CHAP. VII.] THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 139 



" And when the Salmon seeks a fresher stream to find, 

 Which hither from the sea comes yearly by his kind ; 

 As he towards season grows, and stems the wat'ry tract 

 Where Tivy, falling down, makes an high cataract, 

 Forced by the rising rocks that there her course oppose, 

 As though within her bounds they meant her to enclose,-* 

 Here, when the laboring fish does at the foot arrive, 

 And finds that by his strength he does but vainly strive ; 

 His tail takes in his mouth, and, bending like a bow 

 That 's to full compass drawn, aloft himself doth throw, 

 Then springing at his height, as doth a little wand, 

 That, bended end to end, and started from man's hand, 

 Far off itself doth cast ; so does the Salmon vault : 

 And if at first he fail, his second summersault 

 He instantly essays ; and, from his nimble ring 

 Still yerking, never leaves until himself he fling 

 Above the opposing stream." 



This Michael Drayton tells you of this leap or summersault 

 of the Salmon. 



And, next, I shall tell you, that it is observed by Gesner 

 and others, that there is no better Salmon than in England; 

 and that, though some of our northern counties have as fat and 

 as large as the river Thames, yet none are of so excellent a 

 taste. 



And as I have told you that Sir Francis Bacon observes, the 

 age of a Salmon exceeds not ten years, so let me next tell you, 

 that his growth is very sudden : it is said, that, after he is got 

 into the sea, he becomes, from a Samlet not so big as a Gud- 

 geon, to be a Salmon, in as short a time as a gosling becomes 

 to be a goose. Much of this has been observed, by tying a 

 ribbon, or some known tape or thread, in the tail of some 

 young Salmons, which have been taken in weirs as they have 

 swimmed towards the salt water, and then by taking a part of 

 them again, with the known mark, at the same place, at their 

 return from the sea, which is usually about six months after ; 

 and the like experiment hath been tried upon young swallows, 

 who have, after six months' absence, been observed to return 



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