SECOND DAY.] PERCH. 39 



morning. Some minnows, ho ! and the perch 

 rods! 



HAL. I am tired, sir, and would willingly avoid 

 minnow fishing after such a morning' s sport. 



HOST. Come, then, I will be a fisher for the 

 table. I have one and another, that will weigh 

 nearly a pound a-piece. Now, there is a cunning 

 perch that has stolen my minnow ; I know he is a 

 large one. He has robbed me again and again ; and 

 if I fish on in this way, with the hook through the 

 upper lip, will, I dare say, carry away all the minnows 

 in the kettle. I shall put on a strong small hook, on 

 a stout, though fine, gut, with slender wire round the 

 top, and pass the hook through the back fin of the 

 minnow, and try my sagacity against his. Lo ! I 

 have him ! and a very strong fish he is, and gone to 

 the bottom ; but even though the greatest perch in 

 the river, he cannot bite the gut, he will soon be 

 tired and taken. He now comes up, and is landed. 

 He must be above 31bs. a magnificent perch! 

 Kill him and crimp him, fisherman; take our two 

 trout, and the three perch, to the kitchen, and let 

 them be dressed as usual. You shall have a good 

 dish of fish, worthy of such determined anglers. But 

 I see one of your party coming up by the side of the 

 river, who seems tired and out of spirits. 



HAL. It is Physicus, who has this day commenced 



