CHAP. x. THE FOURTH DAY. 123 



CHAPTER X. 



OBSERVATIONS OF THE BREAM ; AND DIRECTIONS TO 

 CATCH HIM. 



PlSC. The Bream, being at a full growth, is a large and stately 

 fish : he will breed both in rivers and ponds ; but loves best to 

 live in ponds, and where, if he likes the water and air, he will 

 grow not only to be very large, but as fat as a hog : he is by 

 Gesner taken to be more pleasant or sweet than wholesome : 

 this fish is long in growing, but breeds exceedingly in a water 

 that pleases him ; yea, in many ponds so fast as to overstore 

 them, and starve the other fish. 



He is very broad, with a forked tail, and his scales set in 

 excellent order ; he hath large eyes, and a narrow sucking 

 mouth ; he hath two sets of teeth, and a lozenge-like bone, a 

 bone to help his grinding. The melter is observed to have 

 two large melts ; and the female two large bags of eggs or 

 spawn. 



Gesner reports that in Poland a certain and a great number 

 of large breams were put into a pond, which in the next following 

 winter were frozen up into one entire ice, and not one drop of 

 water remaining, nor one of these fish to be found, though they 

 were diligently searched for; and yet the next spring, when the 

 ice was thawed, and the weather warm, and fresh water got into 

 the pond, he affirms they all appeared again. This Gesner 

 affirms ; and I quote my author because it seems almost as 

 incredible as the resurrection to an atheist: but it may win 

 something, in point of believing it, to him that considers the 

 breeding or renovation of the silk-worm, and of many insects. 

 And that is considerable, which Sir Francis Bacon observes in 

 his History of Life and Death^ fol. 20, that there be some herbs 

 that die and spring every year, and some endure longer. 



But though some do not, yet the French esteem this fish 

 highly, and to that end have this proverb, " He that hath breams 

 in his pond is able to bid his friend welcome." And it is noted 

 that the best part of a bream is his belly and head. 



