88 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. PART i. 



Ven. I thank you, master. I will observe and practise 

 your direction as far as I am able. 



Pise. Look you, scholar; you see I have hold of a good 

 fish : I now see it is a 1'rout. I pray, put that net under 

 him; and touch not my line, for if you do, then we break 

 all. Well done, scholar : I thank you. 



Now for another. Trust me, I have another bite. 

 Come scholar, come lay down your rod, and help me to 

 land this as you did the other. So now we shall be sure 

 to have a good dish of fish for supper. 



Fen. I am glad of that: but I have no fortune: sure, 

 master, yours is a better rod and better tackling. 



Pise. Nay, then, take mine; and I will fish with yours. 

 Look you, scholar, I have another. Come, do as you did 

 before. And now I have a bite at another. Oh me ! he 

 has broke all : there's half a line and a good hook lost. 



Ven. Ay, and a good Trout too. 



Pise. Nay, the Trout is not lost; for pray take notice, 

 no man can lose what he never had. 



Ven. Master, I can neither catch with the first nor 

 second angle : I have no fortune. 



Pise. Look you, scholar, I have yet another. And 

 now, having caught three brace of Trouts, I will tell you 

 a short tale as we walk towards our breakfast. A scholar, 

 a preacher I should say, that was to preach to procure 

 the approbation of a parish that he might be their lecturer, 

 had got from his fellow pupil the copy of a sermon that 

 was first preached with great commendation by him that 

 composed it: and though the borrower of it preached it, 

 word for word, as it was at first, yet it was utterly disliked 

 as it was preached by the second to his congregation ; 

 which the sermon-borrower complained of to the lender 

 of it: and was thus answered: "I lent you, indeed, my 

 fiddle, but not my fiddle-stick ; for you are to know, that 

 every one cannot make music with my words, which are 



