"Beneath the blue waters whoever shall see The place so lofty and bright, Of the Fen King so fierce, and his lady so free, It is certain through ages to come he shall be Renown'd for his goodness of sight". TO AN ANGLER. At setting eve, and rising morn, Where first thou kindly told me To all your haunts I will repair, Or shall I tell to streams and rills AN ANGLER'S LIFE FOR MEE. To campes and courts let others rove, The merchant man in search of gaine, I'd rather rise at earlier dawne, When summer wedds with springe, Than snore in bedd, with aching heade, Such pleasures still pursue who will, The strains which flowe in courtlie hall, But give mee still at evening's fall, The linnet's pipe to heare; See shepherds dancing with their maides, Below the greene-woode tree; While wildlie floates the throstle's notes An angler's life for mee. 1701. LINES WRITTEN IN PENCIL, ON THE DOOR OF AN INN, IN A REMOTE DISTRICT OF WESTMORLAND. The dark grey of gloamin', The lone leafy shaw, The loo of the cushat, The scent of the haw; The brae of the burnie, All deck'd out with flowers, 1 Where two kindred anglers A flask of good whisky, And singing and fun, Ye, lost to all pleasure Whom nothing can move, Away with your sounds, Ye know not the pleasures THE ANGLER. An angler's life has joys for me, When blooming spring has clad the plain To wander by the lonely stream; And pleasure sheds her brightest beam. The glitt'ring dace, the spangled trout, He ever finds his greatest pride; The angler envies no man's joys, But his who gains the greatest sport; With peace he dwells far from the noise, And bustling grandeur of a court. J. M. L. LINES. Let others crowd the giddy court, Of mirth and revelry, The simple joys that angling yields Are dearer far to me. S. SONG. TUNE. "When this old Coat was new." When this old rod was new (My Grandsire cut the bough, When this old rod was new, Our fathers liv'd like men ; For all untaxed it ran, When this old rod was new. When this old rod was new, Each farm was snug aud small; Since farms grew large and few ; They dared not use us so, When this old rod was new. |