PIKE AND OTHER FISHING 



HAVE you ever read Gervase Markham on the 

 Inward Qualities of the Angler's Mind ? The 

 mental equipment held necessary by this authority 

 was elaborate, and, it is to be feared, few, even in 

 this hour, could satisfy Mr. Markham of his fitness to wield 

 rod. Hear him :— 



' A skillful angler ought to be a generall scholler and scene 

 in all the liberal sciences as Gramarian to know eyther how 

 to write a discourse of his art in true tearmes eyther without 

 affection or rudeness. He should have sweetnesse of speech 

 to persuade and intice others to delight in an exercise so much 

 laudable : strength of argument to defend and maintain his 

 profession : knowledge of the Sunne Moone and Starres that 

 by their aspects he may guesse the seasonableness or unseason- 

 ableness of the weather : a good knower of Countries and well 

 used to high wayes that by taking the readiest paths to every 

 Lake, Brooke or River his journeys may be more certaine and 

 lesse wearisome. He should have a knowledge of proportion 

 of all sorts whether Circular, Square or Diametricall, that when 

 hee shall be questioned of his diurnall progresses he may give 

 a Graphicall description of the Angles and Channells of Rivers, 

 how they fall from their heads and what compasses they fetch 

 in the several windings. He must also have the perfect Art 

 of Numbering that in the sounding of Lakes or Rivers he may 

 know how many foot or inches each severally containeth, and 

 by adding subtracting or multiplying the same he may yield 

 the Reason of every River's swift or slow current. He would 

 not be unskilfuU in Musique, that whenever eyther Melancholy, 

 heavinesse of thought or the perturbations of his own fancies, 

 stirreth up sadnesse in him he may remove the same with some 



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