The Complete Angler. 



not uliially above fortie years ; and 

 yet Gefner mentions a Pike taken in 

 Swede land m the year 1449, with a 

 Ring about his neck, declaring he 

 was put into the Pond by Frederick 

 the fecond, more then two hundred 

 years before he was laft taken, as the 

 Infcription of that Ring , being 

 Greek, was interpreted by the then 

 Bifhop of Worms. But of this no 

 more, but that it is obferved that the 

 old or very great Pikes have in them 

 more of ftate then goodnefs ; the 

 fmaller or middle liz'd Pikes being 

 by the moft and choiceft palates ob- 

 ferved to be the befl meat; but con- 

 trary, the Eele is obferved to be the 

 better for age and bignefs. 



All Pikes that live long prove 

 chargeable to their keepers, becaufe 

 their life is maintained by the death 

 of fo many other fifh, even thofe of 

 his owne kind, which has made 

 him by fome Writers to bee called 

 the Tyrant of the Rivers, or the Fre/b 



water 



