148 ANCIENT ANGLING AUTHORS 



amusement, which arises from destroying life. To 

 fishing is affixed a peculiar cruelty. An impaled 

 worm writhing upon a hook : or the convulsions of 

 a fish under the operation of having a barbed hook 

 extracted from its bowels ; are ideas which greatly 

 hurt my feelings. Catch your fish with a net and 

 you have my leave." 



"But," said I, "Sir, the trout, and I believe other 

 fish, inhabit such little rapid rivulets, as are accessible 

 only to a fly. Nets are accommodated chiefly to large 

 rivers ; and they require a boat and other apparatus, 

 which a clergyman cannot always command. Besides, 

 the use of nets is commonly forbidden as too destruc- 

 tive. But the angling rod is generally allowed, and 

 easily procured : and many a clergyman who lives 

 near a trout stream, may find it convenient to bring 

 a dish of fish, which costs him nothing, now and then, 

 to his family." 



" There is some force no doubt," answered the 

 Dean, " in what you say : and if the fish can be 

 caught in no other manner I know not how to object, 

 but still if I were the clergyman, I should leave other 

 people to catch them." 



"But," said I, "Sir, many of our great churchmen 

 have indulged themselves in this amusement. That 

 skilful casuist, and able divine, Dr Donne, I have heard, 

 was once an able angler ; your worthy predecessor, Dr 

 Nowel, was likewise a great proficient in angling. 

 Our present worthy primate l also I have been told, 

 was inferior to neither of them in his love for angling. 

 And good Mr Walton, whose lives I have heard you 

 speak of as models of easy writing and good sense, 

 wrote a book (though it never perhaps caught your 

 attention), intitled, 77/6' Compleat Angler ; or, T/ie 

 Contemplative Maris Recreation. 



"Indeed," said the Dean, "you have drawn up 



1 Archbishop Sheldon. 



