The Complete Angler; 1825

Front matter

(okey ee i. , /, Vix ge 2 3

OR THE

CONTEMPLATIVE MAN’S

Chapter I

oe A. Conference between an Angler, aHunter, .

and a Falconer; each commending his

: Recreation.

pISCATOR, VENATOR, AUCEPS.

Piscator. YOUPare well overtaken, Gentlemen, a good morning to you both; I have stretched my legs up Tottenham-hill to over~ take you, hoping your business may occasion you towards Ware, whither I am going this fine, fresh May morning.

Venator. Sir, I for my part shall almost answer your hopes ; for my purpose is to drink my morning’s draught at the Thatched-house in Hodsden, and I think. not to rest till I come thither, where I have appointed a friend or twoto meet me ut for this gentleman that you see with me, | know not how far he intends his journey; he came so lately into my company, that! have scarce had time to ask him the question,

Auceps. Sir, I shall by your favour bear you company as far as Theobald’s, and there leave you; for then I turn up to a friend’s house who mews a Hawk for me, which I now long to see.

Ven. Sir, we are all so happy as to have a fine, fresh, cool morning, and I hope we shall each be the happier in the other’s company.. And, gentlemen, that I may not lose yours, I shall either abate or amend my pace to enjoy it; knowing that, as the Italians say, Good company ina journey makes the way to seem the shorter.

Auc. It may do so, Sir, with the help of good discourse, which methinks we ma promise from you that both look and spea so cheerfully: and for my part I promise ‘yOu, as an invitation to it, that I will be as free and open-hearted, as discretion will allow me to be with strangers. Ven. And, Sir, I promise the like. Pisc. I am right glad to hear your answers: and, in confidence you speak the truth, I shall put on aboldness to ask you, Sir, whether business or pleasure caused | you to be so early up, and walk so° fast;

for this other gentleman hath declared he is

going to see a Hawk that a friend mews for im.

1 Ven. Sir, mine is a mixture of both, a a ae tittle business and more pleasure; for I intend this day to do all my business, and then bestow another day or two in hunting the Otter, which, a friend that Igo to meet tells me, is much pleasanter than any other chase whatsoever: howsoever I- mean totry it; for to-morrow morning we shall meet a pack of Otter-dogs of noble Mr. Sadler’s, upon Amwell-hill, who will be “there so early, that they intend to prevent the sun-rising.

Pisce. Sir, my fortune has answered my desires, and my purpose is to bestow a day or two in helping to destroy some of those yillanous vermin ; for I hate them perfectly, because they love fish so well, or rather, because they destroy So much: indeed so much, that in my judgment all men that _ keep Otter-dogs ought to have pensions - from the king to encourage them to destroy the very breed of those base Otters, they do ‘so much mischief.

Ven. But what say you to the Foxes of the Nation, would not you as willingly have them destroyed? for doubtless they do as much mischief as Otters do. d Pisc. Oh, Sir, if they do, it is not so much - to me and my fraternity, as those base ver= min the Otters do.

Auc. Why, Sit, I pray, of what fraternity are you, that you are so angry with the and therefore an enemy to the Otter: for ou are to note, that we Anglers all love one another, and therefore do I hate the h Otter, both for my own and for their sakes who are of my brotherhood.

Ven. And I am a lover of Hounds ; I have followed many @ pack of dogs many 4 mile, and heard many merry huntsmen

S.

Auc. Andl profess myself a Falcone? ». and have heard many grave, serious men ity them, ’tis such @ heavy, contemptible, duil recreation.

Ppisc. I am, Sir, 4 brother of the Angle, nee i Ms.

THE COMPLETE ANGLER.

Pisc. You know, Gentlemen, “tis am easy thing to scoff at any art or recreation; a little wit, mixed with ill-nature, confi dence, and malice, will do it: but though they often venttre boldly, yet they are) often caught even in their own trap, ac cording to that of Lucian, the father of the family of Scoffers.

Lucian, well skill’d in scoffing, this hath writ: Friend, that’s your folly, which you think, your wit; This you vent oft, void both of wit and fear, .

Meaning another, when yourself you jeer.

If to this you add what Solomon says of Scoffers, that ‘* they are an abomination to mankind,” let him that thinks fit, scoff on, and be a Scoffer still; but I account them enemies to me, and to all that love virtwe and Angling.

And for you that have heard many grave, serious men pity Anglers; let me tell you, Sir, there be many men that arc by others taken to be serious and grave men, whom we contemn and pity. Men that are taken to be grave, because nature hath made them of a sour complexion, money-getting men, men that spend all their time first in getting, and next in anxious care to keep it; men that are condemned to be rich, and then always busy or discontented : for these poor, rich men, we Anglers pity them perectly, and stand in no need to borrow their thoughts to think ourselves so happy. No, no, Sir, we enjoy a contentedness above the reach of such dispositions; and as the learned and ingenuous Montaigne says like himself freely, ‘* When my Cat and I enter-

_———— ‘tain each other with mutual apish tricks, “Sas playing with a garter, who knows but ‘that | make my Cat more sport than she ‘makes me? Shall I conclude her to be

“ simple, that has her time to begin or reage

«fuse to play as freely as { myself have? ss Nay, who knows but that it is a defect 9 “my not understanding her language (for ¢ doubtless Cats talk and reason with one ‘another) that we agree no better ? an who knows but that she pities me fOr being no Wiser, than to play with her, ‘and laughs and censures My folly for

| «making sport for her, when we two play

“ together ?””

Thus freely speaks Montaigne concern

"ing Cats; and I hope I may take as great a liberty to blame any man, and laugh at him

00, let him be never so grave, that hath not eard what Anglers can say in the justification of their art and recreation $ whic

may again tell you is so fall of pleasure, that we need not porrow their thoughts to

“think ourselves happy:

Ven. Sir, you bave almost amazed me 3

for though I am 10 scoffer, yet I have, I

ray let me speak it without offence, always ooked upon Anglers as more patient an

more simple men, than I fear! shall find ou to be.

Pisc. Sir, I hope you will not judge my earnestness to be impatience + and for my simplicity, if by that you mean a harmlessness, or that simplicity which was usually found in the primitive Christians, who were, as most Anglers are, quiet men, and followers of peace; men that were so simply wise, as not to sell their consciences to buy riches, and with them vexation and

afear to die; if you mean such gimple men ae

THE COMPLETE ANGLER.

as lived in those times when there were! fewer Lawyers; when men might have had a Lordship safely conveyed to them in 4 piece. of parchment no bigger than your hand, though several sheets will not do it safely in this wiser age; I say, Sir, if you take us Anglers to be such simple men as [ have spoken of, then myself and those of my profession will be glad to be so understood. Butif by simplicity you meant to express a general defect in those that profess and practise the excellent Art of Angling, I hope in time to disabuse you, and make the contrary appear so evidently, that if you will but have patience to hear’ me, I shall remove all the anticipations that. discourse, or time, or prejudice have pos-’ sessed you with against that laudable and ancient Art; for I know it is worthy the knowledge and practice of a wise man.

But, Gentlemen, though I be able to do this, I am not so unmannerly as to engross all the discourse to myself; and therefore, you two having declared yourselves, the one to be a lover of Hawks, the other of Hounds, I shall be most glad to hear what you can say in the commendation of that recreation which each of you love and prac-— tise ; and having heard what you can say, I shall be glad to exercise your attention with what I can say concerning my own recreation and Artof Angling, and by this means we shall make the way to seem the shorter: and if you like my motion, I would have Mr. Fetuner to begin. |

~Auc. Your motion is consented to with

all my heart; and to testify it, I will begin as you have desired me. :

And first, for the element that I use to trade in, which isthe Air, an element of

THE COMPLETE ANGLER.

A for though I sometimes deal in both, yet the air is most properly mine, 1 and my Hawks use that, and it yields us most recreation: it stops not the high soaring of my noble, generous Falcon; in it she ascends , to such an height, as the dull eyes of beasts * and fish are not able to reach to 3 their bodies are too gross for such high elevations * men, then they attend upon and converse

§; is so justly styled Jove’s servant 1m ordi- 1 going to sec, deserves no meancr a title; for she usually in her flight endangers herself, like the son of Daedalus, to have her wings scorched by the Sun’s heat, she flies so near it, but her mettle makes her careless of mountains and deepest rivers, and in her iy Jorious career jooks with contempt upon those high steeples and magnificent palaces which we adore and wonder at 5 from which height I can make her to descend by a wor : from my mouth , (which she both knows and H obeys,) tO accept of meat from my hand, to own me for her Master, to go home with

\ the Mores thi element Of air which I profess to trade in, the worth of it 18 such, i and it is of such necessity, that D0 creature whatsoever, not only those numerous crea~ tures that feed on the face of the earth, but those various creatures that have their dwel-

: a i ;

§ . THE COMPLETE ANGLER.

ling within the waters, every creature that hath life inits nostrils stands in need of my element. The waters cannot preserve the

Fish without air, witness the not breaking of ice in an extreme frost: the reason is, for that if the inspiring and expiring organ of any animal be stopped, it suddenly yields

* to nature, and dies. Thus necessary is air to the existence both of Fish and Beasts, nay, even to Man himself; that air or breath of life with which God at first inspired mankind, he, if he wants it, dies pre-— sently, becomes a sad object to all that loved and beheld him, and in an instant — turns to putrefaction. . i

Nay more, the very birds of the air, those — that be not Hawks, are both somany and so usefuland pleasant to mankind, that I must not let them pass without some observations: they both feed and refresh him; feed him with their choice bodies, and refresh him with their heavenly voices. I will not undertake to mention the several kinds of fowl by which this is done ; and his curious palate pleased by day, and which with their very excrements afford him a soft lodging at night. These I will pass by, but not those little nimble musicians of the air, that warble forth their curious ditties, with which nature hathfurnished them to the shame of art.

As first, the Lark, when she means to re joice, to cheer herself and those that hear her, she then quits the earth, and sings as she ascends higher into the air; and having ended her heavenly employment, grows then mute and sad to think she must descend to the dull earth, which she would not touch but for necessity. ;

How do the Blackbird and Thrassel with their melodious voices bid welcome

THE COMPLETE ANGLER: 9 spies to the cheerful Spring, and in their fixed months warble forth such ditties aS nO art or instrument can reach to!

Nay, the smaller birds also do the like in _ their particular seasons, as namely the Leverock, the Tit-lark, the little Linnet, and * the honest Robin, that loves mankind both alive and dead. :

But the Nightingale, another of my airy creatures, breathes such sweet loud music out of her little instrumental throat, that it might make mankind to think miracles are not ceased. He that at midnight, when the _ very labourer sleeps securely, should hear, as | have very often, the clear airs, the sweet descants, the natural rising an aljing, the doubling and redoubling of her voice, might well be lifted above earth, and say, Lord, what music hast thou provided for the Saints in heaven, when thou af-

And this makes me the less to wonder at the many ‘Aviaries in Italy, oF at the great charge of Varro’s Aviary, the ruins of which are yet to be seen in Rome, and is still so famous there, that it is reckoned for one of those notables which men of foreign nations either record, or lay up in their memories, when they return from travel.

This for the birds of pleasure, of which yery much more might be said. My next shall be of birds of political use: 1 think tis not to be doubted that Swallows have been taught to carry letters between two armies. But tis certain, that when the Turks besieged Maita or Rhodes, I now remember not which it’was, Pigeons are then related to carry and recarry letters. And Mr. G. Sandys, in his Travels, relates it to be done between Aleppo and Babylon. But if that be disbelieved, it is not to be doubted that the Dove was sent out of the Ark by Noah, to give him notice of land, when to him all appeared to be sea, and the Dove proved a faithful and comfortable messenger. And for the sacrifices of the law, a pair of Turtle-doves or young Pigeons

were as well accepted as costly Bulls and. Rams. And when God would feed the prophet Elijah, after a kind of wmiraculous manner, he did it by Ravens, who brought him mest morning and evening. Lastly, the Holy Ghost, wnen he descended visibly upon our Saviour, did it by assuming the shape of aDove. And to conclude this part of my discourse, pray remember these wonders were done by birds of the air, the element in which they and I

take so much pleasure. |

There is also a little contemptible winged creature, an inhabitant of my aerial element, namely the laborious Bee, of whose prudence, policy, and regular government of their own commonwealth, I might say much, as also of their several kinds, and how useful their honey and wax is both for meat and medicines to mankind; but I will leave them to their sweet labour, without the least disturbance, believing them to be all very busy at this very time amongst the herbs and flowers that we see nature puts forth this May morning.

And now to return to my Hawks, from whom I have made too long a digression ; fi you are to note, that they are usually distinguished into two kinds; namely, the Long-winged and the Short-winged Hawk : - of the first’ kind, there be chiefly in use amongst us in this nation,

The Gerfalcon and Jerkin,

. ss S a

5 aa

. _ oe = a

THE COMPLETE ANGLER. il

The Falcon and Tassel-gentle,

The Laner and Laneret,

The Bockerel and Bockeret,

The Saker and Sacaret,

The Merlin and Jack Merlin,

The Hobb and Jack :

There is the Stelletto of Spain,

The Blood-red Rook from Turkey,

: The Waskite from Virginia + And there is of Short-winged Hawks,

The Eagle and [ron

The Goshawk and farcel,

The Sparhawk and Musket,

The French Pie of two sorts.

These are reckoned Hawks of note and worth, but we have also of an inferior rank,

The Stanyel, the Ringtail,

The Raven, the Buzzard,

The Forked Kite, the Bald Buzzard,

The Hen-driver, and others that 1 for-

- Pear to name.

Gentlemen, if I should enlarge MY discourse to the observation 0 the Eires, the Brancher, the Ramish Hawk, the Haggard, and the two sorts of Lentners, and then treat much, very much pleasure to me: but lest J should preak the rales of civility with you, ing, to which you are so much affected 3 and, if time will serve, ! will beg your avour for a further enlargement of some of those several heads of which I have spoken. But no more at present.

Ven. Well, Sir, and I will now take my turn, and will first begin with a commendation of the Earth, as you have done most | excellently of the Air; the earth being that element. upon which I drive my pleasant, wholesome; hungry trade. The earth is a solid, settled element; an element most universally beneficial both to man and beast: to men who have their several recreations upon it, as Horse-races, Hunting, sweet smells, pleasant walks: the earth feeds man, and all those several beasts that both feed him, and afford him recreation. a

What pleasure doth man take in hunting the stately Stag, the generous Buck, the wild Boar, the cunning Otter, the crafty Fox, and the fearful Hare! Andif I may descend to a lower game, what pleasure is it sometimes with gins to betray the very vermin of the earth! as namely, the Fitchet, the Fulimart, the Ferret, the Pole-cat, the Mouldwarp, and the like creatures that live upon the face and within the bowels of the earth! How doth the earth bring forth herbs, flowers, and fruits, both for physic andthe pleasure of mankind! and above all, to meat least, the fruitful Vine, of which, when I drink mode- — ately, it clears my brain, cheers my heart, and sharpens my wit. How could Cleopatra have feasted Mark Antony with eight Wild Boars roasted whole at one supper, and Other meat suitable, if the earth had not been a bountiful mother? But to pass by the mighty Elephant, which the earth breeds and nourisheth, and descend to the least of - creatures, how doth the earth afford us a doctrinal example in the little Pismire, who

——

: THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 18 SS ge winter provision, and teaches man to do the like | The earth feeds and carries those horses that carry US- If I would be prodigal _ of my time and your patience, what might not I say in commendations of the earth? that puts limits to the proud and raging S€4 and by that means preserves poth man an beast that it destroys them not, as we see it ose that venture upon the sea, - and are there shipwrecked, drowned, and _ left to feed Haddocks ; when we that are so wise as to keep ourselves on earth, walk, and talk, and live, and eat, and drink, and oa hunting: of which recreation J willsay a little, and then leave Mr. Piscator to the commendation of Angling.

Hunting is a game for princes and noble persons ¢ it hath been highl prized in all ages; it was one of the qua ifications that enophon bestowed on his Cyrus, that he in the summer provides and lays up her a F<)

oo i-m c 9 up the younger nobility to the use of manly exercises in their riper age. hat more manly exercise than hunting the Wild Boar, the Stag, the Buck, the Fox, oF the Hare? ' how doth it preserve health, and increase strength and activity ?

‘And for the dogs that we Use, who can commend their excellency to that height which they deserve ? How perfect is the » Found at smelling, who never leaves OF forsakes his first scent, put follows it through so many changes and varieties 0 other scents, even over, and in the water, and into the earth! What music doth a pack -. of dogs then make to any many, whose heart and ears are 50 happy as to be set to the tune of such instruments | How will @ right Greyhound fix his eye on the best Buck in @ herd, single him out, and follow him, and him only, through a whole herd of rascal game, and still know and then kill him! For my Hounds, I know the language of them, and they know the language and meaning of one another, as perfectly as we know the voices of those with whom we discourse daily.

I might enlarge myself in the commendation of Hunting, and of the noble Hound especially, as also of the docibleness of dogs in general ; and I might make many observations of land-creatures, that for composition, order, figure, and constitution, approach nearest to the completeness and understanding of man ; especially of those creatures which Moses in the Law per- — mitted to the Jews, which have cloven hoofs and chew the cud, which I shall forbear to name, because I will not be so uncivil to Mr. Piscator, as not to allow him a time for the commendation of Angling, _ which he calls an Art ; but doubtless it is an — easy one: and, Mr. Auceps, I doubt we shall hear a watery discourse of it; but I hope it will not be a long one.

nue: And I hope so too, though I fear, it will.

Pisc. Gentlemen, let not prejudice prepossess you. I confess my discourse is like to prove suitable to my recreation, calm and quiet : we seldom take the name of God into our mouths, but it is either to praise him or pray to him; if others use it vainly in the midst of their recreations, so vainly as if they meant to conjure; I must tell you, it is neither our fault nor our custom; we protest against it. But, pray remember, I accuse nobody ; for as I would not make a watery discourse, so I would not put too much vinegar into it; nor would I raise the reputation of m ‘own art by the diminution or ruin of another’s. ‘And so much for the prologue to what I mean to say-

~ And now for the Water, the element that {trade in, The water is the eldest daughter of the creation, the element upon whic the Spirit of God did first moves the element which God commanded to bring forth living creatures abundantly 5 and without which, those that inhabit the land, even all creatures that have breath in their nostrils, must suddenly returp to putrefaction. Moses, the great lawgiy Os an chief philosopher, skilled in allt i

of the Egyptians, who was called the frien of God, and knew the mind of the Almighty, names this element the first in the creation 3 this is the element upon which the Spirit of God did first moves and is the chief ingredient in the creation: many hilosophers have made it to comprehend all the other elements, and most allow it the chiefest in the mixtion of all living creatures.

There be that profess t believe that all podies are made of water, and may be reduced back again, to water only: they endeavour to demonstrate 1t thus :

Take a willow, OF any like speedy growing plant, newly rooted in a box or barrel full of earth, weigh them all together eXactly when the trees begin to grows, and then weigh all together after the tree is increased from its first yooting to weigh an hundred rooted and weighed ; and you shall find this augment of the tree tv be without the dimiw

Hence they infer this increase of woodto be from water or rain, ox from dew, and not to be from any other element. And they affrm, they can reduce this wood back again to water; and they affirm also the same may be done in any animal or vegetable. And this I take to be a fair testimony of the exceliency 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 fruits 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 wit- , nessed by the daily trial and testimony of several miners.

Nay, the increase of those creatures that are bred and fed in the water, are not only* more and more miraculous, but more advantageous to man, not only for the lengthening of his life, but for the preventing of sickness; for itis 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. Andit may be fit to remember that Moses appointed fish to be the chief diet for the best commonwealth that ever yet was.

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 mis- »- tress 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 beth me and my art of Angling... But however, I will wade no dee; hese mysterious arguments, but p bservations as I can manage with m pleasure, and less fear of running into efor. But I must not

et forsake the waters, by whose help we ave so many known advantages.

And first, to pass fhe: 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«

vations for the mind as ingenious f

would not want ! a _ How ignorant had we been of th

ty of Florence, of the monum and rarities that yet remain unto old and new Rome, so mai nm al

— said will take up a year’s time to view, and afford to each of them but a convenient consideration! And therefore it is notto be wondered at, that so learned and devout @ 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 seeu Rome in her glory: dnd that

lory is not yet all lost ; tor what pleasure is it to see the monuments of Livy, the echoicest.of the historians ; of Tully, the best of orators; and to see the bay-trees

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 @ 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, OF that any of them have yet a being. a Gentlemen, I might both enlarge and lose myself in such like arguments ; I might tell you that Almighty God is saidto have spoken at toa Fish, but neverto a Beast; that he hath made a Whale a ship to carry and set his prophet Jonah safc on the appointed shore. Of these I might speak, but I must in manners break off, for I see Theobald’s house. I ery you mercy for being so long, and - thank you for your patience.