CHAP. XXL] THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 



fulness; and to incline you the more, let me tell you, that 

 though the prophet David was guilty of murder and adultery, 

 and many other of the most deadly sins, yet he was said to be 

 a man after God's own heart, because he abounded more with 

 thankfulness than any other that is mentioned in Holy Script- 

 ure, as may appear in his book of Psalms ; where there is such 

 a commixture of his confessing of his sins and unworthiness, 

 and such thankfulness for God's pardon and mercies, as did 

 make him to be accounted, even by God himself, to be a man 

 after his own heart : and let us in that, labor to be as like him 

 as we can ; let not the blessings we receive daily from God 

 make us not to value, or not praise Him, because they be com- 

 mon : let not us forget to praise Him for the innocent mirth 

 and pleasure we have met with since we met together. What 

 would a blind man give to see the pleasant rivers, and mead- 

 ows, and flowers, and fountains, that we have met with since 

 we met together ? I have been told, that if a man that was 

 born blind could obtain to have his sight for but only one hour 

 during his whole life, and should, at the first opening of his 

 eyes, fix his sight upon the sun when it was in his full glory, 

 either at the rising or setting of it, he would be so transported 

 and amazed, and so admire the glory of it, that he would not 

 willingly turn his eyes from that first ravishing object, to be- 

 hold all the other various beauties this world could present to 

 him. And this, and many other like blessings, we enjoy daily. 

 And for most of them, because they be so common, most men 

 forget to pay their praises ; but let not us ; because it is a sac- 

 rifice so pleasing to Him that made that sun, and us, and still 

 protects us, and gives us flowers, and showers, and stomachs, 

 and meat, and content, and leisure to go a-fishing. 



Well, Scholar, I have almost tired myself, and, I fear, 

 .more than almost tired you. But I now see Tottenham High- 

 Cross ; and our short walk thither shall put a period to my 

 too long discourse; in which my meaning was, and is, to 

 ; plant that in your mind, with which I labor to possess my 



