INHUMANITY OF ANGLING. 191 



Why to the slaughter drag the bleating lamb ? 

 On ducks, geese, turkeys, fowls, voracious cram ? 



Why slay the noble ox ? 'tis vile ! 'tis cruel ! 

 HUMANITY, sweet maid 1 would have us dine, 

 Like prodigals on pea- shells, with the swine, 



And have for Sunday's dinner water -gruel ! 



Yet, sympathetic Sir ! I've little doubt 

 But you can pick a tender bit of trout, 



Or masticate a perch, a tench, or salmon : 

 And tho' you say the gudgeon, dace, or bream, 

 You'd rather see amid their native stream 



In vulgar phrase excuse me, Sir ! 'tis gammon ! " 



" And hark ! the savage huntsman's horn! 

 And hark ! on mountain echoes borne 

 The cruel gun's unhallow'd yell 

 And see ! within yon darksome dell 

 The sneaking angler steals along, 

 Arch-torturer of the finny throng ! 2 

 By yonder crown of vestal snow, 

 That binds the Jungfrau's virgin brow, 

 By yonder swooping eagle's nest, 

 On Finsteraarhorn's trackless crest, 



2 " On looking at the portrait of * The Complete Angler,' in 

 Major's splendid edition, I was not surprised to find that CETTELTY 

 was the prevailing expression in the physiognomy of the much- 

 bepraised Izaak Walton, who spitted his frogs alive as though he 

 loved themS'Frazer's Mag. 1835. 



