the complete angler-第31部分

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ith　the　worst　of　anglers。　Matthiolus　commends　him　much　more　for　his　taste　and　nourishment；　than　for　his　shape　or　beauty。

There　is　also　a　little　fish　called　a　STICKLEBAG；　a　fish　without　scales；　but　hath　his　body　fenced　with　several　prickles。　I　know　not　where　he　dwells　in　winter；　nor　what　he　is　good　for　in　summer；　but　only　to　make　sport　for　boys　and　women…anglers；　and　to　feed　other　fish　that　be　fish　of　prey；　as　Trouts　in　particular；　who　will　bite　at　him　as　at　a　Penk；　and　better；　if　your　hook　be　rightly　baited　with　him；　for　he　may　be　so　baited　as；　his　tail　turning　like　the　sail　of　a　wind…mill；　will　make　him　turn　more　quick　than　any　Penk　or　Minnow　can。　For　note；　that　the　nimble　turning　of　that；　or　the　Minnow　is　the　perfection　of　Minnow…fishing。　To　which　end；　if　you　put　your　hook　into　his　mouth；　and　out　at　his　tail；　and　then；　having　first　tied　him　with　white　thread　a　little　above　his　tail；　and　placed　him　after　such　a　manner　on　your　hook　as　he　is　like　to　turn　then　sew　up　his　mouth　to　your　line；　and　he　is　like　to　turn　quick；　and　tempt　any　Trout：　but　if　he　does　not　turn　quick；　then　turn　his　tail；　a　little　more　or　less；　towards　the　inner　part；　or　towards　the　side　of　the　hook；　or　put　the　Minnow　or　Sticklebag　a　little　more　crooked　or　more　straight　on　your　hook；　until　it　will　turn　both　true　and　fast；　and　then　doubt　not　but　to　tempt　any　great　Trout　that　lies　in　a　swift　stream。　And　the　Loach　that　I　told　you　of　will　do　the　like：　no　bait　is　more　tempting；　provided　the　Loach　be　not　too　big。

And　now；　scholar；　with　the　help　of　this　fine　morning；　and　your　patient　attention；　I　have　said　all　that　my　present　memory　will　afford　me；　concerning　most　of　the　several　fish　that　are　usually　fished　for　in　fresh　waters。

Venator。　But；　master；　you　have　by　your　former　civility　made　me　hope　that　you　will　make　good　your　promise；　and　say　something　of　the　several　rivers　that　be　of　most　note　in　this　nation；　and　also　of　fish…ponds；　and　the　ordering　of　them：　and　do　it　I　pray；　good　master；　for　I　love　any　discourse　of　rivers；　and　fish　and　fishing；　the　time　spent　in　such　discourse　passes　away　very　pleasantly





The　FIFTH　day…continued

Of　Rivers；　and　some　Observations　of　Fish

Chapter　XIX

Piscator

WELL；　scholar；　since　the　ways　and　weather　do　both　favour　us；　and　that　we　yet　see　not　'Tottenham…Cross；　you　shall　see　my　willingness　to　satisfy　your　desire。　And；　first；　for　the　rivers　of　this　nation：　there　be；　as　you　may　note　out　of　Dr。　Heylin's　Geography　and　others；　in　number　three　hundred　and　twenty…five；　but　those　of　chiefest　note　he　reckons　and　describes　as　followeth。

The　chief　is　THAMISIS；　compounded　of　two　rivers；　Thame　and　Isis；　whereof　the　former；　rising　somewhat　beyond　Thame　in　Buckinghamshire；　and　the　latter　near　Cirencester　in　Gloucestershire；　meet　together　about　Dorchester　in　Oxfordshire；　the　issue　of　which　happy　conjunction　is　Thamisis；　or　Thames；　hence　it　flieth　betwixt　Berks；　Buckinghamshire；　Middlesex；　Surrey；　Kent　and　Essex：　and　so　weddeth　itself　to　the　Kentish　Medway；　in　the　very　jaws　of　the　ocean。　This　glorious　river　feeleth　the　violence　and　benefit　of　the　sea　more　than　any　river　in　Europe；　ebbing　and　flowing；　twice　a　day；　more　than　sixty　miles；　about　whose　banks　are　so　many　fair　towns　and　princely　palaces；　that　a　German　poet　thus　truly　spake：

Tot　campos；　&c。　We　saw　so　many　woods　and　princely　bowers；　Sweet　fields；　brave　palaces；　and　stately　towers；　So　many　gardens　drest　with　curious　care；　That　Thames　with　royal　Tiber　may　compare。

2。　The　second　river　of　note　is　SABRINA　or　SEVERN：　it　hath　its　beginning　in　Plinilimmon…hill；　in　Montgomeryshire；　and　his　end　seven　miles　from　Bristol；　washing；　in　the　mean　space；　the　walls　of　Shrewsbury；　Worcester；　and　Gloucester；　and　divers　other　places　and　palaces　of　note。

3。　TRENT；　so　called　from　thirty　kind　of　fishes　that　are　found　in　it；　or　for　that　it　receiveth　thirty　lesser　rivers；　who　having　his　fountain　in　Staffordshire；　and　gliding　through　the　counties　of　Nottingham；　Lincoln；　Leicester；　and　York；　augmenteth　the　turbulent　current　of　Humber；　the　most　violent　stream　of　all　the　isle　This　Humber　is　not；　to　say　truth；　a　distinct　river　having　a　spring…head　of　his　own；　but　it　is　rather　the　mouth　or　aestuarium　of　divers　rivers　here　confluent　and　meeting　together；　namely；　your　Derwent；　and　especially　of　Ouse　and　Trent；　and；　as　the　Danow；　having　received　into　its　channel　the　river　Dravus；　Savus；　Tibiscus；　and　divers　others；　changeth　his　name　into　this　of　Humberabus；　as　the　old　geographers　call　it。

4。　MEDWAY；　a　Kentish　river；　famous　for　harbouring　the　royal　navy。

5。　TWEED；　the　north…east　bound　of　England；　on　whose　northern　banks　is　seated　the　strong　and　impregnable　town　of　Berwick。

6。　TYNE；　famous　for　Newcastle；　and　her　inexhaustible　coal…pits。　These；　and　the　rest　of　principal　note；　are　thus　comprehended　in　one　of　Mr。　Drayton's　Sonnets：

Our　floods'　queen；　Thames；　for　ships　and　swans　is　crown'd　And　stately　Severn　for　her　shore　is　prais'd；　The　crystal　Trent；　for　fords　and　fish　renown'd；　And　Avon's　fame　to　Albion's　cliffs　is　rais'd。

Carlegion　Chester　vaunts　her　holy　Dee；　York　many　wonders　of　her　Ouse　can　tell；　The　Peak；　her　Dove；　whose　banks　so　fertile　be；　And　Kent　will　say　her　Medway　doth　excel：

Cotswold　commends　her　Isis　to　the　Tame：　Our　northern　borders　boast　of　Tweed's　fair　flood；　Our　Western　parts　extol　their　Willy's　fame；　And　the　old　Lea　brags　of　the　Danish　blood。

These　observations　are　out　of　learned　Dr。　Heylin；　and　my　old　deceased　friend；　Michael　Drayton；　and　because　you　say　you　love　such　discourses　as　these；　of　rivers；　and　fish；　and　fishing；　I　love　you　the　better；　and　love　the　more　to　impart　them　to　you。　Nevertheless；　scholar；　if　I　should　begin　but　to　name　the　several　sorts　of　strange　fish　that　are　usually　taken　in　many　of　those　rivers　that　run　into　the　sea；　I　might　beget　wonder　in　you；　or　unbelief；　or　both：　and　yet　I　will　venture　to　tell　you　a　real　truth　concerning　one　lately　dissected　by　Dr。　Wharton；　a　man　of　great　learning　and　experience；　and　of　equal　freedom　to　communicate　it；　one　that　loves　me　and　my　art；　one　to　whom　I　have　been　beholden　for　many　of　the　choicest　observations　that　I　have　imparted　to　you。　This　good　man；　that　dares　do　anything　rather　than　tell　an　untruth；　did；　I　say；　tell　me　he　had　lately　dissected　one　strange　fish；　and　he　thus　described　it　to　me：

〃This　fish　was　almost　a　yard　broad；　and　twice　that　length；　his　mouth　wide　enough　to　receive；　or　take　into　it；　the　head　of　a　man；　his　stomach；　seven　or　eight　inches　broad。　He　is　of　a　slow　motion；　and　usually　lies　or　lurks　close　in　the　mud；　and　has　a　moveable　string　on　his　head；　about　a　span　or　near　unto　a　quarter　of　a　yard　long；　by　the　moving　of　which；　which　is　his　natural　bait；　when　he　lies　close　and　unseen　in　the　mud；　he　draws　other　smaller　fish　so　close　to　him；　that　he　can　suck　them　into　his　mouth；　and　so　devours　and　digests　them。〃

And；　scholar；　do　not　wonder　at　this；　for　besides　the　credit　of　the　relator；　you　are　to　note；　many　of　these；　and　fishes　which　are　of　the　like　and　more　unusual　shapes；　are　very　often　taken　on　the　mouths　of　our　sea　rivers；　and　on　the　sea　shore。　And　this　will　be　no　wonder　to　any　that　have　travelled　Egypt；　where；　'tis　known；　the　famous　river　Nilus　does　not　only　breed　fishes　that　yet　want　names；　but；　by　the　overflowing　of　that　river；　and　the　help　of　the　sun's　heat　on　the　fat　slime　which　the　river　leaves　on　the　banks　when　it　falls　back　into　its　natural　channel；　such　strange　fish　and　beasts　are　also　bred；　that　no　man　can　give　a　name　to；　as　Grotius　in　his　Sopham；　and　others；　have　observed。

But　whither　am　I　strayed　in　this　discourse。　I　will　end　it　by　telling　you；　that　at　the　mouth　of　some　of　these　rivers　of　ours；　Herrings　are　so　plentiful；　as　namely；　near　to　Yarmouth　in　Norfolk；　and　in　the　west　country　Pilchers　so　very　plentiful；　as　you　will　wonder　to　read　what　our　learned　Camden　relates　of　them　in　his　Britannia。

Well；　scholar；　I　will　stop　here；　and　tell　you　what　by　reading　and　conference　I　have　observed　concerning　fish…ponds。






The　FIFTH　day…continued

Of　Fish…Ponds

Chapter　XX

Piscator

DOCTOR　LEBAULT；　the　learned　Frenchman；　in　his　large　discourse　of　Maison　Rustique；　gives　this　direction　for　making　of　fish…ponds。　I　shall　refer　you　to　him；　to　read　it　at　large：　but　I　think　I　shall　contract　it；　and　yet　make　it　as　useful。

He　adviseth；　that　when　you　have　drained　the　ground；　and　made　the　earth　firm　where　the　head　of　the　pond　must　be；　that　you　must　then；　in　that　place；　drive　in　two　or　three　rows　of　oak　or　elm　piles；　which　should　be　scorched　in　the　fire；　or　half…burnt；　before　they　be　driven　into　the　earth；　for　being　thus　used；　it　preserves　them　much　longer　from　rotting。　And　having　done　so；　lay　faggots　or　bavins　of　smaller　wood　betwixt　them：　and　then；　earth　betwixt　and　above　them：　and　then；　having　first　very　well　rammed　them　and　the　earth；　use　another　pile　in　like　manner　as　the　first　were：　and　note；　that　the　second　pile　is　to　be　of　or　about　the　height　that　you　intend　to　make　your　sluice　or　floodgate；　or　the　vent　that　you　intend　shall　convey　the　overflowings　of　your　pond　in　any　flood　that　shall　endanger　the　breaking　of　your　pond…dam。

Then　he　advises；　that　you　plant　willows　or　owlers；　about　it；　or　both：　and　then　cast　in　bavins；　in　some　places　not　far　from　the　side；　and　in　the　most　sandy　places；　for　fish　both　to　spawn　upon；　and　to　defend　them　and　the　young　fry　from　the　many　fish；　and　also　from　vermin；　that　lie　at　watch　to　destroy　them；　especially　the　spawn　of　the　Carp　and　Tench；　when　'tis　left　to　the　mercy　of　ducks　or　vermin。

He；　and　Dubravius；　and　all　others　advise；　that　you　make　choice　of　such　a　place　for　your　pond；　that　it　may　be　refreshed　with　a　little　rill；　or　with　rain　water；　running　or　falling　into　it；　by　which　fish　are　more　inclined　both　to　breed；　and　are　also　refreshed　and　fed　the　better；　and　do　prove　to　be　of　a　much　sweeter　and　more　pleasant　taste。

To　which　end　it　is　observed；　that　such　pools　as　be　large　and　have　most　gravel；　and　shallows　where　fish　may　sport　themselves；　do　afford　fish　of　the　purest　taste。　And　note；　that　in　all　pools　it　is　best　for　fish　to　have　some　retiring　place；　as　namely；　hollow　banks；　or　shelves；　or　roots　of　trees；　to　keep　them　from　danger；　and；　when　they　think　fit；　from　the　extreme　heat　of　summer；　as　also　from　the　extremity　of　cold　in　winter