CHAP, in.] THE THIRD DAY. 67 



him Uti Villain; nevertheless he may be so dressed as to make 

 him very good meat ; as, namely, if he be a large Chub, then 

 dress him thus : 



First, scale him, and then wash him clean, and then take out 

 his guts ; and to that end make the hole as little, and near to his 

 gills, as you may conveniently, and especially make clean his 

 throat from the grass and weeds that are usually in it ; for if that 

 be not very clean, it will make him to taste very sour. Having 

 so done, put some sweet herbs into his belly ; and then tie him 

 with two or three splinters to a spit, and roast him, basted often 

 with vinegar, or rather verjuice and butter, with good store of salt 

 mixed with it. 



Being thus dressed, you will find him a much better dish of 

 meat than you, or most folk, even than anglers themselves, do 

 imagine : for this dries up the fluid watery humour with which all 

 Chubs do abound. But take this rule with you, That a Chub 

 newly taken and newly dressed, is so much better than a Chub 

 of a day's keeping after he is dead, that I can compare him to 

 nothing so fitly as to cherries newly gathered from a tree, and 

 others that have been bruised and lain a day or two in water. 

 But the Chub being thus used, and dressed presently ; and not 

 washed after he is gutted, for note, that lying long in water, and 

 washing the blood out of any fish after they be gutted, abates 

 much of their sweetness ; you will find the Chub, being dressed 

 in the blood, and quickly, to be such meat as will recompense 

 your labour, and disabuse your opinion. 



Or you may dress the Chavender or Chub thus : 



When you have scaled him, and cut off his tail and fins, and 

 washed him very clean, then chine or slit him through the middle, 

 as a salt fish is usually cut ; then give him three or four cuts or 

 scotches on the back with your knife, and broil him on charcoal, 

 or wood coal, that are free from smoke : and all the time he is a- 

 broiling, baste him with the best sweet butter, and good store of 

 salt mixed with it. And to this add a little thyme cut exceeding 

 small, or bruised into the butter. The Cheven thus dressed hath 

 the watery taste taken away, for which so many except against 

 him. Thus was the Cheven dressed that you now liked so well, 

 and commended so much. But note again, that if this Chub that 

 you eat of had been kept till to-morrow, he had not been worth a 

 rush. And remember, that his throat be washed very clean, I 

 say very clean, and his body not washed after he is gutted, as 

 indeed no fish should be. 



