28 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. PARTI. 



Aristotle, and others, may be demonstrated. But I will 

 DM Barttu, in sweeten this discourse also out of a con- 

 templation in divine Du Bartas, 1 who says : 



God quickened in the sen, and in the rivers, 

 So many fishes of so many features, 

 That in the waters we may see all creatures, 

 Even all that on the earth are to be found, 

 As if the world were in deep waters drowu'd. 

 - For seas a* well as skies have Sun, Moon, Stars ; 

 As well as air Swallows, Rooks, and Stares ; a 

 As well as earth Vines, Roses, Nettles. Melons, 

 Mushrooms, Pinks, Gilliflowers, and many millions 

 Of other plants, more rare, mure strange than tfisse, 

 As very fishes, living in the sea; 

 As also Rams, Calves, Horses. Hares, and Hog*, 

 Wolves. Urchins, Lions, Elephtnis, and Dogs; 

 Tea men and maids; and, which I most admire, 

 The mitred Bishop and the cowled Friar ;l 

 Of which, examples, bat a few years since, 

 Were shewn the Norway and Polonun prince. 



O) Gitillaume tie Salutte, Sieur du Bartas, was a poet of great reputation in 

 Walton's time. He wrote, in French, a poem called Divine Weeks and Works: 

 whence the p*ssge in the text, and m<ny others cited in this work, are extracted. 

 This, with his oilier delightful works, was translated into English by Joshua 

 Sylvester. 



(<) Or Starling*- Minsheu. 



(3) This story of the Bishop-fish is told by Roodelettus, and vouched by Bel- 

 looius. Without taking much pains in the translation, it is as follows: " In 

 the year 1511, a fish was taken in Polonia, that represented a bishop. He 

 was brought to the king ; but seeming to desire to return to his own element, 

 the king commanded him to be carried back to the sea, into which he imme- 

 diately threw himself." Rondeletius had before related the story of a Monk- 

 fish, which is what Du Bartas means by the " cowled Friar." The reader 

 may see the portraits of these wonderful personages in Rwdclrtiwi; or, in the 

 Pasthumou$ Work* of tie tevereud and learned Mr. John Giegory, iu 4to. 

 Lond. 1663, pge ICl, 1i2, where they are exhibited. 



Stow, in his AnnaU, p. 157, from the Chronicle of Radulphus Coggeshale, 

 gives the following relation of a tea-monster, uken on the coau or Suffolk, 

 temp. Hen. II. 



" Near* onto Orford in Suffolk, certaine fishers of the sea tooke in their nets 

 a fish, having the shape of a man in all points : which fish was kept by Bar- 

 tlemew de Glaunville, cuttm of the castle of Orford, in the same castle, by 

 the space of six moneths ad more, for a wonder. He spake not a word. 

 All manner of meates he did eate, but most gieedily raw fish, after he had 

 crushed out the moisture. Oftentimes, he was brought to the church, where 

 he shewed no token* of adoration." " At length," says this author, " when 

 be was not well looked to, he stole away to the sea, and never after appeared." 

 The wisdom of these fishermen io taking the monster to church, calls to re- 

 membrance many instances of similar sagacity recorded of the wise men of 

 Gotham. Finding him so indevout, we may suppose them to have been ready 

 to exclaim with Caliban, in the Tempest, 



" By this good light, a very shallow monster!" 



