428 
for the most part, when his mind can rise to 
high and holy things, and he may serve God 
devoutly by saying from his heart his customary 
prayer. Nor should a man ever carry his 
amusement to excess, and catch too much at 
one time; this is to destroy his future pleasure 
and to interfere with that of his neighbors. A 
good sportsman, too, she adds, will busy him- 
self in nourishing the game and destroying all 
vermin. So will what Walton calls “the civil, 
well-governed angler” escape the vices which 
spring from idleness, and enjoy the full delights 
of an elevating and noble recreation. “And all 
those that done after this rule shall haue the 
blessynge of god & saynt Petyr, whyche he 
theym graunte that wyth his precyous blood vs 
boughte.” 
“And therefore to al you that ben vertuous: 
gentyll: and free borne I wryte & make this 
symple treatyse folowynge: by whyche ye may 
haue the full crafte of anglynge to dysport you 
at your luste: to the entent that your aege maye 
the more floure and the more lenger to endure.” 
M. G. W. 

[From the first pages of the “Treatyse,” in 
which is celebrated the sport of angling, we take 
the following paragraphs, in some of them 
rendering the ancient speech into modern Eng- 
lish, and again retaining the style of the 
original. | 
Solomon in his parables saith that a good 
spirit maketh a flourishing age, that is, a fair 
age and a long one, and since it is so, I ask this 
question, which are the means and causes that 
induce a man into a merry spirit. Truly to my 
best discretion it seemeth good sports and 
honest games in whom a man joyeth without 
any repentance after. Then followeth it that 
good sports and honest games are cause of 
man’s fair age and long life. And therefore now 
will I choose of four sports and honest games, 
that is, to wit; of hunting, hawking, fishing and 
fowling, the best to my simple discretion, which 
is fishing, called angling with a rod and a line 
and a hook; and thereof treat as my simple wit 
may suffice, both for the said reason of Solomon, 
and also for the reason that physic maketh in 
this wise. “If a man lack leech or medicine, he 
shall make three things his leech and medicine, 
and he shall need never no more. ‘The first 
of them is a merry thought. The second is 
labor not outrageous. The third is diet measur- 
able. First that if a man will ever more be 
in merry thought and have a glad spirit, he must 
-eschew all contrarious company and all places 
of debate where he might have any occasion to 
melancholy. And if he will have a labor not 
outrageous he must then order him to his heart’s 
ease and pleasure, without study, pensiveness or 
travail, a merry occupation which may rejoice 
his heart and in which his spirit may have a 
merry delight. And if he will be dieted measur- 
ably, he must eschew all places of riot, which is 
cause of surfeit and sickness, and he must draw 
him to places of sweet air and hungry, and eat 
nourishable meats and digestible food also. 
Now then I will describe the said sports and 
games to find the best of them as verily as I 
can. Albeit that the right noble and full worthy 
prince, the Duke of York, late called master of 
game, hath described the mirth of hunting like 
as I think to describe of it and of all the other. 
For hunting, as to my intent, is too laborious, 
for the hunter must always run and follow his 
hounds, traveling and sweating full score. He 
bloweth till his lips blister, and when he thinks 
it to be an hare full off it is an hedgehog. Thus 
chaseth and wot not what. He cometh home 
at evening rain-beaten, pricked, and his clothes 
torn, wet shot, all miry. Some hounds lost, 
some broken down. Such griefs and many other 
happened unto the hunter, which for displeasure 
of them that love it I dare not report. Thus 
truly me seemeth that this is not the best sport 
and game of the said four. 
The sport and game of hawking is laborious 
and annoying also as me seemeth. For often 
the falconer loseth his hawks as the hunter his 
hounds. Then is his game and his sport gone. 
Full often crieth he and wistleth till he be right 
evil athirst. His hawk taketh a bowe and lists 
FOREST AND STREAM: 
[Marcu 17, 1906. 

qUjere begymipth the teeutple of fpAypuge Wpth ay Angle. 

sates a flourp 
o 

Alamoy in his parablps fapth that a goon fpprpte 
aeges that is a fapre aege ea 
e.nd {pth it ts [o0:9| athe this queftpovs.\ht 
che bey the meanea @ the caufes that enducea may 
in to. a me2p {pprpte.:Ceulp to mp bette oplrecsy 
it femeth good opfporres @ honeft gamps ty Whom a may Jlop 
eth \opthout 
repentannce after. bhenne fololopth it p go = 
be opiportes ¢ honeft games ben canfe of mannps Fapt aege.e 
longe life. And therfore mold Woll 3] chofe of foure good difpo2 
tes ehonefte gamps} that isto \pte:of huntpnge:balbkpnge: 
fpfihpnge:¢ foulpnge. Che befke to rap 
{fpmple oplerecoy tobp 
the is fpitypnge :callpo 2Anglpnge Wpth arovde: ano alpne. 
FAC-SIMILE OF THE FIRST PAGE OF THE “TREATYSE” PRINTED IN 1496. 
not once on his reward. When he would have 
her for to fly; then will she bathe; with mis- 
feeding she shall have the frenzy, the rye, the 
cray, and many other signatures that bring them 
to the pickle. 
Thus by proof this is not the best sport and 
game of the said four. 
The sport and game of fowling to me seems 
most simple. For in the winter season the 
fowler speedeth not but in the most hardest and 
coldest weather, which is grievous. For when 
he will go to his gins he may not for cold. Many 
a gin and many a snare he maketh. Yet sorely 
doth he fare. A morn tide in the dew he is 
wet shot unto his tail. Many other such I 
could tell, but dread of disgust maketh me for 
the leave. 
Thus me seemeth that hunting and hawking 
and also fowling are so laborious and grievous 
that none of them may perform nor be the 
means that induce a man to a merry sport, which 
is cause of his long life according unto the said 
parable of Solomon. 
Doubtless then followeth it that it must needs 
be the sport of fishing with an angle. For all 
other manner is also laborious and grievous, 
which may many times hath been seen cause of 
great imfirmities. But the angler may have no 
cold, nor any disease nor anger, but if he be 
cautious himself. For he may not lose at the 
most but a line or a hook, of which he may have 
store plenty of his own making as this simple 
treatise shall teach him. So then his loss is 
not grievous and other griefs may he not 
have, saving but if any fish break away after that 
it is taken on the hook, or else that he catch 
naught which is not grievous. 
JFor yf he dooth as this treatyse techyth, but 
yf there be nought in the water, and yette atte 
the leest he hath his holsome walke and mery, 
at his ease; a swete ayre of the swete sauoure 
of the meede floures, that makyth hym hungry. 
