SECOND DAY.] EVENING FISHING. 43 



HAL. Do not despair. There was alas ! that I 

 must say there was an illustrious philosopher, who 

 was nearly of the age of fifty before he made angling 

 a pursuit, yet he became a distinguished fly-fisher, 

 and the amusement occupied many of his leisure 

 hours during the last twelve years of his life. He, 

 indeed, applied his pre-eminent acuteness, his science, 

 and his philosophy to aid the resources, and exalt the 

 pleasures of this amusement. I remember to have 

 seen Dr. Wollaston, a few days after he had become 

 a fly-fisher, carrying at his button-hole a piece of 

 caoutchouc, or Indian rubber, when, by passing his 

 silkworm link through a fissure in the middle, he 

 rendered it straight and fit for immediate use. Many 

 other anglers will remember other ingenious devices 

 of my admirable and ever-to-be lamented friend. 



(Tliey go to dinner?) 



***** 



(They return from the house.} 



EVENING. 



HAL. You have, I am sure, gentlemen, dined 

 well ; no one ever dined otherwise in this house. It 

 is a beautiful calm evening, and many fish might be 

 caught where we fished in the morning ; but I will 

 take you to another part of the river ; you shall each 



