SSO THE COMPLETE ANGLER. FART I!/ 



count you give me of it, as to wish myself a Derbyshire 

 man, or at least that I might live in it : for you must 

 know I am a pretender to the angle ; and, doubtless, a 

 Trout affords the most pleasure to the angler of any 

 sort of fish whatever : and the best Trouts must needs 

 make the best sport : but this brook, and some others I 

 have met with upon this way, are too full of wood for 

 that recreation. 



Pise. This, Sir ! why this, and several others 

 like it, which you have past ; and some, that you are 

 like to pass ; have scarce any name amongst us : but 

 we can shew you as fine rivers, and as clear from 

 wood, or any other incumbrance to hinder an angler, 

 as any you ever saw; and for clear beautiful streams, 

 Hantshire itself, by Mr. Isaac Walton's good leave, can 

 shew none such ; nor I think any country in Europe. 



Viat. You go far, Sir, in the praise of your 

 country rivers, and I perceive, have read Mr. XVal* 

 ton's Complete Angler, by your naming of Hantshire ; 

 and I pray what is your opinion of that book ? 



Pise. My opinion of Mr. Walton's book, is the 

 same with every man's that understands any thing of 

 the art of angling, that it is an excellent good one; 

 and that the fore-mentioned gentleman understands as 

 much of fish, and fishing, as any man living. But I 

 must tell you, further, that I have the happiness to 

 know his person, and to be intimately acquainted with 

 him ; and in him to know the worthiest man, and to 

 enjoy the best, and the truest friend any man ever had : 

 nay,' I shall yet acquaint you further, that he gives me 

 leave to call him Father, and I hope is not yet ashamed 

 to own me for his Adopted Son *. 



* It was a practice with the pretended masters of the Hermetic 

 science, to adopt favourite persons for their sons, to whom they imparted 

 their secrets. Ashmole, in his Diary, p. 25. says, " Mr. Backhouse 

 " told me, I must now needs be his son, because he had communicated 

 " so many secrets to me." And a little after, p. 27. " My father Back- 

 " house, lying sick in Fleet street, told me, in syllables, the true matter 

 " of the philosopher's stone, which he bequeathed to me as a legacy." 

 See more of this practice, and, of the tremendous solemnities with which 

 the secret was communicated, in Ashmole's Tbeat. Cbem. Brit. p. 440. 



And, in imitation of this practice, Ben Jonson adopted several per* 

 ions his sons, to the number of twelve or fourteen ; among whom were, 

 RAndolph, and Alexander Brome, And it should seem, by 



