Prescribes, esteemed be

Advantage got?

If th' prayer be good, the commoner the better,

Prayer in the Church's words, as well
As sense, of all prayers bears the bell.

CH. HARVIE.

And now, Scholar, I think it will be time to repair to our Angle-rods, which we left in the water, to fish for themselves, and you shall choose which shall be yours; and it is an even lay, one of them catches.

And let me tell you, this kind of fishing with a dead-rod, and laying night hooks, are like putting money to use, for they both work for the owners, when they do nothing but sleep, or eat, or rejoice; as you know we have done this last hour, and sate as quietly and as free from cares under this Sycamore, as Virgil's Tityrus and his Melibæus did under their broad Beech-tree. No life, my honest Scholar, no life so happy and so pleasant, as the life of a well-governed Angler; for when the Lawyer is swallowed up with business, and the Statesman is preventing or contriving plots, then we sit on cowslip-banks, hear the birds sing, and possess ourselves in as much quietness as these silent silver streams, which we now see glide so quietly by us. Indeed, my good Scholar, we may say of Angling, as Dr. Boteler said of Strawberries; "Doubtless "God could have made a better berry, but doubt

"less God never did :" and so, if I might be judge, "God never did make a more calm, quiet, innocent "recreation, than Angling."

I'll tell you, Scholar, when I sat last on this primrose-bank, and looked down these Meadows, I thought of them as Charles the Emperor did of the City of Florence: "That they were too pleasant to "be looked on, but only on holidays:" as I then sat on this very grass, I turned my present thoughts into verse: 'twas a wish which I'll repeat to you,

THE ANGLER'S WISH.

I IN these flow'ry meads would be :
These crystal streams should solace me;
To whose harmonious bubbling noise,
I with my Angle would rejoice,

Sit here, and see the Turtle-dove,
Court his chaste mate to acts of love :

mind

Or on that bank, feel the west wind
Breathe health and plenty, please my
To see sweet dew-drops kiss these flowers,
And then, wash'd off by April-showers:
* Like Her- Here, hear my Kenna sing a song,
There see a black-bird feed her young,

mit poor.

Or a leverock build her nest;

Here, give my weary spirits rest,

And raise my low-pitch'd thoughts above
Earth, or what poor mortals love :

Thus free from Law-suits, and the noise

Of Princes' courts, I would rejoice,

Or, with my Bryan, and a book,
Loiter long days near Shawford-brook;
There sit by him, and eat my meat,
There see the sun both rise and set:
There bid good morning to next day,
There meditate my time away:

And angle on, and beg to have

A quiet passage to a welcome grave.

When I had ended this composure, I left this place, and saw a Brother of the Angle sit under that honey-suckle-hedge, one that will prove worth your acquaintance; I sat down by him, and presently we met with an accidental piece of merriment, which I will relate to you; for it rains still.

On the other side of this very hedge sat a gang of Gipsies, and near to them sat a gang of Beggars the Gipsies were then to divide all the money that had been got that week, either by stealing linen or poultry, or by fortune-telling, or legerdemain, or indeed by any other sleights and secrets belonging to their mysterious government. And the sum that was got that week proved to be but twenty and some odd shillings. The odd money was agreed to be distributed amongst the poor of their own corporation; and for the remaining twenty shillings, that was to be divided unto four

gentlemen Gipsies, according to their several degrees in their commonwealth.

And the first or chiefest Gipsy, was by consent to have a third part of the twenty shillings; which all men know is 6s. 8d.

The second was to have a fourth part of the 20s. which all men know to be 5s.

The third was to have a fifth part of the 20s. which all men know to be 48.

The fourth and last Gipsy, was to have a sixth part of the 20s. which all men know to be 3s. 4d.

And yet he that divided the money was so very a Gipsy, that though he gave to every one these said sums, yet he kept one shilling of it for himself.

But now you shall know, that when the four Gip

sies saw that he had got one shilling by dividing

the money, though not one of them knew any reason to demand more, yet like lords and courtiers, every Gipsy envied him that was the gainer, and wrangled with him, and every one said the remaining shilling belonged to him: and so they fell to so high a contest about it, as none that knows the faithfulness of one Gipsy to another, will easily believe; only we that have lived these last twenty years, are certain that money has been able to do much mischief. However the Gipsies were too wise to go to law, and did therefore choose their choice friends Rook and Shark, and our late English Gusman to be their arbitrators and umpires; and so they left this honey-suckle hedge, and went to tell fortunes, and cheat, and get more money and lodging in the next village.

When these were gone, we heard as high a contention amongst the Beggars, whether it was easiest to rip a cloak, or to unrip a cloak? One Beggar affirmed it was all one. But that was denied, by asking her, if doing and undoing were all one? then another said, 'twas easiest to unrip a cloak, for that was to let it alone. But she was answered, by asking her, how she unripped it, if she let it alone? and she confessed herself mistaken. These, and twenty such like questions were proposed, and answered with as much beggarly logic and earnestness, as was ever heard to proceed from the mouth of the most pertinacious schismatic; and sometimes all the Beggars, whose number was neither more

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