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the fpit; let him be rofted very leifurely, and often bafted with Claret wine, and Anchovis, and butter mixt together, and alfo with what moisture falls from him into the pan: when you have rofted him fufficiently, you are to hold under him (when you unwind or cut the tape that ties him) fuch a dish as you purpose to eat him out of, and let him fall into it with the fawce that is rafted in his belly; and by this means the Pike will be kept unbroken and complete; then to the fawce, which was within him, and alfo in the pan, you are to add a fit quantity of the best butter, and to squeeze the juice of three or four Oranges: laftly, you may either put into the Pike with the Oyfters, two cloves of Garlick, and take it whole out when the Pike is cut off the Spit, or to give the fawce a bogoe, let the difh (into which you let the Pike fall be rubed with it; the using or not ufing of this Garlick is left to your difcretion.

This dish of meat is too good for any but Anglers or honeft men; and, I trust, you wil prove both, and therefore I have trufted you with this Secret. And now I fhall proceed to give you fome Obfervations concerning the Carp.

CHAP.

Pifc.

CHAP. VIII.

T

HE Carp is a stately, a good, and a subtle fish, a fish that hath not (as it is faid) been long in England, but faid to be by one Mr.Mafcall (a G ntleman then living at Plumfted in Suffex) brought into this Nation and for the better confirmation of this, you are to remember I told you that Gefner fayes, there is not a Pike in Spain, and that except the Eele, which lives longest out of the water, there is none that will endure more hardness, or live longer then a Carp will out of it, and fo the report of his being brought out of a forrain Nation into this, is the more probable.

Carps and Loches are observed to breed several months in one year, M which

you

which most other fish do not, and it is the rather believed, because shall scarce or never take a Male Carp without a Melt, or a Female without a Roe or Spawn; and for the most part very much, and especially all the Summer feafon; and it is observed, that they breed more naturally in Ponds then in running waters, and that those that live in Rivers are taken by men of the beft palates to be much the better

meat.

And it is obferved, that in some Ponds Carps will not breed, efpécially in cold Ponds; but where they will breed, they breed innumerably,if there be no Pikes nor Pearch to devour their Spawn, when it is caft upon grass, or flags, or weeds, where it lies ten or twelve dayes before it be enlivened.

The Carp, if he have water room and good feed, will grow to a very great bigness and length: I have

heard

heard,to above a yard long; though I never faw one above thirty three inches, which was a very great and goodly fith.

Now as the increase of Carps is wonderful for their number; fo there is not a reafon found out, I think, by any, why the fhould breed in fome Ponds, and not in others of the fame nature,for foil and all other circumftances; and as their breeding, so are their decayes also very mysterious; I have both read it, and been told by a Gentleman of tryed honeftie, that he has knowne fixtie or more large Carps put into feveral Ponds neer to a houfe,where by reafon of the stakes in the Ponds, and the Owners conftant being neer to them,itwas impoffible they fhould be ftole away from him, and that when he has after three or four years emptied the Pond, and expected an increase from them by breeding young ones (for that they might do

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