ANCIENT ANGLING AUTHORS 153 



carp, described in Blome's Gentlcniarfs Recreation, is 

 repeated here. 



The following advice on carp-fishing is, I think, 

 given for the first time : 



If you fish for Carp, cut no Weeds in the River, 

 nor on the sides, to make a convenient standing, for 

 then they will perceive they are laid wait for, and 

 forsake that Haunt not returning in a considerable 

 time. 



A method for taking fish in the hands is described. 

 The hands having been anointed with cinquefoil, 

 nettles, and house leek juice, the fish will come to 

 them and may then be taken out. These directions 

 are repeated in many subsequent angling books. 



The miraculous, but I should imagine, rather wet, 

 feat of walking on the water can be accomplished 

 according to this book, by tying a "thick leather 

 gut," well blown up, under the arm-pits, and attaching 

 leather drums to the feet. 



The popularity of this book was probably due to 

 its low price of sixpence, and the handiness of its 

 size, 24mo. To the third edition (1704), an abstract 

 of Gilbert's Method of Fishing in Hackney River was 

 added, while in the second issue of the fourth edition 

 (1796) a list of various angling stations was sub- 

 stituted for this abstract. 



The True Art of Angling \s of considerable interest 

 in regard to certain points of similarity between it 

 and The Young Sportsman's Instructor; both were 

 exceedingly small books, both were printed for G. 



