42 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. [PART I. 



vitation to it, that I will be as free and open-hearted as dis- 

 cretion will allow me to be with strangers. 



VEN. And, Sir, I promise the like. 



Pise. I am right glad to hear your answers : and in confi 

 dence you speak the truth, I shall put on a boldness to ask you, 

 Sir, whether business or pleasure caused you to be so early up, 

 and walk so fast ; for this other gentleman hath declared he is 

 going to seek a hawk, that a friend mews for him. 



VEN. Sir, mine is a mixture of both, a little business and 

 more pleasure : for I intend this day to do all my business, and 

 then bestow another day or two in hunting the otter, which a 

 friend, that I go to meet, tells me is much pleasanter than any 

 other chase whatsoever ; howsoever, I mean to try it ; for to- 

 morrow morning we shall meet a pack of otter-dogs of noble 

 Mr. Sadler's, upon Amwell Hill, who will be there so early, 

 that they intend to prevent the sun rising. 



Pise. Sir, my fortune has answered my desires ; and my pur- 

 pose is to bestow a day or two in helping to destroy some of 

 those villanous vermin ; for I hate them perfectly, because they 

 love fish so well, or rather, because they destroy so much ; in- 

 deed, so much, that, in my judgment, all men that keep otter- 

 dogs ought to have pensions from the King to. encourage them 

 to destroy the very breed of those base otters, they do so much 

 mischief. 



VEN. But what say you to the foxes of the nation ? Would 

 not you as willingly have them destroyed ? for doubtless they 

 do as much mischief as otters do. 



Pise. O Sir, if they do, it is not so much to me and my fra- 

 ternity as those base vermin the otters do. 



Auc. Why, Sir, I pray, of what fraternity are you, that you 

 are so angry with the poor otters ? 



Pise. I am, Sir, a Brother of the Angle, and therefore an 

 enemy to the otter : for you are to note that we Anglers all love 

 one another, and therefore do I hate the otter, both for my own 

 and their sakes who are of my brotherhood. 



