EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 101 



different opinion. He says, "Perhaps it had been of 

 advantage, and this subject (angling L'toratrre) had come 

 with better appearance if Sanazarius' >had neverwritten Ms 

 Sea Eclogues: the exercise of> fishing, ; appears' GO Con- 

 temptible in him, that any that writes 6n a subject that 

 seems to be of a similar aspect must suffer disadvantage. 

 His oysters and crayfish are served plentifully over without 

 any change, and you may break your teeth before you get 

 to his entertainment. His water-swains differ no ways 

 from our most simple ones on land, only that he turns 

 them to sea in an old tattered boat, and to leave them to 

 wail their loves and seek their fortunes. Eocks, waves, 

 and desert shores are their insensible retinue." 



The e Eclogues ' of Sanazarius are nine in number. The 

 first is on the angling seasons. It is written in the form 

 of dialogue by three persons. The topics are, the incon- 

 veniences to genuine sport from long draughts and land 

 floods, the general changeableness of the weather, the 

 best seasons and times for using the rod to advantage, and 

 of the various methods of summer and winter fishing. 

 On long spells of dry weather, the poet says : 



" When droughts like these the slack' ning streams repress, 

 How, Mica, can the angler hope success ? 

 The fish with sick'ning looks their food refrain, 

 And seek the coolness of the deeps in vain ; 

 No kindly rains the scanty pools supply, 

 And running brooks have ebb'd their channels dry ; 



9 



