Piscator. Sir, I hope you will not judge my earnestness to be
impatience: and for my simplicity, if by that you mean a harmlessness,
or that simplicity which was usually found in the primitive Christians,
who were, as most Anglers are, quiet men, and followers of peace; men
that were so simply wise, as not to sell their consciences to buy
riches, and with them vexation and a fear to die; if you mean such
simple men as lived in those times when there were fewer lawyers; when
men might have had a lordship safely conveyed to them in a piece of
parchment no bigger than your hand, though several sheets will not do it
safely in this wiser age; I say, Sir, if you take us Anglers to be such
simple men as I have spoke of, then myself and those of my profession
will be glad to be so understood: But if by simplicity you meant to
express a general defect in those that profess and practice the
excellent Art of Angling, I hope in time to disabuse you, and make the
contrary appear so evidently, that if you will but have patience to hear
me, I shall remove all the anticipations that discourse, or time, or
prejudice, have possessed you with against that laudable and ancient
Art; for I know it is worthy the knowledge and practice of a wise man.
But, Gentlemen, though I be able to do this, I am not so unmannerly as
to engross all the discourse to myself; and, therefore, you two having
declared yourselves, the one to be a lover of Hawks, the other of
Hounds, I shall be most glad to hear what you can say in the
commendation of that recreation which each of you love and practice; and
having heard what you can say, I shall be glad to exercise your
attention with what I can say concerning my own recreation and Art of
Angling, and by this means we shall make the way to seem the shorter:
and if you like my motion, I would have Mr. Falconer to begin.
Auceps. Your motion is consented to with all my heart; and to testify
it, I will begin as you have desired me.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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