ANCIENT ANGLING AUTHORS 79 



poachers must, I am afraid, be assigned to Thomas 

 Barker. His motto appears to have been catch 

 fish fairly, if you can anyhow, catch fish. 



In his second edition (1657 and 1659), he was the 

 first to publish and advocate the use of the salmon 

 roe ; he appears to have taken more delight in 

 snaring, snagging, and trimmering pike than in 

 catching them by angling, because the former 

 methods were likely to catch more fish. Perhaps 

 these pot-hunting proclivities were the result of his 

 professional calling, which was that of a cook. 



There are no grounds for the statement in the 

 Dictionary of National Biography that " at the time 

 of writing this treatise he gained a livelihood by 

 accompanying gentlemen on fishing expeditions, or 

 giving instruction at home in the use of baits and 

 tackle." He gained his livelihood at that time, as 

 formerly, in the capacity of cook, and this he tells 

 us himself in his second edition. " I have been 

 admitted into the most Ambassadors' Kitchens that 

 have come into England this forty years, and do 

 wait on them still at the Lord Protector's charge, 

 and I am duly paid for it." Also : 



... for forty years and 



In Ambassadors Kitchins learn'd my cookery. 



All that is known of the life of Barker has been 

 gathered from the dedicatory epistle of his book, 

 which is as follows : 



GENTLEMEN, I doe present this my Epistle, as 



