THE COMPLETE ANGLER. PART JIV 



told me whither your journey is intended, and that I 

 am better acquainted \vith the country than you are ; 

 I will, heartily and earnestly, entreat you will not 

 think of staying at this town, but, go on with me six 

 miles further, to my house, where you shall be ex- 

 tremely welcome : it is directly in your way ; we have 

 day enough to perform our journey: and, as you like 

 your entertainment, you may there repose yourself a 

 day or two, or as many more as your occasions will- 

 permit, to recompense the trouble of so much a longer 

 journey. 



Viat. Sir, you surprise me with so friendly an invi- 

 tation upon so short acquaintance: but how advan- 

 tageous soever it would be to me ; and that my haste, 

 perhaps, is not so great but it might dis- 

 * I. e. allow, pensowith * such a divertisement as I pro- 

 mise myself in your company ; yet I can- 

 not, in modesty, accept your offer, and must therefore 

 beg your pardon : I could otherwise, I confess, be glad 

 to wait upon you, if upon no other account but to talk 

 of Mr. Isaac Walton, and to receive those instructions 

 you say you are able to give me for the deceiving a 

 Trout ; in which art I will not deny, but that I have 

 an ambition to be on<? of the greatest deceivers : though 

 I cannot forbear freely to tell you, that I think it hard 

 to say much more than has been read to me upon 

 that subject. 



Pise. Well, Sir, I grant that, too : But you must 

 know that the variety of rivers require different ways 

 of angling: However, you shall have the best rules I 

 am able to give ; and I will tell you nothing I have 

 not made myself AS CERTAIN OF, AS ANY MAN CAN 



BE IN THIRTY YEARS EXPERIENCE; for SO long I 



have been a dabbler in that art; and THAT, if you 

 please to stay a few days, you shall, in a very great 

 measure, see made good to you. But of that hereafter, 

 And now, Sir, if I am not mistaken, I have half over- 

 come you ; and that I may wholly conquer that mo- 

 desty of yours, I will take upon me to be so familiar 

 as to say, you must accept my invitation ; whictu 

 that YOU may llmmote easily be persuaded to do, I will 



