CHAP. I.] THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 241 



Ashbourn, I shall freely and bluntly tell you, that I am a 

 Brother of the Angle too ; and, perad venture, can give you 

 some instructions how to angle for a Trout in a clear river, that 

 my Father Walton himself will not disapprove ; though he did 

 either purposely omit, or did not remember them when you 

 and he sat discoursing under the sycamore-tree. And, being 

 you have already told me whither your journey is intended, and 

 that I am better acquainted with the country than you are, I 

 will heartily and earnestly entreat you will not think of staying 

 at this town, but go on with me six miles farther to my house, 

 where you shall be extremely welcome ; it is directly in your 

 way ; we have day enough to perform our journey, and, as you 

 like your entertainment, you may there repose yourself a day 

 or two, or as many more as your occasions will permit, to rec- 

 ompense the trouble of so much a longer journey. 



VIAT. Sir, you surprise me with so friendly an invitation 

 upon so short acquaintance : but how advantageous soever it 

 would be to me, and that my haste, perhaps, is not so great, 

 but it might dispense with such a divertisement as I promise 

 myself in your company, yet I cannot, in modesty, accept your 

 offer, and must therefore beg your pardon : I could otherwise, 

 I confess, be glad to wait upon you, if upon no other account 

 but to talk of Mr. Izaak Walton, and to receive those instruc- 

 tions you say you are able to give me for the deceiving a 

 Trout ; in which art I will not deny but that I have an am- 

 bition to be one of the greatest deceivers : though I cannot 

 forbear freely to tell you that I think it hard to say much more 

 than has been read to me upon that subject. 



Pise. Well, Sir, I grant that too ; but you must know that 

 the variety of rivers require different ways of Angling : how- 

 ever, you shall have the best rules I am able to give, and I will 

 tell you nothing I have not made myself as certain of, as any 

 man can be in thirty years' experience, for so long I have been 

 a dabbler in that art ; and that, if you please to stay a few 

 days, you shall ill a very great measure see made good to you. 



