184 My Favourite Summer- Houses. 



across the moat to the island, on which were wealth of 

 trees, summer-seats, and " nestling places green ; " and 

 • often have we sat and dreamed there, always welcome, 

 or in the golden afternoons have lain down and watched 

 the sullen pike, pleased and satisfied for once, resting 

 nigh the surface in the deeper parts when the sun was 

 warm. Nay, we have even tried to catch them in the 

 cunningest way, but with small success, owing to the 

 peculiar lie of the ground and the narrowness of this 

 moat, which, however, was very deep at parts compared 

 with its breadth. This brought us always too near in 

 view of the fish. This circumstance raised the question 



how the monks in old days could have got out the fish 

 as they wanted them. To this the farmer replied : 

 " Well, I dunno : if they'd 'ad guns then, I should 'a 

 said as they shot they pike as I 'a done, times an' 

 times, just as they laid on top o' the water as they do 

 now; p'r'aps they were good archers, as I've 'eard say 

 monks and bishops could do a bit o' fightin' in them 

 days, and shot the pike so ; but sartin sure am I as 

 they never got 'em out there wi' rod an' line, as the 

 cleverest chaps wi' the rod ha' cum here just for a try, 

 an' never a one on um did any better than you 'a done, 

 so you needn't be werry much ashamed on it." 



