midst of their wonderful glory used Angling as a principal recreation. And let me tell you, that in the Scripture, Angling is always taken in the beft fense; and that though hunting may be fometimes fo taken, yet it is but feldom to be fo understood. And let me add this more, he that views the ancient ecclefiaftical canons, fhall find hunting to be forbidden to church-men, as being a turbulent, toilfome, perplexing recreation; and fhall find Angling allowed to clergymen, as being a harmless recreation, a recreation that invites them to contemplation and quietness.

I might here enlarge myself by telling you, what commendations our learned Perkins beftows on Angling; and how dear a lover, and great a practifer of it our learned Dr. Whitaker * was, as indeed many others of great learning have been. But I will content myself with two memorable men, that lived near to our own time, whom I alfo take to have been ornaments to the art of Angling.

The firft is Dr. Nowel, fometimes dean 1550. of the cathedral church of St. Paul's in London, where his monument stands yet undefaced ; a man that in the reformation of Queen Elizabeth,

* Perkins and Whitaker were two eminent divines of the beginning of the last century; the latter was a very learned See his life in Fuller's Holy State.

man.

+ Dr. Alexander Nowel, a learned divine and a famous preacher in the reign of King Edw. VI. upon whofe death he, with many other Proteftants, fled to Germany, where he lived many years. In 1561 he was made dean of St. Paul's; and in 1601 died. The monument mentioned in the text was undoubtedly confumed with the church in the fire of London; but the infcription thereon is preferved in Store's Survey,

Elizabeth, not that of Henry VIII. was fo noted for his meek spirit, deep learning, prudence and piety, that the then parliament and convocation both, chofe, enjoined, and trufted him to be the man to make a catechifm for publick use, fuch a one as fhould ftand as a rule for faith and manners to their pofterity. And the good old man, though he was very learned, yet knowing that God leads us not to heaven by many nor by hard questions, like an honeft Angler, made that good, plain, unperplexed catechifm which is printed with our good old Service-book. I fay, this good man was a dear lover, and constant practifer of Angling, as any age can produce; and his custom was to fpend befides his fixed hours of prayer, thofe hours which by command of the church were enjoined the clergy, and voluntarily dedicated to devotion by many primitive Christians: I fay, befides thofe hours, this good man was obferved to spend a tenth part of his time in Angling; and alfo, for I have converfed with thofe which have converfed with him, to bestow a tenth part of his revenue, and usually all his fifh, amongst the poor that inhabited near to thofe rivers in which it was caught faying often, "That charity gave life "to religion:" and at his return to his house, would praise God he had spent that day free from worldly trouble; both harmlessly, and in

Survey, edit. 1633, pag. 362. See Athen. Oxon. 313. The reader will obferve, that it is the author, and not the editor who is speaking; and that the adverb yet refers to the time when this paffage was first written, viz. about 1653; for in that year the first edition of this book was published.

a

And

a recreation that became a churchman. this good man was well content, if not defirous, that pofterity fhould know he was an Angler, as may appear by his picture, now to be feen, and carefully kept in Brazen-nofe College, to which he was a liberal benefactor; in which picture he is drawn leaning on a defk with his Bible before him, and on one hand of him his lines, hooks, and other tackling lying in a round; and on his other hand are his Angle-rods of feveral forts: and by them this is written, "That he died Feb.

13, 1601, being aged 95 years, 44 of which " he had been dean of St. Paul's church; and "that his age had neither impaired his hearing, "nor dimmed his eyes, nor weakened his me"mory, nor made any of the faculties of his "mind weak or ufelefs." It is faid that Angling and temperance were great caufes of thefe bleffings, and I wish the like to all that imitate him, and love the memory of fo good a man.

My next and laft example fhall be that undervaluer of money, the late provoft of Eton College, Sir Henry Wotton *, a man with whom I have often fifhed and converfed; a man whose foreign employments in the fervice of this nation, and whofe experience, learning, wit and chearfulness, made his company to be esteemed one of the delights of mankind; this man, whofe very approbation of Angling were fufficient to convince any modeft cenfurer of it, this man was alfo a most dear lover, and a frequent practifer of the art of Angling; of which he would fay," It was "an employment for his idle time, which was

* Of whom fee an account in the life of Walton.

"then

"then not idly spent:" for Angling was, after tedious ftudy," a reft to his mind, a chearer of "his fpirits, a diverter of sadness, a calmer of "unquiet thoughts, a moderator of paffions, a "procurer of contentedness:" and " that it begat habits of peace and patience in those "that profeffed and practifed it." Indeed, my friend, you will find Angling to be like the virtue of humility, which has a calmness of spirit, and a world of other bleffings attending upon it.

Sir, this was the saying of that learned man ; and I do easily believe that peace, and patience, and a calm content, did cohabit in the chearful heart of Sir Henry Wotton; because I know that when he was beyond feventy years of age, he made this defcription of a part of the present pleasure that poffeffed him, as he fat quietly in a fummer's evening on a bank a fishing; it is a description of the fpring, which, because it glided as foft and fweetly from his pen, as that river does at this time, by which it was then made, I shall repeat it unto you.

This day dame Nature feem'd in love:
The lufty fap began to move;
Fresh juice did ftir th' embracing Vines,
And birds had drawn their Valentines.
The jealous Trout, that low did lie,
'Rofe at a well-dissembled flie;

There stood my friend, with patient skill,
Attending of his trembling quill.
Already were the eaves poffeft

With the Swift Pilgrim's * daubed nest :

*The Swallow.

The

The groves already did rejoice,

In Philomel's triumphing voice:

The fhowers were short, the weather mild,
The morning fresh, the evening smil'd.

Joan takes her neat-rubb'd pail, and now
She trips to milk the fand-red Cow;
Where, for fome sturdy foot-ball fwain,
Joan ftrokes a fyllabub or twain.
The fields and gardens were befet
With Tulips, Crocus, Violet;

And now, though late, the modeft Rofe,
Did more than half a blufb difclofe.
Thus all looks gay, and full of chear,
To welcome the new-livery'd year.

These were the thoughts that then poffeft the undisturbed mind of Sir Henry Wotton. Will you hear the wish of another Angler, and the commendation of his happy life which he alfo fings in verfe? viz. Jof. Davors, Efq;

Let me live harmlessly, and near the brink
Of Trent or Avon have a dwelling-place;
Where I may fee my quill or cork down fink
With eager bite of Perch, or Bleak, or Dace,
And on the world and my Creator think;
Whilst fome men strive ill-gotten goods t'embrace
And others spend their time in bafe excess
Of wine, or worse, in war and wantonnefs.
Let them that lift, thefe paftimes still pursue,
And on fuch pleafing fancies feed their fill,
So 1 the Fields and Meadows green may view,
And daily by fresh Rivers walk at will,
Among the Daifies and the Violets blue,
Red Hyacinth, and yellow Daffodil,

Purple