66 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. [part i. 



Come, hostess, how do you ? Will you first give us a cup of 

 your best drink,* and then dress this Chub, as you dressed my 

 last, when I and my friend were here about eight or ten days ago ? 

 But you must do me one courtesy, it must be done instantly. 



Hostess. I will do it, Mr Piscator, and with all the speed I can. 



PiSCATOR. Now, Sir, has not my hostess made haste ? and 

 does not the fish look lovely ? 



Venator. Both, upon my word. Sir; and therefore let's say 

 grace and fall to eating of it. 



Piscator. Well, Sir, how do you like it ? 



Venator. Trust me, 'tis as good meat as I ever tasted. Now 

 let me thank you for it, drink to you and beg a courtesy of you ; 

 but it must not be denied me. 



Piscator. What is'it, I pray, Sir ? You are so modest, that 

 methinks I may promise to grant it before it is asked. 



Venator. Why, Sir, it is that from henceforth you would 

 allow me to call you Master, and that really I may be your 

 scholar ; for you are such a companion, and have so quickly 

 caught and so excellently cooked this fish, as makes me ambitious 

 to be your scholar. 



Piscator. Give me your hand; from this time forward I 

 will be your Master, and teach you as much of this art as I am 

 able ; and will, as you desire me, tell you somewhat of the nature 

 of most of the fish that we are to angle for, and I am sure I both 

 can and will tell you more than any common angler yet knows.' 



The Chub though he eat well, thus dressed, yet 

 ti>"fishfo"aS°to 3-S he is usually dressed, he does not. He is 

 dress, the Cha- objected against, not only for being full of small 

 forked bones, dispersed through all his body, but 

 that he eats waterish, and that the flesh of him is not firm, but 

 short and tasteless. The French esteem him so mean, as to call 



VARIATIONS. 



8 your best ale, and, &c. — rsi and 2d edit. 



9 In t\it.jfirst edition the next paragraph is : — 



And first I will tell you how you shall catch such a Chub as this was ; and then how 

 to cook him as this was. I could not have begun to teach you to catcb any fish more 

 easily than this fish is caught ; but then it must be this particular way, and this you 

 must do : — 



Go to the same hole, where in most hot days you will find floating near the top of the 

 water at least a dozen or twenty Chubs ; get a grasshopper or two as you go, and get 

 secretly behind the tree, put it then upon your hook, and let your hook hang a quarter 

 of a yard short of the top of the water, and 'tis very likely th.n.t the shadow of your rod, 

 which you must rest on the tree, will cause the Chubs to sink down to the bottom with 

 fear ; for they be a very fearful fish, and the shadow of a bird flying over them will make 

 them do so ; but they will presently rise up to the top again, and there lie soaring till 

 some shadow affrights them again ; when they lie upon the top of the water, &c. 



