The Compleat Angler

for, look you, here is a trout will fill six reasonable bellies.

Come, hostess, dress it presently, and get us what other meat the house will afford, and give us some of your best barley-wine, the good liquor that our honest forefathers did use to drink of; the drink which preserved their health, and made them live so long, and to do so many good deeds.

Peter. On my word, this TROUT is perfect in sea

son. Come I thank you, and here is a hearty draught to you, and to all the brothers of the angle wheresoever they be, and to my young brother's good fortune to-morrow. I will furnish him with a rod

if you will furnish him with the rest of the tackling; we will set him up and make him a fisher. And I will tell him one thing for his encouragement, that his fortune hath made him happy to be scholar to such a master; a master that knows as much, both of the nature and breeding of fish, as any man; and can also tell him as well how to catch and cook them, from the minnow to the salmon, as any that I ever met withal.

Pisc. Trust me, brother Peter, I find my scholar to be so suitable to my own humour, which is, to be free and pleasant and civilly merry, that my resolution is to hide nothing that I know from him.

Believe me, scholar, this is my resolution; and so here's to you a hearty draught, and to all that love us and the honest art of angling.

Ven. Trust me, good master, you shall not sow your seed in barren ground; for I hope to return you an increase answerable to your hopes: but, however, you shall find me obedient and thankful, and serviceable to my best ability.

Pisc. "Tis enough, honest scholar! come, let's to supper. Come, my friend Coridon, this trout looks lovely; it was twenty-two inches when it was taken; and the belly of it looked, some part of it, as yellow as a marigold, and part of it as white as a lily; and yet, methinks, it looks better in this good sauce.

Coridon. Indeed, honest friend, it looks well, and tastes well: I thank you for it, and so doth Peter, or else he is to blame.

my friend

Peter. Yes, and so I do, we all thank you; and when we have supped, I will get my friend Coridon to sing you a song for requital,

Cor. I will sing a song, if any body will sing another; else, to be plain with you, I will sing none: I am none of those that sing for meat, but for company: I say, ""Tis merry in hall, when men sing all."

Pisc. I'll promise you I'll sing a song that was lately made at my request by Mr. William Basse, one that hath made the choice songs of the "Hunter in his career," and of "Tom of Bedlam," and many others of note; and this that I will sing, is in praise of angling.

Cor. And then mine shall be, the praise of a countryman's life: what will the rest sing of?

Peter. I will promise you, I will sing another

song in praise of angling to-morrow night; for we will not part till then, but fish to-morrow, and sup together, and the next day every man leave fishing, and fall to his business.

Ven. "Tis a match; and I will provide you a song or a catch against then too, which shall give some addition of mirth to the company; for we will be civil and as merry as beggars.

Pisc. 'Tis a match, my masters; let's e'en say grace, and turn to the fire, drink the other cup to whet our whistles, and so sing away all sad thoughts. Come on, my masters, who begins? I think it is best to draw cuts, and avoid contention.

Peter. It is a match. Look, the shortest cut falls to Coridon.

Cor. Well, then, I will begin, for I hate contention.

CORIDON'S SONG.

Oh, the sweet contentment
The countryman doth find!
Heigh trolollie lollie loe,
Heigh trolollie lollie lee.
That quiet contemplation
Possesseth all my mind;
Then care away,

And wend along with me.
For courts are full of flattery,
As hath too oft been tried;

Heigh trolollie lollie loe, etc.
The city full of wantonness,
And both are full of pride:
Then care away, etc.

But, oh! the honest countryman
Speaks truly from his heart;