AN ANGLER, A HUNTER, AND A FALCONER 



Pise. You know, Gentlemen, 'tis an easy thing to scoff at 

 any art or recreation ; a little wit mixed with ill-nature, con- 

 fidence, and malice, will do it; but though they often venture 

 boldly, yet they are often caught even in their own trap, accord- 

 ing to that of Lucian, the father of the family of Scoffers. 



Lucian, well skill'd in scoffing 1 , this hath writ, 

 Friend, that's your folly which you think your wit: 

 This you vent oft, void both of wit and fear, 

 Meaning another, when yourself you jeer. 



If to this you add what Solomon says of Scoffers, that * they 

 are an abomination to mankind,' Prov. xxiv. 9. let him that 

 thinks fit, scoff on, and be a scoffer still ; but I account them 

 enemies to me, and to all that love virtue and Angling. 



And for you that have heard many grave serious men pity 

 Anglers; let me tell you, Sir, there be many men that are by 

 others taken to be serious and grave men, which we contemn 

 and pity. Men that are taken to be grave, because nature 

 hath made them of a sour complexion, money-getting men, 

 men that spend all their time first in getting, and next in 

 anxious care to keep it; men that are condemned to be rich, 

 and then always busy or discontented : for these poor-rich-men, 

 we Anglers pity them perfectly, and stand in no need to borrow 

 their thoughts to think ourselves so happy. No, no, Sir, we 

 enjoy a contentedness above the reach of such dispositions, and 

 as the learned and ingenuous Montaigne says like himself freely, 

 'When my Cat and I entertain each other with mutual apish 

 tricks, as playing with a garter, who knows but that I make my 

 Cat more sport than she makes me? Shall I conclude her to 

 be simple, that has her time to begin or refuse to play as freely 

 as I myself have? Nay, who knows but that it is a defect of 

 my not understanding her language (for doubtless Cats talk 

 and reason with one another) that we agree no better : and who 

 knows but that she pities me for being no wiser, than to play 

 with her, and laughs and censures my folly for making sport for 

 her, when we two play together?' 



Thus freely speaks Montaigne concerning Cats, and I hope 

 I may take as great a liberty to blame any man, and laugh at 

 him too let him be never so grave, that hath not heard what 

 Anglers can say in the justification of their art and recreation ; 



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