88 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. PART I. 



count them enemies to me and alt that love virtue and 

 Angling. 



And for you that have heard many grave, serious, 

 men pity Anglers ; let tell me you, Sir, there be many 

 men that are by others taken to be serious and grave 

 men, whom we contemn and pity. Men that are taken 

 to be grave, because nature hath made them of a sour 

 complexion ; money-getting men, men that spend all 

 their time, firrst in getting, and next, in anxious care 

 to keep it; men that are condemned to be rich, and 

 then always busy or discontented : for these poor rich- 

 men, we Anglers pity them perfectly, and stand in no 

 need to borrow their thoughts to think ourselves so 

 happy. No, no, Sir, we enjoy a contentedness above 

 the reach of such dispositions, and as the learned 

 and ingenuous Montaigne * says like himself, freely, 

 " When iny Cat and I entertain each other with mu- 

 " tual apish tricks, as playing with a garter, who 

 " knows but that 1 make my Cat more sport, than she 

 * ( makes me ? Shall I conclude her to be simple, that 

 (i has her time to begin or refuse to play as freely as I 

 u myself have ? Nay, who knows but that it is a 

 <c defect of my not understanding her language (for 

 cc doubtless Cats talk and reason with one another) 

 <; that we agree no better: and who knows but that 

 *' she pities me for being no wiser, than to play with. 

 <c her, and laughs and censures my folly, for making 

 " sport for her, when we two play together ?" 



Thus freely speaks Montaigne concerning Cats, and 

 I hope I may take as great liberty to blame any man, 

 and laugh at him too, let him be never so grave, that 

 Lath not heard what Anglers can say in the justification 

 of their Art and Recreation ; which I may again tell 

 you, is so full of pleasure, that we need not borrow 

 their thoughts, to think ourselves happy. 



Verf. Sir, you have almost amazed me, for though 

 I arn no Scojftcr, yet I have, I pray let me speak it 

 without offence, ahvays looked upon Anglers, as more 

 patient, and more simple, men, than I fear I shall 

 you to be. 



* In Apol, for Raim, dt Stkendt, 



