CHAPTER IX. OBSERVATIONS OF THE CARP, WITH 

 DIRECTIONS HOW TO FISH FOR HIM 



PISCATOR 



THE Carp is the Queen of Rivers : a stately, a good, and 

 a very subtle fish, that was not at first bred, nor hath 

 been long in England, but is now naturalized. It is said, 

 they were brought hither by one Mr. Mascal, a gentleman that 

 then lived at Plumsted in Sussex, a County that abounds more 

 with this fish than any in this nation. 



You may remember that I told you, Gesner says, there are 

 no Pikes in Spain ; and doubtless, there was a time, about a 

 hundred, or a few more years ago, when there were no Carps 

 in England, as may seem to be affirmed by Sir Richard Baker, 

 in whose Chronicle you may find these verses. 



Hops and Turkies, Carps and Beer, 

 Came into England all in a year. 



And doubtless, as of sea-fish the Herring dies soonest out 

 of the water, and of fresh-water-fish the Trout, so, except the 

 Eel, the Carp endures most hardness, and lives longest out of 

 his own proper element. And therefore, the report of the Carp's 

 being brought out of a foreign country into this nation, is the 

 more probable. 



Carps and Loaches are observed to breed several months in 

 one year, which Pikes and most other fish do not. And this is 

 partly proved by tame and wild Rabbits, as also by some Ducks, 

 which will lay eggs nine of the twelve months, and yet there be 

 other Ducks that lay not longer than about one month. And it 

 is the rather to be believed, because you shall scarce or never 

 take a Male-Carp without a Melt, or a Female without a Roe or 

 Spawn, and for the most part very much; and especially all 

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