THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 213 



My honest scholar, all this is told to incline you to thankful- 

 ness : and to incline you the more, let me tell you, that though 

 the prophet David was guilty of murder and adultery, and many 

 other of the most deadly sins, yet he was said to be a man after 

 God's own heart, because he abounded more with thankfulness 

 than any other that is mentioned in Holy Scripture, as may 

 appear in his book of Psalms, where there is such a commixture 

 of his confessing of his sins and unworthiness, and such thank- 

 fulness for God's pardon and mercies, as did make him to be 

 accounted, even by God himself, to be a man after his own 

 heart : and let us, in that, labour to be as like him as we can ; 

 let not the blessings we receive daily from God make us not to 

 value, or not praise Him, because they be common ; let not us 

 forget to praise him for the innocent mirth and pleasure we have 

 met with since we met together. What would a blind man 

 give to see the pleasant rivers, and meadows, and flowers, and 

 fountains that we have met with since we met together ? I 

 have been told, that if a man that was born blind could obtain 

 to have his sight for but only one hour during his whole life, 

 and should, at the first opening of his eyes, fix his sight upon 

 the sun when it was in his full glory, either at the rising or 

 setting of it, he would be so transported and amazed, and so 

 admire the glory of it, that he would not willingly turn his eyes 

 from that first ravishing object, to behold all the other various 

 beauties this world could present to him. And this, and many 

 other like blessings, we enjoy daily. And for most of them, 

 because they be so common, most men forget to pay their 

 praises : but let not us, because it is a sacrifice so pleasing to 

 Him that made that sun and us, and still protects us, and gives 

 us flowers, and showers, and stomachs, and meat, and content, 

 and leisure to go a^fishing. 



Well, scholar, I have almost tired myself, and* I fear, more 

 than almost tired you. But I now see Tottenham High 

 Cross ; and our short walk thither shall put a period to my 

 too long discourse ; in which my meaning w r as, and is, to 

 plant that in your mind with which I labour to possess my 

 own soul, that is, a meek and thankful heart. And to 

 that end I have shewed you that riches without them (meek- 

 ness and thankfulness) do not make any man happy. But let 

 me tell you, that riches with them remove many fears and 

 cares. And, therefore, my advice is, that you endeavour 

 to be honestly rich, or contentedly poor : but be sure that 

 your riches be justly got, or you spoil all. For it is well 

 said by Caussin, " He that loses his conscience has nothing 

 left that is worth keeping." Therefore be sure you look to 

 that. And, in the next place, look to your health ; and if you 

 have it, praise God, and value it next to a good conscience ; 

 for health is the second blessing that we mortals are capable of ; 



