The Compleat ^Angler 



in Swedeland, in the year 1449, with a ring about his neck, declaring 

 he was put into that pond by Frederick the Second more than two 

 hundred years before he was last taken, as by the inscription in that 

 ring (being Greek) was interpreted by the then Bishop of Worms. 

 But of this no more but that it is observed that the old or very 

 great pikes have in them more of state than goodness ; the smaller or 

 middle-sized pikes being, by the most and choicest palates, observed to 

 be the best meat ; and, contrary, the eel is observed to be the better 

 for age and bigness. 



All pikes that live long prove chargeable to their keepers, because 

 their life is maintained by the death of so many other fish, even those 

 of their own kind ; which has made him by some writers to be called 

 the tyrant of the rivers, or the fresh-water wolf, by reason of his bold, 

 greedy, devouring disposition ; which is so keen, as Gesner relates a 

 man going to a pond (where it seems a pike had devoured all the 

 fish) to water his mule, had a pike bit his mule by the lips ; to which 

 the pike hung so fast that the mule drew him out of the water, and 

 by that accident the owner of the mule angled out the pike. And 

 the same Gesner observes, that a maid in Poland had a pike bit her 

 by the foot, as she was washing clothes in a pond. And I have heard 

 the like of a woman in Killingworth pond, not far from Coventry. 

 But I have been assured by my friend Mr. Seagrave (of whom I spake 

 to you formerly) that keeps tame otters, that he hath known a pike 

 in extreme hunger fight with one of his otters for a carp that the 

 otter had caught, and was then bringing out of the water. I have 

 told you who relate these things, and tell you they are persons of 

 credit; and shall conclude this observation, by telling you what a 

 wise man has observed, " It is a hard thing to persuade the belly, 

 because it has no ears." 



But if these relations be disbelieved, it is too evident to be doubted, 

 that a pike will devour a fish of his own kind that shall be bigger 

 than his belly or throat will receive, and swallow a part of him, and 

 let the other part remain in his mouth till the swallowed part be 

 digested, and then swallow that other part that was in his mouth, and 

 so put it over by degrees ; which is not unlike the ox and some other 

 beasts, taking their meat, not out of their mouth immediately into 



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