the complete angler-第6章

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mselves。

Sir；　these　examples　may；　to　you　and　others；　seem　strange；　but　they　are　testified；　some　by　Aristotle；　some　by　Pliny；　some　by　Gesner；　and　by　many　others　of　credit；　and　are　believed　and　known　by　divers；　both　of　wisdom　and　experience；　to　be　a　truth；　and　indeed　are；　as　I　said　at　the　beginning；　fit　for　the　contemplation　of　a　most　serious　and　a　most　pious　man。　And；　doubtless；　this　made　the　prophet　David　say；　〃　They　that　occupy　themselves　in　deep　waters；　see　the　wonderful　works　of　God　〃：　indeed　such　wonders　and　pleasures　too；　as　the　land　affords　not。

And　that　they　be　fit　for　the　contemplation　of　the　most　prudent；　and　pious；　and　peaceable　men；　seems　to　be　testified　by　the　practice　of　so　many　devout　and　contemplative　men；　as　the　Patriarchs　and　Prophets　of　old；　and　of　the　Apostles　of　our　Saviour　in　our　latter　times；　of　which　twelve；　we　are　sure；　he　chose　four　that　were　simple　fishermen；　whom　he　inspired；　and　sent　to　publish　his　blessed　will　to　the　Gentiles　；　and　inspired　them　also　with　a　power　to　speak　all　languages；　and　by　their　powerful　eloquence　to　beget　faith　in　the　unbelieving　Jews；　and　themselves　to　suffer　for　that　Saviour；　whom　their　forefathers　and　they　had　crucified；　and；　in　their　sufferings；　to　preach　freedom　from　the　incumbrances　of　the　law；　and　a　new　way　to　everlasting　life：　this　was　the　employment　of　these　happy　fishermen。　Concerning　which　choice。　some　have　made　these　observations：

First；　that　he　never　reproved　these；　for　their　employment　or　calling；　as　he　did　the　Scribes　and　the　Money…changers。　And　secondly；　he　found　that　the　hearts　of　such　men；　by　nature；　were　fitted　for　contemplation　and　quietness；　men　of　mild；　and　sweet；　and　peaceable　spirits；　as　indeed　most　Anglers　are：　these　men　our　blessed　Saviour；　who　is　observed　to　love　to　plant　grace　in　good　natures；　though　indeed　nothing　be　too　hard　for　him；　yet　these　men　he　chose　to　call　from　their　irreprovable　employment　of　fig；　an；　and　gave　them　grace　to　be　his　disciples；　and　to　follow　him；　and　do　wonders；　I　say　four　of　twelve。

And　it　is　observable；　that　it　was　our　Saviour's　will　that　these；　our　four　fishermen；　should　have　a　priority　of　nomination　in　the　catalogue　of　his　twelve　Apostles；　as　namely；　first　St。　Peter；　St。　Andrew；　St。　James；　and　St。　John；　and；　then；　the　rest　in　their　order。

And　it　is　yet　more　observable；　that　when　our　blessed　Saviour　went　up　into　the　mount；　when　he　left　the　rest　of　his　disciples；　and　chose　only　three　to　bear　him　company　at　his　Transfiguration；　that　those　three　were　all　fishermen。　And　it　is　to　be　believed；　that　all　the　other　Apostles；　after　they　betook　themselves　to　follow　Christ；　betook　themselves　to　be　fishermen　too；　for　it　is　certain；　that　the　greater　number　of　them　were　found　together；　fishing；　by　Jesus　after　his　resurrection；　as　it　is　recorded　in　the　twenty…first　chapter　of　St。　John's　gospel。

And　since　I　have　your　promise　to　hear　me　with　patience；　I　will　take　a　liberty　to　look　back　upon　an　observation　that　hath　been　made　by　an　ingenious　and　learned　man；　who　observes；　that　God　hath　been　pleased　to　allow　those　whom　he　himself　hath　appointed　to　write　his　holy　will　in　holy　writ；　yet　to　express　his　will　in　such　metaphors　as　their　former　affections　or　practice　had　inclined　them　to。　And　he　brings　Solomon　for　an　example；　who；　before　his　conversion；　was　remarkably　carnally　amorous；　and　after；　by　God's　appointment；　wrote　that　spiritual　dialogue；　or　holy　amorous　love…song　the　Canticles；　betwixt　God　and　his　church：　in　which　he　says；　〃　his　beloved　had　eyes　like　the　fish…pools　of　Heshbon　〃。

And　if　this　hold　in　reason；　as　I　see　none　to　the　contrary；　then　it　may　be　probably　concluded；　that　Moses；　who　I　told　you　before　writ　the　book　of　Job；　and　the　Prophet　Amos；　who　was　a　shepherd；　were　both　Anglers；　for　you　shall；　in　all　the　Old　Testament；　find　fish…hooks；　I　think　but　twice　mentioned；　namely；　by　meek　Moses　the　friend　of　God；　and　by　the　humble　prophet　Amos。

Concerning　which　last；　namely　the　prophet　Amos；　I　shall　make　but　this　observation；　that　he　that　shall　read　the　humble；　lowly；　plain　style　of　that　prophet；　and　compare　it　with　the　high；　glorious；　eloquent　style　of　the　prophet　Isaiah；　though　they　be　both　equally　true；　may　easily　believe　Amos　to　be；　not　only　a　shepherd；　but　a　good…natured　plain　fisherman。　Which　I　do　the　rather　believe；　by　comparing　the　affectionate；　loving；　lowly；　humble　Epistles　of　St。　Peter；　St。　James；　and　St。　John；　whom　we　know　were　all　fishers；　with　the　glorious　language　and　high　metaphors　of　St。　Paul；　who　we　may　believe　was　not。

And　for　the　lawfulness　of　fishing：　it　may　very　well　be　maintained　by　our　Saviour's　bidding　St。　Peter　cast　his　hook　into　the　water　and　catch　a　fish；　for　money　to　pay　tribute　to　Caesar。　And　let　me　tell　you；　that　Angling　is　of　high　esteem；　and　of　much　use　in　other　nations。　He　that　reads　the　Voyages　of　Ferdinand　Mendez　Pinto；　shall　find　that　there　he　declares　to　have　found　a　king　and　several　priests　a…fishing。　And　he　that　reads　Plutarch；　shall　find；　that　Angling　was　not　contemptible　in　the　days　of　Mark　Antony　and　Cleopatra；　and　that　they；　in　the　midst　of　their　wonderful　glory；　used　Angling　as　a　principal　recreation。　And　let　me　tell　you；　that　in　the　Scripture；　Angling　is　always　taken　in　the　best　sense；　and　that　though　hunting　may　be　sometimes　so　taken；　yet　it　is　but　seldom　to　be　so　understood。　And　let　me　add　this　more：　he　that　views　the　ancient　Ecclesiastical　Canons；　shall　find　hunting　to　be　forbidden　to　Churchmen；　as　being　a　turbulent；　toilsome；　perplexing　recreation；　and　shall　find　Angling　allowed　to　clergymen；　as　being　a　harmless　recreation；　a　recreation　that　invites　them　to　contemplation　and　quietness。

I　might　here　enlarge　myself；　by　telling　you　what　commendations　our　learned　Perkins　bestows　on　Angling：　and　how　dear　a　lover；　and　great　a　practiser　of　it；　our　learned　Dr。　Whitaker　was；　as　indeed　many　others　of　great　learning　have　been。　But　I　will　content　myself　with　two　memorable　men；　that　lived　near　to　our　own　time；　whom　I　also　take　to　have　been　ornaments　to　the　art　of　Angling。

The　first　is　Dr。　Nowel；　sometime　dean　of　the　cathedral　church　of　St。　Paul；　in　London；　where　his　monument　stands　yet　undefaced；　a　man　that；　in　the　reformation　of　Queen　Elizabeth；　not　that　of　Henry　VIII。；　was　so　noted　for　his　meek　spirit；　deep　learning；　prudence；　and　piety；　that　the　then　Parliament　and　Convocation；　both；　chose；　enjoined；　and　trusted　him　to　be　the　man　to　make　a　Catechism　for　public　use；　such　a　one　as　should　stand　as　a　rule　for　faith　and　manners　to　their　posterity。　And　the　good　old　man；　though　he　was　very　learned；　yet　knowing　that　God　leads　us　not　to　heaven　by　many；　nor　by　hard　questions；　like　an　honest　Angler；　made　that　good；　plain；　unperplexed　Catechism　which　is　printed　with　our　good　old　Service…book。　I　say；　this　good　man　was　a　dear　lover　and　constant　practiser　of　Angling；　as　any　age　can　produce：　and　his　custom　was　to　spend　besides　his　fixed　hours　of　prayer；　those　hours　which；　by　command　of　the　church；　were　enjoined　the　clergy；　and　voluntarily　dedicated　to　devotion　by　many　primitive　Christians；　I　say；　besides　those　hours；　this　good　man　was　observed　to　spend　a　tenth　part　of　his　time　in　Angling；　and；　also；　for　I　have　conversed　with　those　which　have　conversed　with　him；　to　bestow　a　tenth　part　of　his　revenue；　and　usually　all　his　fish；　amongst　the　poor　that　inhabited　near　to　those　rivers　in　which　it　was　caught；　saying　often；　〃that　charity　gave　life　to　religion　〃：　and；　at　his　return　to　his　house；　would　praise　God　he　had　spent　that　day　free　from　worldly　trouble；　both　harmlessly；　and　in　a　recreation　that　became　a　churchman。　And　this　good　man　was　well　content；　if　not　desirous；　that　posterity　should　know　he　was　an　Angler；　as　may　appear　by　his　picture；　now　to　be　seen；　and　carefully　kept；　in　Brazen…nose　College；　to　which　he　was　a　liberal　benefactor。　In　which　picture　he　is　drawn　leaning　on　a　desk；　with　his　Bible　before　him；　and　on　one　hand　of　him；　his　lines；　hooks；　and　other　tackling；　lying　in　a　round；　and；　on　his　other　hand；　are　his　Angle…rods　of　several　sorts；　and　by　them　this　is　written；　〃that　he　died　13　Feb。　1601；　being　aged　ninety…five　years；　forty…　four　of　which　he　had　been　Dean　of　St。　Paul's　church；　and　that　his　age　neither　impaired　his　hearing；　nor　dimmed　his　eyes；　nor　weakened　his　memory；　nor　made　any　of　the　faculties　of　his　mind　weak　or　useless〃。　It　is　said　that　Angling　and　temperance　were　great　causes　of　these　blessings；　and　I　wish　the　like　to　all　that　imitate　him；　and　love　the　memory　of　so　good　a　man。

My　next　and　last　example　shall　be　that　under…valuer　of　money；　the　late　provost　of　Eton　College；　Sir　Henry　Wotton；　a　man　with　whom　I　have　often　fished　and　conversed；　a　man　whose　foreign　employments　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　practiser　of　the　art　of　Angling；　of　which　he　would　say；　〃　it　was　an　employment　for　his　idle　time；　which　was　then　not　idly　spent　〃；　for　Angling　was；　after　tedious　study；　〃a　rest　to　his　mind；　a　cheerer　of　his　spirits；　a　diverter　of　sadness；　a　calmer　of　unquiet　thoughts；　a　moderator　of　passions；　a　procurer　of　contentedness；　and　that　it　begat　habits　of　peace　and　patience　in　those　that　professed　and　practiced　it　〃。　Indeed；　my　friend；　you　will　find　Angling　to　be　like　the　virtue　of　humility；　which　has　a　calmness　of　spirit；　and　a　world　of　other　blessings　attending　upon　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　possessed　him；　as　he　sat　quietly；　in　a　summer's　evening；　on　a　bank　a…fishing。　It　is　a　description　of　the　spring；　which；　because　it　glided　as　soft　and　sweetly　from　his　pen；　as　that　river　does　at　this　time；　by　which　it　was　then　made；　I　shall　repeat　it　unto　you：…

This　day　dame　Nature　seem'd　in　love　The　lusty　sap　began　to　move；　Fresh　juice　did　stir　th'　embracing　vines。　And　birds　had　drawn　their　valentines。

The　jealous　trout；　that　low　did　lie　Rose　at　a　well…dissembled　fly　There　stood　my　Friend；　with　patient　skill；　Attending　of　his　trembling　quill。

　　　Already　were　the　eves　possess　With　the　swift　pilgrim's　daubed　nest；　The　groves　already　did　rejoice　In　Philomel's　triumphing　voice：

The　showers　were　short；　the　weather　mild；　The　morning　fresh；　the　evening　smil'd。　Joan　takes　her　neat…rubb'd　pail；　and　now；　She　trips　to　milk　the　sand…red　cow；

Where；　for　some　sturdy　foot…ball　swain；　Joan　strokes　a　syllabub　or　twain。　The　fields　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　cheer；　To　welcome　the　new…livery'd　year。

These　were　the　thoughts　that　then　possessed　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：　viz。　Jo。　Davors；　Esq。？

Let　me　live　harmlessly；　and　near　the　brink　Of　Trent　or　Avon　have　a　dwelling…place　Where　I　may　see　my　quill；　or　cork；　dow