small hook tied to a strong line, or to a string about a yard long, and then into one of these holes, or between any boards about a mill, or under any great stone or plank, or any place where you think an Eel may hide or shelter herself, you may, with the help of a short stick, put in your bait, but leisurely, and as far as you may conveniently; and it is scarce to be doubted, but that if there be an Eel within the sight of it, the Eel will bite instantly, and as certainly gorge it and you need not doubt to have him, if you pull him not out of the hole too quickly, but pull him out by degrees; for he lying folded double in his hole, will with the help of his tail break all, unless you give him time to be wearied with pulling, and so get him out by degrees, not pulling too hard.

And to commute for your patient hearing this long direction, I shall next tell you how to make this Eel a most excellent dish of meat.

First, wash him in water and salt, then pull off his skin below his vent or navel, and not much further: having done that, take out his guts as clean as you can, but wash him not: then give him three or four scotches with a knife, and then put into his belly, and those scotches, sweet herbs, an anchovy, and a little nutmeg grated, or cut very small, and your herbs and anchovies must also be cut very small, and mixed with good butter and salt; having done this, then pull his skin over him all but his head, which you are to cut off, to the end you may tie his skin about that part where his head grew, and it must be so tied as to keep all his moisture within his skin: and having done this, tie him with tape or packthread to a spit, and roast him leisurely, and baste him with water

and salt till his skin breaks, and then with butter: and having roasted him enough, let what was put into his belly, and what he drips, be his sauce. S. F.

When I go to dress an Eel thus, I wish he were as long and as big as that which was caught in Peterborough river, in the year 1667, which was a yard and three quarters long. If you will not believe me, then go and see at one of the coffee-houses in King Street, in Westminster.

But now let me tell you, that though the Eel thus dressed be not only excellent good, but more harmless than any other way, yet it is certain, that physicians account the Eel dangerous meat; I will advise you therefore, as Solomon says of honey, Prov. xxv., 'Hast thou found it, eat no more than is sufficient, lest thou surfeit, for it is not good to eat much honey.' And let me add this, that the uncharitable Italian bids us Give Eels, and no wine to our enemies.'

And I will beg a little more of your attention, to tell you, that Aldrovandus, and divers physicians, commend the Eel very much for medicine, though not for meat. But let me tell you one observation, that the Eel is never out of season, as Trouts, and most other fish are at set times, at least most Eels are not.

I might here speak of many other fish whose shape and nature are much like the Eel, and frequent both the sea and fresh rivers; as namely, the Lamprel, the Lamprey, and the Lamperne: as also of the mighty Conger, taken often in Severn about Gloucester; and might also tell, in what high esteem many of them are for the curiosity of their taste; but these are

not so proper to be talked of by me, because they make us anglers no sport, therefore I will let them alone, as the Jews do, to whom they are forbidden by law.

And, scholar, there is also a Flounder, a sea-fish, which will wander very far into fresh rivers, and there lose himself, and dwell and thrive to a hand's breadth, and almost twice so long; a fish without scales, and most excellent meat, and a fish that affords much sport to the angler with any small worm, but especially a little bluish worm, gotten out of marsh-ground or meadows, which should be well scoured; but this, though it be most excellent meat, yet it wants scales, and is, as I told you, therefore an abomination to the Jews.

But, scholar, there is a fish that they in Lancashire boast very much of, called a Char, taken there, and I think there only, in a mere called Winander Mere; a mere, says Camden, that is the largest in this nation, being ten miles in length, and some say as smooth in the bottom as if it were paved with polished marble: this fish never exceeds fifteen or sixteen inches in length, and it is spotted like a Trout, and has scarce a bone but on the back: but this, though I do not know whether it make the angler sport, yet I would have you take notice of it, because it is a rarity, and of so high esteem with persons of great note.

Nor would I have you ignorant of a rare fish called a Guiniad, of which I shall tell you what Camden and others speak. The river Dee, which runs by Chester, springs in Merionethshire, and as it runs towards Chester, it runs through Pemble Mere, which

is a large water: and it is observed, that though the river Dee abounds with Salmon, and Pemble Mere with the Guiniad, yet there is never any Salmon caught in the mere, nor a Guiniad in the river. And now my next observations shall be of the Barbel.

Observations of the BARBEL, and Directions how to fish for him.

PISCATOR.

HE Barbel is so called, says Gesner, by reason of his barb or wattles at his mouth, which are under his nose or chaps. He is one of those leather-mouthed fishes that I told you of, that does very seldom break his hold if he be once hooked: but he is so strong, that he will often break both rod and line, if he proves to be a big one.

But the Barbel, though he be of a fine shape, and looks big, yet he is not accounted the best fish to eat, neither for his wholesomeness nor his taste: but the male is reputed much better than the female, whose spawn is very hurtful, as I will presently declare to you.

They flock together like sheep, and are at the worst in April, about which time they spawn, but quickly grow to be in season. He is able to live in the strongest swifts of the water, and in summer they love the shallowest and sharpest streams; and love to lurk under weeds, and to feed on gravel against a