4 THE COMPLETE AWOLER. PART. I. 



they are an abomination to mankind, let him that 

 thinks fit scoff on, and be a Scoffer still ; but I account 

 them enemies to me and all that love virtue and Angling. 

 And for you that have heard many grave, serious, men 

 pity Anglers ; let me tell you, Sir, there be many men 

 that are by others taken to be serious and grave men, 

 whom we contemn and pity. Men that are taken to be 

 grave, because nature hath made them of a sour com- 

 plexion; money-getting men, men that spend all their 

 time, first in getting, and next, in anxious care to keep 

 it ; men that are condemned to be rich, and then always 

 busy or discontented: for these poor rich-men, we Ang- 

 lers pity them perfectly, and stand in no need to borrow 

 their thoughts to think ourselves so happy. No, no, 

 Sir, we enjoy a contentedness above the reach of such 

 dispositions, and as the learned and ingenious Mon- 

 taigne 1 says like himself, freely, " When my Cat and I 

 entertain each other with mutual apish tricks, as playing 

 with a garter, who knows but that I make my Cat more 

 sport than she makes me ? Shall I conclude her to be 

 simple, that has her time to begin or refuse to play as 

 freely as I myself have? Nay, who knows but that it 

 is a defect of my not understanding her language (for 

 doubtless Cats talk and reason with one another) that 

 we agree no better : and who knows but that she pities 

 me for being no wiser, than to play with her, and laughs 

 and censures my folly, for making sport for her, when we 

 two play together ?" 



Thus freely speaks Montaigne concerning Cats ; and I 

 hope I may take as great liberty to blame any man, 

 and laugh at him too, let him be never so grave, that 

 hath not heard what Anglers can say in the justification 

 of their Art and Recreation ; which I may again tell you, 



(1) In Apol. for Ralm. de Sebonde. 



