THE ANCIENT ART OF TROLLING 95 



or other small fish, dry it in his bosom, and ' anoint 

 him with the aforesaid composition.' 



Not many years later 'The Secrets of Angling, 

 the choicest Tooles, Baytes, and Seasons, for the 

 taking of any Fish, in Pond or River,' by ' J. D.' 

 (1613), and sold at Roger Jackson's shop near Fleet 

 Street Conduit, appeared. ' J. D.' was once thought 

 to be John Davors, but it is now as certain as such 

 things can be that the author was John Dennys, 

 Esquire, an English country gentleman. Two worthy 

 workers who are now at their rest, Mr. T. Westwood 

 and Mr. Thomas Satchell, in our own time entered 

 fully into the question of authorship. This fishing 

 book is in verse, and I may be forgiven for quoting the 

 stanza referring to the fish with which we are con- 

 cerned : 



FOR THE PIKE OR PEARCH 



Now for to take these kinde of Fish with all, 

 It shal be needful to haue still in store, 

 Some lining baites as Bleiks, Roches small, 

 Goodgion, or Loach, not taken long before, 

 Or yealow Frogges that in the waters craule, 

 But all aliue they must be euermore. 



For as for baites that dead & dull doe lye, 

 They least esteeme & set but little by. 



J. D., Esquire, carries the ethics of trolling further 

 than his predecessors, wisely laying stress upon the 



