52 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 



of Tully, the best of orators ; * and to see the bay trees that 

 now grow out of the very tomb of Virgil ! These, to any that 

 love learning, must be pleasing. But what pleasure is it to a 

 devout Christian to see there the humble house in which Saint 

 Paul was content to dwell, and to view the many rich statues 

 that are there made in honour of his memory ! nay, to see the 

 very place in which Saint Peter and he lie buried together ! These 

 are in arid near to Rome. And how much more doth it 

 please the pious curiosity of a Christian, to see that place on 

 which the blessed Saviour of the world was pleased to humble 

 himself, and take our nature upon him, and to converse with 

 men : to see Mount Sion, Jerusalem, and the very sepulchre of 

 our Lord Jesus ! How may it beget and heighten the zeal of 

 a Christian, to see the devotions that are daily paid to him at 

 that place ! Gentlemen, lest I forget myself, I will stop here, 

 and remember you, that but for my element of water, the inha- 

 bitants of this poor island must remain ignorant that such things 

 ever were, or that any of them have yet a being, f 



Gentlemen, I might both enlarge and lose myself in such 

 like arguments; I might tell you that Almighty God is said 

 to have spoken to a fish, but never to a beast ; that he hath 

 made a whale a ship, to carry and set his prophet Jonah safe 

 on the appointed shore. Of these I might speak, but I must 

 in manners break off, for I see Theobald's House. I cry you 

 mercy for being so long, and thank you for your patience. 



Auceps. Sir, my pardon is easily granted you : I except 

 against nothing that you have said ; nevertheless, I must part 

 with you at this park -wall, for which I am very sorry ; but I 

 assure you, Mr Piscator, I now part with you full of good 

 thoughts, not only of yourself, but your recreation. And so, 

 gentlemen, God keep you both. 



Piscator. Well, now, Mr Venator, you shall neither want 

 time, nor my attention to hear you enlarge your discourse 

 concerning Hunting. 



Venator. Not I, sir : I remember you said that Angling itself 

 was of great antiquity, and a perfect art, and an art not easily 

 attained to ; and you have so won upon me in your former 

 discourse, that I am very desirous to hear what you can say 

 farther concerning those particulars. 



Piscator. Sir, I did say so : and. I doubt not but if you and I 

 did converse together but a few hours, to leave you possessed 

 with the same high and happy thoughts that now possess me of 



* Walton's opinions on Livy and Cicero, are far different from those 

 now commonly entertained, of the one being a tedious fabulist, and the 

 other a mere builder of flowing sentences, without pith or point. J. R. 



t Walton forgets that, independent of water, we might make an over- 

 laud journey to Rome or Jerusalem. J. R. 



