464 THE LAWS OF ANGLING. 



beating him ; breaking his rod, or at least taking if 

 from him*; and sometimes imprisoning his person, as 

 if he were a felon. Whereas a true-bred gentleman 

 scorns ^hose spiderlikc attempts ; and will rather re- 

 fresh a civil stranger at his table, than warn him frojn 

 coining on his ground upon so innocent an occasion. 

 It should therefore be considered, How far such furious 

 1 rivers are warranted by the law ; and what the angler 

 may (in case of such violence) do ill defence of him- 

 self. If I come upon another man's ground without 

 his licence, or the licence of the law, I am a trespasser, 

 ibr which the owner may have an action of trespass 

 against me: And if I continue, there, after warning 

 to ilepart by the owner, or his servant thereunto au- 

 thorized, the owner, or his servant by hi? command, 

 may put me off by force, but not beat me, but in case 

 of resistance by me, for then I (by resisting) make the 

 assault r but if he beat me, I not resisting, in th^t 

 case, he snakes the assault, and I may beat him, in 

 defence of myself, and to free myself from his vio- 

 lence t. Ah'd in easel shall leave my rod behind in 

 his ground, l.e may take it damage feasant : but Le 

 can neither take it from my person by* force, nor break 

 it, but he is a trespasser to me. Which seems clear 

 by v*he case QiReyndl and Champernon.; 

 Mkh. 7 Car. i. ^fo^ Reyncll brought an action of tres- 



v^ro. L/ar. zoo. . * . f^i . r ' i i i 



pass against Champernon, for taking and 

 cutting his nets : t^e defendant justified, for that l*e 



* There is no reading this passage without figuring to one's imagi- 

 nation the poor, humble, patieDt angler, standing still and defenceless, 

 while the merciless lord of the manor is laying him on with a stick, per- 

 haps the butt of his own rod, or a worse weapon. I will not dispute 

 with the author, whether the meekness and submission of the poor fisher 

 upon this occasion are rery becoming or not ; but this sort of passive 

 valour is rather to be admired than imitated. Yet has the angler his 

 remedy, as the reader will see a few lines below. 



f Agreeable to the rule contained in this barbarous distieh : 

 Res dare pro rebut, pro verbls vcrba solemus, 

 Pro bujisy bufasy pro trufis redder e trufas, 



Things must be recompenst with things, buffets with blowes, 

 And words with words, and taunts with mocks and mowes. 



Helton's Country Justice, Chap. 7?, 



