340 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. PART I, 



Welcome, pure thoughts ! welcome, ye silent groves ! 

 These guests, these courts, my soul most dearly loves- 

 Now, the wing'd people of the sky shall sing: 

 My chearful anthems to the gladsome spring : 

 A prayer-book, now, shall be my looking-glass, 

 In which I will adore sweet virtue's face. 

 Here, dwell no hateful looks, no palace-cares* 

 No broken vows dwell here, nor pale-fac'd fears } 

 Then, here, I'll sit ; and sigh my hot love's folly, 

 And learn t' affect an holy melancholy : 

 And if contentment he a stranger then, 

 I'll ne'er look for it but in heaven again *. 



Ven. Well, master! these verses be worthy to 

 keep a room in every mar.'s memory. I thank you for 

 them ; and I thank you for your many instructions, 

 which, God willing, I will not forget. And as St. 

 Austin, in his Confessions, book 4. chap. 3. comme- 

 morates the kindness of his friend Verecundus, for 

 lending him and his companion a country-house; be- 

 cause, there, they rested and enjoyed themselves free 

 from the troubles of the world : so, having had the 

 like advantage both by your conversation, and the 

 art you have taught me I ought, ever, to do the like ; 

 for, indeed, your company and discourse have been so 

 useful and pleasant, that, I may ttuly say, I have only 



* To the many short poems, abounding with fine moral sentiments, 

 Contained in this book, I here add tbe following lines of Mr. Cowley, 

 translated from Martial, Lib. II. Epig. 53 ; which far surpassing the 

 original, exhibit a lovely picture of a contented mind : and for the 

 xnanly spirit of independence that breathes in them, I have never yet 

 jeen equalled by any in our own language. 



Would you \>efree ? 'Tis your chief wish, you say. 

 Come on, I'll shew thee, friend ! the certain way. 

 If to no feasts, abroad, thou lov'st to go, 

 "Whilst bounteous God does bread at home bestow ; 

 If thou the goodness of thy cloaths dost prize, 

 By thine own use, and not by others eyes ; 

 If (only safe from weathers) thou canst dwell, 

 In a small house but a convenient shell ; 

 If thou, without a sigh, or golden wish, 

 Canst look upon thy beechen bowl and dish : 

 If in thy mind such power and greatness be, 

 The Persian king's a slave, compar'd with thee. 



