THE COMPLETE ANGLER. PART I. 



PMC. I pray, honest Huntsman, let me ask you a 

 pleasant question; do you hunt a beast or a fish? 



Hunt. Sir, it is not in my power to resolve you ; I leave 

 it to be resolved by the college of Carthusians, who have 

 made vows never to eat flesh. But, I have heard, the 

 question hath been debated among many great clerks, 

 and they seem to differ about it ; yet most agree that her 

 tail is fish : and if her body be fish too, then I may say 

 that a fish will walk upon land : for an Otter does so, 

 sometimes, five or six or ten miles in a night, to catch for 

 her young ones, or to glut herself with fish. And I can 

 tell you that Pigeons will fly forty miles for a breakfast : 

 but, Sir, I am sure the Otter devours much fish, and kills 

 and spoils much more than he eats. And I can tell you, 

 that this dog-fisher, for so the Latins call him, can smell 

 a fish in the water an hundred yards from him : Gesner 

 says much farther : and that his stones are good against 

 the falling sickness ; and that there is an herb, Benione, 

 which, being hung in a linen cloth, near a fish-pond, or 

 any haunt that he uses, makes him to avoid the place ; 

 which proves he smells both by water and land. And I 

 can tell you, there is brave hunting this water-dog in 

 Cornwall: where there have been so many, that our 

 learned Camdcn says there is a river called Ottersey, 

 which was so named by reason of the abundance of 

 Otters that bred and fed in it. And thus much for my 

 knowledge of the Otter : which you may now see above 

 water at vent, and the dogs close with him ; I now see 

 he will not last long. Follow, therefore, my masters, 

 follow; for Sweetlips was like to have him at this last 

 vent. 



Yen. Oh me! all the horse are got over the river, what 

 shall we do now ? shall we follow them over the water ? 

 Hunt. No, Sir, no ; be not so eager ; stay a little, and 

 follow me ; for both they and the dogs will be suddenly 



