44 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. [PART!. 



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 doubtless 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 think 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 Anglers as more patient and more simple 

 men than I fear I shall find you to be. 



Pise. 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 consciences to buy riches, and with them vex- 

 ation and a fear to die ; if you mean such simple 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 of, then 

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

 stood : but if by simplicity you meant to express a general 

 defect in those that profess and practise the excellent art of 

 Angling, I hope in time to disabuse you, and make the contrary 

 appear so evidently, that, if you will but have patience to hear 

 me, I shall remove all the anticipations that discourse, or time, 



