210 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 



half a pound of copperas, beaten small, and with it the hair that 

 you intend to colour ; then let the hair be boiled softly till half 

 the liquor be wasted, and then let it cool three or four hours, 

 with your hair in it : and you are to observe, that the more 

 copperas you put into it the greener it will be ; but doubtless 

 the pale green is best. But if you desire yellow hair, which is 

 only good when the weeds rot, then put in the more mari- 

 golds ; and abate most of the copperas^ or leave it quite out, and 

 take a little verdigris instead of it. 

 This for colouring your hair. 



And as for painting your rod, which must be in oil, you must 

 first make a size with glue and water, boiled together until the 

 glue be dissolved, and the size of a lye colour : then strike your 

 size upon the wood with a bristle, or a brush, or pencil, whilst it 

 is hot : that being quite dry, take white lead, and a little red lead, 

 and a little coal black, so much as altogether will make an ash 

 colour ; grind these altogether with linseed oil ; let it be thick, 

 and lay it thin upon the wood with a brush or pencil : this do 

 for the ground of any colour to lie upon wood. 



For a green, take pink and verdigris, and grind them together 

 in linseed oil, as thin as you can well grind it ; then lay it 

 smoothly on with your brush, and drive it thin : once doing, 

 for the most part, will serve, if you lay it well ; and if twice; 

 be sure your first colour be thoroughly dry before you lay on a 

 second.* 



Well, scholar, having now taught you to paint your rod, and 

 we having still a mile to Tottenham High Cross, I will, as we 

 walk towards it in the cool shade of this sweet honeysuckle 

 hedge, mention to you some of the thoughts and joys that have 

 possessed my soul since we met together. And these thoughts 

 shall be told you, that you also may join with me in thankful- 

 ness to the Giver of every good and perfect gift, for our happi- 

 ness. And that our present happiness may appear to be the 

 greater, and we the more thankful for it, I will beg you to 

 consider with me how many do, even at this very time, lie 

 under the torment of the stone, the gout, and toothach ; and 

 this we are free from. And every misery that I miss is a new 

 mercy ; and therefore let us be thankful. There have been, 

 since we met, others that have met disasters of broken limbs ; 

 some have been blasted, others thunder-strucken ; and we have 

 been freed from these, and all those many other miseries that 

 threaten human nature : let us therefore rejoice and be thankful. 

 Nay, which is a far greater mercy, we are free from the insup- 

 portable burden of an accusing, tormenting conscience a misery 



* The painting of the rod is not for mere ornament, but to preserve 

 it from being soaked with moisture, or rendered brittle by becoming too 

 dry.-J. R. 



