the complete angler-第7部分

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　human　society；　and　for　these；　and　other　like　reasons；　to　be　preferred　before　contemplation。

Concerning　which　two　opinions　I　shall　forbear　to　add　a　third；　by　declaring　my　own；　and　rest　myself　contented　in　telling　you；　my　very　worthy　friend；　that　both　these　meet　together；　and　do　most　properly　belong　to　the　most　honest；　ingenuous；　quiet；　and　harmless　art　of　angling。

And　first；　I　shall　tell　you　what　some　have　observed；　and　I　have　found　it　to　be　a　real　truth；　that　the　very　sitting　by　the　river's　side　is　not　only　the　quietest　and　fittest　place　for　contemplation；　but　will　invite　an　angler　to　it：　and　this　seems　to　be　maintained　by　the　learned　Peter　du　Moulin；　who；　in　his　discourse　of　the　fulfilling　of　Prophecies；　observes；　that　when　God　intended　to　reveal　any　future　events　or　high　notions　to　his　prophets；　he　then　carried　them　either　to　the　deserts；　or　the　sea…shore；　that　having　so　separated　them　from　amidst　the　press　of　people　and　business；　and　the　cares　of　the　world；　he　might　settle　their　mind　in　a　quiet　repose；　and　there　make　them　fit　for　revelation。

And　this　seems　also　to　be　imitated　by　the　children　of　Israel；　who　having　in　a　sad　condition　banished　all　mirth　and　musick　from　their　pensive　hearts；　and　having　hung　up　their　then　mute　harps　upon　the　willow…trees　growing　by　the　rivers　of　Babylon；　sat　down　upon　those　banks；　bemoaning　the　ruins　of　Sion；　and　contemplating　their　own　sad　condition。

And　an　ingenious　Spaniard　says；　that　〃　rivers　and　the　inhabitants　of　the　watery　element　were　made　for　wise　men　to　contemplate；　and　fools　to　pass　by　without　consideration　〃。　And　though　I　will　not　rank　myself　in　the　number　of　the　first；　yet　give　me　leave　to　free　myself　from　the　last；　by　offering　to　you　a　short　contemplation；　first　of　rivers；　and　then　of　fish；　concerning　which　I　doubt　not　but　to　give　you　many　observations　that　will　appear　very　considerable：　I　am　sure　they　have　appeared　so　to　me；　and　made　many　an　hour　pass　away　more　pleasantly；　as　I　have　sat　quietly　on　a　flowery　bank　by　a　calm　river；　and　contemplated　what　I　shall　now　relate　to　you。

And　first　concerning　rivers；　there　be　so　many　wonders　reported　and　written　of　them；　and　of　the　several　creatures　that　be　bred　and　live　in　them；　and　those　by　authors　of　so　good　credit；　that　we　need　not　to　deny　them　an　historical　faith。

As　namely　of　a　river　in　Epirus　that　puts　out　any　lighted　torch；　and　kindles　any　torch　that　was　not　lighted。　Some　waters　being　drunk；　cause　madness；　some　drunkenness；　and　some　laughter　to　death。　The　river　Selarus　in　a　few　hours　turns　a　rod　or　wand　to　stone：　and　our　Camden　mentions　the　like　in　England；　and　the　like　in　Lochmere　in　Ireland。　There　is　also　a　river　in　Arabia；　of　which　all　the　sheep　that　drink　thereof　have　their　wool　turned　into　a　vermilion　colour。　And　one　of　no　less　credit　than　Aristotle；　tells　us　of　a　merry　river；　the　river　Elusina；　that　dances　at　the　noise　of　musick；　for　with　musick　it　bubbles；　dances；　and　grows　sandy；　and　so　continues　till　the　musick　ceases；　but　then　it　presently　returns　to　its　wonted　calmness　and　clearness。　And　Camden　tells　us　of　a　well　near　to　Kirby；　in　Westmoreland；　that　ebbs　and　flows　several　times　every　day：　and　he　tells　us　of　a　river　in　Surrey；　it　is　called　Mole；　that　after　it　has　run　several　miles；　being　opposed　by　hills；　finds　or　makes　itself　a　way　under　ground；　and　breaks　out　again　so　far　off；　that　the　inhabitants　thereabout　boast；　as　the　Spaniards　do　of　their　river　Anus；　that　they　feed　divers　flocks　of　sheep　upon　a　bridge。　And　lastly；　for　I　would　not　tire　your　patience；　one　of　no　less　authority　than　Josephus；　that　learned　Jew；　tells　us　of　a　river　in　Judea　that　runs　swiftly　all　the　six　days　of　the　week；　and　stands　still　and　rests　all　their　sabbath。

But　I　will　lay　aside　my　discourse　of　rivers；　and　tell　you　some　things　of　the　monsters；　or　fish；　call　them　what　you　will；　that　they　breed　and　feed　in　them。　Pliny　the　philosopher　says；　in　the　third　chapter　of　his　ninth　book；　that　in　the　Indian　Sea；　the　fish　called　Balaena　or　Whirlpool；　is　so　long　and　broad；　as　to　take　up　more　in　length　and　breadth　than　two　acres　of　ground；　and；　of　other　fish；　of　two　hundred　cubits　long；　and　that　in　the　river　Ganges；　there　be　Eels　of　thirty　feet　long。　He　says　there；　that　these　monsters　appear　in　that　sea；　only　when　the　tempestuous　winds　oppose　the　torrents　of　water　falling　from　the　rocks　into　it；　and　so　turning　what　lay　at　the　bottom　to　be　seen　on　the　water's　top。　And　he　says；　that　the　people　of　Cadara；　an　island　near　this　place；　make　the　timber　for　their　houses　of　those　fish　bones。　He　there　tells　us；　that　there　are　sometimes　a　thousand　of　these　great　Eels　found　wrapt　or　interwoven　together　He　tells　us　there；　that　it　appears　that　dolphins　love　musick；　and　will　come　when　called　for；　by　some　men　or　boys　that　know；　and　use　to　feed　them；　and　that　they　can　swim　as　swift　as　an　arrow　can　be　shot　out　of　a　bow；　and　much　of　this　is　spoken　concerning　the　dolphin；　and　other　fish；　as　may　be　found　also　in　the　learned　Dr。　Casaubon's　Discourse　of　Credulity　and　Incredulity；　printed　by　him　about　the　year　1670。

I　know；　we　Islanders　are　averse　to　the　belief　of　these　wonders；　but　there　be　so　many　strange　creatures　to　be　now　seen；　many　collected　by　John　Tradescant；　and　others　added　by　my　friend　Elias　Ashmole；　Esq。；　who　now　keeps　them　carefully　and　methodically　at　his　house　near　to　Lambeth；　near　London；　as　may　get　some　belief　of　some　of　the　other　wonders　I　mentioned。　I　will　tell　you　some　of　the　wonders　that　you　may　now　see；　and　not　till　then　believe；　unless　you　think　fit。

You　may　there　see　the　Hog…fish；　the　Dog…fish；　the　Dolphin；　the　Cony…　fish；　the　Parrot…fish；　the　Shark；　the　Poison…fish；　Sword…fish；　and　not　only　other　incredible　fish；　but　you　may　there　see　the　Salamander；　several　sorts　of　Barnacles；　of　Solan…Geese；　the　Bird　of　Paradise；　such　sorts　of　Snakes；　and　such　Birds'…nests；　and　of　so　various　forms；　and　so　wonderfully　made；　as　may　beget　wonder　and　amusement　in　any　beholder；　and　so　many　hundred　of　other　rarities　in　that　collection；　as　will　make　the　other　wonders　I　spake　of；　the　less　incredible；　for；　you　may　note；　that　the　waters　are　Nature's　store…house；　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