spent that day free from worldly trouble, both harmlesly and in a recreation that became a church-man.

My next and last example shall be that undervaluer of money, the late provost of Eaton Colledg, Sir Henry Wotton, (a man with whom I have often fish'd and convers'd) a man whose forraign imployments in the service of this nation, and whose experience, learning, wit and cheerfulness, made his company to be esteemed one of the delights of mankind; this man, whose very approbation of angling were sufficient to convince any modest censurer of it, this man was also a most dear lover, and a frequent practicer of the art of angling, of which he would say "['twas an imployment for his idle time, which was not idly spent ;]" for angling was after tedious study "[a rest to his mind, a cheerer of his spirits, a divertion of sadness, a calmer of unquiet thoughts, a moderator of passions, a procurer of contentedness, and that it begot habits of peace and patience in those that profest and practic'd 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 cheerful heart of Sir Henry Wotton, because I know, that when he was beyond seventy years of age he made this description of a part of the present pleasure that possest him, as he sate quietly in a summer's evening on a bank a fishing; it is a description of the spring, which because it glides as soft and sweetly from his pen, as that river does now by which it was then made, I shall repeat unto you.

This day dame nature seem'd in love:
The lustie sap began to move;

Fresh juice did stir th' imbracing vines,
And birds had drawn their valentines.

The jealous Trout, that low did lye,
Rose at a well dissembled flie;

There stood my friend with patient skill,

Attending of his trembling quil.

Already were the eaves possest

With the swift pilgrims dawbed nest :

The groves already did rejoice,
In Philomels triumphing voice :

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

Fone takes her neat rubb'd pail, and now
She trips to milk the sand-red cow;
Where, for some sturdy foot-ball swain,
Fone strokes a sillibub or twaine.
The field and gardens were beset
With tulips, crocus, violet,

And now, though late, the modest rose
Did more than half a blush disclose.
Thus all looks gay and full of chear
To welcome the new liveried year.

These were the thoughts that then possest the undisturbed mind of Sir Henry Wotton. Will you hear the wish of another angler,* and the commendation of his happy life, which he also sings in verse.

Let me live harmlessly, and near the brink
Of Trent or Avon have a dwelling place,
Where I may see my quil or cork down sink,
With eager bit of Pearch, or Bleak, or Dace;
And on the world and my Creator think,

Whilst some men strive, ill gotten goods t' imbrace;
And others spend their time in base excess
Of wine or worse, in war and wantonness.
Let them that list these pastimes still pursue,
And on such pleasing fancies feed their fill,
So I the fields and meadows green may view,
And daily by fresh rivers walk at will,
Among the daisies and the violets blue,
Red hyacinth, and yellow daffadil,

Purple narcissus, like the morning rayes,
Pale ganderglass and azure culverkayes.

I count it higher pleasure to behold
The stately compass of the lofty skie,
And in the midst thereof (like burning gold)
The flaming chariot of the world's great eye,

* Jo. Da.

The watery clouds, that in the aire up rold,
With sundry kinds of painted colours flye
And fair Aurora lifting up her head,

Still blushing, rise from old Tithonius bed.

The hils and mountains raised from the plains,
The plains extended level with the ground,
The grounds divided into sundry vains,
The vains inclos'd with rivers running round ;
These rivers making way through nature's chains
With headlong course into the sea profound;
The raging sea, beneath the vallies low,
Where lakes, and rils, and rivulets do flow.

The loftie woods, the forrests wide and long
Adorn'd with leaves and branches fresh and green,
In whose cool bowres the birds with many a song
Do welcom with their quire the Sumers Queen:
The meadows fair, where Flora's gifts among
Are intermixt, with verdant grass between.
The silver-scaled fish that softly swim,
Within the sweet brooks chrystal watry stream.

All these, and many more of his creation,
That made the heavens, the Angler oft doth see,
Taking therein no little delectation,

To think how strange, how wonderful they be ;
Framing thereof an inward contemplation,

To set his heart from other fancies free;

And whilst he looks on these with joyful eye,

His mind is rapt above the Starry Skie.

Sir, I am glad my memory did not lose these last verses, because they are somewhat more pleasant and more sutable to May day, then my harsh discourse, and I am glad your patience hath held out so long, as to hear them and me; for both together have brought us within the sight of the Thatcht House; and I must be your debtor (if you think it worth your attention) for the rest of my promised discourse, till some other opportunity and a like time of lei

sure.

Viat. Sir, you have angled me on with so much plea

sure to the Thatcht House, and I now find your words true, that good company makes the way seem short; for, trust me, sir, I thought we had wanted three miles of the Thatcht House, till you shewed it to me: but now we are at it, we'l turn into it, and refresh our selves with a cup of ale and a little rest.

Pisc. Most gladly (sir) and we'l drink a civil cup to all the Otter Hunters that are to meet you to morrow.

Viat. That we wil, sir, and to all the lovers of angling, too, of which number, I am now one my self, for by the help of your good discourse and company, I have put on new thoughts both of the art of angling, and of all that profess it and if you will but meet me to-morrow at the time and place appointed, and bestow one day with me and my friends in hunting the Otter, I will the next two dayes wait upon you, and we two will for that time do nothing but angle, and talk of fish and fishing.

Pisc. 'Tis a match, sir, I'l not fail you, God willing, to be at Amwel Hil to morrow morning before sun-rising.

CHAP. II.

Viat. MY friend Piscator, you have kept time with my thoughts, for the sun is just rising, and I my self just now come to this place, and the dogs have just now put down an Otter, look down at the bottom of the hil, there in that meadow, chequered with water lillies and lady-smocks, there you may see what work they make : look, you see all busie, men and dogs, dogs and men, all busie.

Pisc. Sir, I am right glad to meet you, and glad to have so fair an entrance into this dayes sport, and glad to see so many dogs, and more men all in pursuit of the Otter; lets complement no longer, but joine unto them; come honest Viator, lets be gone, lets make haste, I long to be doing; no reasonable hedge or ditch shall hold me. Viat. Gentleman huntsman, where found you this Otter?

Hunt. Marry (sir) we found her a mile off this place

a fishing; she has this morning eaten the greatest part of this Trout, she has only left thus much of it as you see, and was fishing for more; when we came we found her just at it but we were here very early, we were here an hour before sun-rise, and have given her no rest since we came sure she'l hardly escape all these dogs and men. I am to have the skin if we kill him.

Viat. Why, sir, whats the skin worth?

Hunt. 'Tis worth ten shillings to make gloves; the gloves of an Otter are the best fortification for your hands against wet weather that can be thought of.

Pisc. I pray, honest huntsman, let me ask you a pleasant question, Do you hunt a beast or a fish?

H. Sir, It is not in my power to resolve you; for the question has been debated among many great clerks, and they seem to differ about it; but most agree that his tail is fish and if his body be fish too, then I may say, that a fish will walk upon land (for an Otter does so) sometimes five or six, or ten miles in a night. But (sir) I can tell you certainly, that he devours much fish, and kils and spoils much more and I can tell you, that he can smel a fish in the water one hundred yards from him (Gesner sayes, much farther) and that his stones are good against the falling-sickness and that there is an herb Benione, which being hung in a linen cloth near a fish pond, or any haunt that he uses, makes him to avoid the place, which proves he can smell both by water and land. And thus much for my knowledg of the Otter, which you may now see above water at vent, and the dogs close with him; I now see he will not last long, follow therefore my masters, follow, for Sweetlips was like to have him at this vent.

:

Via. Oh me, all the horse are got over the river, what shall we do now?

Hun. Marry, stay a little and follow, both they and the dogs will be suddenly on this side again, I warrant you, and the Otter too it may be; now have at him with Kilbuck, for he vents again.

Via. Marry so he is, for look he vents in that corner. Now, now Ringwood has him. Come bring him to me. Look, 'tis a bitch Otter upon my word, and she has lately