146 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 



spawn at the age of three years, and continue to do so till 

 thirty : " he says also, that in the time of their breeding, 

 which is in summer, when the sun hath warmed both the earth 

 and water, and so apted them also for generation, that then 

 three or four male Carps will follow a female ; and that then, 

 she putting on a seeming coyness, they force her through weeds 

 and flags, where she lets fall her eggs, or spawn, which sticks 

 fast to the weeds ; and then they let fall their melt upon it, and 

 so it becomes in a short time to be a li ving fish : and, as I told 

 you, it is thought that the Carp does this several months in the 

 year. And most believe, that most fish breed after this manner, 

 except the Eel. And it has been observed, that when the 

 spawner has weakened herself by doing that natural office, that 

 two or three melters have helped her from off the weeds, by 

 bearing her up on both sides, and guarding her into the deep. 

 And you may note, that though this may seem a curiosity not 

 worth observing, yet others have judged it worth their time and 

 cost to make glass hives, and order them in such a manner as to 

 see how bees have bred and made their honeycombs, and how 

 they have obeyed their king, and governed their commonwealth.* 

 But it is thought that ail Carps are not bred by generation ; 

 but that some breed other ways, as some Pikes do. 



The physicians make the galls and stones in the heads of 

 Carps to be very medicinable. But it is not to be doubted but 

 that in Italy they make great profit of the spawn of Carps, by 

 selling it to the Jews, who make it into red caviare ; the Jews 

 not being by their law admitted to eat of caviare made of the 

 Sturgeon, that being a fish that wants scales, and (as may 

 appear in Levit. xi.) by them reputed to be unclean. 



Much more might be said out of him, and out of Aristotle, 

 which Dubravius often quotes in his Discourse of Fishes : but it 

 might rather perplex than satisfy you ; and, therefore, I shall 

 rather choose to direct you how to catch, than spend more 

 time in discoursing either of the nature or the breeding of this 

 fish, or of any more circumstances concerning him. But yet 

 I shall remember you of what I told you before, that he is a 

 very subtle fish, and hard to be caught. 



And my first direction is, that if you will fish for a Carp, 

 you must put on a very large measure of patience, especially to 

 fish for a river Carp : I have known a very good fisher angle 

 diligently four or six hours in a day, for three or four days 

 together, for a river Carp, and not have a bite. And you are 

 to note, that, in some ponds, it is as hard to catch a Carp as in 



* Bees have what is termed a queen, not a king ; but so far from obeying 

 her, as here asserted, she is kept a close prisoner, and must obey her sub- 

 jects J. R. 



