144 ANCIENT ANGLING AUTHORS 



venience, an old Door may serve the purpose, but 

 the larger your Platform is, so much the better. The 

 end Q is that which must be the Water side, at the 

 Letter S make a hole to receive a good strong Cord, 

 fastened with a knot on the inner side, then store 

 over your Door with strong Earth or Clay about two 

 Inches Thick; and so stiff, that it may not easily 

 dissolve, nor work off with the Water, then stick the 

 said Earth full of Beans (prepared as hereafter) at 

 every four Inches Distance ; the Letters V Y denote 

 them ; they must be very gently put in, so as a Carp 

 may easily Bite them out, yet so fast as not to be 

 washed out by the Water, when all is fixed, let the 

 end Q be put into the Water sloping downwards, 

 then when the Hole is close ; on the bottom fasten 

 the cord T, at the Root of some Tree ; the next 

 Morning visit your Baits, pull out your Door 

 Leasurely ; if the Carps have eaten the Beans, tis a 

 good sign of catchsome, but if not try it a second 

 Day and Night ; if you then find the Beans unmoved, 

 conclude there are no Carps. If you find the second 

 time your Baits eaten, Replenish them, and think 

 not your time lost. In case the bottom of the Water 

 where you set your Door be clean and smooth, then 

 remove your Door, casting in two or three Handfuls 

 of the aforesaid Beans ; but in case the Ground, be 

 Muddy, Weedy, Rooty, or the like, let the Door be 

 rebaited and returned to the place where it was, for 

 there you may boldly let fall your Hook. 



The way of ordering your Beans is thus. Take 

 half a Bushel of Beans, and let lye seven or Eight 

 Hours in warm Water, then Boil them in a large 

 clean Earthenware Pot in four Ounces of Honey, 

 and as many grains of Musk ; then boil them about 

 a quarter of an Hour, and so preserve them, for your 

 use to bait upon your Door. . . . When you perceive 

 that Carps are in the place, and that they bite your 

 Bait, then the Night before you Fish do thus ; Put in 



