ANCIENT ANGLING AUTHORS 31 



holesome nor yet good of liking. All these afore 

 mentioned with all other which are out of season, 

 are forbid to be taken and solde in Markets [of 

 France], or otherwise prively eaten, upon the like 

 penaltie afore mentioned. I would to God it were 

 so here with us in England and to have more pre- 

 servers, and lesse spoylers of fish out of season, and 

 in season : then we should have more plentie than 

 we have through this Realme. Also I would wish 

 that all stoppe nets, and drags with casting nets, were 

 banished in all common rivers through this Realme 

 for three moneths : as in March, Aprill, and May. 



In 1600 a book was printed, entitled Certaine 

 experiments concerning fish and fruite : practised by 

 John Taverner, Gentleman^ and by him published for 

 the benefit of others. 



There is a copy of this very rare work in the 

 British Museum ; only one edition is now known, 

 though Wood (Athena Oxon^ states that it was 

 printed several times. 



John Taverner, the author, was the Surveyor of 

 the King's Woods on the south side of the River 

 Trent. He died in 1606, and was buried at 

 Upminster in Essex (Wood's Athencs Oxon^}. His 

 book, unlike MascalPs work, appears to be original, 

 and not a mere compilation and translation from 

 foreign authors. It is certainly deserving of more 

 attention than it has hitherto received from writers 

 on old sporting literature. The author was evidently 

 a keen naturalist and a scientific observer ; his know- 

 ledge of the habits of fish was well in advance of 

 the time in which he lived ; he scoffs at the heresies 



