THE- COMPLETE ANGLER. 



[PART I, 



inhabitants of the watery element were made for wise men 

 to contemplate, and fools to pass by without consideration." 

 And though I will not rank myself in the number of the 

 first, yet give me leave to free myself from the last, by 

 offering to you a short contemplation, first of rivers, and 

 then of fish ; concerning which I doubt not but to give you 

 many observations that will appear very considerable : I am 

 sure they have appeared so to me, and made many an hour 

 pass away more pleasantly, as I have sate quietly on a flowery 

 bank by a calm river, and contemplated what I shall now 

 relate to you. 



And first concerning rivers; there be so many wonders 



reported and written of them, and of the several creatures 



that be bred and live in them, and those by authors of so 



good credit, that we need not to deny them an historical faith. 



As, namely, of a river in Epirus, that puts out any lighted 



torch, and kindles any torch 

 that was not lighted. 1 Some 

 waters being drunk, cause 

 madness, some drunkenness, 1 

 and some laughter to death. 

 The river Belarus 2 in a few 

 hours turns a rod or wand to 

 stone : and our CAMDEN men- 

 tions the like in England, and 

 the like in Lochmere in Ire* 

 land. There is also a river in 

 Arabia, of which all the sheep 

 that drink thereof have their 

 wool turned into a vermilion 



colour. 3 And one of no less credit than Aristotle, tells us of a 

 merry river, the river Elusina,that dances atthe noise of music, 



1 From evolving sulphuretted hydrogen gas. Jtennie. What are called 

 in this country burning springs. AM. ED. 



2 Belarus, properly Silarus, the modern Silaro, on the banks of which 

 stand the ruins of Psestum. The waters retain the quality to this day. 

 Lochmere is Loch Neagh. It requires more than a few hours to produce 

 the petrifaction. AM. ED. 



3 The river referred to was probably the Adonis, running out of Mount 

 Libanus, which turns red, from the red soil of the mountain at the time of 

 freshets. This the Biblyans connected with the story of the death of Adonis, 

 in honor of whom they kept the Adonia. AM. ED. 



