28 BEST'S ART OF ANGLING. 



which has never been shrunk in the fulling-mill, 

 wash it very clean, and let it dry : then soak it 

 in the liquor where a fat piece of fresh beef has 

 been boiled, and wring it out, but not so hard as 

 to press out all the liquor ; then lay it in a deep 

 earthen pan, that has a large bottom, and put 

 your worms thereon, that they may crawl in and 

 out, and so scour themselves : when they have re- 

 mained there twenty-four hours, wash out your 

 cloth as before, but do not dry it ; then wet it 

 again with some of the same liquor, and having 

 placed your worms thereon, keep them in a close 

 cellar: repeat this every other day during the heat 

 of the summer, and you will not only preserve your 

 worms alive for three weeks or a month, but make 

 them very red, ckar and tough. When you 

 take them out for angling, put them into moss 

 that has been well washed and not wrung dry ; 

 and when you come home at night, put them 

 again into the pan, by which they will recover 

 and gather fresh strength. Take care that there is 

 no salt in the beef liquor, for if there is your 

 worms will purge themselves to death. 



Mr. Gay, in his Rural Sports, is particularly 

 partial to the gilt-tail, as is apparent by the fol- 

 lowing lines. 



You must not every worm promiscuous use : 

 Judgment will tell the proper baits to chuse. 

 The worm that draws a long, immod'rate size, 

 The trout abhors, and the rank morsel flies ; 

 And if too small, the naked fraud's in sight, 

 And fear forbids while hunger does invite. 

 Those baits will best reward the fisher's pains, 

 \Vhose polish'd tails a shining yellow stains : 

 Cleanse them from filth to give a tempting gloss, 

 Cherish the sully 'd reptile race with moss : 

 Amid the verdant bed, they twine, they toil, 

 And from their bodies wipe their native soil. 



