ANGLING REMINISCENCES. 37 



Otter. Perhaps you are right, but you judge 

 only with the pictorial eye. I am taken with both, 

 arid admire each the more for the contrast's sake. 

 It is so also in regard to those hills. One is huge 

 and uniform, coated with heath and verdure ; knolls, 

 pleasant, pastoral, and sunny, scattered over it ; its 

 summit round, smooth, and shining ; its base thick 

 and sovereign like. The other is a mere rock, of 

 more contracted dimensions; but still vast, having 

 the forehead of a Gorgon ; scarred with ravines ; 

 and on its side, a torrent of shivered granites, ar- 

 rested singularly in their descent. Altogether, in- 

 deed, it is a motley but pleasant scene. 



Hackle. It is so, and under skilful hands might 

 form a lovely sketch. This river is the spirit of the 

 picture ; it glides into it and out of it with a dream- 

 like imperceptibility ; here sunned and sparkling, 

 there shaded and sombre. I admire much the long, 

 still, shadowy pool, situated under yonder cliff, on 

 which you may discern the grey and ivied battle- 

 ments of a feudal castle. 



Otter. I have killed oftimes a good salmon at 

 the upper part of it, where there are two or three 

 choice eddies, and a delectable stream. At this 

 moment I perceive two fishers, not of the worthiest 

 sort, busily employed in harrowing it with the 

 double rod. 



Leister. Let us up and put an end to their sport, 

 if this nefarious manner of angling can so be termed. 



Gaff. You advise well. They deserve a severe 



