CHAP. I. THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 31 



And to parallel this land-rarity, and teach mankind 

 moral faithfulness, and to condemn those that talk of re- 

 ligion, and yet come short of the moral faith offish and 

 fowl, men that violate the law affirmed by St. Paul, 

 (Rom. ii. 14, 15,) to be writ in their hearts, and which, 

 he says, shall at the Last Day condemn and leave 

 them without excuse I pray hearken to 

 what Du Bartas sings, for the hearing of fiflh d * 

 such conjugal faithfulness will be music 

 to all chaste ears, and therefore I pray hearken to what 

 Du Bartas sings of the Mullet. 



But for chaste love the Mullet hath no peer; 

 For, if the fisher hath surpris'd her pheer, 1 

 As mad with wo, to shore she followeth, 

 Prest* to consort him, both in life and death. 



On the contrary, what shall I say of the House-Cock, 

 which treads any hen; and then, contrary to the Swan, 

 the Partridge, and Pigeon, takes no care to hatch, to 

 feed, or cherish his own brood, but is senseless, though 

 they perish. And it is considerable, that the Hen, (which, 

 because she also takes any Cock, expects it not,) who 

 is sure the chickens be her own, hath by a moral im- 

 pression her care and affection to her own brood more 

 than doubled, even to such a height, that our Saviour 

 in expressing his love to Jerusalem, Matt, xxiii. 37, quotes 

 her for an example of tender affection; as his Father 

 had done Job, for a pattern of patience. 



And to parallel this Cock, there be divers fishes that 

 cast their spawn on flags or stones, and then leave it un- 

 covered, and exposed to become a prey and be devoured 

 by vermin or other fishes. But other fishes, as namely 



(1) Or Fellow ; so Bed-pheer, Bed-fellow. 



(2) Prcrt, from the French prCt, Lat. paratus, ready, prepared. So Psalm 

 104. old version : 



lie make'lj his spirites as heralds to go, 

 And lightnings, to serve, we see alsoprejf. 

 Vide GLOSSARY to Robtrt of Gloucester mid to Peter Langtoft. edit. Hearne 



