THE COMPLETE ANGLER 71 



Pise. Trust me, brother Peter, I find my scholar to be so 

 suitable to my own humour, which is, to be free and pleasant 

 and civilly merry, that my resolution is to hide nothing that 

 I know from him. Believe me, scholar, this is my resolu- 

 tion ; and so here's to you a hearty draught, and to all that 

 love us and the honest art of angling. 



YEN. Trust me, good master, you shall not sow your seed 

 in barren ground ; for I hope to return you an increase an- 

 swerable to your hopes : but, however, you shall find me 

 obedient and thankful and serviceable to my best ability. 



Pise. 'Tis enough, honest scholar ! corne, let's to supper. 

 Come, my friend Coridon, this trout looks lovely ; it was 

 twenty-two inches when it was taken ! and the belly of it 

 looked, some part of it, as yellow as a marigold, and part of \ 

 it as white as a lily ; and yet, methinks, it looks better in 

 this good sauce. 



CORIDON. Indeed, honest friend, it looks well, and tastes 

 well : I thank you for it, and so doth my friend Peter, or 

 else he is to blame. 



PETER. Yes, and so do I, we all thank you ; and when we 

 have supped, I will get my friend Coridon to sing you a song 

 for requital. 



COR. I will sing a song, if any body will sing another ; 

 else, to be plain with you, I will sing none : I am none of 

 those that sing for meat, but for company : I say, " 'Tis 

 merry in hall, when men sing all.""" 



* Parody on the adage 



" It's merry in the hall 

 When beards wag all" ; 



i.e. when all are eating. H. 



