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the complete angler-第28节

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ness worth his labour: and I love them the better; because they allude to Rivers; and Fish and Fishing。 They be these:

Come; live with me; and be my love; And we will some new pleasures prove; Of golden sands; and crystal brooks; With silken lines; and silver hooks。

There will the river whisp'ring run; Warm'd by thy eyes more than the sun And there the enamel'd fish will stay Begging themselves they may betray。

When thou wilt swim in that live bath; Each fish; which every channel hash; Most amorously to thee will swim; Gladder to catch thee。 than thou him。

If thou; to be so seen; beest loath By sun or moon; thou dark'nest both; And if mine eyes have leave to see; I need not their light; having thee;

Let others freeze with angling reeds; And cut their legs with shells and weeds; Or treacherously poor fish beset With strangling snares or windowy net;

Let coarse bold hands; from slimy nest; The bedded fish in banks outwrest; Let curious traitors sleeve silk flies; To 'witch poor wand'ring fishes' eyes。

For thee; thou need'st no such deceit; For thou thyself art shine own bait; That fish that is not catcht thereby; Is wiser afar; alas; than I。

Piscator。 Well remembered; honest scholar。 I thank you for these choice verses; which I have heard formerly; but had quite forgot; till they were recovered by your happy memory。 Well; being I have now rested myself a little; I will make you some requital; by telling you some observations of the Eel; for it rains still: and because; as you say; our angles are as money put to use; that thrives when we play; therefore we'll sit still; and enjoy ourselves a little longer under this honeysuckle hedge。





The fourth day…continued

Of the Eel; and other Fish that want Scales

Chapter XIII

Piscator

It is agreed by most men; that the Eel is a most dainty fish: the Romans have esteemed her the Helena of their feasts; and some the queen of palate…pleasure。 But most men differ about their breeding: some say they breed by generation; as other fish do; and others; that they breed; as some worms do; of mud; as rats and mice; and many other living creatures; are bred in Egypt; by the sun's heat when it shines upon the overflowing of the river Nilus; or out of the putrefaction of the earth; and divers other ways。 Those that deny them to breed by generation; as other fish do; ask; If any man ever saw an Eel to have a spawn or melt ? And they are answered; That they may be as certain of their breeding as if they had seen spawn; for they say; that they are certain that Eels have all parts fit for generation; like other fish; but so small as not to be easily discerned; by reason of their fatness; but that discerned they may be; and that the He and the She Eel may be distinguished by their fins。 And Rondeletius says; he has seen Eels cling together like dew…worms。

And others say; that Eels; growing old; breed other Eels out of the corruption of their own age; which; Sir Francis Bacon says; exceeds not ten years。 And others say; that as pearls are made of glutinous dewdrops; which are condensed by the sun's heat in those countries; so Eels are bred of a particular dew; falling in the months of May or June on the banks of some particular ponds or rivers; apted by nature for that end; which in a few clays are; by the sun's heat; turned into Eels: and some of the Ancients have called the Eels that are thus bred; the offspring of Jove。 I have seen; in the beginning of July; in a river not far from Canterbury; some parts of it covered over with young Eels; about the thickness of a straw; and these Eels did lie on the top of that water; as thick as motes are said to be in the sun: and I have heard the like of other rivers; as namely; in Severn; where they are called Yelvers; and in a pond; or mere near unto Staffordshire; where; about a set time in summer; such small Eels abound so much; that many of the poorer sort of people that inhabit near to it; take such Eels out of this mere with sieves or sheets; and make a kind of Eel…cake of them; and eat it like as bread。 And Gesner quotes Venerable Bede; to say; that in England there is an island called Ely; by reason of the innumerable number of Eels that breed in it。 But that Eels may be bred as some worms; and some kind of bees and wasps are; either of dew; or out of the corruption of the earth; seems to be made probable by the barnacles and young goslings bred by the sun's heat and the rotten planks of an old ship; and hatched of trees; both which are related for truths by Du Bartas and Lobel; and also by our learned Camden; and laborious Gerhard in his Herbal。

It is said by Rondeletius; that those Eels that are bred in rivers that relate to or be nearer to the sea; never return to the fresh waters; as the Salmon does always desire to do; when they have once tasted the salt water; and I do the more easily believe this; because I am certain that powdered beef is a most excellent bait to catch an Eel。 And though Sir Francis Bacon will allow the Eel's life to be but ten years; yet he; in his History of Life and Death; mentions a Lamprey; belonging to the Roman emperor; to be made tame; and so kept for almost threescorc years; and that such useful and pleasant observations were made of this Lamprey; that Crassus the orator; who kept her; lamented her death; and we read in Doctor Hakewill; that Hortensius was seen to weep at the death of a Lamprey that he had kept long; and loved exceedingly。

It is granted by all; or most men; that Eels; for about six months; that is to say; the six cold months of the year; stir not up or down; neither in the rivers; nor in the pools in which they usually are; but get into the soft earth or mud; and there many of them together bed themselves; and live without feeding upon anything; as I have told you some swallows have been observed to do in hollow trees; for those six cold months。 And this the Eel and Swallow do; as not being able to endure winter weather: for Gesner quotes Albertus to say; that in the year 1125; that year's winter being more cold than usually; Eels did; by nature's instinct; get out of the water into a stack of hay in a meadow upon dry ground; and there bedded themselves: but yet; at last; a frost killed them。 And our Camden relates; that; in Lancashire; fishes were digged out of the earth with spades; where no water was near to the place。 I shall say little more of the Eel; but that; as it is observed he is impatient of cold; so it hath been observed; that; in warm weather; an Eel has been known to live five days out of the water。

And lastly; let me tell you; that some curious searchers into the natures of fish observe; that there be several sorts or kinds of Eels; as the silver Eel; the green or greenish Eel; with which the river of Thames abounds; and those are called Grigs; and a blackish Eel; whose head is more flat and bigger than ordinary Eels; and also an Eel whose fins are reddish; and but seldom taken in this nation; and yet taken sometimes。 These several kind of Eels are; say some; diversely bred; as; namely; out of the corruption of the earth; and some by dew; and other ways; as I have said to you: and yet it is affirmed by some for a certain; that the silver Eel is bred by generation; but not by spawning as other fish do; but that her brood come alive from her; being then little live Eels no bigger nor longer than a pin; and I have had too many testimonies of this; to doubt the truth of it myself; and if I thought it needful I might prove it; but I think it is needless。

And this Eel; of which I have said so much to you; may be caught with divers kinds of baits: as namely; with powdered beef; with a lob or garden worm; with a minnow; or gut of a hen; chicken; or the guts of any fish; or with almost anything; for he is a greedy fish。 But the Eel may be caught; especially; with a little; a very little Lamprey; which some call a Pride; and may; in the hot months; be found many of them in the river Thames; and in many mud…heaps in other rivers; yea; almost as usually as one finds worms in a dunghill。

Next note; that the Eel seldom stirs in the day; but then hides himself; and therefore he is usually caught by night; with one of these baits of which I have spoken; and may be then caught by laying hooks; which you are to fasten to the bank; or twigs of a tree; or by throwing a string across the stream; with many hooks at it; and those baited with the aforesaid baits; and a clod; or plummet; or stone; thrown into the river with this line; that so you may in the morning find it near to some fixed place; and then take it up with a drag…hook; or otherwise。 But these things are; indeed; too common to be spoken of; and an hour's fishing with any angler will teach you better; both for these and many other common things in the practical part of angling; than a week's discourse。 I shall therefore conclude this direction for taking the Eel; by telling you; that in a warm day in summer; I have taken many a good Eel by Snigling; and have been much pleased with that sport。

And because you; that are but a young angler; know not what Snigling is I will now teach it to you。 You remember I told you that Eels do not usually stir in the daytime; for then they hide themselves under some 

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