36 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 



many grave serious men pity them, it is such a heavy, 

 contemptible, dull recreation. 



Pise. You know, gentlemen, it is an easy thing to scoff 

 at any art or recreation ; a little wit mixed with ill-nature, 

 confidence, and malice, will do it ; but though they often 

 venture boldly, yet they are often caught, even in their own 

 trap, according to that of Lucian, the father of the family 

 of scoffers. 



Lucian, well skilled in scoffing, this hath writ, 

 Friend, that 's your folly, which you think your wit ; 

 This, you vent oft, void both of wit and fear, 

 Meaning another, when yourself you jeer. 



If to this you add what Solomon says of scoffers, that 

 " they are an abomination to mankind," let them that think 

 fit scoff on, and be a scoffer still ; but I account them 

 enemies to me and to all that love virtue and angling. 



And for you that have heard many grave, serious men 

 pity anglers ; let me tell you, Sir, there be many men that 

 are by others taken to be serious and grave men, whom we 

 contemn and pity. Men that are taken to be grave, because 

 nature hath made them of a sour complexion ; money- 

 getting men, men that spend all their time, first in getting, 

 and next in anxious care to keep it ; men that are con- 

 demned to be rich, and then always busy or discontented : 

 for these poor rich men, we anglers pity them perfectly, 

 and stand in no need to borrow their thoughts to think 

 ourselves so happy. No, no, Sir, we enjoy a contentedness 

 above the reach of such dispositions, and as the learned and 

 ingenuous Montaigne says like himself, freely, "When my 

 cat and I entertain each other with mutual apish tricks, as 



