 under water : but, now, now she is tired, and past losing. Come 

 bring her to me, Sweetlips. Look ! it is a Bitch-otter, and she 

 has lately whelp'd. Let's go to the place where she was put 

 down ; and not far from it, you will find all her young ones, I 

 dare warrant you, and kill them all too. 



HUNTSMAN. Come, Gentlemen ! come, all ! let's go to the 

 place where we put down the Otter. Look you ! hereabout it 

 was that she kenneled ; look you ! here it was indeed ; for here's 

 her young ones, no less than five : come, let us kill them all. 



PlSCATOR. No : I pray, Sir, save me one, and I'll try if I 

 can make her tame, as I know an ingenious gentleman in 

 Leicestershire, Mr Nich. Segrave,* has done ; who hath not only 

 made her tame, but to catch fish,f and do many other things of 

 much pleasure. 



HUNTSMAN. Take one with all my heart ; but let us kill the 

 rest. And now let's go to an honest alehouse, where we may 

 have a cup of good barley wine, and sing " Old Rose," J and all of 

 us rejoice together. 



VENATOR. Come, my friend Piscator, let me invite you along 

 with us. I'll bear your charges this night, and you shall bear 

 mine to-morrow ; for my intention is to accompany you a day or 

 two in fishing. 



PISCATOR. Sir, your request is granted ; and I shall be right glad 

 both to exchange such a courtesy, and also to enjoy your company. 



* Charles Segrave of Scalford in Leicestershire, Esq., who was living in 1606, left issue, 

 by Alice his wife, daughter of John Flower of Whitwell, in the county of Rutland, four 

 sons, the fourth of which was named Nicholas, and who was probably the person men- 

 tioned in the text. Nichols' Leicestershire, vol. ii. part i. p. 314. 

 f Duncombe, in his translation of Vanier, says 



If you should find the young ones, steal away, 

 In th' absence of the dam, the tender prey, 

 And by his youthful years yet pliant, breed 

 The gentle otter to the fishing trade ; 

 For when suspended in the stream you place 

 Your flaxen snares, to catch the finny race, 

 He will explore each cavern and retreat, 

 And rouse the fish, and hunt them to the net Eu". H. 



J The song alluded to was the following. It was inserted in Dr Haringtons Collection 

 from a publication temp. Charles I. 



Now we're met like jovial fellows, When the jowl with claret glows, 



Let us do as wise men tell us, And wisdom shines upon the nose, 



Sing Old Rose and burn the bellows ; O then is the time to sing Old Rose, 



Let us do as wise men tell us, And burn, burn, the bellows, 



Sing, &c. The bellows, and burn, burn, the bellows, 



the bellows. 



