PLEASURES OF ANGLING. 9 



fit scoff on, and be a scoffer still ; but I account them ene- 

 mies to me and to all that love angling. 



' ' And for you that have heard many grave, serious men 

 pity anglers, let me tell you, sir, that there are many who 

 are taken by others to be serious and grave men, which 

 we contemn and pity, men that are taken to be grave 

 because nature hath made them of a sour complexion, 

 money-getting men, men that spend all their time first in 

 getting and next in anxious care to keep it ; men that are 

 condemned to be rich, and then always busy or discon- 

 tented ; for such poor-rich men, we anglers pity them per- 

 fectly, and stand in no need to borrow their thoughts to 

 think ourselves so happy. No, no, sir, we enjoy a con- 

 tentedness above the reach of such dispositions. * * * 



u And for our ' simplicity,' if you mean by that a harm- 

 lessness, or that simplicity which was usually found in the 

 primitive Christians, who were, as most anglers are, quiet 

 men and followers of peace men that were so simply 

 wise as not to sell their consciences to buy riches, and 

 with them vexation and a fear to die ; if you mean such 

 men as lived in those times when there were fewer lawyers, 

 when men might have had a lordship conveyed to them 

 on a piece of parchment no bigger than your hand, though 

 several sheets will not do it safely in this wiser age, I say, 

 sir, if you take us anglers to be such simple men as I have 

 spoken of, then myself and those of my profession will be 

 glad to be so understood; but if by simplicity you mean 

 to express a general defect in those that profess the excel- 

 lent art of angling, I hope in time to disabuse you, and 

 make the contrary appear so evidently, that, if you will 

 have but patience to hear me, I shall remove all the antici- 

 pations that discourse, or time, or prejudice, have possess- 

 ed you against that laudable and ancient art ; for I know 

 it is worthy the knowledge and practice of a wise man." 



