THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 245 



But of that hereafter : and now, sir, if I am not mistaken, I 

 have half overcome you ; and that I may wholly conquer that 

 modesty of yours, I will take upon me to be so familiar as to 

 say, you must accept my invitation ; which, that you may the 

 more easily be persuaded to do, I will tell you, that my house 

 stands upon the margin of one of the finest rivers for Trouts 

 and Grayling in England that I have lately built a little 

 fishing house upon it, dedicated to anglers, over the door of 

 which you will see the two first letters of my father Walton's 

 name and mine, twisted in cipher that you shall lie in the 

 same bed he has sometimes been contented with, and have such 

 country entertainment as my friends sometimes accept, and be 

 as welcome, too, as the best friend of them all. 



Viator. No doubt, sir, but my master Walton found good 

 reason to be satisfied with his entertainment in your house ; for 

 you who are so friendly to a mere stranger, who deserves so 

 little, must needs be exceeding kind and free to him who 

 deserves so much. 



Piscator. Believe me, no : and such as are intimately ac- 

 quainted with that gentleman, know him to be a man who will 

 not endure to be treated like a stranger. So that his acceptation 

 of my poor entertainment has ever been a pure effect of his own 

 humility and good nature, and nothing else. But, sir, we are 

 now going down the Spittle Hill into the town ; and, therefore, 

 let me importune you suddenly to resolve, and most earnestly 

 not to deny me. 



Viator. In truth, sir, I am so overcome by your bounty, that 

 I find I cannot, but must render myself wholly to be disposed 

 by you. 



Piscator. Why, that 's heartily and kindly spoken, and I as 

 heartily thank yoiu And, being you have abandoned yourself 

 to my conduct, we will only call and drink a glass on horse- 

 back at the Talbot, and away. 



Viator. I attend you. But what pretty river is this, that 

 run- under this stone bridge ? has it a name ? 



Piscator. Yes, it is called Henmore ;* and has in it both 

 Trout and Grayling ; but you will meet with one or two better 

 aiion. And so soon as we are past through the town, I will 

 ejideavour, by such discourse as best likes you, to pass away 

 the time till you come to your ill quarters. 



Viator. We can talk of nothing with which I shall be more 

 delighted than of rivers and angling. 



* At that time it was commonly so called, because it flowed through 

 Henmoor ; but its proper name is Schoo Brook. See a singular contest 

 recrar.ling- the right of fishing- in this brook, as reported in Burrows, 227y. 

 Richard Hayne, Esq. of Ashborn, . Uriah Corden, Esq of Clifton. 



