166 THE SCARUS—“ FISHING PROHIBITED ” 
If we cannot absolutely claim for Martial the first mention 
of the jointed Fishing Rod and the natural or artificial Fly, we 
are safe in acclaiming him the author of the first notice, 
“ Fishing strictly prohibited,” or “‘ Chasse défendue,” in his 
“‘ Baiano procul a lacu recede, 
Piscator : fuge, ne nocens recedas.” 
(IV. 30.) 
This epigram turnishes Bunsmann with one of the only 
three acts of Impietas which he can allege against the blameless 
race of fishermen. Martial here solemnly warns a fellow 
craftsman against fishing in the lake of Baiz, because (1) the 
fish there are sacred to the Emperor Domitian, (2) a previous 
intruder was smitten blind in the very act of landing his fish, 
so that—and here comes a touch of the true angler—‘ he could 
not see his spoil.” 
The pretty compliment, veiled in the words “ sacred fish,”’ 
ranks Domitian as a god, because, as at many temples of the 
gods fish were held sacred, so at his Baian abode the fish had 
been shown by divine action to be sacred. But the fulsome 
bluntness of “than whom in the whole world there is none 
mightier ’’ mars the effect. Lest, however, his friend might 
think that “ Not twice in this world shall the Gods do thus,” 
or deem the superhuman sanction played out, Martial adjures 
him to throw to the fish some plain hookless food, and ‘‘ dum 
potes, innocens recede.” 
These Baian fish were evidently not as sophisticated or as 
discriminating as their neighbours, the Melanuri, which greedily 
snatch food thrown into the sea, but to any bit whatsoever 
containing a hook they approach neither delicately, nor at all.! 
In case some reader, fired by the fame of Theocritus or 
Martial, imagine an easy affluence by writing Fisher Eclogues 
or Fisher Epigrams, I refer him to Martial’s other warning, 
where he states that a written copy of one of his books could 
be bought for about fourpence halfpenny (considerably cheaper 
than a printed one now) and that with a profit to the book- 
seller ! 2 
1 Pliny, XXXII. 8. * Ep., 3, 13. 
