164 APPENDIX. 



in the art of fly-fishing, and their alterations, as 

 Pinkerton said of Evelyn's amendments of his work 

 on Medals, " are for the worse." From the very title 

 of a small quarto, printed by John Wolfe, and sold 

 by Edward White, London, 1590, "A Booke of 

 fishing with Hooke and Line, and of all other in- 

 struments thereunto belonging. And of sundrie 

 Engines and Trappes to take Polcats, Buzards, 

 Rattes, Mice and all other kinds of Vermine and 

 Beasts whatsoever, most profitable for all Warri- 

 ners, and such as delight in this kiride of sport and 

 pastime. Made by L. M.", the angler will not be 

 induced to anticipate much that will interest him, 

 though it holds out the prospect of so great a treat 

 to those lovers of field sports who are fond of hunt- 

 ing every thing, " from the flea in the blanket to the 

 elephant in the jungle," arid who assuredly would 

 feel extreme delight in being instructed in the use 

 of " sundrie Engines and Trappes to take Polcats, 

 Buzards, Rattes, Mice, and all other kindes of Ver- 

 mine and Beasts whatsoever." The greater part of 

 that portion of the book which treats of fishing is 

 clumsily taken from the " Treatyse of fysshynge 

 wyth an angle," and marred in the transfer ; but 

 then it must be confessed that there are some curious 

 instructions which are peculiarly the author's own, 

 such as : how to catch eels in pottles of hay ; how 

 to bob for eels ; and how to breed miller's thumbs 

 and loaches. The book altogether is just such a 

 one as a professional author who did not know a 

 perch from a grayling, or a weasel from a foumart, 

 might be supposed to " make " from the dictation of 



