CHAP. XVI. THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 279 



Ven. Well sung, master ! this day's fortune, and 

 pleasure; and this night's company, and song; do, 



Your scissars and hone 

 To adjust your points on ; 

 With a net to be sure of your landing. 



VI. 



All these being on, 



'Tis high time we were gone- 

 Down and upward that all may have pleasure 



Till, here meeting at ni^ht, 



"We shall have the delight 

 To discourse of our fortunes at leisure. 



VII. 



The day's not too bright, 



And the wind hits us right, 

 And all nature does seem to invite us ; 



We have all things at will 



For to second our skill, 

 As they all did conspire to delight us. 



VIII. 



On stream now or, still 



A large panier will [we'll] fill, 

 Trout and Grayling to rise are so willing ; 



I dare venture to say, 



'Twill be a bloody day, 

 And we all shall be weary of killing. 



IX. 



Away, then ! away ! 



We lose sport by delay. 

 But, first, leave all our sorrows behind us: 



If Miss Fortune should come, 



We are all gone from home, 

 And, a-fishing, she never can find us. 



X. 



The angler is free 



From the cares that Degree 

 Finds itself, with, so often, tormented. 



And although we should slay, 



Each, a hundred a day, 

 'Tis a slaughter needs ne'er be repented. 



XI. 



And though we display 

 All our arts, to betray 

 What were made for man's pleasure and diet : 



