THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 179 



left me alone for an hour this day ; and I verily believe he 

 retired himself from talking with me that he might be so perfect 

 in this song : was it not, master ? 



Piscator. Yes, indeed, for it is many years since I learned 

 it ; and having forgotten a part of it, I was forced to patch it up 

 by the help of mine own invention, who am not excellent at 

 poetry, as my part of the song may testify : but of that I will 

 say no more, lest you should think I mean, by discommending 

 it, to beg your commendations of it. And therefore, without 

 replications, let 's hear your catch, scholar ; which I hope will 

 be a good one, for you are both musical, and have a good fancy 

 to boot. 



Venator. Marry, and that you shall ; and as freely as I would 

 have my honest master tell me some more secrets of fish and 

 fishing, as we walk and fish towards London to-morrow. But, 

 master, first let me tell you, that very hour which you were 

 absent from me, I sat down under a willow tree by the water- 

 side, and considered what you had told me of the owner of that 

 pleasant meadow in which you then left me : that he had a 

 plentiful estate, and not a heart to think so ; that he had at this 

 time many lawsuits depending ; and that they both damped his 

 mirth, and took up so much of his time and thoughts, that he 

 himself had not leisure to take the sweet content that I, who 

 pretended no title to them, took in his fields : for I could 

 there sit quietly ; and, looking on the water, see some fishes 

 sport themselves in the silver streams, others leaping at flies of 

 several shapes and colours ; looking on the hills, I could behold 

 them spotted with woods and groves ; looking down the 

 meadows, could see, here a boy gathering lilies and ladysmocks, 

 and there a girl cropping culverkeys and cowslips, all to make 

 garlands suitable to this present month of May : these, and many 

 other field flowers, so perfumed the air, that I thought that 

 very meadow like that field in Sicily, of which Diodorus speaks, 

 where the perfumes arising from the place make all dogs that 

 hunt in it to fall off, and to lose their hottest scent. I say, as 

 I thus sat, joying in my own happy condition, and pitying" this 

 poor rich man that owned this and many other pleasant groves 

 and meadows about me, I did thankfully remember what my 



We rovet no wealth, 



But the blessing of health, 

 And that greater, good conscience within us. 



Such devotion we bring 



To our God and our Kin?, 

 That from either no offers can win us. 



While we sit and fish, 



WP pray as we wish 

 For lonpr life to our king, James the Second : 



Honest anglers then may, 



Or they *ve very foul play, 

 With the best of good subjects be reckon' d. 



