CHAP. XXI. THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 225 



Well, Scholar, I have told the substance of all that 

 either observation or discourse, or a diligent survey of 

 Dubravius and Lebault, hath told me: not that they, in 

 their long discourses, have not said more; but the most 

 of the rest are so common observations, as if a man 

 should tell a good arithmetician thattwice two is four. 

 I will therefore put an end to this discourse; and we 

 will here sit down and rest us. 



CHAP. XXI. 



Directions for maMng of a line, and for the colouring of both Rod 

 and Line. 



Piscator. WELL, Scholar, I have held you too long 

 about these cadis, and smaller fish, and rivers, and fish- 

 ponds ; and my spirits are almost spent, and so I doubt 

 is your patience : but being we are now almost at Totten- 

 ham, where I first met you, and where we are to part, I will 

 lose no time, but give you a little direction how to make 

 and order your lines, and to colour the hair of which you 

 make your lines, for that is very needful to be known of 

 an angler; and also how to paint your rod, especially 

 your top ; for a right grown top is a choice commodity, 

 and should be preserved from the water soaking into it, 

 which makes it in wet weather to be heavy and fish ill- 

 favouredly, and not true; and also it rots quickly for want 

 of painting: and I think a good top is worth preserving, 

 or I had not taken care to keep a top above twenty years. 1 



A Discourse of Fish and Fish-ponds, by a Person of Honour ; who, I have 

 beeu told by one who knew him, was the Hon. Roffer North, author of the Life 

 of the Lord Keeper Guildford. See before, page 105. 



(1) The author having said nothing about choosing or making Rods in any 

 part of hu book, it wa thought proper to insert the following direction*. For 



Q 



