CHAP. xiii. THE FOURTH DAY. 133 



If thou to be so seen be'st loath, 

 By sun or moon, thou darkenest both; 

 And if mine eyes have leave to see, 

 I need not their light, having thee. 



Let others freeze with angling-reeds, 

 And cut their legs with shells and weeds, 

 Or treacherously poor fish beset, 

 With strangling snares, or windowy net: 



Let coarse bold hands, from slimy nest, 

 The bedded fish in banks outwrest ; 

 Let curious traitors sleave silk flies, 

 To witch poor wandering fishes' eyes : 



For thee thou need'st no such deceit, /l/fil 



FoTTfiou thyself art thine own bait : 

 THaTfish that is not catch'd thereby 

 Is~wiser far, alas! than I. 1 ' 



PlSC. Well remembered, honest scholar ; I thank you for 

 these choice verses, which I have heard formerly, but had 

 quite forgot till they were recovered by your happy memory. 

 Well, being I have now rested' myself a little, I will make 

 you some requital, by telling you some observations of the 

 eel, for it rains still, and because, as you say, our angles are 

 as money put to use, that thrives when we play, therefore 

 we'll sit still and enjoy ourselves a little longer under this 

 honeysuckle hedge. 



CHAPTER XIII. 



OBSERVATIONS OF THE EEL, AND OTHER FISH THAT WANT 

 SCALES ; AND HOW TO FISH FOR THEM. 



Pise. It is agreed by most men that the eel is a most dainty 

 fish ; the Romans have esteemed her the Helena of their feasts, 

 and some the queen of palate-pleasure. But most men differ 

 about their breeding: some say they breed by generation as 

 other fish do, and others, that they breed, as some worms do, of 



