ANCIENT ANGLING AUTHORS 181 



When, if an Insect falls (his certain Guide), 

 He gently takes him from the whirling Tide ; 

 Examines well his Form, with Curious Eyes, 

 His gaudy Colours, Wings, his horns and Size 

 Then round his Hook a proper Fur he winds, 

 And on the Back a speckled Feather binds, 

 So just the Properties in ev'ry Part 

 That even Natures Hand revives in Art. 

 His new-formed Creature on the Water moves, 

 The roving Trout th' inviting Snare approves, 

 Upon his Skill successful Sport attends, 

 The Rod, with the succeeding Burthen, bends ; 

 The Fishes sail along, and in Surprize 

 Behold their Fellows drawn into the Skies ; 

 While soon they rashly seize the deadly Bait, 

 And Lux'ry draws them to their Fellows' Fate. 



In 1720 a second edition of Gay's work was 

 published, in a slightly altered form, bound up with 

 some other poems, under the collective title of 

 Poems on Several Occasions. In the interval between 

 the two editions the author appears to have given up 

 worm-fishing, and to have devoted himself exclusively 

 to angling with the artificial fly, for the following verse 

 appears for the first time in this edition : 



I never wander where the bord'ring reeds 



O'er look the muddy stream, whose tangling weeds 



Perplex the fisher ; I, nor chuse to bear 



The thievish nightly net, nor barbed spear ; 



Nor drain I ponds the golden carp to take, 



Nor trowle for pikes, dispeoplers of the lake. 



Around the steel no tortur'd worm shall twine, 



No blood of living insect stain my line ; 



Let me less cruel cast the feather'd hook, 



W T ith pliant rod athwart the pebbled brook, 



Silent along the mazy margin stray, 



And with the fur-wrought fly delude the prey. 



