the complete angler-第7章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


in　which　she　locks　up　her　wonders。

But；　Sir；　lest　this　discourse　may　seem　tedious；　I　shall　give　it　a　sweet　conclusion　out　of　that　holy　poet；　Mr。　George　Herbert　his　divine　〃　Contemplation　on　God's　Providence〃。

Lord！　who　hath　praise　enough；　nay；　who　hath　any　？　None　can　express　thy　works；　but　he　that　knows　them；　And　none　can　know　thy　works；　they　are　so　many；　And　so　complete；　but　only　he　that　owes　them。

We　all　acknowledge　both　thy　power　and　love　To　be　exact；　transcendant；　and　divine；　Who　cost　so　strangely　and　so　sweetly　move；　Whilst　all　things　have　their　end；　yet　none　but　thine。

Wherefore；　most　sacred　Spirit！　I　here　present；　For　me；　and　all　my　fellows；　praise　to　thee；　And　just　it　is；　that　I　should　pay　the　rent；　Because　the　benefit　accrues　to　me。

And　as　concerning　fish；　in　that　psalm；　wherein；　for　height　of　poetry　and　wonders；　the　prophet　David　seems　even　to　exceed　himself；　how　doth　he　there　express　himself　in　choice　metaphors；　even　to　the　amazement　of　a　contemplative　reader；　concerning　the　sea；　the　rivers；　and　the　fish　therein　contained！　And　the　great　naturalist　Pliny　says；　〃　That　nature's　great　and　wonderful　power　is　more　demonstrated　in　the　sea　than　on　the　land　〃。　And　this　may　appear；　by　the　numerous　and　various　creatures　inhabiting　both　in　and　about　that　element；　as　to　the　readers　of　Gesner；　Rondeletius；　Pliny；　Ausonius；　Aristotle；　and　others；　may　be　demonstrated。　But　I　will　sweeten　this　discourse　also　out　of　a　contemplation　in　divine　Du　Bartas；　who　says：

God　quickened　in　the　sea；　and　in　the　rivers；　So　many　fishes　of　so　many　features；　That　in　the　waters　we　may　see　all　creatures；　Even　all　that　on　the　earth　are　to　be　found；　As　if　the　world　were　in　deep　waters　drown'd。　For　seasas　well　as　skieshave　Sun；　Moon；　Stars　As　well　as　airSwallows；　Rooks；　and　Stares；　As　well　as　earthVines；　Roses；　Nettles；　Melons；　Mushrooms；　Pinks；　Gilliflowers；　and　many　millions　Of　other　plants；　more　rare；　more　strange　than　these；　As　very　fishes；　living　in　the　seas；　As　also　Rams；　Calves；　Horses；　Hares；　and　Hogs；　Wolves；　Urchins；　Lions；　Elephants；　and　Dogs；　Yea；　Men　and　Maids；　and；　which　I　most　admire；　The　mitred　Bishop　and　the　cowled　Friar：　Of　which；　examples；　but　a　few　years　since；　Were　strewn　the　Norway　and　Polonian　prince。

These　seem　to　be　wonders；　but　have　had　so　many　confirmations　from　men　of　learning　and　credit；　that　you　need　not　doubt　them。　Nor　are　the　number；　nor　the　various　shapes；　of　fishes　more　strange；　or　more　fit　for　contemplation；　than　their　different　natures；　inclinations；　and　actions；　concerning　which；　I　shall　beg　your　patient　ear　a　little　longer。

The　Cuttle…fish　will　cast　a　long　gut　out　of　her　throat；　which；　like　as　an　Angler　doth　his　line；　she　sendeth　forth；　and　pulleth　in　again　at　her　pleasure；　according　as　she　sees　some　little　fish　come　near　to　her；　and　the　Cuttle…fish；　being　then　hid　in　the　gravel；　lets　the　smaller　fish　nibble　and　bite　the　end　of　it；　at　which　time　she；　by　little　and　little；　draws　the　smaller　fish　so　near　to　her；　that　she　may　leap　upon　her；　and　then　catches　and　devours　her：　and　for　this　reason　some　have　called　this　fish　the　Sea…　angler。

And　there　is　a　fish　called　a　Hermit；　that　at　a　certain　age　gets　into　a　dead　fish's　shell；　and；　like　a　hermit；　dwells　there　alone；　studying　the　wind　and　weather　and　so　turns　her　shell。　that　she　makes　it　defend　her　from　the　injuries　that　they　would　bring　upon　her。

There　is　also　a　fish　called　by　？lian　the　Adonis；　or　Darling　of　the　Sea；　so　called；　because　it　is　a　loving　and　innocent　fish；　a　fish　that　hurts　nothing　that　hath　life；　and　is　at　peace　with　all　the　numerous　inhabitants　of　that　vast　watery　element；　and　truly；　I　think　most　Anglers　are　so　disposed　to　most　of　mankind。

And　there　are；　also；　lustful　and　chaste　fishes；　of　which　I　shall　give　you　examples。

And　first；　what　Du　Bartas　says　of　a　fish　called　the　Sargus；　which；　because　none　can　express　it　better　than　he　does；　I　shall　give　you　in　his　own　words；　supposing　it　shall　not　have　the　less　credit　for　being　verse；　for　he　hath　gathered　this　and　other　observations　out　of　authors　that　have　been　great　and　industrious　searchers　into　the　secrets　of　nature。

The　adult'rous　Sargus　doth　not　only　change　Wives　every　day；　in　the　deep　streams；　but；　strange！　As　if　the　honey　of　sea…love　delight　Could　not　suffice　his　ranging　appetite；　Goes　courting　she…goats　on　the　grassy　shore；　Horning　their　husbands　that　had　horns　before。

And　the　same　author　writes　concerning　the　Cantharus；　that　which　you　shall　also　hear　in　his　own　words：

But；　contrary；　the　constant　Cantharus　Is　ever　constant　to　his　faithful　spouse　In　nuptial　duties；　spending　his　chaste　life。　Never　loves　any　but　his　own　dear　wife。

Sir；　but　a　little　longer；　and　I　have　done。

Venator。　Sir；　take　what　liberty　you　think　fit；　for　your　discourse　seems　to　be　musick；　and　charms　me　to　an　attention。

Piscator。　Why　then；　Sir；　I　will　take　a　little　liberty　to　tell；　or　rather　to　remember　you　what　is　said　of　Turtle…doves；　first；　that　they　silently　plight　their　troth；　and　marry；　and　that　then　the　survivor　scorns；　as　the　Thracian　women　are　said　to　do；　to　outlive　his　or　her　mate；　and　this　is　taken　for　a　truth；　and　if　the　survivor　shall　ever　couple　with　another；　then；　not　only　the　living；　but　the　dead；　be　it　either　the　he　or　the　she；　is　denied　the　name　and　honour　of　a　true　Turtle…dove。

And　to　parallel　this　land…rarity；　and　teach　mankind　moral　faithfulness；　and　to　condemn　those　that　talk　of　religion；　and　yet　come　short　of　the　moral　faith　of　fish　and　fowl；　men　that　violate　the　law　affirmed　by　St。　Paul　to　be　writ　in　their　hearts；　and　which；　he　says；　shall　at　the　Last　Day　condemn　and　leave　them　without　excuseI　pray　hearken　to　what　Du　Bartas　sings；　for　the　hearing　of　such　conjugal　faithfulness　will　be　musick　to　all　chaste　ears；　and　therefore　I　pray　hearken　to　what　Du　Bartas　sings　of　the　Mullet。

But　for　chaste　love　the　Mullet　hath　no　peer；　For；　if　the　fisher　hath　surpris'd　her　pheer　As　mad　with　wo；　to　shore　she　followeth　Prest　to　consort　him；　both　in　life　and　death。

On　the　contrary；　what　shall　I　say　of　the　House…Cock；　which　treads　any　hen；　and；　then；　contrary　to　the　Swan；　the　Partridge；　and　Pigeon；　takes　no　care　to　hatch；　to　feed；　or　cherish　his　own　brood；　but　is　senseless；　though　they　perish。　And　it　is　considerable；　that　the　Hen；　which；　because　she　also　takes　any　Cock；　expects　it　not；　who　is　sure　the　chickens　be　her　own；　hath　by　a　moral　impression　her　care　and　affection　to　her　own　brood　more　than　doubled；　even　to　such　a　height；　that　our　Saviour；　in　expressing　his　love　to　Jerusalem；　quotes　her；　for　an　example　of　tender　affection；　as　his　Father　had　done　Job；　for　a　pattern　of　patience。

And　to　parallel　this　Cock；　there　be　divers　fishes　that　cast　their　spawn　on　flags　or　stones；　and　then　leave　it　uncovered；　and　exposed　to　become　a　prey　and　be　devoured　by　vermin　or　other　fishes。　But　other　fishes；　as　namely　the　Barbel；　take　such　care　for　the　preservation　of　their　seed；　that；　unlike　to　the　Cock；　or　the　Cuckoo；　they　mutually　labour；　both　the　spawner　and　the　melter；　to　cover　their　spawn　with　sand；　or　watch　it；　or　hide　it　in　some　secret　place　unfrequented　by　vermin　or　by　any　fish　but　themselves。

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