THE CONFERENCE. 59 



For seas as well as skies have sun, moon, stars ; 

 As well as air swallows, rooks, and stares ; 

 As well as earth vines, roses, nettles, melons, 

 Mushrooms, pinks, gilliflowers, and many millions 

 Of other plants, more rare, more strange than these, 

 As very fishes living in the seas ; 

 As also rams, calves, horses, hares, and hogs, 

 Wolves, urchins, lions, elephants, and dogs ; 

 Yea, men and maids ; and, which I most admire, 

 The mitred bishop and the cowled friar ; 

 Of which, examples, but a few years since, 

 Were shown the Norway and Polonian prince. 



These seem to be wonders, but have had so many con- 

 firmations from men of learning and credit, that you need 

 not doubt them ; nor are the number nor the various shapes 

 of fishes more strange or more fit for contemplation than 

 their different natures, inclinations, and actions ; concerning 

 which I shall beg your patient ear a little longer. 10 



The cuttle-fish will cast a long gut out of her throat, 

 which, like as an angler doth his line, she sendeth forth and 

 pulleth in again at her pleasure, according as she sees some 

 little fish come near to her ; and the cuttle-fish, being then 

 hid in the gravel, lets the smaller fish nibble and bite the 

 end 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. 



