Come of fish one of these dayes, and then beg another Song of you. Scholer,let Maudlin alone, do not you offer to spoil her voice. Look, yonder comes my Hoftis to cal us to fupper. How now? is my brother Peter come? Hoft. Yes, and a friend with him, they are both glad to hear you are in these parts, and long to see you, and are hungry,and long to be at fupper. F 3 CHAP. EL met brother Peter,I heard you & a friend would lodg here to night, and that has made me and my friend caft to lodge here too; my friend is one that would faine be a brother of the Angle: he has been an Angler but this day,and I have taught him how to catch a Chub with daping a Grafhopper, and he has caught a lufty one of nineteen inches long. But I pray you brother, who is it that is your companion? Peter. Brother Pifcator,my friend is an honest Country man, and his name is Coridon, a most downright witty merry companion that met me here purposely to eat a Trout and be pleafant, and I have not yet wet my line fince I came from home: But I wil fit him to morrow with a Trout for his breakfast, if the weather be any thing like. Pifc. Nay brother, you shall not delay him so long, for look you here is a Trout will fill fix reasonable bellies. Come Hoftis, dress it prefently, and get us what other meat the house wil afford, and give us fome good Ale, and lets be merrie. The Defcription of a Trout. Peter F 4 Peter. On my word, this Trout is in perfect season. Come, I thank you, and here's a hearty draught to you, and to all the brothers of the Angle, wherefoever they be, and to my young brothers good fortune to morrow; I wil furnish him with a rod, if you wil furnish him with the reft of the tackling, we wil fet him and make him a fisher. up And I wil tel him one thing for his encouragement, that his fortune hath made him happy to be a Scholer to fuch a Mafter; a Mafter that knowes as much both of the nature and breeding of fish, as any man; and can also tell him as well how to catch and cook them, from the Minow to the Sammon, as any that I ever met withall. Pifc. Trust me, brother Peter, I find my Scholer to be fo futable to my own humour,which is to be free and pleasant, and civilly merry,that my refolution is to hide nothing from from him. Believe me,Scholer, this is my refolution: and fo here's to you a hearty draught, and to all that love us,and the honeft Art of Angling. Viat. Trust me, good Master, you shall not fow your feed in barren ground, for I hope to return you an increase anfwerable to your hopes; but however, you shal find me obedient, and thankful, and serviceable to my best abilitie. Pifc. "Tis enough, honest Scholer, come lets to fupper. Come my friend Coridon,this Trout looks lovely, it was twenty two inches when it was taken, and the belly of it look'd some part of it as yellow as a Marygold, and part of it as white as a Lily, and yet me thinks it looks better in this good fawce. Coridon. Indeed, honeft friend, it looks well, and tastes well, I thank you for it, and fo does my friend Peter, or else he is to blame. Pet. Yes |