36 ANGLING LITERATURE OF 



Scliole, whiche hath brieflye compyled many praty conceytis itf 

 loue under covert termes of ffysshyng and ffowlyng. 



" Perdimus anguillam manibus dum stringinius illain." 



A man thath lovith ffisshyng and ffowlyng bothe, 



Ofte tyme that lyff shall hym be lothe, 



In see in ryver in ponde or in poole, 



Off that crafte thowe he knowe the scole, 



Thought his nett never so wide streiche, 



It happith full ofte hym naught to ketche. 



What fisshe is slipperer than an ele ? 



Ffor whan thow hym grippist and wenest wele 



Too haue hym siker right as the list, 



Than faylist thou off hym, he is owte of thy fyst. 



Diches sumtyme there samons used to haunte, 



Larapreyes lucys or pykys plesaunt, 



Wenyng the ffissher suche fisshe to ffynde ; 



Than comyth there a noyous north west wynde 



And dryveth the fisshe into the depe, 



And causeth the draught nat worthe a leeke ; 



But in steide off sturgeon and lamprons 



He draweth up gurnard, and gojons, 



Codlyng cungur, and suehe coisy 2 fisshe, 



Or wulwiche rochis, nat worthe a rysshe. 



Suche fortune ofte tymes on fisshers fallys, 



Though they on Petir prayen and callys. 



It profiteth nat and skille is why 



Ffor they to fisshyng goon wyth envy, 



And put it oute off hiernes and hooles 



Where as they ffynde the ffatt sooles, 



And wayte in waraynes all the nyght, 



Evene a non after the owls flight, 



2 Coisy, query quasi ? 



