Fly-FiJhing. 39 



thrown away upon ears little, it may be, accuf- 

 tomed to hear anything of the kind, and fharp 

 eyes, and hearts that muft be indeed hard not to 

 feel it with emotion ? An army officered by men 

 of this ftamp and what foe (God grant thefe 

 peaceful days may never be interrupted !) would 

 ever turn it one inch from the ftraight path that 

 leads to victory ? 



You wonder perhaps, good reader, that a pifca- 

 tor and a parfon mould thus leave the tranquil 

 tenour of his way, to touch upon fuch a fubjecl: 

 as this ! If you met the old foldier on the banks of 

 the Wye, and faw how happy he always looked, 

 you too, perhaps, would revert in thought to fub- 

 je&s fomewhat alien to their wonted train. You 

 would, at any rate, I am fure, agree with me, that 

 early days fuch as my new friend had fpent in the 

 hardeft of all hard fchools, that teaches the no- 

 thingnefs of perfonal privation, and the mere 

 cipher-like value of human life, when weighed 

 againft duty, (to fay nothing of that tranfient fun- 

 beam, military glory,) could fcarcely run their 

 deftined courfe more peacefully in any employ- 

 ment than that of angling the one of his own 

 choice. 



A thorough fimerman in all its departments, 



