Notes 



to have practised the ordering of fish-ponds, and the breeding of fish, both for 

 delight and profit. His book On Fish and Fish-ponds, in which are many pleasant 

 relations, was, in 1599, translated into English, and published in quarto, by George 

 Churchey, Fellow of Lion's Inn, with the title of Jf New 'Book of <jood Husbandry, 

 very pleasant and of great Profit, both for Gentlemen and Teamen, containing the order and 

 manner of ^Making of Fish-ponds, etc. H. 



Page 156. Cardanus. Jerome Cardan, an Italian physician, naturalist, and 

 mathematician, born at Pavia, September 24, 1501. He was a natural child, and 

 some potion, which his mother took to procure abortion, greatly affected his 

 constitution, rendering him irritable, eccentric, and, notwithstanding the great 

 respect shown him for his learning, unhappy. He was addicted to gaming and 

 astrology. His books (ten volumes folio, Lyons, 1663) show great eccentricity of 

 character and wildness of opinions. He cast his own nativity, and having predicted 

 the day of his death, starved himself that his prophecy might be true, at Rome, 

 September 21, 1576. In 1552 he was in Great Britain, when he cast the nativity 

 (Hawkins says, "wrote a character") of Edward VI., and made some remarkable 

 prognostications. The book referred to in the text is his De Subtilitate, libri xxi., 

 Par., 1551, 8vo. Walton is quoting through Casaubon, or Topsell. As to the 

 raining of frogs, it might occur, as in similar cases, from the young frogs having 

 been taken up by winds or water-spouts. B. 



Page 159. IM. C B. Who this was has not been discovered. 



Page 1 60. Hops and turkeys, etc. Erroneously quoted by Walton from Baker's 

 Chronicles (p. 317, ed. 1665), where it is, 



Turkeys, Carps, Hofpes, Piccarel and Beer, 

 Came into England all in one year j 



i.e., the fifteenth year of Henry VIII. This is, however, all error. Pike or 

 pickerel were the subject of legal regulations in the time of Edward I. Turkeys 

 were brought from America about 1521. Hops were introduced about 1524. B. 



Page 161. Jovius. Paulus Jovius, a physician and historian, born at Como, in 

 Italy. He wrote his first work, a treatise, De Piscibus Romanis, while studying at 

 Rome, 1523. He afterwards entered the Church, and was made Bishop of Nocera. 

 Disappointed of further promotion, he retired to Florence, where he wrote the 

 history of his own times, from 1494 to 1544, published there in three vols. folio, 

 1556. His style is not inelegant, and he had a ready wit ; but he was credulous, 

 licentious, and sycophantic. He died 1558. He must not be confounded with 

 Paulus Jovius, another Bishop of Nocera, in 1586, who was also a man of 

 letters. B. 



Page 161. Lake Lurian. Should be Larian. The modern Lake Como. B. 



417 



