Till you the depth thereof have truly found;
And on the same a twisted thread bestow
At your own will, to hang it on your hook,
And so to let it down into the brook.
Of lead likewise, yet must you have a ring,
Whose whole diameter in length contains.
Three inches full, and fastened to a string
That must be long and sure, if need constrains;
Through whose round hole you shall your Angle bring,
And let it fall into the wat❜ry plain
Until he come the weeds and sticks unto;
From whence your hook it serveth to undo.
Have tools good store to serve your turn withal,
Lest that you happen some to lose or break;
As in great waters oft it doth befall
When that the hook is naught or line too weak:
And waxed thread, or silk, so it be small,
To set them on, that if you list to wreak
Your former loss, you may supply the place;
And not return with sorrow and disgrace.
Have twist likewise, so that it be not white,
Your rod to mend, or broken top to tie ;
For all white colours do the fishes fright
And make them from the bait away to fly :
A file to mend your hooks, both small and light;
A good sharp knife, your girdle hanging by;
A pouch with many parts and purses thin,
To carry all your tools and trinkets in.
Yet must you have a little rip beside
Of willow twigs, the finest you can wish;
Which shall be made so handsome and so wide
As may contain good store of sundry fish;
And yet with ease be hanged by your side,
To bring them home the better to your dish.
A little net that on a pole shall stand,
The mighty pike or heavy carp to land.
His several Tools and what Garment is fittest.
ND LET your garments russet be or gray
Of colour dark and hardest to descry,
That with the rain or weather will away
And least offend the fearful fish's eye:
For neither scarlet nor rich cloth of 'ray
Nor colours dipt in fresh Assyrian dye,
Nor tender silks of purple, paul or gold
Will serve so well to keep off wet or cold.
In this array the Angler good shall go
Unto the brook to find his wished game;
Like old MENALCUS wandring to and fro
Until he chance to light upon the same;
And here his art and cunning shall bestow
For every fish his bait so well to frame.
That long ere PHŒBUS set in western foam
He shall return well laden to his home.
OME YOUTHFUL gallant here perhaps will say
"This is no pastime for a gentleman.
It were more fit at cards and dice to play,
To use both fence and dancing now and then,
Or walk the streets in nice and strange array,
Or with coy phrases court his mistress' fan;
A poor delight with toil and painful watch
With loss of time a silly fish to catch!"
"What pleasure can it be to walk about
The fields and meads in heat or pinching cold;
And stand all day to catch a silly trout.
That is not worth a tester to be sold?
And peradventure sometimes go without,
Besides the toils and troubles manifold?
And to be washt with many shower of rain
Before he can return from thence again?"
"More ease it were, and more delight I trow
In some sweet house to pass the time away
Among the best, with brave and gallant show;
And with fair dames to dance, to sport and play;
And on the board, the nimble dice to throw
That brings in gain, and helps the shot to pay;
And with good wine and store of dainty fare
To feed at will and take but little care."
MEAN NOT here men's errors to reprove,
Nor do envy their seeming happy state;
But rather marvel why they do not love
An honest sport that is without debate;
Since their abusèd pastimes often move
Their minds to anger and to mortal hate;
And as in bad delights their time they spend,
So oft it brings them to no better end.
Indeed it is a life of lesser pain
To sit at play from noon till it be night;
And then from night till it be noon again;
With damned oaths, pronounced in despite,
For little cause and every trifling vein:
To curse, to brawl, to quarrel and to fight;
To pack the cards, and with some coz'ning trick, His fellow's purse of all his coin to pick.
Or to beguile another of his wife,
As did ÆGISTUS, AGAMEMNON serve;
Or as that Roman * monarch led a life;
To spoil and spend while others pine and starve;
And to compel their friends with foolish strife,
To take more drink than will their health preserve;
And to conclude, for debt or just desert
In baser tune to sing the "Counter" part.
O let me rather on the pleasant brink
Of Tyne and Trent possess some dwelling-place;
Where I may see my quill and cork down sink
With eager bite of barbel, bleek or dace:
And on the world and his Creator think,
While they, proud THAIS' painted sheet embrace;
And with the fume of strong tobacco's smoke,
All quaffing round, are ready for to choke.
Let them that list these pastimes then pursue
And on their pleasing fancies feed their fill;
So I the fields and meadows green may view,
And by the rivers fresh may walk at will
Among the daisies and the violets blue,
Red hyacinth and yellow daffodil,
Purple narcissus like the morning rays,
Pale ganderglass and azure culverkeys.
I count it better pleasure to behold
The goodly compass of the lofty sky;
And in the midst thereof like burning gold,
The flaming chariot of the world's great Eye;
The wat❜ry clouds that in the air uprolled
With sundry kinds of painted colours fly;
And fair AURORA lifting up her head,
All blushing rise from old TITHONUS' bed.
The hills and mountains raisèd from the plains,
The plains extended level with the ground,
The ground divided into sundry veins,
The veins inclosed with running rivers round,
The rivers making way through Nature's chain,
With headlong course into the sea profound,
The surging sea beneath the valleys low,
The valleys sweet, and lakes that lovely flow.
The lofty woods, the forests wide and long,
Adorned with leaves and branches fresh and green;
In whose cool bowers the birds with chanting song
Do welcome with their quire, the Summer's Queen:
The meadows fair where FLORA'S gifts among,
Are intermixt the verdant grass between;
The silver-scaled fish that softly swim.
Within the brooks and crystal wat'ry brim.
All these and many more of His creation
That made the heavens; the Angler oft doth see;
And takes therein no little delectation
To think how strange and wonderful they be;
Framing thereof an inward contemplation
To set his thoughts from other fancies free.
And whiles he looks on these with joyful eye,
His mind is rapt above the starry sky.
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