the complete angler-第5部分

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d　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　permitted　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。

Auceps。　And　I　hope　so　too；　though　I　fear　it　will。

Piscator。　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　my　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　I　trade　in。　The　water　is　the　eldest　daughter　of　the　creation；　the　element　upon　which　the　Spirit　of　God　did　first　move；　the　element　which　God　commanded　to　bring　forth　living　creatures　abundantly；　and　without　which；　those　that　inhabit　the　land；　even　all　creatures　that　have　breath　in　their　nostrils；　must　suddenly　return　to　putrefaction。　Moses；　the　great　lawgiver　and　chief　philosopher；　skilled　in　all　the　learning　of　the　Egyptians；　who　was　called　the　friend　of　God；　and　knew　the　mind　of　the　Almighty；　names　this　element　the　first　in　the　creation：　this　is　the　element　upon　which　the　Spirit　of　God　did　first　move；　and　is　the　chief　ingredient　in　the　creation：　many　philosophers　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　to　believe　that　all　bodies　are　made　of　water；　and　may　be　reduced　back　again　to　water　only；　they　endeavour　to　demonstrate　it　thus：

Take　a　willow；　or　any　like　speedy　growing　plant　newly　rooted　in　a　box　or　barrel　full　of　earth；　weigh　them　all　together　exactly　when　the　tree　begins　to　grow；　and　then　weigh　all　together　after　the　tree　is　increased　from　its　first　rooting；　to　weigh　a　hundred　pound　weight　more　than　when　it　was　first　rooted　and　weighed；　and　you　shall　find　this　augment　of　the　tree　to　be　without　the　diminution　of　one　drachm　weight　of　the　earth。　Hence　they　infer　this　increase　of　wood　to　be　from　water　of　rain；　or　from　dew；　and　not　to　be　from　any　other　element；　and　they　affirm；　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　excellency　of　my　clement　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　fruit；　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　witnessed　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　it　is　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。　And　it　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　mistress　of　all　their　entertainments；　they　have　had　musick　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　both　me　and　my　art　of　Angling。　But；　however；　I　will　wade　no　deeper　into　these　mysterious　arguments；　but　pass　to　such　observations　as　I　can　manage　with　more　pleasure；　and　less　fear　of　running　into　error。　But　I　must　not　yet　forsake　the　waters；　by　whose　help　we　have　so　many　known　advantages。

And　first；　to　pass　by　the　miraculous　cures　of　our　known　baths；　how　advantageous　is　the　sea　for　our　daily　traffick；　without　which　we　could　not　now　subsist。　How　does　it　not　only　furnish　us　with　food　and　physick　for　the　bodies；　but　with　such　observations　for　the　mind　as　ingenious　persons　would　not　want！

How　ignorant　had　we　been　of　the　beauty　of　Florence；　of　the　monuments；　urns；　and　rarities　that　yet　remain　in　and　near　unto　old　and　new　Rome；　so　many　as　it　is　said　will　take　up　a　year's　time　to　view；　and　afford　to　each　of　them　but　a　convenient　consideration！　And　therefore　it　is　not　to　be　wondered　at；　that　so　learned　and　devout　a　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　seen　Rome　in　her　glory；　and　that　glory　is　not　yet　all　lost；　for　what　pleasure　is　it　to　see　the　monuments　of　Livy；　the　choicest　of　the　historians；　of　Tully；　the　best　of　orators；　and　to　see　the　bay　trees　that　now　grow　out　of　the　very　tomb　of　Virgil！　These；　to　any　that　love　learning；　must　be　pleasing。　But　what　pleasure　is　it　to　a　devout　Christian；　to　see　there　the　humble　house　in　which　St。　Paul　was　content　to　dwell；　and　to　view　the　many　rich　statues　that　are　made　in　honour　of　his　memory！　nay；　to　see　the　very　place　in　which　St。　Peter　and　he　lie　buried　together！　Thes