TIPS. 47 



1 1 cannot be otherwise. And yet \vc encounter narrow-minded 

 enthusiasts — piteously hoodwinked on an exceptional day by getting 

 a fish or two with the wrong fly presented the wrong way — ^who burn 

 for the iieat of the fray, and openly declare they can hold their own 

 with three or four Standard patterns against all comers! Wiiat a 

 number of red-letter days pure accident must gi\ e these gentlemen ! 

 ]!etlcr for them by far to leave the sim]i!e I 'topia in which tiicy live, 

 and devote all their spare time to studying the practical habits of the 

 fish. 



There is no doubt that the ordinary fisherman resents the view 

 of there being any abstruse method of catching salmon, or any 

 possibility of largely increasing the catch b\' what he probably 

 denominates "new-fangled" innovaticns. It is highly probable that 

 the ancient astronomers also regarded Galileo as a most annoying and 

 crack-brained individual, whose innovations bade fair to upset the 

 Solar system, and to introduce a quantity of very minute and 

 unnecessary calculations into what had been the very simple job of 

 star-gazing. 



Poor Galileo had to put on a white sheet and cry, " Peccavi." 

 Put it is recorded of liim, that after his recantation on his knees he 

 got up and said, " V. ]iur si muove," in a quid tone of voice, not 

 audible to any of the Pope's familiars, to indicate that, though he had 

 been compelled to say that the earth did not move, lie was still of the 

 npinion that it did. 



Il is in a similar frame rif mind tliat tlie author closes this cjiapter, 

 and not without the lionc that the latter jiassagcs may strengthen the 

 impressions of the Idval, change those of the sceptical who declare the 

 system null and \()id, and commend tliemselves to all. 



