16 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. PART i. 



rlf 



^rSand as the learned and ingenuous IVfonfa^ne says like 

 /yj^^ himself, freely, " When my cat and I entertain each other with 

 mutual apish tricks, as playing with a garter, who knows but 

 that I make my cat more sport than she makes me ? Shall I 

 conclude her to be simple, that has her time to begin or refuse 

 to play as freely as I myself have? Nay, who knows but that 

 it is a defect of my not understanding her language (for doubt- 

 less cats talk and reason with one another), that we agree no 

 better? And who knows but that she pities me for being no 

 wiser than to play with her, and laughs and censures my folly 

 for making sport for her, when we two play together?" 



Thus freely speaks Montaigne concerning cats ; and I hope 

 I may take as great a liberty to blame any man, and laugh at 

 him too, let him be never so grave, that hath not heard what 

 Anglers can say in the justification of their art and recreation ; 

 which I may again tell you is so full of pleasure, that we need 

 not borrow their thoughts to make ourselves happy. 



VEN. Sir, you have almost amazed me ; for though I am no 

 scoffer, yet I have, I pray let me speak it without offence, 

 always looked upon ^"gi^t-c oc mr r o p^ti^m- Qn ^ mn rf C imp1^ 



TTign, tban T frar T gfrqll find youjo be. 



PiSC. Sir, I hope you will not judge my earnestness to be 

 impatience: and for my simplicity, if by that you mean a 

 harmlessness, or that simplicity which was usually found in the 

 primitive Christians, who were, as most Anglers are, quiet men, 

 and followers of peace ; men that were so simply wise, as not to 

 sell their_c.on sciences to buy riches, and with them vexation 

 and aJbar to die-^- if you mean suchsinrple men as lived 

 in those times when there were fewer lawyers, when men 

 might have had -a lordship safely conveyed to them in a 

 piece of parchment no bigger than your hand, though several 

 sheets will not do it safely in this wiser age: I say, sir, if you 

 take us Anglers to be such simple men as I have spoken, then 

 myself and those of my profession will be glad to be so under- 

 stood : but if by sjrnpHrity you-aaeant to-express a general defect 

 in those that profess and prartisf* thft- ov1lftnf art nF angling, 

 I hope in time tojlisabuse you, and__rnake the contrary appear 



