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Venator。　Sir；　I；　for　my　part；　shall　almost　answer　your　hopes；　for　my　purpose　is　to　drink　my　morning's　draught　at　the　Thatched　House　in　Hoddesden；　and　I　think　not　to　rest　till　I　come　thither；　where　I　have　appointed　a　friend　or　two　to　meet　me：　but　for　this　gentleman　that　you　see　with　me；　I　know　not　how　far　he　intends　his　journey；　he　came　so　lately　into　my　company；　that　I　have　scarce　had　time　to　ask　him　the　question。

Auceps。　Sir；　I　shall　by　your　favour　bear　you　company　as　far　as　Theobalds；　and　there　leave　you；　for　then　I　turn　up　to　a　friend's　house；　who　mews　a　Hawk　for　me；　which　I　now　long　to　see。

Venator。　Sir；　we　are　all　so　happy　as　to　have　a　fine；　fresh；　cool　morning；　and　I　hope　we　shall　each　be　the　happier　in　the　others'　company。　And；　Gentlemen；　that　I　may　not　lose　yours；　I　shall　either　abate　or　amend　my　pace　to　enjoy　it；　knowing　that；　as　the　Italians　say；　〃　Good　company　in　a　journey　makes　the　way　to　seem　the　shorter　〃。

Auceps。　It　may　do　so；　Sir；　with　the　help　of　good　discourse；　which；　methinks；　we　may　promise　from　you；　that　both　look　and　speak　so　cheerfully：　and　for　my　part；　I　promise　you；　as　an　invitation　to　it；　that　I　will　be　as　free　and　open　hearted　as　discretion　will　allow　me　to　be　with　strangers。

Venator。　And；　Sir；　I　promise　the　like。

Piscator。　I　am　right　glad　to　hear　your　answers；　and；　in　confidence　you　speak　the　truth；　I　shall　put　on　a　boldness　to　ask　you；　Sir；　whether　business　or　pleasure　caused　you　to　be　so　early　up；　and　walk　so　fast　？　for　this　other　gentleman　hath　declared　he　is　going　to　see　a　hawk；　that　a　friend　mews　for　him

Venator。　Sir；　mine　is　a　mixture　of　both；　a　little　business　and　more　pleasure；　for　I　intend　this　day　to　do　all　my　business；　and　then　bestow　another　day　or　two　in　hunting　the　Otter；　which　a　friend；　that　I　go　to　meet；　tells　me　is　much　pleasanter　than　any　other　chase　whatsoever：　howsoever；　I　mean　to　try　it；　for　to…morrow　morning　we　shall　meet　a　pack　of　Otter…dogs　of　noble　Mr。　Sadler's；　upon　Amwell　Hill；　who　will　be　there　so　early；　that　they　intend　to　prevent　the　sunrising。

Piscator。　Sir；　my　fortune　has　answered　my　desires；　and　my　purpose　is　to　bestow　a　day　or　two　in　helping　to　destroy　some　of　those　villanous　vermin：　for　I　hate　them　perfectly；　because　they　love　fish　so　well；　or　rather；　because　they　destroy　so　much；　indeed　so　much；　that；　in　my　judgment　all　men　that　keep　Otter…dogs　ought　to　have　pen〃　signs　from　the　King；　to　encourage　them　to　destroy　the　very　breed　of　those　base　Otters；　they　do　so　much　mischief。

Venator。　But　what　say　you　to　the　Foxes　of　the　Nation；　would　not　you　as　willingly　have　them　destroyed　？　for　doubtless　they　do　as　much　mischief　as　Otters　do。

Piscator。　Oh；　Sir；　if　they　do；　it　is　not　so　much　to　me　and　my　fraternity；　as　those　base　vermin　the　Otters　do。

Auceps。　Why；　Sir；　I　pray；　of　what　fraternity　are　you；　that　you　are　so　angry　with　the　poor　Otters？

Piscator。　I　am；　Sir；　a　Brother　of　the　Angle；　and　therefore　an　enemy　to　the　Otter：　for　you　are　to　note；　that　we　Anglers　all　love　one　another；　and　therefore　do　I　hate　the　Otter　both　for　my　own；　and　their　sakes　who　are　of　my　brotherhood。

Venator。　And　I　am　a　lover　of　Hounds；　I　have　followed　many　a　pack　of　dogs　many　a　mile；　and　heard　many　merry　Huntsmen　make　sport　and　scoff　at　Anglers。

Auceps。　And　I　profess　myself　a　Falconer；　and　have　heard　many　grave；　serious　men　pity　them；　it　is　such　a　heavy；　contemptible；　dull　recreation。

Piscator。　You　know；　Gentlemen；　it　is　an　easy　thing　to　scoff　at　any　art　or　recreation；　a　little　wit　mixed　with　ill　nature；　confidence；　and　malice；　will　do　it；　but　though　they　often　venture　boldly；　yet　they　are　often　caught；　even　in　their　own　trap；　according　to　that　of　Lucian；　the　father　of　the　family　of　Scoffers：

Lucian；　well　skilled　in　scoffing；　this　hath　writ；　Friend；　that's　your　folly；　which　you　think　your　wit：　This　you　vent　oft；　void　both　of　wit　and　fear；　Meaning　another；　when　yourself　you　jeer。

If　to　this　you　add　what　Solomon　says　of　Scoffers；　that　they　are　an　abomination　to　mankind；　let　him　that　thinks　fit　scoff　on；　and　be　a　Scoffer　still；　but　I　account　them　enemies　to　me　and　all　that　love　Virtue　and　Angling。

And　for　you　that　have　heard　many　grave；　serious　men　pity　Anglers；　let　me　tell　you；　Sir；　there　be　many　men　that　are　by　others　taken　to　be　serious　and　grave　men；　whom　we　contemn　and　pity　Men　that　are　taken　to　be　grave；　because　nature　hath　made　them　of　a　sour　complexion；　money…getting　men；　men　that　spend　all　their　time；　first　in　getting；　and　next；　in　anxious　care　to　keep　it；　men　that　are　condemned　to　be　rich；　and　then　always　busy　or　discontented：　for　these　poor　rich…men；　we　Anglers　pity　them　perfectly；　and　stand　in　no　need　to　borrow　their　thoughts　to　think　ourselves　so　happy。　No；　no；　Sir；　we　enjoy　a　contentedness　above　the　reach　of　such　dispositions；　and　as　the　learned　and　ingenuous　Montaigne　says；　like　himself；　freely；　〃　When　my　Cat　and　I　entertain　each　other　with　mutual　apish　tricks；　as　playing　with　a　garter；　who　knows　but　that　I　make　my　Cat　more　sport　than　she　makes　me？　Shall　I　conclude　her　to　be　simple；　that　has　her　time　to　begin　or　refuse；　to　play　as　freely　as　I　myself　have？　Nay；　who　knows　but　that　it　is　a　defect　of　my　not　understanding　her　language；　for　doubtless　Cats　talk　and　reason　with　one　another；　that　we　agree　no　better：　and　who　knows　but　that　she　pities　me　for　being　no　wiser　than　to　play　with　her；　and　laughs　and　censures　my　folly；　for　making　sport　for　her；　when　we　two　play　together？〃

Thus　freely　speaks　Montaigne　concerning　Cats；　and　I　hope　I　may　take　as　great　a　liberty　to　blame　any　man；　and　laugh　at　him　too；　let　him　be　never　so　grave；　that　hath　not　heard　what　Anglers　can　say　in　the　justification　of　their　Art　and　Recreation；　which　I　may　again　tell　you；　is　so　full　of　pleasure；　that　we　need　not　borrow　their　thoughts；　to　think　ourselves　happy。

Venator。　Sir；　you　have　almost　amazed　me；　for　though　I　am　no　Scoffer；　yet　I　have；　I　pray　let　me　speak　it　without　offence；　always　looked　upon　Anglers；　as　more　patient；　and　more　simple　men；　than　I　fear　I　shall　find　you　to　be。

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　safe＇y　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。

And　first；　for　the　Element　that　I　use　to　trade　in；　which　is　the　Air；　an　element　of　more　worth　than　weight；　an　element　that　doubtless　exceeds　both　the　Earth　and　Water；　for　though　I　sometimes　deal　in　both；　yet　the　air　is　most　properly　mine；　I　and　my　Hawks　use　that　most；　and　it　yields　us　most　recreation。　It　stops　not　the　high　soaring　of　my　noble；　generous　Falcon；　in　it　she　ascends　to　such　a　height　as　the　dull　eyes　of　beasts　and　fish　are　not　able　to　reach　to；　their　bodies　are　too　gross　for　such　high　elevations；　in　the　Air　my　troops　of　Hawks　soar　up　on　high；　and　when　they　are　lost　in　the　sight　of　men；　then　they　attend　upon　and　converse　with　the　Gods；　therefore　I　think　my　Eagle　is　so　justly　styled　Jove's　servant　in　ordinary：　and　that　very　Falcon；　that　I　am　now　going　to　see；　deserves　no　meaner　a　title；　for　she　usually　in　her　flight　endangers　herself；　like　the　son　of　Daedalus；　to　have　her　wings　scorched　by　the　sun's　heat；　she　flies　so　near　it；　but　her　mettle　makes　her　careless　of　danger；　for　she　then　heeds　nothing；　but　makes　her　nimble　pinions　cut　the　fluid　air；　and　so　makes　her　highway　over　the　steepest　mountains　and　deepest　rivers；　and　in　her　glorious　career　looks　with　contempt　upon　those　high　steeples　and　magnificent　palaces　which　we　adore　and　wonder　at；　from　which　he