IZAAK WALTON.

1593-1683.

OLD SONGS.

Pisc. Look, under that broad Beechtree I sate down when I was last this way a fishing, and the birds in the adjoining Grove seemed to have a friendly contention with an Echo, whose dead voise seemed to live in a hollow cave, near to the brow of that Primrosehil; there I sate viewing the Silver streams glide silently towards their center, the tempestuous Sea, yet sometimes opposed by rugged roots, and pibble stones, which broke their waves, and turned them into fome: and sometimes viewing the harmless Lambs, some leaping securely in the cool shade, whilst others sported themselves in the cheerful Sun; and others were craving comfort from the swolne Udders of their bleating Dams. As I thus sate, these and other sights had so fully possest my soul, that I thought as the Poet has happily exprest it :

I was for that time lifted above earth;

And possest Joyes not promis'd in my birth.

As I left this place, and entered into the next field, a second pleasure entertained me, 'twas a handsome Milk-maid, that had cast away all care, and sang like a Nightingale; her voice was good, and the Ditty fitted for it; 'twas that smooth Song which was made by Kit Marlow, now at least fifty years ago; and the Milk-maid's mother sung an answer to it, which was made by Sir Walter Raleigh in his younger dayes.

Look

They were old fashioned Poetry, but choicely good, I think much better then that now in fashion in this critical age. yonder, on my word, yonder they be both a milking again: I will give her the Chub, and perswade them to sing those two songs to us.

THE ANGLER'S LIFE.

And now, Scholer, my direction for fly-fishing is ended with this showre, for it has done raining, and now look about you, and see how pleasantly that Meadow looks, nay and the earth smels as sweetly too. Come let me tell you what holy Mr. Herbert saies of such dayes and Flowers as these, and then we will thank God that we enjoy them, and walk to the River and sit down quietly and try to catch the other brace of Trouts.

Viat. I thank you, good Master, for your good direction for fly-fishing, and for the sweet enjoyment of the pleasant day, which is so far spent without offence to God or man: and I thank you for the sweet close of your discourse with Mr. Herberts Verses, which I have heard, loved Angling; and I do the rather believe it, because he had a spirit suitable to Anglers, and to those Primitive Christians that you love, and have so much commended.

Pisc. Well, my loving Scholer, and I am pleased to know that you are so well pleased with my direction and discourse; and I hope you will be pleased too, if you find a Trout at one of our Angles, which we left in the water to fish for it self; you shall chuse which shall be yours, and it is an even lay, one catches; And let me tell you, this kind of fishing, and laying Night-hooks, are like putting money to use, for they both work

for the Owners, when they do nothing but sleep, or eat, or rejoice, as you know we have done this last hour, and sate as quietly and free from cares under this Sycamore, as Virgils Tityrus and his Melibaus did under their broad Beech tree: No life, my honest Scholer, no life so happy, and so pleasant as the Anglers, unless it be the Beggers life in Summer; for then only they take no care but are as happy as we Anglers.

The Compleat Angler.

SIR THOMAS BROWNE.

1605-1682.

RELIGIO MEDICI.

NOR truely doe I thinke the lives of any were ever correspondent, or in all points conformable unto their doctrines; it is evident that Aristotle transgressed the rule of his owne Ethicks ; the Stoicks that condemne passion, and command a man to laugh in Phalaris his Bull, could not endure without a groane a fit of the stone or collick. The Scepticks that affirmed they knew nothing, even in that opinion confute themselves, and thought they knew more than all the world beside. Diogenes I hold to bee the most vaine glorious man of his time, and more ambitious in refusing all honours, than Alexander in rejecting none. Vice and the Devill put a fallacie upon our reasons, and, provoking us too hastily to run from it, entangle and profound us deeper in it. The duke of Venice, that weds himselfe unto the sea, by a ring of Gold, I will not argue of prodigality, because it is a solemnity of good use and consequence in the State. But the Philosopher that threw his money into the Sea to avoyd avarice, was a notorious prodigal. There is no road or ready way to verture, it is not an easie point of art to disentangle our selves from this riddle, or web of sin: To perfect vertue, as to Religion, there is required a Panoplia, or compleat armour, that whilst we lye at close ward against one vice we lie not open to the vennie of another: And indeed wiser discretions that have the thred of reason to conduct them, offend without a pardon; whereas under heads may stumble without dishonour. There goe so many circumstances to piece up one good action, that it is a lesson to be good, and wee are forced to be virtuous by the booke. Againe, the practice of men holds not an equall pace, yea, and often runnes counter to their Theory; we naturally know what is good, but naturally pursue what is evill :

the Rhetoricke wherewith I perswade another cannot perswade my selfe there is a depraved appetite in us, that will with patience heare the learned instructions of Reason; but yet perform no farther than agrees to its owne irregular Humour. In briefe, we all are monsters, that is, a composition of man and beast, wherein we must endeavour to be as the Poets fancy that wise man Chiron, that is, to have the Region of Man above that of Beast, and sense to sit but at the feete of reason. Lastly, I doe desire with God, that all, but yet affirme with men, that few shall know salvation, that the bridge is narrow, the passage straite unto life; yet those who doe confine the Church of God, either to particular Nations, Churches, or Families, have made it farre narrower than our Saviour ever meant it.

The vulgarity of those judgments that wrap the church of God in Strabo's cloak and restraine it unto Europe, seeme to mee as bad Geographers as Alexander, who thought hee had conquer'd all the world when hee [had] not subdued the halfe of any part thereof: For wee cannot deny the Church of God both in Asia and Africa, if we doe not forget the peregrinations of the Apostles, the deaths of their Martyrs, the sessions of many and even in our reformed judgment lawfull councells, held in those parts in the minoritie and nonage of ours nor must a few differences more remarkable in the eyes of man than perhaps in the judgement of God, excommunicate from heaven one another, much lesse those Christians who are in a manner all Martyrs, maintaining their faith in the noble way of persecution, and serving God in the fire, whereas we honour him but in the sunshine. 'Tis true we all hold there is a number of Elect and many be saved, yet take our opinions together, and from the confusion thereof, there will be no such thing as salvation, nor shall any one be saved; for first the church of Rome condemneth us, wee likewise them; the Subreformists and Sectaries sentence the Doctrine of our Church as damnable, the Atomist, or Familist reprobates all these, and all these them againe. Thus whilst the mercies of God doth promise us heaven, our conceits and opinions exclude us from that place. There must be therefore more than one Saint Peter, particular Churches and Sects usurpe the gates of heaven, and turne the key against each other, and thus we goe to heaven against each others will, conceits and opinions, and with as much uncharity as ignorance, doe erre, I feare in points, not onely of our own, but on[e] anothers salvation.

I beleeve many are saved who to man seeme reprobated, and many are reprobated, who in the opinion and sentence of