THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 33 



of it, at which time she by little and little draws the smaller 

 fish so near to her, that she may leap upon her, and then 

 catches and devours her : and for this reason some have 

 called this fish the sea-angler. 



And there is a fish called a hermit, that at a certain age 

 gets into a dead fish's shell, and like a hermit dwells there 

 alone, studying the wind and weather, and so turns her shell, 

 that she makes it defend her from the injuries that they 

 would bring upon her. 



There is also a fish called, by -ZElian, in his ninth book of 

 Living Creatures, chap. 16, the Adonis, or darling of the sea; 

 so called because it is a loving and innocent fish, a fish that 

 hurts nothing that hath life, and is at peace with all the 

 numerous inhabitants of that vast watery element : and truly 

 I think most anglers are so disposed to most of mankind. 



And there are also lustful and chaste fishes, of which I 

 shall give you examples. 



And first Du Bartas says of a fish called the-sargus ; which 

 because none can express it better than he does, I shall give 

 you in his own words ; supposing it shall not have the less 

 credit for being in verse ; for he hath gathered this and other 

 observations out of authors that have been great and indus- 

 trious searchers into the secrets of nature. 



The adulterous sargus doth not only change 



Wives every day, in the deep streams, but, strange, 



As if the honey of sea-love delight 



Could not suffice his raging appetite, 



Goes courting she-goats on the grassy shore, 



Horning their husbands that had horns before. 



And the same author writes concerning the caritharus that 

 which you shall also hear in his own words ! 



But, contrary, the constant cantharus 

 Is ever constant to his faithful spouse ; 

 In nuptial duties spending his chaste life ; 

 Never loves any but his own dear -wife. 



Sir, but a little longer, and I have done. 



YEN. Sir, take what liberty you .think fit, for your discourse 

 seems to be music, and charms me to an attention. 



Pise. Why then, sir, I will take a liberty to tell, or rather 

 to remember you what is said of turtle-doves : first, that they 

 silently plight their troth, and marry; and that then the 

 survivor scorns, as the Thracian women are said to do, to 

 outlive his or her mate, and this is taken for a truth ; and if 



c2 



