44 BIBLIOTHECA PISCATORIA. 



I. Angling seasons ; or, the weather. II. Night fishing ; or the 

 nocturnal. III. The river enemies. IV. The sea swains. V. Re- 

 nock's despair. VI. The angler's songs. VII. The strife. VIII. 

 The fowlers. IX. The complaints ; or, the friends. 



Each eclogue is dedicated to a friend or patron. The seventh 

 and eighth eclogues are not piscatorial in their subjects. " The 

 strife " is a celebration of English rivers, " The fowlers " is exclu- 

 sively on fowling. 



The author informs us that these poems were produced in his 

 three and twentieth year. They may be accepted as a very credit- 

 able production for so juvenile an age. Virgil and Theocritus 

 appear to have been Browne's models. The first edition was an- 

 onymous. When the second edition was preparing for publication, 

 one of the Eclogues, " The Nocturnal," was printed in the " Gen- 

 tleman's Magazine," vol. viii. (1738), with the hope that it would 

 prove "an agreeable entertainment and hasten the compleating his 

 subscription." 



Browne was born in 1703. He became a pen-cutter, but could 

 ply the pen as well as cut it, for by his poetical contributions he 

 helped to maintain the literary reputation of the most popular 

 periodical of the day, the " Gentleman's Magazine," published by 

 Cave at St. John's Gate. In 1723, Moses Browne published two 

 dramatic pieces, "Polidus or destressed love," a tragedy, and 

 "All-bedevilled," a farce. He soon became (we are told) " the lion 

 and dictator of a club of literary wits." At this time he came into 

 contact with Dr. Johnson, and their meeting was the beginning of 

 a friendship between them. Eventually, Browne took orders, and 

 was promoted to the Vicarage of Olney, Bucks. Besides the above 

 works, he wrote " Percy Lodge, a poem," and " Sunday thoughts/' 

 in blank verse. He died September I3th, 1787, aged 84.] 



Browne (William). Britannia's pastorals. In two books. 

 London, printed by T. Snodham for G. Norton, [1613-] 1616. 

 fol.; London, 1623. 8.; London, printed by John Havi- 

 land, 1625. 8.; with notes, etc. } by the Rev. W. Thompson. 

 London, 1845. 16.; Works, containing Britannia's pastorals 

 ...with notes and observations, by the Rev. W. Thompson-, 

 etc. 3 vols. London, 1772. 12.; Anderson's Poets of Great 

 Britain, vol. iv., 1793. 8.; Chalmers' English poets, vol. vi. 

 1810. 8.; Edited by W. C. Hazlitt. The Roxburghe library, 

 1868, *fc. 4. 



[The passage which brings this book within the angler's ring- 

 fence is the following : 



" Now as an angler melancholy standing 

 Upon a greene banke yeelding roome for landing, 

 A wriggling yellow worme thrust on his hooke, 

 Now in the midst he throws, then in a nooke, 

 Here puls his line, there throwes it in againe, 

 Mendeth his Cork and Bait, but all in vaine, 

 He long stands viewing of the curled streame ; 

 At last a hungry Pike, or well grown Breame, 

 Snatches the worme, and hasting fast away, 



