the complete angler-第31章

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ld　fish；　such　a　one　as　but　for　extreme　hunger　the　Pike　will　not　devour。　For　to　affright　the　Pike；　and　save　himself；　the　Perch　will　set　up　his　fins；　much　like　as　a　turkey…cock　will　sometimes　set　up　his　tail。

But；　my　scholar；　the　Perch　is　not　only　valiant　to　defend　himself；　but　he　is；　as　I　said；　a　bold…biting　fish：　yet　he　will　not　bite　at　all　seasons　of　the　year；　he　is　very　abstemious　in　winter；　yet　will　bite　then　in　the　midst　of　the　day；　if　it　be　warm：　and　note；　that　all　fish　bite　best　about　the　midst　of　warm　day　in　winter。　And　he　hath　been　observed；　by　some；　not　usually　to　bite　till　the　mulberry…tree　buds；　that　is　to　say；　till　extreme　frosts　be　past　the　spring；　for；　when　the　mulberry…tree　blossoms；　many　gardeners　observe　their　forward　fruit　to　be　past　the　danger　of　frosts；　and　some　have　made　the　like　observation　of　the　Perch's　biting。

But　bite　the　Perch　will；　and　that　very　boldly。　And；　as　one　has　wittily　observed；　if　there　be　twenty　or　forty　in　a　hole；　they　may　be；　at　one　standing；　all　catched　one　after　another；　they　being；　as　he　says；　like　the　wicked　of　the　world；　not　afraid；　though　their　fellows　and　companions　perish　in　their　sight。　And　you　may　observe；　that　they　are　not　like　the　solitary　Pike；　but　love　to　accompany　one　another；　and　march　together　in　troops。

And　the　baits　for　this　bold　fish　are　not　many：　I　mean；　he　will　bite　as　well　at　some；　or　at　any　of　these　three；　as　at　any　or　all　others　whatsoever：　a　worm；　a　minnow；　or　a　little　frog；　of　which　you　may　find　many　in　hay…　time。　And　of　worms；　the　dunghill　worm　called　a　brandling　I　take　to　be　best；　being　well　scoured　in　moss　or　fennel；　or　he　will　bite　at　a　worm　that　lies　under　cow…dung；　with　a　bluish　head。　And　if　you　rove　for　a　Perch　with　a　minnow；　then　it　is　best　to　be　alive；　you　sticking　your　hook　through　his　back　fin；　or　a　minnow　with　the　hook　in　his　upper　lip；　and　letting　him　swim　up　and　down；　about　mid…water；　or　a　little　lower；　and　you　still　keeping　him　to　about　that　depth　by　a　cork；　which　ought　not　to　be　a　very　little　one：　and　the　like　way　you　are　to　fish　for　the　Perch　with　a　small　frog；　your　hook　being　fastened　through　the　skin　of　his　leg；　towards　the　upper　part　of　it：　and；　lastly；　I　will　give　you　but　this　advice；　that　you　give　the　Perch　time　enough　when　he　bites；　for　there　was　scarce　ever　any　angler　that　has　given　him　too　much。　And　now　I　think　best　to　rest　myself；　for　I　have　almost　spent　my　spirits　with　talking　so　long。

Venator。　Nay；　good　master；　one　fish　more；　for　you　see　it　rains　still：　and　you　know　our　angles　are　like　money　put　to　usury；　they　may　thrive；　though　we　sit　still；　and　do　nothing　but　talk　and　enjoy　one　another。　Come；　come；　the　other　fish；　good　master。

Piscator。　But；　scholar；　have　you　nothing　to　mix　with　this　discourse；　which　now　grows　both　tedious　and　tiresome　？　Shall　I　have　nothing　from　you；　that　seem　to　have　both　a　good　memory　and　a　cheerful　spirit？

Venator。　Yes；　master；　I　will　speak　you　a　copy　of　verses　that　were　made　by　Doctor　Donne；　and　made　to　shew　the　world　that　he　could　make　soft　and　smooth　verses；　when　he　thought　smoothness　worth　his　labour：　and　I　love　them　the　better；　because　they　allude　to　Rivers；　and　Fish　and　Fishing。　They　be　these：

Come；　live　with　me；　and　be　my　love；　And　we　will　some　new　pleasures　prove；　Of　golden　sands；　and　crystal　brooks；　With　silken　lines；　and　silver　hooks。

There　will　the　river　whisp'ring　run；　Warm'd　by　thy　eyes　more　than　the　sun　And　there　the　enamel'd　fish　will　stay　Begging　themselves　they　may　betray。

When　thou　wilt　swim　in　that　live　bath；　Each　fish；　which　every　channel　hash；　Most　amorously　to　thee　will　swim；　Gladder　to　catch　thee。　than　thou　him。

If　thou；　to　be　so　seen；　beest　loath　By　sun　or　moon；　thou　dark'nest　both；　And　if　mine　eyes　have　leave　to　see；　I　need　not　their　light；　having　thee；

Let　others　freeze　with　angling　reeds；　And　cut　their　legs　with　shells　and　weeds；　Or　treacherously　poor　fish　beset　With　strangling　snares　or　windowy　net；

Let　coarse　bold　hands；　from　slimy　nest；　The　bedded　fish　in　banks　outwrest；　Let　curious　traitors　sleeve　silk　flies；　To　'witch　poor　wand'ring　fishes'　eyes。

For　thee；　thou　need'st　no　such　deceit；　For　thou　thyself　art　shine　own　bait；　That　fish　that　is　not　catcht　thereby；　Is　wiser　afar；　alas；　than　I。

Piscator。　Well　remembered；　honest　scholar。　I　thank　you　for　these　choice　verses；　which　I　have　heard　formerly；　but　had　quite　forgot；　till　they　were　recovered　by　your　happy　memory。　Well；　being　I　have　now　rested　myself　a　little；　I　will　make　you　some　requital；　by　telling　you　some　observations　of　the　Eel；　for　it　rains　still：　and　because；　as　you　say；　our　angles　are　as　money　put　to　use；　that　thrives　when　we　play；　therefore　we'll　sit　still；　and　enjoy　ourselves　a　little　longer　under　this　honeysuckle　hedge。





The　fourth　day…continued

Of　the　Eel；　and　other　Fish　that　want　Scales

Chapter　XIII

Piscator

It　is　agreed　by　most　men；　that　the　Eel　is　a　most　dainty　fish：　the　Romans　have　esteemed　her　the　Helena　of　their　feasts；　and　some　the　queen　of　palate…pleasure。　But　most　men　differ　about　their　breeding：　some　say　they　breed　by　generation；　as　other　fish　do；　and　others；　that　they　breed；　as　some　worms　do；　of　mud；　as　rats　and　mice；　and　many　other　living　creatures；　are　bred　in　Egypt；　by　the　sun's　heat　when　it　shines　upon　the　overflowing　of　the　river　Nilus；　or　out　of　the　putrefaction　of　the　earth；　and　divers　other　ways。　Those　that　deny　them　to　breed　by　generation；　as　other　fish　do；　ask；　If　any　man　ever　saw　an　Eel　to　have　a　spawn　or　melt　？　And　they　are　answered；　That　they　may　be　as　certain　of　their　breeding　as　if　they　had　seen　spawn；　for　they　say；　that　they　are　certain　that　Eels　have　all　parts　fit　for　generation；　like　other　fish；　but　so　small　as　not　to　be　easily　discerned；　by　reason　of　their　fatness；　but　that　discerned　they　may　be；　and　that　the　He　and　the　She　Eel　may　be　distinguished　by　their　fins。　And　Rondeletius　says；　he　has　seen　Eels　cling　together　like　dew…worms。

And　others　say；　that　Eels；　growing　old；　breed　other　Eels　out　of　the　corruption　of　their　own　age；　which；　Sir　Francis　Bacon　says；　exceeds　not　ten　years。　And　others　say；　that　as　pearls　are　made　of　glutinous　dewdrops；　which　are　condensed　by　the　sun's　heat　in　those　countries；　so　Eels　are　bred　of　a　particular　dew；　falling　in　the　months　of　May　or　June　on　the　banks　of　some　particular　ponds　or　rivers；　apted　by　nature　for　that　end；　which　in　a　few　clays　are；　by　the　sun's　heat；　turned　into　Eels：　and　some　of　the　Ancients　have　called　the　Eels　that　are　thus　bred；　the　offspring　of　Jove。　I　have　seen；　in　the　beginning　of　July；　in　a　river　not　far　from　Canterbury；　some　parts　of　it　covered　over　with　young　Eels；　about　the　thickness　of　a　straw；　and　these　Eels　did　lie　on　the　top　of　that　water；　as　thick　as　motes　are　said　to　be　in　the　sun：　and　I　have　heard　the　like　of　other　rivers；　as　namely；　in　Severn；　where　they　are　called　Yelvers；　and　in　a　pond；　or　mere　near　unto　Staffordshire；　where；　about　a　set　time　in　summer；　such　small　Eels　abound　so　much；　that　many　of　the　poorer　sort　of　people　that　inhabit　near　to　it；　take　such　Eels　out　of　this　mere　with　sieves　or　sheets；　and　make　a　kind　of　Eel…cake　of　them；　and　eat　it　like　as　bread。　And　Gesner　quotes　Venerable　Bede；　to　say；　that　in　England　there　is　an　island　called　Ely；　by　reason　of　the　innumerable　number　of　Eels　that　breed　in　it。　But　that　Eels　may　be　bred　as　some　worms；　and　some　kind　of　bees　and　wasps　are；　either　of　dew；　or　out　of　the　corruption　of　the　earth；　seems　to　be　made　probable　by　the　barnacles　and　young　goslings　bred　by　the　sun's　heat　and　the　rotten　planks　of　an　old　ship；　and　hatched　of　trees；　both　which　are　related　for　truths　by　Du　Bartas　and　Lobel；　and　also　by　our　learned　Camden；　and　laborious　Gerhard　in　his　Herbal。

It　is　said　by　Rondeletius；　that　those　Eels　that　are　bred　in　rivers　that　relate　to　or　be　nearer　to　the　sea；　never　return　to　the　fresh　waters；　as　the　Salmon　does　always　desire　to　do；　when　they　have　once　tasted　the　salt　water；　and　I　do　the　more　easily　believe　this；　because　I　am　certain　that　powdered　beef　is　a　most　excellent　bait　to　catch　an　Eel。　And　though　Sir　Francis　Bacon　will　allow　the　Eel's　life　to　be　but　ten　years；　yet　he；　in　his　History　of　Life　and　Death；　mentions　a　Lamprey；　belonging　to　the　Roman　emperor；　to　be　made　tame；　and　so　kept　for　almost　threescorc　yea