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The　fourth　day　…　continued

On　the　　Luce　or　Pike

Chapter　VIII

Piscator　and　Venator

Piscator。　The　mighty　Luce　or　Pike　is　taken　to　be　the　tyrant；　as　the　Salmon　is　the　king；　of　the　fresh　water。　'Tis　not　to　be　doubted；　but　that　they　are　bred；　some　by　generation；　and　some　not；　as　namely；　of　a　weed　called　pickerel…weed；　unless　learned　Gesner　be　much　mistaken；　for　he　says；　this　weed　and　other　glutinous　matter；　with　the　help　of　the　sun's　heat；　in　some　particular　months；　and　some　ponds；　apted　for　it　by　nature；　do　become　Pikes。　But；　doubtless；　divers　Pikes　are　bred　after　this　manner；　or　are　brought　into　some　ponds　some　such　Other　ways　as　is　past　man's　finding　out；　of　which　we　have　daily　testimonies。

Sir　Francis　Bacon；　in　his　History　of　Life　and　Death；　observes　the　Pike　to　be　the　longest　lived　of　any　fresh…water　fish；　and　yet　he　computes　it　to　be　not　usually　above　forty　years；　and　others　think　it　to　be　not　above　ten　years：　and　yet　Gesner　mentions　a　Pike　taken　in　Swedeland；　in　the　year　1449；　with　a　ring　about　his　neck；　declaring　he　was　put　into　that　pond　by　Frederick　the　Second；　more　than　two　hundred　years　before　he　was　last　taken；　as　by　the　inscription　in　that　ring；　being　Greek；　was　interpreted　by　the　then　Bishop　of　Worms。　But　of　this　no　more；　but　that　it　is　observed；　that　the　old　or　very　great　Pikes　have　in　them　more　of　state　than　goodness；　the　smaller　or　middle…sized　Pikes　being；　by　the　most　and　choicest　palates；　observed　to　be　the　best　meat：　and；　contrary；　the　Eel　is　observed　to　be　the　better　for　age　and　bigness。

All　Pikes　that　live　long　prove　chargeable　to　their　keepers；　because　their　life　is　maintained　by　the　death　of　so　many　other　fish；　even　those　of　their　own　kind；　which　has　made　him　by　some　writers　to　be　called　the　tyrant　of　the　rivers；　or　the　fresh…water　wolf；　by　reason　of　his　bold；　greedy；　devouring；　disposition；　which　is　so　keen；　as　Gesner　relates；　A　man　going　to　a　pond；　where　it　seems　a　Pike　had　devoured　all　the　fish；　to　water　his　mule；　had　a　Pike　bit　his　mule　by　the　lips；　to　which　the　Pike　hung　so　fast；　that　the　mule　drew　him　out　of　the　water；　and　by　that　accident；　the　owner　of　the　mule　angled　out　the　Pike。　And　the　same　Gesner　observes；　that　a　maid　in　Poland　had　a　Pike　bit　her　by　the　foot；　as　she　was　washing　clothes　in　a　pond。　And　I　have　heard　the　like　of　a　woman　in　Killingworth　pond；　not　far　from　Coventry。　But　I　have　been　assured　by　my　friend　Mr。　Segrave；　of　whom　I　spake　to　you　formerly；　that　keeps　tame　Otters；　that　he　hath　known　a　Pike；　in　extreme　hunger；　fight　with　one　of　his　Otters　for　a　Carp　that　the　Otter　had　caught；　and　was　then　bringing　out　of　the　water。　I　have　told　you　who　relate　these　things；　and　tell　you　they　are　persons　of　credit；　and　shall　conclude　this　observation；　by　telling　you；　what　a　wise　man　has　observed；　〃　It　is　a　hard　thing　to　persuade　the　belly；　because　it　has　no　ears　〃。

But　if　these　relations　be　disbelieved；　it　is　too　evident　to　be　doubted；　that　a　Pike　will　devour　a　fish　of　his　own　kind　that　shall　be　bigger　than　his　belly　or　throat　will　receive；　and　swallow　a　part　of　him；　and　let　the　other　part　remain　in　his　mouth　till　the　swallowed　part　be　digested；　and　then　swallow　that　other　part　that　was　in　his　mouth；　and　so　put　it　over　by　degrees；　which　is　not　unlike　the　Ox；　and　some　other　beasts　taking　their　meat；　not　out　of　their　mouth　immediately　into　their　belly；　but　first　into　some　place　betwixt；　and　then　chew　it；　or　digest　it　by　degrees　after；　which　is　called　chewing　the　cud。　And；　doubtless；　Pikes　will　bite　when　they　are　not　hungry；　but；　as　some　think；　even　for　very　anger；　when　a　tempting　bait　comes　near　to　them。

And　it　is　observed；　that　the　Pike　will　eat　venomous　things；　as　some　kind　of　frogs　are；　and　yet　live　without　being　harmed　by　them；　for；　as　some　say；　he　has　in　him　a　natural　balsam；　or　antidote　against　all　poison。　And　he　has　a　strange　heat；　that　though　it　appear　to　us　to　be　cold；　can　yet　digest　or　put　over　any　fish…flesh；　by　degrees；　without　being　sick。　And　others　observe；　that　he　never　eats　the　venomous　frog　till　he　have　first　killed　her；　and　then　as　ducks　are　observed　to　do　to　frogs　in　spawning…　time；　at　which　time　some　frogs　are　observed　to　be　venomous；　so　thoroughly　washed　her；　by　tumbling　her　up　and　down　in　the　water；　that　he　may　devour　her　without　danger。　And　Gesner　affirms；　that　a　Polonian　gentleman　did　faithfully　assure　him；　he　had　seen　two　young　geese　at　one　time　in　the　belly　of　a　Pike。　And　doubtless　a　Pike　in　his　height　of　hunger　will　bite　at　and　devour　a　dog　that　swims　in　a　pond；　and　there　have　been　examples　of　it；　or　the　like；　for　as　I　told　you；　〃　The　belly　has　no　ears　when　hunger　comes　upon　it　〃

The　Pike　is　also　observed　to　be　a　solitary；　melancholy；　and　a　bold　fish；　melancholy；　because　he　always　swims　or　rests　himself　alone；　and　never　swims　in　shoals　or　with　company；　as　Roach　and　Dace；　and　most　other　fish　do：　and　bold；　because　he　fears　not　a　shadow；　or　to　see　or　be　seen　of　anybody；　as　the　Trout　and　Chub；　and　all　other　fish　do。

And　it　is　observed　by　Gesner；　that　the　jaw…bones；　and　hearts；　and　galls　of　Pikes；　are　very　medicinable　for　several　diseases；　or　to　stop　blood；　to　abate　fevers；　to　cure　agues；　to　oppose　or　expel　the　infection　of　the　plague；　and　to　be　many　ways　medicinable　and　useful　for　the　good　of　mankind：　but　he　observes；　that　the　biting　of　a　Pike　is　venomous；　and　hard　to　be　cured。

And　it　is　observed；　that　the　Pike　is　a　fish　that　breeds　but　once　a　year；　and　that　other　fish；　as　namely　Loaches；　do　breed　oftener：　as　we　are　certain　tame　Pigeons　do　almost　every　month；　and　yet　the　Hawk；　a　bird　of　prey；　as　the　Pike　is　a　fish；　breeds　but　once　in　twelve　months。　And　you　are　to　note；　that　his　time　of　breeding；　or　spawning；　is　usually　about　the　end　of　February；　or；　somewhat　later；　in　March；　as　the　weather　proves　colder　or　warmer：　and　to　note；　that　his　manner　of　breeding　is　thus：　a　he　and　a　she　Pike　will　usually　go　together　out　of　a　river　into　some　ditch　or　creek；　and　that　there　the　spawner　casts　her　eggs；　and　the　melter　hovers　over　her　all　that　time　that　she　is　casting　her　spawn；　but　touches　her　not。

I　might　say　more　of　this；　but　it　might　be　thought　curiosity　or　worse；　and　shall　therefore　forbear　it；　and　take　up　so　much　of　your　attention　as　to　tell　you　that　the　best　of　Pikes　are　noted　to　be　in　rivers；　next；　those　in　great　ponds　or　meres；　and　the　worst；　in　small　ponds。

But　before　I　proceed　further；　I　am　to　tell　you；　that　there　is　a　great　antipathy　betwixt　the　Pike　and　some　frogs：　and　this　may　appear　to　the　reader　of　Dubravius；　a　bishop　in　Bohemia；　who；　in　his　book　Of　Fish　and　Fish…ponds；　relates　what　he　says　he　saw　with　his　own　eyes；　and　could　not　forbear　to　tell　the　reader。　Which　was：

〃As　he　and　the　bishop　Thurzo　were　walking　by　a　large　pond　in　Bohemia；　they　saw　a　frog；　when　the　Pike　lay　very　sleepily　and　quiet　by　the　shore　side；　leap　upon　his　head；　and　the　frog　having　expressed　malice　or　anger　by　his　sworn　cheeks　and　staring　eyes；　did　stretch　out　his　legs　and　embrace　the　Pike's　head；　and　presently　reached　them　to　his　eyes；　tearing　with　them；　and　his　teeth；　those　tender　parts：　the　Pike；　moved　with　anguish；　moves　up　and　down　the　water；　and　rubs　himself　against　weeds；　and　whatever　he　thought　might　quit　him　of　his　enemy；　but　all　in　vain；　for　the　frog　did　continue　to　ride　triumphantly；　and　to　bite　and　torment　the　Pike　till　his　strength　failed；　and　then　the　frog　sunk　with　the　Pike　to　the　bottom　of　the　water：　then　presently　the　frog　appeared　again　at　the　top；　and　croaked；　and　seemed　to　rejoice　like　a　conqueror；　after　which　he　presently　retired　to　his　secret　hole。　The　bishop；　that　had　beheld　the　battle；　called　his　fisherman　to　fetch　his　nets；　and　by　all　means　to　get　the　Pike　that　they　might　declare　what　had　happened：　and　the　Pike　was　drawn　forth；　and　both　his　eyes　eaten　out；　at　which　when　they　began　to　wonder；　the　fisherman　wished　them　to　forbear；　and　assured　them　he　was　certain　that　Pikes　were　often　so　served。〃

I　told　this；　which　is　to　be　read　in　the　sixth　chapter　of　the　book　of　Dubravius；　unto　a　friend；　who　replied；　〃　It　was　as　improbable　as　to　have　the　mouse　scratch　out　the　cat's　eyes〃。　But　he　did　not　consider；　that　there　be　Fishing　frogs；　which　the　Dalmatians　call　the　Water…devil；　of　which　I　might　tell　you　as　wonderful　a　story：　but　I　shall　tell　you　that　'tis　not　to　be　doubted　but　that　there　be　some　frogs　so　fearful　of　the　water…snake；　that　when　they　swim　in　a　place　in　which　they　fear　to　meet　with　him　they　then　get　a　reed　across　into　their　mouths；　which　if　they　two　meet　by　accident；　secures　the　frog　from　the　strength　and　malice　of　the　snake；　and　note；　that　the　frog　usually　swims　the　fastest　of　the　two。

And　let　me　tell　you；　that　as　there　be　water　and　land　frogs；　so　there　be　land　and　water　snakes。　Concerning　which　take　this　observation；　that　the　land…snake　breeds　and　hatches　her　eggs；　which　become　young　snakes；　in　some　old　dunghill；　or　a　like　hot　place：　but　the　water…snake；　which　is　not　venomous；　and　as　I　have　been　assured　by　a　great　observer　of　such　secrets；　does　not　hatch；　but　breed　her　young　alive；　which　she　does　not　then　forsake；　but　bides　with　them；　and　in　case　of　danger　will　take　them　all　into　her　mouth　and　swim　away　from　any　apprehended　danger；　and　then　let　them　out　again　when　she　thinks　all　danger　to　be　past：　these　be　accidents　that　we　Anglers　so