ANCIENT ANGLING AUTHORS 107 



which he understood not himself ; but stuffs his Book 

 with Morals from Dubravius and others, not giving 

 us one Precedent of his own practical Experiments, 

 except otherwise where he prefers the Trencher 

 before the Troling-rod ; who lays the stress of his 

 Arguments upon other Mens Observations, where- 

 with he stuffs the indigested Octavo; so brings 

 himself under the Angler's Censure, and the common 

 Calamity of a Plagiary, to be pitied (poor Man) for 

 his loss of Time, in scribling and transcribing other 

 Mens Notions. These are the Drones that rob the 

 Hive, yet flatter the Bees they bring them Honey. 



Theophilus. I remember the Book, but you incul- 

 cate his Erratas : however it may pass Muster 

 among common Mudlers. 



Arnoldus. No, I think not; for I remember in 

 Stafford, I urged his own Argument upon him, that 

 Pickerel-weed of it self breeds Pickerel. Which 

 Question was no sooner stated, but he transmits 

 himself to his Authority, viz. Gesner, Dubravius, 

 and Androvanus. Which I readily opposed, and 

 offered my reasons to prove the contrary ; assert- 

 ing, that Pickerels have been fished out of Pools 

 and Ponds where that weed (for aught I knew) never 

 grew since the Nonage of Time, nor Pickerel ever 

 known to have shed their Spawn there. This I pro- 

 pounded from a rational Conjecture of the Heron- 

 shaw, who to commode her self with the Fry of Fish, 

 because in a great measure part of her Maintenance, 

 probably might lap some of her Spawn about her 

 Legs, in regard adhering to the Segs and Bull-rushes, 

 near the Shallows where the Fish shed their Spawn ; 

 as my self and others without curiosity have observed. 

 And this slimy Substance adhering to her Legs, &c. 

 and she mounting the Air for another Station, in 

 probability mounts with her. Where note, the next 

 Pond she happily arrives at, possibly she may leave 

 the Spawn behind her, which my Compleat Angler 



