AN ANGLER, A HUNTER, AND A FALCONER 



Israel, Psal. 137, who having in a sad condition banished all 

 mirth and music from their pensive hearts, and having hung up 

 their then mute harps upon the willow-trees growing by the 

 rivers of Babylon, sat down upon those banks bemoaning the 

 ruins of Sion, and contemplating their own sad condition. 



And an ingenious Spaniard says, that * rivers and the 

 inhabitants of the watery element were made for wise men to 

 contemplate, and fools to pass by without consideration.' And 

 though I will not rank myself in the number of the first, yet 

 give me leave to free myself from the last, by offering to you a 

 short contemplation, first of rivers and then of fish ; concerning 

 which I doubt not but to give you many observations that will 

 appear very considerable: I am sure they have appeared so 

 to me, and made many an hour pass away more pleasantly, 

 as I have sat quietly on a flowery bank by a calm river, and 

 contemplated what I shall now relate to you. 



And first concerning Rivers ; there be so many wonders 

 reported and written of them, and of the several creatures that 

 be bred and live in them ; and those by authors of so good 

 credit, that we need not to deny them an historical faith. 



As namely of a river in Epirus, that puts out any lighted 

 torch, and kindles any torch that was not lighted. Some waters 

 being drank cause madness, some drunkenness, and some 

 laughter to death. The river Selarus in a few hours turns a 

 rod or wand to stone : and our Camden mentions the like in 

 England, and the like in Lochmere in Ireland. There is also 

 a river in Arabia, of which all the sheep that drink thereof 

 have their wool turned into a vermilion colour. And one of no 

 less credit than Aristotle, tells us of a merry river, the river 

 Elusina, that dances at the noise of music, for with music it 

 bubbles, dances, and grows sandy, and so continues till the 

 music ceases, but then it presently returns to it's wonted calm- 

 ness and clearness. And Camden tells us of a well near to 

 Kirby in Westmoreland, that ebbs and flows several times 

 every day : and he tells us of a river in Surrey, it is called 

 Mole, that after it has run several miles, being opposed by 

 hills, finds or makes itself a way under ground, and breaks out 

 again so far off, that the inhabitants thereabouts boast, as the 

 Spaniards do of their river Anus, that they feed divers flocks 



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