Thefe, to any that love learning, must be pleafing. But what pleasure is it to a devout Chrif tian, to fee there the humble house in which St. Paul was content to dwell, and to view the many rich statues that are there made in honour of his memory? nay, to fee the very place in which St. Peter and he lie buried together? Thefe are in and near to Rome. And how much more doth it please the pious curiosity of a Chriftian, to fee that place on which the bleffed Saviour of the world was pleased to humble himfelf, and to take our nature upon him, and to converse with men? to fee mount Sion, Jerufalem, and the very fepulchre of our Lord Jesus? How may it beget and heighten the zeal of a Christian, to see the devotions that are daily paid to him at that place? Gentlemen, left I forget myself I will stop here, and remember you, that but for my element of water, the inhabitants of this poor island must remain ignorant that fuch things ever were, or that any of them have yet a being.

Gentlemen, I might both enlarge and lose myself in fuch like arguments; I might tell you that Almighty God is faid to have spoken to a fish, but never to a beaft; that he hath made a whale a fhip to carry and fet his prophet Jonah fafe on the appointed fhore. Of these I might fpeak, but I muft in manners break off, for I fee Theobalds house. I cry you mercy for being fo long, and thank you for your patience.

* The Proteftants deny not only that St. Peter lies buried in the Vatican, as the Romish writers affert, but that he ever was at Rome. See the Hiftoria Apoftolica of Lud. Capellus.

Auceps.

Auceps. Sir, my pardon is easily granted you: I except against nothing that you have faid nevertheless, I must part with you at this parkwall, for which I am very forry; but I affure you, Mr. Pifcator, I now part with you full of good thoughts, not only of yourself, but your recreation. And fo gentlemen, God keep you both. Pifc. Well, now Mr. Venator, you shall neither want time nor my attention to hear you enlarge your difcourfe concerning hunting.

Venat. Not I Sir, I remember you faid that angling itself was of great antiquity, and a perfect art, and an art not easily attained to; and you have so won upon me in your former difcourse, that I am very defirous to hear what you can fay further concerning those particulars.

Pifc. Sir, I did fay fo, and I doubt not but if you and I did converfe together but a few hours, to leave you poffeft with the fame high and happy thoughts that now poffefs me of it; not only of the antiquity of angling, but that it deserves commendations; and that it is an art, and an art worthy the knowledge and practice of a wife man.

Venat. Pray, Sir, fpeak of them what you think fit, for we have yet five miles to the Thatch'd house, during which walk, I dare promife you my patience, and diligent attention thall not be wanting. And if you fhall make that to appear which you have undertaken, first, that it is an art, and an art worth the learning, I fhall beg that I may attend you a day or two a fishing, and that I may become your fcholar, and be inftructed in the art itfelf which you so much magnify.

C 3

Pifc.

Pifc. O, Sir, doubt not but that angling is an art; is it not an art to deceive a Trout with an artificial Flie? a Trout! that is more fharpfighted than any Hawk you have named, and more watchful and timorous than your high mettled Merlin is bold? and yet, I doubt not to catch a brace or two to-morrow, for a friend's breakfast: doubt not therefore, Sir, but that angling is an art, and an art worth your learning: the question is rather, whether you be capable of learning it? for angling is somewhat like poetry, men are to be born fo: I mean, with inclinations to it, though both may be heightened by difcourfe and practice; but he that hopes to be a good angler, must not only bring an enquiring, fearching, obferving wit, but he must bring a large measure of hope and patience, and a love and propenfity to the art itself *; but having

..

Markham, in his Country Contentments, has a whole chapter on the subject of the Angler's apparel, and inward qualities; fome of which are, "That he be a general scholar, and "feen in all the liberal sciences; as a grammarian, to know how to write, or discourse, of his art in true and fitting terms. He should have sweetness of Speech, to entice others to delight in an exercise so much laudable. He should have 'frengib of argument to defend and maintain his profeffion, against envy and flander." Thou feeft, reader, how eafily the author has difpatched Grammar, Rhetorick, and Logick, three of the liberal sciences; and his reasons are not a whit lefs convincing, with refpect to the other four.

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A man would think now, that with proper baits, good tackle in his pannier, and fo much fcience in his head, our angler would stand a pretty good chance to catch fish; but, alas! thofe are little to the purpose, without the Christian virtues of faith, hope, and charity; and unless the cardinal virtues can be perfuaded to go a fishing, the angler may as well stay at home: for hear what Mr. Markham fays about

fortitude:

having once got and practifed it, then doubt not but angling will prove to be so pleasant, that it will prove to be like virtue, a reward to itself.

Venat. Sir, I am now become so full of expectation, that I long much to have you proceed, and in the order that you propose.

Pifc. Then firft, for the antiquity of angling, of which I fhall not fay much, but only this; fome fay it is as ancient as Deucalion's flood: others, that Belus, who was the first inventor of godly and virtuous recreations, was the first inventor of angling and fome others fay, for former times have had their difquifitions about the antiquity of it, Seth, one of the fons of Adam, taught it to his fons, and that by them it was derived to pofterity: others fay, that he left it engraven on those pillars which he erected, and trufted to preserve the knowledge of the mathematicks, mufick, and the rest of that precious knowledge, and those useful arts which by God's appointment or allowance and his noble induftry, were thereby preserved from perishing in Noah's flood.

These, Sir, have been the opinions of several men, that have poffibly endeavoured to make

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fortitude: "Then must he be strong and valiant; neither to be amazed with ftorms, nor affrighted with thunder: "and if he is not temperate, but has a gnawing ftomach, "that will not endure much fafting, but muft obferve "hours; it troubleth the mind and body, and lofeth that "delight which maketh the paftime only pleafing."

There is no doubt but Walton had this chapter of Markkam in his eye; and as there is a humorous folemnity in thus attempting to dignify an art, which furely borrows as little of its perfection from learning as any that is practised, it was thought it might divert the reader to quote it.

angling more ancient than is needful, or may well be warranted; but for my part, I fhall content myself in telling you, that angling is much more ancient than the incarnation of our Saviour; for in the Prophet Amos, mention is made of fifh-hooks; and in the book of Job, which was long before the days of Amos, for that book is faid to be writ by Mofes, mention is made alfo of fish-hooks, which must imply anglers in those times,

But, my worthy friend, as I would rather prove myself a gentleman by being learned and humble, valiant and inoffenfive, virtuous and communicable, th by any fond oftentation of riches, or wanting thofe virtues myself, boaft that these were in my ancestors, and yet I grant that where a noble and ancient defcent and fuch merit meet in any man, it is a double dignification of that perfon: fo if this antiquity of angling, which for my part I have not forced, fhall, like an ancient family, be either an honour or an ornament to this virtuous art which I profefs to love and practife, I fhall be the gladder. that I made an accidental mention of the antiquity of it; of which I fhall fay no more, but proceed to that just commendation which I think it deserves.

And for that I fhall tell you, that in ancient times a debate hath rifen, and it remains yet unrefolved, whether the happiness of man in. this world doth confist more in contemplation or action *?

Con

This is a question which many perfons of wit, efpecially among the Italian writers, have difcuffed; a difquifition, in the