128 ANCIENT ANGLING AUTHORS 



impression of having been written by a thoroughly 

 practical angler. The author, to a considerable 

 extent, has availed himself of the writings of his 

 predecessors, a fact which he honestly acknowledges 

 in his preface, where he says he is "not a little 

 beholden to the Labours and Industry of Markham, 

 Walton, Venables, and Cotton, and others." On the 

 whole, however, it is an original and a very useful 

 treatise, and it served for many years, not only as a 

 model, but also as a fruitful source of information, to 

 other angling writers. 



Amongst the most remarkable features of this 

 book are the weird ointments with which the angler 

 is directed to annoint his line : 



Ointments to Allure Fish to the Bait. 



Next follow Ointments and Receipts, which I have 

 read and been informed of, by several knowing 

 Anglers, and are practised for the better furtherance 

 of this Sport; and some have such confidence, that 

 they affirm they'll not only allure, but even compel 

 Fish to bite. . . . And the first shall be one highly 

 commended by Monsieur Charras, (Operator and 

 Apothecary Royal to the present French King, Lewis 

 the Fourteenth) in his Pharmacopoeia > printed at 

 London, Part the Second. 



Take Man's Fat and Cat's Fat, of each half 

 an Ounce, Mummy finely powdred three Drams, 

 Cummin-seed finely powdred one Dram, distill'd Oyl 

 of Annise and Spike, of each six Drops, Civet two 

 Grains, and Camphor four Grains, make an Ointment 

 according to Art; and when you Angle anoint 8 

 inches of the Line next the Hook therewith, and 

 keep it in a pewter box. . . . 



