CHAP. V. THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 155 



Peter. Yes, and so I do ; we all thank you ; and, 

 when we have supped, I will get my friend Coridon to 

 sing you a song for requital. 



Cor. I will sing a song, if any body will sing ano- 

 ther : else to be plain with you, I will sing none : I am 

 none of those that sing for meat, but, for company: I 

 say, 'Tis merry in hall, when men sing all** 



Pise. I'll promise you I'll sing a song that was lately 

 made, at my request, by Mr. William Basse ; one that 

 hath made the choice songs of the Hunter in his career 

 and of Tom of Bedlam t, and many others of note ; and 

 this that I will sing, is in praise of angling. 



Cor. And then mine shall be the praise of a country- 

 man's life : What will the rest sing of? 



Peter. I will promise you, I will sing another song 

 in praise of Angling to-morrow night ; for we will not 

 part till then, but fish, to-morrow, and sup, together : 

 and the next day every man leave fishing, and fall to his 

 business. 



Ven. 'Tis a match ; and I will provide you a song or 

 a catch against then, too, which shall give some addi- 

 tion of mirth to the company ; for we will be civil and 

 as merry as beggars. 



Pise. 'Tis a match, my masters. Let's e'en say 

 grace, and turn to the fire, drink the other cup to 

 whet our whistles, and so sing away all sad thoughts. 



Come on, my masters ! who begins ? I think it is best 

 to draw cuts, and avoid contention. 



Pet. It is a match. Look ! the shortest cut falls to 

 Coridon. 



* Parody on the adage, 



It's merry in the hall, 

 When beards wag alL* 



i. e. when all are eating. 



f This song, beginning," Forth from my dark and dismal cell" with 

 the music to it, set by Hen. JLawes is printed in a book, entitled Choice 

 AyrcS) Songs, and Dialogues, to sing to the Theorbo, Lute, and Bass 

 Viol, folio 1675; and, in Playford's Antidote against Melancholy, 8vo. 

 1669 ; and also in Dr. Percy's Reliques of ancient English Poetry, Vol. II. 

 p. 350 ; but in the latter with a mistake, in the last line of the third 

 stanza, of the word Pentarcby for Pentateueb, 



K 2 



