46 Gleanings Jrom the 



imitates the famous chapter " Concerning Snakes 

 in Iceland," for he is fain to confefs, in his chapter 

 on the " Fifher," that " afluredly I know none of 

 that kinde in Englande, neither have I received by 

 reporte that there is any fuche." He appears to 

 confufe it with the beaver or otter, and writes as 

 if the beaver were not yet extinct in England. 

 The whole chapter reminds an angler of the 

 celebrated queftion which is raifed in Walton's 

 book, whether the otter be beaft or fim, folved by 

 the huntfman, who avows that, at any rate, " moft 

 agree that her tail is fifti." 1 Indeed, the author's 

 wonderful divifions of his fubject irrefiftibly fuggeft 

 that Shakefpeare had this book in his mind when 

 he wrote : 



" Ay, in the catalogue ye go for men, 

 As hounds and greyhounds, mungrels, fpaniels, curs, 

 Shoughs, water-rugs and demi-wolves are cleped 

 All by the name of dogs ; the valued file 

 Diftinguifhes the fwift, the flow, the fubtle, 

 The houfe-keeper, the hunter ; every one 

 According to the gift which bounteous nature 

 Hath in him clofed ; whereby he does receive 

 Particular addition from the bill 

 That writes them all alike." 2 



Next our author comes to " the delicate, neate, 

 and pretty kind of dogges, called the fpaniel 

 gentle, or the comforter, in Latine Melitasus or 

 Fotor " (from Melita or Malta, fo anfwering to 

 our Maltefe dog). Dr. Caius had evidently no 

 affection for thefe, and delivers himfelf of feveral 

 cauftic fentences, which may well be quoted for 



1 " Compleat Angler," i. 2. 



2 " Macbeth," iii. z (written in 1606). 



