Crocodile, which if he lives never so long, yet always thrives till his death but 'tis not so with the Trout; for after he is come to his full growth, he declines in his body, and keeps his bigness, or thrives only in his head till his death. And you are to know, that he will, about, especially before, the time of his spawning, get, almost miraculously, through weirs and flood-gates, against the stream; even through such high and swift places as is almost incredible. Next, that the Trout usually spawns about October or November, but in some rivers a little sooner or later; which is the more observable, because most other fish spawn in the spring or summer, when the sun hath warmed both the earth and water, and made it fit for generation. And you are to note, that he continues many months out of season; for it may be observed of the Trout, that he is like the Buck or the Ox, that will not be fat in many months, though he go in the very same pastures that horses do, which will be fat in one month and so you may observe, That most other fishes recover strength, and grow sooner fat and in season than the Trout doth.

And next you are to note, That till the sun gets to such a height as to warm the earth and the water, the Trout is sick, and lean, and lousy, and unwholesome; for you shall, in winter, find him to have a big head, and then to be lank and thin and lean; at which time many of them have sticking on them Sugs, or Trout-slice; which is a kind of a worm, in shape like a clove, or pin with a big head, and sticks close to him, and sucks his moisture; those, I think, the Trout breeds himself: and never thrives till he free himself from them, which is when warm weather comes; and then, as he grows stronger, he gets from the dead still water into the sharp streams and the gravel, and there rubs off these worms or lice; and then, as he grows stronger, so he gets him into swifter and swifter streams, and there lies at the watch for any fly or minnow that comes near to him; and he especially loves the May-fly, which is bred of the codworm, or cadis; and these make the Trout bold and lusty, and he is usually fatter and better meat at the end of that month than at any time of the year.

Now you are to know that it is observed, that usually the best Trouts are either red or yellow; though some, as the Fordidge Trout, be white and yet good; but that is not usual and it is a note observable, that the female Trout hath usually a less head, and a deeper body than the male Trout, and is usually the better meat. And note, that a hog-back and a little head, to either

Trout, Salmon, or any other fish, is a sign that that fish is in season.9

But yet you are to note, that as you see some willows or palmtrees bud and blossom sooner than others do, so some Trouts be, in rivers, sooner in season: and as some hollies, or oaks, are longer before they cast their leaves, so are some Trouts, in rivers, longer before they go out of season.

And you are to note, that there are several kinds of Trouts : but these several kinds are not considered but by very few men ; for they go under the general name of Trouts : just as pigeons do, in most places; though it is certain, there are tame and wild pigeons and of the tame, there be helmits and runts, and carriers and cropers, and indeed too many to name. Nay, the Royal Society have found and published lately, that there be thirty-and-three kinds of spiders; and yet all, for aught I know, go under that one general name of spider. And it is so with many kinds of fish, and of Trouts especially; which differ in their bigness, and shape, and spots, and colour. The great Kentish hens may be an instance, compared to other hens: and, doubtless, there is a kind of small Trout, which will never thrive to be big; that breeds very many more than others do, that be of a larger size : which you may rather believe, if you consider that the little wren and titmouse will have twenty young ones at a time, when, usually, the noble hawk, or the musical thrassel or blackbird, exceed not four or five.

And now you shall see me try my skill to catch a Trout; and at my next walking, either this evening or to-morrow morning, I will give you direction how you yourself shall fish for him.

VENATOR. Trust me, master, I see now it is a harder matter to catch a Trout than a Chub: for I have put on patience, and followed you these two hours, and not seen a fish stir, neither at your minnow nor your worm.

PISCATOR. Well, scholar, you must endure worse luck sometime, or you will never make a good angler. But what say you now? there is a Trout now, and a good one too, if I can but hold him; and two or three turns more will tire him. Now you see he lies still, and the sleight is to land him reach me that

VARIATIONS.

9 male Trout. And a hog-back and a little head, to any fish, either Trout, &c.—2d, 3d, and 4th edit.

And you are to note that there are several kinds of Trouts, though they all go under that general name; just as there be tame and wild pigeons: and of tame there be cropers, carriers, runts, and too many to name, which all differ, and so do Trouts, in their bigness, shape, and colour. The great Kentish, &c.-2d, 3d, and 4th edit.

landing-net. So, Sir, now he is mine own: what say you now, is not this worth all my labour and your patience? 2

VENATOR. On my word, master, this is a gallant Trout ; what shall we do with him?

PISCATOR. Marry, e'en eat him to supper: we'll go to my hostess from whence we came; she told me, as I was going out of door, that my brother Peter, a good angler and a cheerful companion, had sent word he would lodge there to-night, and bring a friend with him. My hostess has two beds, and I know you and I may have the best we'll rejoice with my brother Peter and his friend, tell tales, or sing ballads, or make a catch, or find some harmless sport to content us,3 and pass away a little time without offence to God or man.

VENATOR. A match, good master, let's go to that house, for the linen looks white, and smells of lavender, and I long to lie in a pair of sheets that smell so. Let's be going, good master,

for I am hungry again with fishing.

PISCATOR. Nay, stay a little, good scholar. I caught my last Trout with a worm; now I will put on a minnow, and try a quarter of an hour about yonder trees for another; and, so, walk towards our lodging. Look you, scholar, thereabout we shall have a bite presently, or not at all. Have with you, Sir: o' my word I have hold of him. Oh! it is a great logger-headed Chub; come, hang him upon that willow twig, and let's be going. But turn out of the way a little, good scholar! towards yonder high honeysuckle hedge; there we'll sit and sing, whilst this shower falls so gently upon the teeming earth, and gives yet a sweeter smell to the lovely flowers that adorn these verdant meadows.

Look! under that broad beech-tree I sat down, when I was last this way a-fishing; and the birds in the adjoining grove seemed. to have a friendly contention with an echo, whose dead voice seemed to live in a hollow tree 5 near to the brow of that primrose-hill. There I sat viewing the silver streams glide silently towards their centre, the tempestuous sea; yet sometimes opposed by rugged roots and pebble-stones, which broke their waves, and turned them into foam; and sometimes I beguiled time by viewing the harmless lambs; some leaping securely in

6

2 and your patience?-2d edit.

VARIATIONS.

3 "and pass away,"-" or man."-2d edit. toward yonder high hedge, we'll sit whilst this shower, &c.—1st, 2d, 3d, and 4th edit.

5 cave.-1st, 2d, 3d, and 4th edit.

6 and sometimes viewing, &c.-1st, 2d, 3d, and 4th edit.

the cool shade, whilst others sported themselves in the cheerful sun; and saw others craving comfort from the swollen udders of their bleating dams. As I thus sat, these and other sights had so fully possest my soul with content, that I thought, as the poet has happily exprest it,

I was for that time lifted above earth;

And possest joys not promis'd in my birth.

As I left this place, and entered into the next field, a second pleasure entertained me; 'twas a handsome milkmaid, that had not yet attained so much age and wisdom as to load her mind with any fears of many things that will never be, as too many men too often do; but she cast away all care, and sung like a nightingale. Her voice was good, and the ditty fitted for it; it was that smooth song which was made by Kit Marlow,* now at least fifty years ago; and the milkmaid's mother sung an answer to it, which was made by Sir Walter Raleigh, in his younger days. They were old-fashioned poetry, but choicely good; I think much better than the strong lines that are now in fashion in this critical age. Look yonder! on my word, yonder they both be a-milking again. I will give her the Chub, and persuade them to sing those two songs to us.

God speed you, good woman! I have been a-fishing; and am going to Bleak Hall+ to my bed; and having caught more fish than will sup myself and my friend, I will bestow this upon you and your daughter, for I use to sell none.

MILKWOMAN. Marry! God requite you, Sir, and we'll eat it cheerfully." And if you come this way a-fishing two months hence, a grace of God! I'll give you a syllabub of new verjuice,

VARIATIONS.

7 that had cast away all care, and sung, &c.—1st, 2d, 3d, and 4th edit.

8 better than that now in fashion.-1st, 2d, 3d, and 4th edit.

9 cheerfully. Will you drink a draught of red cow's milk?
Piscator. No, I thank you, &c.-1st edit.

*Christopher Marlow was a poet of some eminence, as may be inferred from the frequent mention of him in the writings of his contemporaries. He was sometime a student at Cambridge, and, after that, an actor on, and writer for, the stage. There are extant, of his writing, five tragedies; and a poem that bears his name, entitled Hero and Leander (possibly a translation from Musaus), which, he not living to complete it, was finished by Chapman. Some remarks will be found in a subsequent page on the song mentioned by Walton. Of Marlow it is said that he was the author of divers atheistical and blasphemous discourses; and that in a quarrel with a serving-man, his rival in a connection with a lewd woman, he received a stab with a dagger, and shortly after died of the stroke. Wood, Athen. Oxon, vol. i. 338.-H. Marlowe's Dramatic and other Poetical Works have been collected, with some Account of his Life, by George Robinson, Esq., 3 vols. cr. 8vo, Lond. 1826.

A fishing-house on the banks of the Lea, about one mile from Edmonton, was called Bleak Hall, and is presumed to be the place alluded to.