THE CONFERENCE. 35 



more pleasure ; for I intend this day to do all my business, 

 and then bestow another day or two in hunting the otter, 2 

 which a friend, that I go to meet, tells me is much pleasanter 

 than any other chase whatsoever : howsoever, I mean to try 

 it ; for to-morrow morning we shall meet a pack of otter- 

 dogs of noble Mr. Sadler's," upon Amwell Hill, who will be 

 there so early that they intend to prevent [forestall] the sun- 

 rising. 



PlSC. Sir, my fortune has answered my desires, and my 

 purpose is to bestow a day or two in helping to destroy 

 some of those villanous vermin ; for I hate them perfectly, 

 because they love fish so well, or rather, because they 

 destroy so much ; indeed, so much that, in my judgment, 

 all men that keep otter-dogs ought to have pensions from 

 the king, to encourage them to destroy the very breed of 

 those base otters, they do so much mischief. 



VEN. But what say you to the foxes of the nation, 

 would not you as willingly have them destroyed ? for 

 doubtless they do as much mischief as otters do. 



PlSC. Oh, Sir, if they do, it is not so much to me and 

 my fraternity, as those base vermin the otters do. 



AUG. Why, Sir, I pray, of what fraternity are you, that 

 you are so angry with the poor otters ? 



PlSC. I am, Sir, a brother of the angle, and therefore an 

 enemy to the otter ; for you are to note, that we anglers 

 all love one another, arid therefore do I hate the otter, both 

 for my own and for their sakes who are of my brotherhood. 



VEN. And I am a lover of hounds ; I have followed 

 many a pack of dogs many a mile, and heard many merry 

 huntsmen make sport and scoff at anglers. 



Auc. And I profess myself a falconer, and have heard 



3--2 



