LIFE OF IZAAK WALTON*. 9 



Jiim euen and streyghte, and lete it drye with the staffe ; and 

 whan they ben drye, make the yerde mete unto the hole in 

 the staffe, unto halfe the length of the staffe ; and to perfourme 

 that other half of the croppe, take a fayr shote of blacke 

 thornn, crabbe tree, medeler, or of jenypre, kytte in the same 

 season, and well bethyd and streyghte, and frette theym 

 togyder fetely, soo that the croppe maye justly entre all into 

 the sayd hole ; thenne shaue your staffe, and make him tapre 

 were ; then vyrell the staffe at bothe endes with long hopis 

 of yren, or laton, in the clennest wise, wyth a pyke at the 

 nether ende, fastynd with a rennynge vyce, to take* in and out 

 your croppe ; thenne set your croppe an handfull within the 

 ouer ende of your staffe, in suche wise that it be as bigge 

 there as in ony other place about : thenne arme your eroppe 

 at the ouer ende, downe to the frette, wyth a lyne of vj heeres, 

 and dubbe the lyne, and frette it faste in the toppe wyth a 

 bowe to fasten on. your lyne ; and thus shall ye make you a 

 rodde so prevy, that you may walke therwyth ; and there shall 

 noo man wyte where abowte ye goo." 



Speaking of the Barbel, she says : " The Barbyll is a 

 swete fysshe; but it is a quasy mete, and a peryllous for 

 mannys body. For, comyuly, he yeuyth an introduxion to the 

 febres : and yf he be eten rawe, ne may be cause of mannys 

 dethe, whyche hath oft be seen." And of the Carp, " that it 

 is a deyntous fysshe, but there ben but fevve in Englonde. 

 And therefore I wryte the lasse of hym. He is an euyll 

 fysshe to take. For he is so stronge enarmyd in the mouthe, 

 that there maye noo weke harnays hold hym. 



" And as touchynge his baytes, I have but lytyll knowledge 

 of it. And me wereloth to wryte more than I knowe and have 

 prouyd. But well I wote, that tl^e redde worme and the 

 menow ben good baytes for hym at all tyraes, as I have herde 

 saye of persones credyble, and also founde wryten in bokes of 

 credence." 



For taking the Pike, this lady directs her readers in the 

 following terms, viz. : 



" Take a codlynge hoke; and take a Roche, or a fresshe 

 Heeryng ; and a wyre with an hole in the ende, and put it in 

 at the mouth, and out at the taylle, downe by the ridge of 

 the fresshe Heeryng ; and thenne put the lyne of your hoke 

 in after, and drawe the hoke into the cheke of the fresshe 

 Herrying ; then put a plumbe of lede upon your lyne a yerde 

 longe from your hoke, and aflote in myd waye betwene ; 

 and caste it in a pytte where the Pyke usyth : and this is the 



