ANGLING, PRO AND CON 



When fair Aurora rising early shewes 

 Her blushing face beyond the eastern hils, 

 And dyes the heavenly vault with purple rewes, 

 That far abroad the world with brightnesse fils ; 

 The meadows green are hoare with silver dewes, 

 That on the earth the sable night distils, 



And chanting birds with merry notes bewray 

 The near approaching of the chearfull day. 



Then let him go to river, brook, or lake, 

 That loves the sport, where store of fish abound, 

 And through the pleasant fields his journey make, 

 Amidst sweet pastures, meadows fresh and sound, 

 Where he may best his choice of pastime take, 

 While swift Hyperion runs his circle round ; 

 And, as the place shall to his liking prove, 

 There still remain, or further' else remove. 



The Secrets of Angling, by John Dennys, Esq. 1613. 



THE true secret of the Angler's purest and most 

 lasting pleasure whose remembrance is sweet, and 

 anticipation exhilarating, is discovered in the 

 stanzas which we have prefixed as a befitting intro- 

 duction to the present chapter. The practice of 

 Angling is closely and necessarily associated with 

 objects, the contemplation, nay, the very behold- 

 ing of which fails not to impart a pleasure to every 

 man whose soul is not insensible to the charms 

 presented by the natural combination of 



" Field and forest, flood and hill, 

 Tower, abbey, church, and mill," 



