BAITS. 233 



Take of man's fat and cat's fat, of each half an ounce ; mummy, 

 finely powdered, three drams ; cumium seed, finely powdered, one 

 dram ; distilled oil of aniseed and spike, of each six drops ; civet, 

 two grains ; and campline, four grains : make an ointment accord- 

 ing to art. When you angle with this, anoint 8 inches of line next 

 the hook. Keep it in a pewter box, made something, taper ; and 

 when you use it, never angle with less than two or three hairs next 

 the hook ; because if you angle with one hair it will not stick so 

 well to the line. 



Another of this author's prescriptions is gum ivy, also re- 

 commended by Izaak Walton. ' It is of a yellowish-red colour 

 and with a strong scent and a sharp taste.' Or take this as 

 ' the best unguent compounded for trout in muddy water and 

 gudgeon in a clean stream : ' 



Take assafoetida, 3 drams ; campline, I dram ; Venice turpen- 

 tine, i dram ; put altogether with some drops of the chymical oils 

 of lavender and chamomile, of each an equal quantity. 



That a trout should be induced to partake of this precious 

 compound in muddy water and gudgeon in clean water must 

 surely be intended, as ' G. F.' suggests, to illustrate the disparity 

 between the intellects of the two species. As a final effort of 

 imagination it has actually been recommended to 'take the bones 

 or skulls of a dead man at the opening of a grave and beat 

 them into powder, putting this powder into the moss where you 

 keep your worms, but others like the grave earth as well ; ' and 

 ' man's fat ' is not only insisted upon, but we are directed to 

 apply to any ' surgeon ' for it. ' Cat's fat ' and ' that fat from a 

 heron's leg' is likewise advocated. It has been pointed out 

 that both the latter animals are partial to fish, and that although 

 a cat has a proverbial aversion to wetting her feet she becomes 

 a second otter when she has once taken to fish-poaching ways. 

 But, as the writer I have been quoting from humorously 

 remarks : 



Man is not always fond of fishing, and the fat of a fellow who 

 is no ossophagist might tend to drive the fish away rather than to 



