Line THen get good Hayre so that it be not blacke Neither of Mare nor Gelding let it be Nor of the tyreling Iade that beares the packe But of some lusty Horse or Courser free Whose bushie tayle vpon the ground doth tracke Like blazing Comete that sometimes we see From out the mid'st thereof the longest take At leysure best your Linkes and Lines to make Then twist them finely as you thinke most meet By skill or practise easie to be found As doth Arachue with her slender feet Draw forth her little thread along the ground But not too hard or slacke the meane is sweet Least slacke they snarle or hard they proue vnsound And intermixt with siluer silke or gold The tender hayres the better so to hold Then end to end as falleth to their lot Let all your Linkes in order as they lie Be knit together with that Fishers knot That will not slip or with the wet vntie And at the lowest end forget it not To leaue a Bought or Compasse like an eye The Linke that holds your Hooke to hang vpon When you thinke good to take it off and on Which Linke must neither be so great nor strong Nor like of colour as the others were Scant halfe so big so that it be as long Of grayest Hue and of the soundest Hayre Least whiles it hangs the liquid waues among The sight thereof the warie Fish should feare And at one end a Loope or Compasse fine To fasten to the other of your line Corke THen take good Corke so much as shall suffice For euery Line to make his swimmer fit And where the midst and thickest parts doth rise There burne a round small hole quite thorow it And put therein a Quill of equall size But take good heed the Corke you doe not slit Then round or square with Razor pare it neare Piramid-wise or like a slender Peare The smaller end doth serue to sinke more light Into the water with the Plummets sway The greater swims aloft and stands vpright To keepe the Line and Bayt at euen stay That when the Fish begins to nib and byte The mouing of the float doth them bewray These may you place vpon your Lines at will And stoppe them with a white and handsome Quill Hookes THen buy your Hookes the finest and the best That may be had of such as vse to sell And from the greatest to the very least Of euery sort picke out and chuse them well Such as in shape and making passe the rest And doe for strength and soundnesse most excell Then in a little Boxe of dryest wood From rust and canker keepe them saire and good That Hooke I loue that is in compasse round Like to the print that Pegasus did make With horned hoofe vpon Thessalian ground From whence forthwith Pernassus spring out brake That doth in pleasant Waters so abound And of the Muses oft the thirst doth slake Who on his fruitfull bankes doe sit and sing That all the world of their swee tunes doth ring Or as Thaumantis when she list to shrowd Her selfe against the parching sunny ray Vnder the mantle of some stormy cloud Where she her sundry colours doth display Like Iunoes Bird of her faire garments proud That Phoebus gaue her on her marriage day Shewes forth her goodly Circle farre and wide To mortall wights that wonder at her pride His Shank should neither be to short nor long His point not ouersharpe nor yet too dull The substance good that may indure from wrong His Needle slender yet both round and full Made of the right Iberian mettell strong That will not stretch nor breake at euery pull Wrought smooth and cleane withouten cracke or knot And bearded like the wilde Arabian goat Then let your Hooke be sure and strongly plaste Vnto your lowest Linke with Silke or Hayre Which you may doe with often ouercaste So that you draw the Bouts together neare And with both ends make all the other fast That no bare place or rising knot appeare Then on that Linke hang Leads of euen waight To raise your floate and carry downe your baite Thus haue you Rod Line Float and Hooke The Rod to strike when you shall thinke it fit The Line to lead the Fish with wary skill The Float and Quill to warne you of the bit The Hooke to hold him by the chap or gill Hooke Line and Rod all guided to your wit Yet there remaines of Fishing tooles to tell Some other sorts that you must haue as well Other fishing Tooles ALittle Boord the lightest you can finde But not so thin that it will breake or bend Of Cypres sweet or of some other kinde That like a Trenchor shall it selfe extend Made smooth and plaine your Lines thereon to winde With Battlements at euery other end Like to the Bulwarke of some ancient Towne As well-wald Sylchester now razed downe A Shooe to beare the crawling Wormes therein With hole aboue to hang it by your side A hollow Cane that must be light and thin Wherein the Bobb and Palmer shall abide Which must be stopped with an handsome pin Least out againe your baytes doe hap to slide A little Box that couered close shall lye To keepe therein the busie winged Flye Then must you haue a Plummet formed round Like to the Pellet of a birding Bow Wherewith you may the secret'st waters sound And set your floate thereafter high or low Till you the depth thereof haue truely found And on the same a twisted thread bestow At your owne will to hang it on your hooke And so to let it downe into the Brooke Of Lead likewise yet must you haue a Ring Whose whole Diameter in length containes Three Inches full and fastned to a string That must belong and sure if need constraines Through whose round hole you shall your Angle bring And let it fall into the watry playne Vntill he come the weedes and stickes vnto From whence your hooke it serueth to vndo Haue Tooles good store to serue your turne withall Least that you happen some to lose or breake As in great waters oft it doth befall When that the Hooke is nought or Line too weake And waxed thread or silke so it be small To set them on that if you list to wreake Your former losse you may supply the place And not returne with sorrow and disgrace Haue twist likewise so that it be not white Your Rod to mend or broken top to tye For all white colours doe the Fishes fright And make them from the bayte away to flye A File to mend your hookes both small and light A good sharpe knife your Girdle hanging by A Pouch with many parts and purses thin To carry all your Tooles and Trynkets in Yet must you haue a little Rip beside Of Willow twigs the finest you can wish Which shall be made so handsome and so wide As may containe good store of sundry Fish And yet with ease be hanged by your side To bring them home the
Prostrate they fell vpon the sacred ground Kissing the stones and shedding many a teare And lowly bent their aged bodies downe Vnto the earth with sad and heauy cheare Praying the Saint with soft and dolefull sound That she vouchsafe their humble suite to heare The Goddesse heard and bad them goe and take Their mothers bones throw behind their backe This Oracle obscure and darke of sence Amazed much their mindes with feare and doubt What kind of meaning might be drawne from thence And how to vnderstand and finde it out How with so great a sinne they might dispence Their Parents bones to cast and throw about Thus when they had long time in studie spent Out of the Church with carefull thought they went And now beholding better euery place Each Hill and Dale each Riuer Rock and Tree And muzing thereupon a little space They thought the Earth their mother well might be And that the stones that lay before their face To be her bones did nothing disagree Wherefore to proue if it were false or true The scattered stones behind their backs they threw Forthwith the stones a wondrous thing to heare Began to moue as they had life conceiu'd And waxed greater then at first they were And more and more the shape of man receiu'd Till euery part most plainely did appeare That neither eye nor sence could be deceiu'd They heard they spake they went and walked too As other liuing men are wont to doe Thus vvas the earth replenished a new With people strange sprung vp with little paine Of whose increase the progenie that grew Did soone supply the empty world againe But now a greater care there did insue How such a mightie number to maintaine Since foode there was not any to be found For that great flood had all destroyd and drownd Then did Deucalion first the Art inuent Of Angling and his people taught the same And to the Woods and groues with them hee went Fit tooles to finde for this most needfull game There from the trees the longest ryndes they rent Wherewith strong Lines they roughly twist and frame And of each crooke of hardest Bush and Brake They made them Hookes the hungry Fish to take And to intice them to the eager bit Dead frogs and flies of sundry sorts he tooke And snayles and vvormes such as he found most fit Wherein to hide the close and deadly hooke And thus with practise and inuentiue wit He found the meanes in euery lake and brooke Such store of Fish to take with little paine As did long time this people new sustaine In this rude sort began this simple Art And so remain'd in that first age of old When Saturne did Amaltheas horne impart Vnto the world that then was all of Gold The Fish as yet had felt but little smart And were to bite more eager apt and bold And plentie still supplide the place againe Of woefull want whereof we now complaine But when in time the feare and dread of man Fell more and more on euery liuing thing And all the creatures of the world began To stand in awe of this vsurping King Whose tyranny so farre extended than That Earth and Seas it did in thraldome bring It was a worke of greater paine and skill The wary Fish in lake or Brooke to kill So worse and worse two ages more did passe Yet still this Art more perfect daily grew For then the slender Rod inuented was Of finer sort then former ages knew And Hookes were made of siluer and of brasse And Lines of Hempe and Flaxe were framed new And sundry baites experience found out more Then elder times did know or try before But at the last the Iron age drew neere Of all the rest the hardest and most scant Then Lines were made of Silke and subtile hayre And Rods of lightest Cane and Hazell plant And Hookes of hardest steele inuented were That neither skill nor workemanship did want And so this Art did in the end attaine Vnto that state vvhere now it doth remaine But here my weary Muse a while must rest That is not vsed to so long a way And breath or pause a little at the least At this Lands end vntill another day And then againe if so she thinke it best Our taken-taske afresh wee will assay And forward goe as first we did intend Till that wee come vnto our iourneyes end The end of the first Booke The second Booke BEfore I taught what kinde of Tooles were fit For him to haue that would an Angler be And how he should with practise with wit Prouide himselfe thereof in best degree Now doth remaine to shew how to the bit The Fishes may be brought that earst were free And with what pleasing baits intis'd they are To swallow downe the hidden Hooke vnware Baites IT vvere not meet to send a Huntsman out Into the Woods vvith Net vvith Gin or Hay To trace the brakes and bushes all about The Stag the Foxe or Badger to betray If hauing found his game he stand in doubt Which way to pitch or vvhere his snares to lay And vvith vvhat traine he may entise vvithall The fearefull beast into his trap to fall So though the Angler haue good store of tooles And them with skill in finest sort can frame Yet when he comes to Riuers Lakes and Pooles If that he know not how to vse the same And with what baites to make the Fishes fooles He may goe home as wise as out he came And of his comming boast himselfe as well As he that from his fathers Chariot fell Not that I take vpon mee to impart More then by others hath before beene told Or that the hidden secrets of this Art I would vnto the vulgar sort vnfolde Who peraduenture for my paines desart Would count me worthy Balams horse to holde But onely to the willing learner show So much thereof as may suffise to know But here O Neptune that with triple Mace Dost rule the raging of the Ocean wide I meddle not with thy deformed race Of monsters huge that in those waues abide With that great Whale that by three whole dayes space The man of God did in his belly hide And cast him out vpon the Euxin shore As safe and sound as he had beene before Nor with that Orke that on Cephaean strand Would haue deuour'd Andromeda the faire Whom Perseus slew with strong and valiant hand Deliuering her from danger and despaire The Hurlepoole huge that higher then the land Whole streames of water spouteth in the ayre The Porpois large that playing swims on hie Portending stormes or other tempests nie Nor that admirer of sweet Musickes sound That on his backe Arion bore away And brought to shore out of the Seas profound The Hippotame that like an horse doth neigh The Mors that from the rockes inrolled round Within his teeth himselfe doth safe conuay The Tortoise couered with his target hard The Tuberone attended vvith his guard Nor with that Fish
that beareth in his snout A ragged sword his foes to spoile and kill Nor that fierce Thrasher that doth fling about His nimble flayle and handles him at will The rauenous Sharke that with the sweepings out And filth of ships doth oft his belly fill The Albacore that followeth night and day The flying Fish and takes them for his pray The Crocodile that vveepes when he doth vvrong The Hollibut that hurts the appetite The Turbut broad the Sceale the Sturgion strong The Cod and Cozze that greedy are to bite The Haake the Haddocke and Conger long The yeallow Ling the Milwell faire and white The spreading Ray the Thornback thin and flat The boysterous Base the hoggish Tunny fat These kindes of Fish that are so large of sise And many more that here I leaue vntolde Shall goe for me and all the rest likewise That are the flocke of Proteus watry folde For well I thinke my Hookes vvould not suffise Nor slender Lines the least of these to holde I leaue them therefore to the surging Seas In that huge depth to wander at their ease And speake of such as in the fresh are found The little Roach the Menise biting fast The slymie Tench the slender Smelt and round The Vmber sweet the Graueling good of taste The vvholesome Ruffe the Barbill not so sound The Pearch and Pike that all the rest doe waste The Bream the Carpe the Chub and Chauendar And many more that in fresh waters are Sit then Thalia on some pleasant banke Among so many as faire Auon hath And marke the Anglers how they march in ranke Some out of Bristoll some from healthfull Bath How all the Riuers sides along they flanke And through the Meadowes make their wonted path See how their vvit and cunning they apply To catch the Fish that in the waters lye For the Goodgion LOe in a little Boate vvhere one doth stand That to a Willow Bough the while is tide And with a pole doth stirre and raise the sand Where as the gentle streame doth softly slide And then vvith slender Line and Rod in hand The eager bit not long he doth abide Well leaded is his Line his Hooke but small A good big Corke to beare the streame withall His baite the least red worme that may be found And at the bottome it doth alwayes lye Whereat the greedy Goodgion bites so sound That Hooke and all he swalloweth by and by See how he strikes and puls them vp as round As if new store the play did still supply And when the bit doth dye or bad doth proue Then to another place he doth remoue This Fish the fittest for a learner is That in this Art delights to take some paine For as high flying Haukes that often misse The swifter foules are eased with a traine So to a young beginner yeeldeth this Such readie sport as makes him proue againe And leades him on with hope and glad desire To greater skill and cunning to aspire For the Roche THen see on yonder side where one doth sit With Line well twisted and his Hooke but small His Corke not big his Plummets round and fit His bayt of finest paste a little ball Wherewith he doth intice vnto the bit The carelesse Roche that soone is caught withall Within a foote the same doth reach the ground And with least touch the float straight sinketh downe And as a skilfull Fowler that doth vse The flying Birds of any kinde to take The fittest and the best doth alwayes chuse Of many sorts a pleasing stale to make Which if he doth perceiue they doe refuse And of mislike abandon and forsake To win their loue againe and get their grace Forthwith doth put another in the place So for the Roach more baites he hath beside As of a sheepe the thicke congealed blood Which on a board he vseth to deuide In portions small to make them fit and good That better on his hooke they may abide And of the waspe the white and tender brood And wormes that breed on euery hearbe and tree And sundry flies that quicke and liuely be For the Dace THen looke where as that Poplar gray doth grow Hard by the same where one doth closely stand And with the winde his Hooke and bayt doth throw Amid the streame vvith slender hazell wand Where as he sees the Dace themselues doe show His eye is quicke and ready is his hand And when the Fish doth rise to catch the bayt He presently doth strike and takes her strayt O worlds deceit how are we thrald by thee That dost thy gall in sweetest pleasures hide When most we thinke in happiest state to be Then doe we soonest into danger slide Behold the Fish that euen now was free Vnto the deadly hooke how he is tide So vaine delights alure vs to the snare Wherein vnwares we fast intangled are For the Carpe BVt now againe see where another stands And straines his rod that double seemes to bend Loe how he leades and guides him with his hands Least that his line should breake or Angle rend Then with a Net see how at last he lands A mighty Carpe and has him in the end So large he is of body scale and bone That rod and all had like to haue beene gone Marke what a line he hath well made and strong Of Bucephall or Bayards strongest hayre Twisted with greene or watched silke among Like hardest twine that holds th' intangled Deare Not any force of Fish will doe it wrong In Tyne or Trent or Thame he needes not feare The knots of euery lincke are knit so sure That many a plucke and pull they may indure His corke is large made handsome smooth and fine The leads according close and fit thereto A good round hooke set on with silkentwine That will not slip nor easily vndoe His bait great wormes that long in mosse haue bin Which by his side he beareth in a shooe Or paste wherewith he feedes him oft before That at the bottom lyes a foote or more For the Chub and Trout SEe where another hides himselfe as slye As did Acteon or the fearefull Deere Behinde a withy and with watchfull eye Attends the bit within the water cleere And on the top thereof doth moue his flye With skilfull hand as if he liuing were Loe how the Chub the Roche the Dace and Trout To catch thereat doe gaze and swimme about His Rod or Cane made darke for being seene The lesse to feare the warie Fish withall His Line well twisted is and wrought so cleane That being strong yet doth it shew but small His Hooke not great nor little but betweene That light vpon the watry brimme may fall The Line in length scant halfe the Rod exceedes And neither Corke nor Leade thereon it needes For the Trout and Eele NOw see some standing where the streame doth fall With headlong course behind the sturdy weere That ouerthwart the riuer like a wall The water stops and strongly vp doth beare And
faire Phoebus shining ray And lye in wayte within the waters dimme For flyes and gnats that on the top doe play Then halfe a yard beneath the vpper brimme It shall be best your bayted Hooke to lay With gnat or flye of any sort or kinde That euery Moneth on Leaues or Trees you finde But then your Line must haue no Lead at all And but a slender Corke or little Quill To stay the bayte that downe it doe not fall But hang a Linke within the water still Or else vpon the top thereof you shall With quicker hand and with more ready skill Let fall your flye and now and then remoue Which soone the Fish will finde and better loue And in the streame likewise they vse to be At tailes of floudyates or at Arches wide Or shallow flats whereas the waters free With fresher springs and swifter course doe slide And then of Waspe the brood that cannot flye Vpon a Tyle-stone first a little dryed Or yealow bobs turnd vp before the Plough Are chiefest bayts with Corke and Lead enough But when the golden Chariot of the Sunne Departing from our Northren countries farre Beyond the ballance now his course hath runne And goes to warme the cold Antarticque starre And Summers heat is almost spent and done With new approch of Winters dreadfull warre Then doe the Fish withdraw into the deepe And low from sight and cold more close doe keepe Then on your Lines you may haue store of Lead And bigger Corkes of any size you will And where the Fish are vsed to be fed There shall you lay vpon the bottom still And whether that your bayte be Corne or bread Or Wormes or Paste it doth not greatly skill For these alone are to be vsed then Vntill the spring or summer come againe Thus haue I shew'd how Fish of diuers kinde Best taken are and how their bayts to know But Phoebus now beyond the Westerne Inde Beginneth to descend and draweth low And well the weather serues and gentle winde Downe with the tide and pleasant streame to row Vnto some place where we may rest vs in Vntill we shall another time begin The end of the second Booke The third Booke NOw fals it out in order to declare What time is best to Angle in aright And when the chiefe and fittest seasons are Wherein the fish are most dispos'd to bite What winde doth make and which againe doth marre The Anglers sport wherein he takes delight And how he may with pleasure best aspire Vnto the wished end of his desire For there are times in which they will not bite But doe forbeare and from their food refraine And dayes there are wherein they more delight To labour for the same and bite amaine So he that can those seasons finde aright Shall not repent his trauell spent in vaine To walke a mile or two amidst the fields Reaping the fruit this harmlesse pleasure yeelds And as a ship in safe and quiet roade Vnder some hill or harbour doth abide With all her fraight her tackling and her load Attending still the winde and wished tide Which when it serues no longer makes aboad But forth into the watry deepe doth slide And through the waues deuides her fairest way Vnto the place where she intends to stay So must the Angler be prouided still Of diuers tooles and sundry baytes in store And all things else pertaining to his skill Which he shall get and lay vp long before That when the weather frameth to his will Hee may be well appointed euermore To take fit time when it is offered euer For time in one estate abideth neuer The qualities of an Angler BVt ere I further goe it shall behoue To shew what gifts and qualities of minde Belongs to him that doth this pastime loue And what the vertues are of euery kinde Without the which it were in vaine to proue Or to expect the pleasure he should finde No more then he that hauing store of meate Hath lost all lust and appetite to eate For what auailes to Brooke or Lake to goe With handsome Rods and Hookes of diuers sort Well twisted Lines and many trinkets moe To finde the Fish within their watry fort If that the minde be not contended so But wants those gifts that should the rest support And make his pleasure to his thoughts agree With these therefore he must endued be The first is Faith not wauering and vnstable But such as had that holy Patriarch old That to the highest was so acceptable As his increase and of-spring manifolde Exceeded far the starres innumerable So must he still a firme perswasion holde That where as waters brookes and lakes are found There store of Fish without all doubt abound For nature that hath made no emptie thing But all her workes doth well and wisely frame Hath fild each Brooke each Riuer Lake and Spring With creatures apt to liue amidst the same Euen as the earth the ayre and seas doe bring Forth Beasts and Birds of sundry sort and name And giuen them shape ability and sence To liue and dwell therein without offence The second gift and qualitie is Hope The Anchor-holde of euery hard desire That hauing of the day so large a scope He shall in time to wished hap aspire And ere the Sunne hath left the heau'nly cope Obtaine the sport and game he doth desire And that the Fish though sometime slow to bite Will recompence delay with more delight The third is Loue and liking to the game And to his friend and neighbour dwelling by For greedy pleasure not to spoile the same Nor of his Fish some portion to deny To any that are sicklie weake or lame But rather with his Line and Angle try In Pond or Brooke to doe what in him lyes To take such store for them as may suffice Then followeth Patience that the furious flame Of Choller cooles and Passion puts to flight As doth a skilfull rider breake and tame The Courser wilde and teach him tread aright So patience doth the minde dispose and frame To take mishaps in worth and count them light As losse of Fish Line Hooke or Lead or all Or other chance that often may befall The fist good guift is low Humilitie As when a Lyon coucheth for his pray So must he stoope or kneele vpon his knee To saue his line or put the weedes away Or lye along sometime if neede there be For any let or chance that happen may And not to scorne to take a little paine To serue his turne his pleasure to obtaine The sixt is painefull strength and courage good The greatest to incounter in the Brooke If that he happen in his angry mood To snatch your bayte and beare away your Hooke With wary skill to rule him in the Flood Vntill more quiet tame and milde he looke And all aduentures constantly to beare That may betide without mistrust or feare Next vnto this is Liberalitie Feeding them oft with full and plenteous hand Of all