measure of hope and patience, and a love and propensity to the art itself; but having once got and practised it, then doubt not but angling will prove to be so pleasant, that it will prove to be, like virtue, a reward to itself. Venator. Sir, I am now become so full of expectation, that I long much to have you proceed, and in the order that you propose. Piscator. Then first, for the antiquity of Angling, of which I shall not say much, but only this: some say 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 some others say, (for former times have had their disquisitions about the antiquity of it,) that Seth, one of the sons of Adam, taught it to his sons, and that by them it was derived to posterity: † others say that he left it engraven on those pillars which he erected, and trusted to preserve the knowledge of the mathematics, music, and the rest of that precious knowledge, and those useful arts, which by God's appointment or allowance, and his noble industry, were thereby preserved from perishing in Noah's flood. These, sir, have been the opinions of several men, that have possibly endeavoured to make angling more ancient than is needful, or may well be warranted; but, for my part, I shall 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 fish hooks; and in the book of Job, (which was long before the days of Amos, for that book is said to be writ by Moses,) mention is made also of fish hooks, which must imply anglers in those times. * Dr Franklin was in the habit of illustrating the patience of an angler by mentioning, that as he set out from Philadelphia at six o'clock on a summer's morning, to go about fifteen miles, he passed a brook where a gentleman was angling; he inquired what sport, and was told none; "But," added the gentleman, I have only been here two hours." The Doctor continued his journey; and, on his return in the evening, found the angler at the same spot, and repeated his inquiry; " Very good sport," was the reply. The query was naturally resumed, by asking how many fish he had caught? "None at all," answered the gentleman; "but, about the middle of the day, I had a most glorious nibble." "The river Lea angler," says Daniel," being daily seen at one particular spot, a brother angler conceived it must be the resort of abundance of fish, and there, one morning at daybreak, began his operations. The usual attendant of the place arrived some hours after, and threw in his line. A long silence ensued, when the first comer remarked, that he was out of luck in not having caught any fish in this favourite hole, which,' says he, 'I am convinced it is with you, from the constant attention I have seen you pay to it.'-'Sir,' replies the gentleman, I confess long custom has rendered me extremely partial to the spot; but, as for the fish, I assure you that here have I angled for forty years, and never had a bite yet.'"-J. R. This fabulous stuff is repeated as trustworthy in most of the works on angling, including nearly all the Encyclopædias.-J. R. But, my worthy friend, as I would rather prove myself a gentleman, by being learned and humble, valiant and inoffensive, virtuous and communicable, than by any fond ostentation of riches; or, wanting those virtues myself, boast that these were in my ancestors, (and yet I grant, that where a noble and ancient descent and such merits meet in any man, it is a double dignification of that person;) so, if this antiquity of angling, which for my part I have not forced, shall, like an ancient family, be either an honour or an ornament to this virtuous art which I profess to love and practise, I shall be the gladder that I made an accidental mention of the antiquity of it, of which I shall say no more, but proceed to that just commendation which I think it deserves. And for that, I shall tell you, that in ancient times a debate hath risen, and it remains yet unresolved, whether the happiness of man in this world doth consist more in contemplation or action? And Concerning which, some have endeavoured to maintain their opinion of the first; by saying, that the nearer we mortals come to God by way of imitation, the more happy we are. And they say, that God enjoys himself only by a contemplation of his own infiniteness, eternity, power, and goodness, and the like. upon this ground, many cloisteral men of great learning and devotion prefer contemplation before action. And many of the fathers seem to approve this opinion, as may appear in their commentaries upon the words of our Saviour to Martha, Luke x. 41, 42. And, on the contrary, there want not men of equal authority and credit, that prefer action to be the more excellent; as, namely, experiments in physic, and the application of it, both for the ease and prolongation of man's life; by which each man is enabled to act and do good to others, either to serve his country, or do good to particular persons. And they say, also, that action is doctrinal, and teaches both art and virtue, and is a maintainer of humane society; and for these, and other like reasons, to be preferred before contemplation. Concerning which two opinions I shall forbear to add a third, by declaring my own; and rest myself contented in telling you, my very worthy friend, that both these meet together, and do most properly belong to the most honest, ingenuous, quiet, and harmless art of angling. And first, I shall tell you what some have observed, and I have found it to be a real truth, that the very sitting by the river's side is not only the quietest and fittest place for contemplation, but will invite an angler to it; and this seems to be maintained by the learned Pet. du Moulin, who, in his discourse of the fulfilling of prophecies, observes, "that when God intended to reveal any future events or high notions to his prophets, he then carried them either to the deserts, or the sea-shore, that having so separated them from amidst the press of people and business, and the cares of the world, he might settle their mind in a quiet repose, and there make them fit for revelation." And this seems also to be intimated by the Children of Israel, (Psal. cxxxvii.) who having in a sad condition banished all mirth and music from their pensive hearts, and having hung up their then mute harps upon the willow trees growing by the rivers of Babylon, sat down upon those banks, bemoaning the ruins of Sion, and contemplating their own sad condition. And an ingenious Spaniard says, that "rivers and the inhabitants of the watery element were made for wise men to contemplate, and fools to pass by without consideration." And though I will not rank myself in the number of the first, yet give me leave to free myself from the last, by offering to you a short contemplation, first of rivers, and then of fish; concerning which I doubt not but to give you many observations that will appear very considerable: I am sure they have appeared so to me, and made many an hour pass away more pleasantly, as I have sat quietly on a flowery bank by a calm river, and contemplated what I shall now relate to you. And, first, concerning rivers; there be so many wonders reported and written of them, and of the several creatures that be bred and live in them, and those by authors of so good credit, that we need not to deny them an historical faith. As, namely, of a river in Epirus, that puts out any lighted torch, and kindles any torch that was not lighted.* Some waters, being drunk, cause madness, some drunkenness, and some laughter to death. The river Selarus in a few hours turns a rod, or wand, to stone; and our Camden mentions the like in England, and the like in Lochmere, in Ireland. There is also a river in Arabia, of which all the sheep that drink thereof have their wool turned into a vermilion colour. And one of no less credit than Aristotle, tells us of a merry river, the river Elusina, that dances at the noise of music; for with music it bubbles, dances, and grows sandy, and so continues till the music ceases; but then it presently returns to its wonted calmness and clearness. § And Camden tells us of a well near to Kirby, in Westmoreland, that ebbs and flows several times every day; and he tells us of a river in Surrey, (it is called *From evolving sulphuretted hydrogen gas. -J. R. + He means Loch Neagh, which certainly petrifies wood, but not in a few hours.-J. R. This is certainly fabulous.-J. R. A report, no doubt taken from some bubbling spring.-J. R. There is a similar well, as I have witnessed, in the Peak of Derbyshire. -J. R. Mole,) that after it has run several miles, being opposed by hills, finds or makes itself a way under ground, and breaks out again so far off, that the inhabitants thereabout boast, as the Spaniards do of their river Anus, that they feed divers flocks of sheep upon a bridge. And, lastly, for I would not tire your patience, one of no less authority than Josephus, that learned Jew, tells us of a river in Judea that runs swiftly all the six days of the week, and stands still and rests all their Sabbath.* But I will lay aside my discourse of rivers, and tell you some things of the monsters, or fish, call them what you will, that they breed and feed in them. Pliny the philosopher says, in the third chapter of his ninth book, that in the Indian Sea, the fish called the Balana, or whirlpool, is so long and broad as to take up more in length and breadth than two acres of ground; and, of other fish of two hundred cubits long; and that, in the river Ganges, there be eels of thirty feet long. He says there, that these monsters appear in that sea only when the tempestuous winds oppose the torrents of waters falling from the rocks into it, and so turning what lay at the bottom to be seen on the water's top. And he says, that the people of Cadara, an island near this place, make the timber for their houses of those fishbones. He there tells us, that there are sometimes a thousand of these great eels found wrapt or interwoven together.† He tells us there, that it appears that dolphins love music, and will come when called for, by some men or boys that know, and used to feed them; and that they can swim as swift as an arrow can be shot out of a bow: and much of this is spoken concerning the dolphin, and other fish, as may be found also in the learned Dr Casaubon's Discourse of Credulity and Incredulity, printed by him about the year 1670. I know, we islanders are averse to the belief of these wonders; but there be so many strange creatures to be now seen, many collected by John Tradescant, and others added by my friend Elias Ashmole, Esq. § who now keeps them carefully and methodically at his house near to Lambeth, near London, as * Unquestionably fabulous. J. R. + This is all fabulous, or much exaggerated.-J. R. Mr Laing, in his Voyage to Spitzbergen, says, "the seals crowded round the ship to hear his violin;" and Valerius Flaccus says, "Gaudebant carina phoca."-J. R. The Tradescants were the first collectors of natural curiosities in this kingdom; Ashmole and Sir Hans Sloane were the next. The generous spirit of these persons seems to have been transfused into, and at present (1784) to reside in, a private gentleman of unbounded curiosity and liberality, Sir Ashton Lever, whose collections, for beauty, variety, and copiousness, exceed all description, and surpass every thing of the kind in the known world. After Sir Ashton Lever's death, this collection was disposed of by lottery, and came into the hands of Mr Parkinson, who (in 1806) sold the whole, in separate lots, by public auction. may get some belief of some of the other wonders I mentioned. I will tell you some of the wonders that you may now see, and not till then believe, unless you think fit. You may there see the Hog-fish, the Dog-fish, the Dolphin, the Coney-fish, the Parrot-fish, the Shark, the Poison-fish, Swordfish, and not only other incredible fish, but you may there see the Salamander, several sorts of Barnacles, of Solan Geese, the Bird of Paradise; such sorts of Snakes, and such birds' nests, and of so various forms, and so wonderfully made, as may beget wonder and amusement in any beholder; and so many hundred of other rarities in that collection, as will make the other wonders I spake of the less incredible; for you may note, that the waters are Nature's storehouse, in which she locks up her wonders. But, sir, least this discourse may seem tedious, I shall give it a sweet conclusion out of that holy poet, Mr George Herbert, his divine Contemplation on God's Providence : Lord! who hath praise enough -nay, who hath any? We all acknowledge both thy power and love Who dost so strangely and so sweetly move, Whilst all things have their end, yet none but thine. Wherefore, most sacred Spirit! I here present, And as concerning fish, in that psalm, Psalm civ. wherein, for height of poetry and wonders, the prophet David seems even to exceed himself, how doth he there express himself in choice metaphors, even to the amazement of a contemplative reader, concerning the sea, the rivers, and the fish therein contained! And the great naturalist Pliny says, "That Nature's great and wonderful power is more demonstrated in the sea than on the land." And this may appear, by the numerous and various creatures inhabiting both in and about that element; as to the readers of Gesner, Rondeletius, Pliny, Ausonius, Aristotle, and others, may be demonstrated. But I will sweeten this. discourse also out of a contemplation in divine Du Bartas, (in the Fifth Day,) who says: God quicken'd in the sea, and in the rivers, |