146 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. PART I. 



to-morrow morning, I will give you direction how you 

 yourself shall fish for him, 



Ven. Trust me, master! I see now it is a harder 

 matter to catch a Trout than a Chub : for I have put 

 on patience, and followed you these two hours, and 

 not seen a fish stir, neither at your minnow nor your 

 worm. 



Pise. Well, scholar! you must endure worse luck 

 sometime, or you will never make a good angler. But 

 what say you now ? there is a Trout now, and a good 

 one too, if I can but hold him : and two or three turns 

 more will tire him ; now you see he lies still, and the 

 sleight is to land him : reach me that landing-net. So, 

 .Sir, now he is mine own : what say you now, is not 

 this worth all my labour and your patience ? 



Ven. On my word, master! this is a gallant Trout ; 

 what shall we do with him ? 



Pise. Marry ! e'en eat him to supper : we'll go to 

 my hostess from whence we came ; she told me, as I 

 was going out of door, that my brother Peter, a good 

 angler and a chearful companion, had sent word he 

 would lodge there to night, and bring a friend with 

 liim. My hostess has two beds, and 1 know you and 

 I may have the best : we'll rejoice with my brother 

 Peter and his friend, tell talcs, or sing ballads, or 

 make a catch, or find some harmless sport to content 

 us, and pass away a little time without offence to God 

 or man. 



Ven. A match, good master ! let's go to that house, 

 for the linen looks white, and smells of lavender> and 

 I long to lie in a pair of sheets that smell so. Let's 

 be going, good master 5 for I am hungry again, with 

 fishing. 



Pise. Nay, stay a little, good scholar. I caught 

 my last Trout with a worm ; now, I will put on a 

 minnow, and try a quarter of an hour about yonder 

 trees for another ; and, so, walk towards our lodgingo 

 Look you, scholar! thereabout, we shall have a bite 

 presently, or not at all. Have with you. Sir : o'my 

 word I have hold of him. Oh ! it is a great logger- 

 headed Chub; come, hang him upon that willow twig* 



