in any animal or vegetable. And this I take to be a fair testimony of the excellency of my element of water.

The water is more productive than the earth. Nay, the earth hath no fruitfulness without showers or dews; for all the herbs and flowers and fruit are produced, and thrive by the water; and the very minerals are fed by streams that run under ground, whose natural course carries them to the tops of many high mountains, as we see by several springs breaking forth on the tops of the highest hills; and this is also witnessed by the daily trial and testimony of several miners.

Nay, the increase of those creatures that are bred and fed in the water is not only more and more miraculous, but more advantageous to man, not only for the lengthening of his life, but for preventing of sickness; for it is observed by the most learned physicians, that the casting off of Lent and other fish days, which hath not only given the lie to so many learned, pious, wise founders of colleges, for which we should be ashamed, hath doubtless been the chief cause of those many putrid, shaking, intermitting agues, unto which this nation of ours is now more subject than those wiser countries that feed on herbs, salads, and plenty of fish; of which it is observed in story, that the greatest part of the world now do.* And it may be fit to remember that Moses appointed fish to be the chief diet for the best commonwealth that ever yet was.t

The Protestants certainly have cast off Lent; and many of them will eat meat on Good-Friday. The majority of English Roman Catholics eat meat four days out of the seven of the Lenten weeks. Very few fast on fish from Shrove Tuesday to Easter Sunday; and in my opinion the latter would be far more liable to agues or external influences in Easter week, than the Protestant beef-eaters. Walton frequently tries to prove too much. The inhabitants of countries that should feed on "herbs, salads, and plenty of fish," would never be so healthy and physically powerful as those whose principal food might be flesh-meat and bread. The golden eagle (falco crystatus), which feeds on flesh exclusively, is a much more powerful bird than the sea eagle (falco cinereus), whose food is fish, though the latter is the larger bird.-ED.

† Moses did not appoint fish to be the " chief diet." He merely tells the members of the "best commonwealth" what fish it is lawful for them to eat, and what fish they should not touch. In respect to flesh-meat he does the same. Leviticus xi. 9, 10, Moses orders, "These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat. And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you." In Deut. xiv.

And it is observable, not only that there are fish, as, namely, the whale, three times as big as the mighty elephant, that is so fierce in battle, but that the mightiest feasts have been of fish. The Romans in the height of their glory have made fish the mistress of all their entertainments; they have had music to usher in their sturgeons, lampreys, and mullets, which they would purchase at rates rather to be wondered at than believed, He that shall view the writings of Macrobius or Varro may be confirmed and informed of this, and of the incredible value of their fish and fish-ponds.

But, gentlemen, I have almost lost myself, which I confess I may easily do in this philosophical discourse; I met with most of it very lately, and I hope, happily, in a conference with a most learned physician, Dr. Wharton,* a dear friend, that loves both me and my art of angling. But, however, I will wade no deeper in these mysterious arguments, but pass to such observations as I can manage with more pleasure, and less fear of running into error. But I must not yet forsake the waters, by whose help we have so many known advantages.

And first, to pass by the miraculous cures of our known baths, how advantageous is the sea for our daily traffic, without which we could not now subsist! How does it not only furnish us with food and physic for the bodies, but with such observations for the mind as ingenious persons would

not want!

How ignorant had we been of the beauty of Florence, of the monuments, urns, and rarities that yet remain in and near unto old and new Rome, so many as it is said will take up a year's time to view, and afford to each of them but a convenient consideration! And therefore it is not to be

9, 10, the great lawgiver repeats his fish-eating clauses: " These ye shall eat of all that are in the waters: all that have fins and scales shall ye eat and whatsoever hath not fins and scales ye may not eat; it is unclean unto you." The modern Hebrews heed very little the edible interdicts of their progenitors. They are, in England at least, great consumers, and the very best cooks of fish without scales-of plaice, soles, turbot, cod, barbel, tench, &c. If the sumptuary laws of Moses were observed by them, the economic luxuries of the friedfish shops would be lost to myriads of Jews and Gentiles.-Ed.

* Dr. Thomas Wharton, an eminent physician and excellent anatomist, and Gresham professor of physic. He lived in Aldersgate-street, London, and died

1673.

wondered at, that so learned and devout a father as St. Jerome, after his wish to have seen Christ in the flesh, and to have heard St. Paul preach, makes his third wish, to have seen Rome in her glory; and that glory is not yet all lost, for what pleasure is it to see the monuments of Livy, the choicest of the historians; of Tully, the best of orators; and to see the bay-trees that now grow out of the very tomb of Virgil! These, to any that love learning, must be pleasing. But what pleasure is it to a devout Christian to see there the humble house in which St. Paul was content to dwell, and to view the many rich statues that are made in honour of his memory! nay, to see the very place in which St. Peter* and he lie buried together! These are in and near to Rome. And how much more doth it please the pious curiosity of a Christian to see that place on which the blessed Saviour of the world was pleased to humble himself, and to take our nature upon him, and to converse with men: to see Mount Sion, Jerusalem, and the very sepulchre of our Lord Jesus? How may it beget and heighten the zeal of a Christian to see the devotions that are daily paid to him at that place! Gentlemen, lest I forget myself I will stop here and remember you, that but for my element of water, the inhabitants of this poor island must remain ignorant that such things ever were, or that any of them have yet a being.

Gentlemen, I might both enlarge and lose myself in such like arguments; I might tell you that Almighty God is said to have spoken to a fish but never to a beast; that he hath made a whale a ship to carry, and set his prophet Jonah safe on the appointed shore. Of these I might speak, but I must in manners break off, for I see Theobald's house. I cry your mercy for being so long, and thank you for your patience.

Auc. Sir, my pardon is easily granted you: I except against nothing that you have said; nevertheless I must part with you at this park-wall, for which I am very sorry; but I assure

* The Protestants deny not only that St. Peter lies buried in the Vatican, as the Romish writers assert, but that he ever was at Rome. See the Historia Apostolica of Lud. Capellus. The sense of the Protestants on this point is expressed in the following epigram, alluding to the prænomen of Peter, Simon, and to the simony practised in that city—

"An Petrus fuerat Romæ sub judice lis est.

Simonem Romæ nemo fuisse negat."-H.

you, Mr. Piscator, I now part with you full of good thoughts, not only of yourself, but your recreation. And so, gentlemen, God keep you both.

PISC. Well now, Mr. Venator, you shall neither want time nor my attention to hear you enlarge your discourse concerning hunting.

VEN. Not I, sir: I remember you said that angling itself was of great antiquity and a perfect art, and an art not easily attained to; and you have so won upon me in your former discourse, that I am very desirous to hear what you can say farther concerning those particulars.

Pisc. Sir, I did say so: and I doubt not but if you and I did converse together but a few hours, to leave you possessed with the same high and happy thoughts that now possess me of it; not only of the antiquity of angling, but that it deserves commendations; and that it is an art, and an art worthy the knowledge and practice of a wise man.

VEN. Pray, sir, speak of them what you think fit, for we have yet five miles to the Thatched House; during which walk, I dare promise you my patience and diligent attention shall not be wanting. And if you shall make that to appear which you have undertaken-first, that it is an art, and an art worth the learning, I shall beg that I may attend you a day or two a-fishing, and that I may become your scholar and be instructed in the art itself which you so much magnify.

PISC. O sir, doubt not that angling is an art. Is it not an art to deceive a trout with an artificial fly? a trout! that is more sharp-sighted than any hawk you have named, and more watchful and timorous than your high-mettled merlin is bold;* and yet I doubt not to catch a brace or two tomorrow for a friend's breakfast ;-doubt not, therefore, sir, but that angling is an art, and an art worth your learning. The question is rather, whether you be capable of learning it? for angling is somewhat like poetry, men are to be born so: I mean, with inclinations to it, though both may be heightened by discourse and practice: but he that hopes to be a

* Walton is evidently thinking of AUCEPS, the falconer so named, who parted company as they neared Theobald's House, otherwise he would not have said to Venator, the hunter with hounds and not with hawks, "your merlin." It may be taken in another sense.-ED.

good angler, must not only bring an inquiring, searching observing wit, but he must bring a large 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.

VEN. Sir, I am now become so full of expectation, that I long much to have you proceed; and in the order you propose.

PISC. 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 Amost mention is made of fish-hooks; and in

* Those that say this are very safe in their assertion, for there is no remaining evidence to contradict it. It may, however, be observed, that the same has been said in favour of many other arts; and, if I mistake not, of the hermetic science and freemasonry: concerning the former whereof Ashmole has the confidence to affirm, that by means of it Adam and the fathers before the flood, as also Abraham, Moses, and Solomon, wrought many wonders. See the Prolegomena to his Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum, in which there is more such nonsense and absurdity.-H.

In the book of Amos, iv. 2, we find-"The Lord God hath sworn by His holiness, that, lo, the days shall come upon you, that He will take you away with hooks, and your posterity with fish-hooks." In Jeremiah xvi. 16 are these words: "Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith the Lord, and they shall fish them; and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks." Finally, in Habakkuk i. 15 it is written : "They take up all of them with the angle, they catch them in their net, and gather them in their drag,"

C