Fly-Fifhing. 5 



you and me our favourite mode of doing fo, pro- 

 vided we trefpafs not againft morality and reli- 

 gion ? 



That a tafte like ours is no lefs trifling than 

 cruel has, I know, been alleged over and over again. 

 Trifling it may be in one fenfe ! but what of 

 amufement on this fide the grave, if too clofely 

 analyzed, is not amenable to the fame charge ? 



Much has been faid of the Matter Cynic of 

 old, who fat in the funfhine all the day long, and 

 chuckled over the foibles of his fellows ; pluming 

 himfelf, no doubt, on his fuperior wifdom in doing 

 nothing ! If Diogenes has long fmce difappeared, 

 he has left difciples who largely partake of his 

 difpofition, though they have different modes of 

 fhowing it. 



We hear of the Age of Gold, of Brafs, of Iron. 

 It is to be hoped the prefent may be called by no 

 harder name ftill ! fuch a (training at gnats and 

 fwallowing of camels, feems to be the order of the 

 day. To think, Pifcator, that the chofen amufe- 

 ment of our beloved father, the immortal Izaak, 

 ftiould be condemned as trifling ! the good old 

 man, from whofe lips no kindlier fentiments ever 

 flowed than when exhilarated by the balmy air, 

 and delighted with God's works around him, he 



