CHAP. II.] 



THE THIRD DAT. 



95 



tural fishermen ; as, namely, the otters that I spake of, the 

 cormorant, the bittern, the osprey, the seagull, the hern, the 

 king-fisher, the gorara, the puet, 1 the swan, goose, duck, and 

 the crabber, which some call the WATER- EAT : 2 against all 



The Water-Rat. 



which any honest man may make a just quarrel but I will 

 not ; I will leave them to be quarrelled with and killed by 

 others : for I am not of a cruel nature, I love to kill nothing 

 but fish. 



And, now, to your question concerning your host : To 

 speak truly, he is not to me a good companion ; for most of 

 his conceits were either scripture jests or, lascivious jests 

 for which I count no man witty ; for the devil will help a 

 man that way inclined, to the first ; and his own corrupt 

 nature, which he always carries with him, to the latter. But 

 a companion that feasts the company with wit and mirth, 

 and leaves out the sin which is usually mixed with them, he 

 is the man; and indeed such a. companion should have his 

 charges borne ; and to such company I hope to bring you 



1 Probably the peewit-gull. Rennie. 



2 It is not, perhaps, generally known that the water-rat is very de- 

 "strwctive to fish. I have had proofs of this in Hampton^Court Gardens. 

 ED. : 



