198 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. PART I. 



JLamprey, at whose gills she hung jewels or ear-rings ; 

 and that others hare been so tender-hearted, as to shed 

 tears at the death of fishes, which they have kept and 

 loved. And these observations, which will to most 

 hearers seem wonderful, seem to have a further con- 

 firmation from Martial*^ Lib. iv. JSpigr. 30. who 

 writes thus : 



Piscalor ! fuge, ne nocem, Sec. 



Angler ! would'st thou be guiltless ? then forbear ; 

 For these are sacred fishes that swim here, 

 Who know their sovereign, and will lick his hand, 

 Than which none's greater in the world's command : 

 Nay more, they've names, and when they called are, 

 Do to their several owner's call repair. 



All the further use that I shall make of this shall be, 

 To advise anglers to be patient and forbear swearing, 

 lest they be heard and catch no fish "K 



Arid so I shall proceed, next, to tell you, it is certain, 

 that certain fields near Leominsier, a town in Hereford- 

 shire ; are observed, To make the sheep that graze upon 

 them more fat, than the next, and also to bear finer wool, 

 this is to say, that that year in which they feed in 

 such a particular pasture, they shall yield finer wool 

 than they did that year before they came to feed in it ; 



* The verses cited are as follow : 



Piscator ! fuge, ne nocens recedas, 

 Sacris piscibus hx natantur undae ; 

 Qui norunt dominurn, manumque lambunt 

 Illam, qua nihil est, in orbe, majus : 

 Quid, quod nomen habent ; et ad magistri 

 Vocem quisque sui venit citatus. 



f The following extract of a letter which appeared in one of the Lon- 

 don papers, 21st June, 1788, should operate as a general caution against 

 using, in the composition of baits, any ingredient prejudicial to the hu- 

 man constitution. " Newcastle, June 16. Last week, in Lancashire, two 

 " young men, having caught a large quantity of Trout by mixing the 

 " water in a small brook with lime, ate heartily of the Trout at dinner 

 " the next day : they were seized, at midnight, with violent pains in 

 u f the intestines ; and though medical assistance was immediately procured^ 

 " they expired, before noon, in the greatest agonies." 



